Randy Newman on Letterman, July 18, 1983

[@micio_solo]

I can hear a full band playing here... the richness of his piano work.....!!! Mr Newman is simply a magnificent songwriter, composer, poet, political analyst, comedy genius... respect, respect! We love Randy... WE LOVE HIM!!!

[@fewerbeansplease]

We do...believe me!!!!

[@rickdavis2464]

I saw him walking down the street in NYC in 2002. I kinda lost my cool. Dude is a legend.

[@billgallien2967]

Hell yea I would have

[@katherine9109]

here's a tip: just say the person's name, and if they make eye contact - give 'em a nice, genuine "hi! nice to see you. big fan." or something like that. and keep moving.

[@rickdavis2464]

To be clear, I didn't say anything to him - but I blathered to my clueless friends like I saw Jesus. 😁

[@Norm.Normwald]

Sings "Randy Newman, walkin' down the street..."

[@Joe_J-MT_Boy]

Randy Newman... a national treasure if ever there was one.

[@StonefolkNetwork]

I’d say that’s a little biased coming from his cousin, Alfred E. 😉

[@Ralph-u8s]

My favorite is Money Matters. from 1988. Such a great 😮

[@Ralph-u8s]

video.

[@v-town1980]

I miss those great early days of Letterman. And Randy is great! Love Political Science's lyrics.

[@katiezee2]

I'm on a Randy Newman immersion tonight, and I don't recall seeing this video before - how did I miss it ! Loved him since Nilsson Sings Newman 1970...Thanks for posting it, along with the hundreds of other gems you gave us .

[@BobCat623923]

Underrated gem of a songwriter.....Little Criminals is one of my favorite albums of all time.

[@namcat53]

NOBODY has EVER "underrated" Randy Newman. He has always been HIGHLY ADMIRED by critics, musicians and fans.

[@pietro.c]

Great album

[@pgangeles]

@@namcat53 ;!q;b;;

[@j.davidsemple6988]

Long time fan of Randy. I still have Randy’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ LP in my collection.

[@TomTom-xp2jb]

Social commentary to the max!!! Newman tells it like it is!!! Love ya Randy!!!

[@evd7079]

Been a fan for 40 years... Bucket list is to shake hands with him and let know how much I appreciate his genius...

[@garyabbot4659]

EvD tell him a random guy also says hello and thanks for the music.

[@ojstrijbis]

I had the chance to do just that. He's a great laidback, intelligent and nice person. He was also surprisingly willing to explain lyrics and backgrounds of his songs.

[@jameslaurent6491]

EvD I feel the same, man.

[@StijnAerts]

Genius indeed

[@ozgoogle8378]

I want to shake his hand and ask him a few questions as well

[@mackydog99]

One of the greatest songs ever written!

[@ericynot]

Randy Newman is a national treasure. Quirky, funny, smart, talented, a little like Warren Zevon, but without most of the personal drama. I'm also a fan of his uncle, Alfred, who won 9 academy awards (and 45 nominations, including "How the West Was Won", the first movie score I ever fell in love with as a kid).

[@mackydog99]

.....and his grandfather Alfred E. Newman..........right?

[@ericynot]

@@mackydog99 Paul.

[@mackydog99]

I understand that not everyone will know who Alfred E. Newman is........or was. Maddening! 😁

[@ericynot]

@@mackydog99 Anyone who doesn't know Alfred E. should have their citizenship revoked because they're un-American.

[@joemartines3545]

Great songwriter... unique performer...

[@patchdavis35]

Dave comes over to greet him, says "Thanks", now we have to go away". How very gracious! We love Mr. Newman, who sings from his heart.

[@padlnjones]

the one the only, and a national treasure!

[@marylhere]

He brings me such joy.

[@ladyleesutter]

Thirty four years later, and Let's Drop the Big One (Political Science) is more relevant than ever.

[@TheMrpatches557]

Flora Bunda relevant how?

[@rowell2457]

@Flora Bunda: I guess you're misinformed. Donald Trump stops all the war. Don't you see that?

[@thebrutusmars]

Harold Gaskill How about how?

[@cyberspace667]

Politics change, Randy Newman is timeless

[@fractuss]

@@TheMrpatches557 Huh?

[@namcat53]

GENIUS.

[@Kinkle_Z]

Been a fan since Boston 1969. A commonly-loved icon for all of us back then - Randy Newman.

[@QuantumBraced]

Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo...

[@claudesheen5089]

Just saw him this weekend and better today in his early 70s than most have ever been . A true pleasure and bucket list concert for me! Thank you Mr. Newman

[@stormbringercoming8105]

Saw him at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA on the Dark Matter tour. Front row, center stage. One of my concert highlights. On my bucket list also. Passed him up one time too many. Very friendly and cordial. What a memory.

[@MrMassivefavour]

Love Political Science and Gods song and Love Story and Sail away and more recently Wandering Boy. He is so much more than those fantastic melancholy Toy Story tunes. Not many people know he even wrote Mama Told Me Not To Come

[@frankmoyer5822]

My two favorites:! Randy Newman and Tom Waits.

[@StonefolkNetwork]

Randy singing “I Love LA” to a live audience at The Ed Sullivan on Broadway & 53rd sort of perfectly encapsulates what I feel when everyone goes on and on about NYC - with love from a proud, diehard transplant 🌴☀️🕶✌️

[@joemartines3545]

This was NBC not CBS...

[@person27070]

Newman is fire son!

[@connievino4226]

Love this, love Randy.

[@garyabbot4659]

Thanks randy. You're a legend

[@JackhammerPossessor]

we love it

[@delacroix2007]

two brilliant masters of irony just continually upping the ante.

[@JasonFerguson1283]

I love this guy!

[@ekarilil]

How can you not?

[@antoninuspius5264]

I saw him in concert in 2012. A genius.

[@fclred59]

great song,love it.

[@donkimble]

Man he's about as comfortable in an interview as I'd be.

[@heywilbur]

Check out "Just One Smile" by Gene Pitney from 1965. Randy wrote it in 1960 according to wiki... despite different styles you can definitely hear Randy's writing in it.

[@gs844]

First time I ever saw a 64 Impala Lowrider was because of this video when I was 4.

[@jaqmart]

Great pianist's hands - fun guy.

[@jwaldhelm]

I saw him in the early 70s at Vanderbilt University in Nashville - with Ry Cooder. Fantastic.

[@Keyankav]

Thanks for the upload, I've been looking for this

[@ben-ladenbernanke5374]

I am bias toward Birmingham, he released in 1974 since I live so close. I Love LA was perfect for the glory days of the Lakers and Showtime. But what the Dr. Pepper commercial does not have is a homely barber from Tuscaloosa and a big dog named Dan. Get 'em Dan, he's the meanest dog in all of Alabam'.

[@mortensenegbert6619]

A most unsightly man...

[@jwaldhelm]

The album “Good Old Boys”, which has Birmingham, is in my top 10 albums ever. A classic.

[@gooddognigel4947]

I love "It's a Jungle Out There",

[@marcellisrobinson]

During the 1980's Dave was as good as Johnny was on the "Tonight Show". Hipper, smarter

[@josephedwards4325]

Guy's a fuckin genius.

[@brooks5656]

"We're gonna ride it, til' we just can't ride it no more" Talk about magic

[@geoffwilkins5274]

A master of irony.

[@KenDrPH]

The definitive anthem!

[@newmusic4piano]

Let’s both wear the same jacket.

[@JeffreyCampbell-v3e]

His Father was a big time sound track,studio composer,for major films back in old Hollywood!❤❤

[@heywilbur]

Not sure about his dad...? But his two uncles were. Alfred and Lionel.

[@seansturgill4869]

His dad was a doctor. His uncles scored many times in Hollywood, especially his uncle Alfred. Alfred won multiple grammies

[@AppleFaction]

Legend

[@jojosixty6]

The goat

[@laker4life36]

I LOVE LA

[@Bronco541]

Just started listening to him. His stuff is pretty original. The lyrics are different (often funny) but If you listen closely to his melodies too, they're pretty unique...

[@neilsonworth8967]

Moondog pic? Nice!

[@joemartines3545]

Beehive State

[@MrDougster37]

5:47 - A band called Smashed Infant. Too funny!

[@benmeltzer]

The funniest line in "I Love L.A." is "Sixth Street."

[@andrewdemetrius9957]

The Singing Bush......

[@wesleurs]

Thanks for uploading, do you have any more Randy Newman video's? Would be great

[@dongiller]

+Wes Leurs I have his four subsequent Late Night appearances in 1984, '85, '89, and '92. His January 20, 1989, appearance has been uploaded by Zschim here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGS2pneBi72XfcU I'll put up the remainder when I get around to digitizing those remaining shows, hopefully by this year.

[@damienflinter4585]

Put Political Science on a loop and blare it loud.

[@sharamusica]

Star Wars, oh Star Wars....

[@jackfake5933]

Shara Adams what about star wars?

[@Sharky165]

@@jackfake5933 She's referring to one of the many sketches in which Will Sasso parodied Newman on MADtv. You can find most if not all of them here on KZbin. The premise for that particular one was that Newman was contracted to write the music for the Star Wars prequels. He just makes stupid shit up impromptu at the piano instead of trying to craft lyrics and music that actually fit with the concepts & mood of the movie. Funny stuff, but you may not find it so if you're a huge Newman fan and/or are easily offended. But who knows -- maybe even ol' Randy got a bit of a chuckle out of it, knowing his sense of humor/irony !

[@vengefulelf659]

Wonder how the song would sound if he wrote it today

[@breathize]

He reminds me of Woody Allen on the couch with some of his tics and mannerisms.

[@exploregreer1048]

Genius. 💞

[@tinkagain6217]

Sarcasm at its best

[@THEHOMEBOY88PODCAST]

This guy is a genius and he's funny. ....he shit all over Short People. Hilarious guy. Awesome VOICE

[@LampoonGoon]

That song's actually a commentary on racist attitudes, despite the fact so many ppl thought it was literal.

[@rezonthe]

I wonder if he's a Tom Lehrer fan. He just has to be, right?

[@Afriend-nv4uq]

Has to be.

[@sammcbride2149]

When Dave has that little introductory patter about the guest before they come out I wonder if he wrote that stuff himself or if somebody wrote it for him. Just an odd random thought.

[@InFact9]

And the naked king kept singing...

[@BenThuAlot]

This is dope....and short people still got no reason to live.. lol

[@ryangillum115]

😂😂😂😂

[@claussaunte2303]

Nobody captured the American sentiment, as randy did in This song! And sorry to say that the American Way of thinking have not improved over the. Years!❤

[@johnnypimpinz5202]

Lol fucking Mad TV hahaha

[@Jamie-lw5sy]

Short people is epic

[@davanmani556]

I wonder if Steve Allen is his father?

[@Donald-my3oo]

No but Harry Chapin is his songwriting brother. Who's better??

[@attygarland6909]

Randy doesn't seem very comfortable during this appearance, esp. during the first half. Of course, he was a newbie then to the limelight, so maybe he just hadn't "adjusted" yet to that stratosphere. I can't figure out why the band didn't back him on either tune, as that would have made them sound a bit better and more even-paced. Did they maybe not get arrangements of the tune to look over in time for the show, did they not want to do so for some reason, or did Rand not want them playing on them (?)

[@dongiller]

I think he always played solo. Until he performed with the SNL band with Mark Knopfler in 1988. I suspect it was Mark who persuaded him to do that. But when he performed on Carson, it was always solo. When he toured in the mid-‘70s, he played without accompaniment (I saw him once in Berkeley then). When he performed for a cable special in the early ‘80s, he played solo, though later in the show Ry Cooder accompanied him for a song or two. So playing solo on Letterman in the early-mid ‘80s was not unusual.

[@velvetunderpants44]

Given a choice of seeing him play solo or with a band, I'd always chose solo. It gives him more freedom to ad lib. More intimate too. I've tried to see him 4 times, but either I couldn't make it or he cancelled. Hopefully next time. I've been a fan for 40 years.

[@markkelly3859]

The Trump theme song.

[@TheMrpatches557]

Mark Kelly You wish

[@SINGLEMOMSHOWCAM-yg8rf]

So its true afterall... you just have to type "Educational"