Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.

Subject: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 Apr 02 - 12:19 PM

Came home from a 'folk wedding' early last night (leaving heather to go nuts among the ratatouille and Morris dancers) 'cause I was feeling crappy. Turned on the tube, and watched an infomercial (I think) about Elvis' Gospel recordings. Fascinating. It contained the full clip of himself singing "Peace in The Valley" (with The Jordanaires doing great harmony). I've always loved his treatment of this, but I hadn't known the background, until last night.

Apparently Elvis wanted to sing it for his Mother, but Sullivan said "NO". (perhaps he thought it was sacriligious for the hip-shaker to sing a Gospel song, as WELL as "Hound Dog". Thank goodness, that Elvis had the clout by then....and DEMANDED to sing it. You can see how dis-combobulated Sullivan was, simply because of his introduction.......

"....uhhh,....uhhh...here's a ....uhh...song that Elvis SAYS....uhhhh....is for...uhhh...his mother....uhhhh..."

Bloody marvelous rendition.

Also on this program they talked a lot with J.D. Sumner (Six feet six, and could sing the bass out of an eighty foot well!)

Anyway, it did my heart good to see Elvis INSIST on repertoire control. Sullivan, that old reactionary was noted for putting his foot down HARD to get his way. I could be wrong, but I believe that Dylan, refused to go on if he couldn't sing "Talkin' John Birch Society"....and The Doors simply refused to change a line of lyrics. I think The Stones DID leave out a line.

Way to go Elvis.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: khandu
Date: 07 Apr 02 - 02:04 PM

You are correct about Dylan and the Doors. The Stones changed "Let's Spend the Night Together" to "Let's Spend Some Time Together".

Sullivan definitely had a heavy foot. Comic Jackie Mason can tell you that. During Mason's routine on the Sullivan Show, Sullivan tried to signal to him to hurry, the program was going to be interrupted by a news bulletin. Mason told the audience that he was being rushed and the crew was giving him signals with their fingers. "Everyone is giving me the finger", he said. And then he gave the "finger" to Sullivan. After that, Mason was barely able to get work anywhere, due to Sullivan's far-reaching anger.

But, Sullivan did give us a chance to see acts that we would not have seen anywhere else.

Didn't you just hate Toco Gigo? (Or how ever you spell it!)

khandu

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 07 Apr 02 - 02:09 PM

Topo Gigio

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 Apr 02 - 08:22 PM

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if Sullivan had ANY Gospel artists on his show (please correct me if I'm wrong) other than Marion Anderson, and Mahalia Jackson. I wonder if he thought that Elvis would "gyrate" through "Peace in the Valley"?

Rick

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 09:27 AM

There is also the story of Sullivan and Country Joe McDonald. Country Joe and the Fish were supposed to perform on the Sullivan show. The night before the broadcast they were performing at a festival in NYC. Sullivan went to see them (there is an image!) and heard the group perform the Fish Cheer. He went backstage and told the group that they would NEVER perform on his show again and cancelled their performance for the next evening.

Sullivan really didn't have a clue about pop culture, but he had some wonderful producers who would book great acts. As long as they didn't piss off Ed they were on the show.

Ron

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 10:03 AM

At least Sullivan let Country Joe and the Fish keep the $2,500 appearance fee. Here's a little bit more about the story, from Country Joe's site: http://www.countryjoe.com/edsullivan.htm

I have to assume that Sullivan was more incensed about the song that the cheer led into ("I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag") than about the cheer itself!

BTW, I never was allowed to watch the Ed Sullivan Show. Yes, I said "allowed". I was a kid when the show was on the air, and one of the rules my ultra-fundamentalist parents imposed was "No TV on the Lord's Day (Unless It's Something Special That the Parents Want to Watch, like 'Lawrence Welk')". So not only did I never see Topo Gigio, I never saw Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, either. This meant that, at elementary school, I was a social pariah!

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 11:18 AM

Poor old Ed.....His time as a columnist was past and he used his status and past reputation on the show, never really having a clue about what was going on in the world THEN. This explained his love for the really stupid shit like Topo Gigio and all of that Senor Whatshisname crappola ....... Completely pathetic.

The funniest part of his show was when he tried to interact and have conversations with people who he really couldn't figure out or even understand why they were popular.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 11:23 AM

There's the story of Sullivan and (I think) Jose Feliciano. Feliciano (can't have been him?) is there with his guide dog, Trudi.

Sullivan says, "Doesh she do tricshs?"

Feliciano says, "Yes. Trudi, KILL."

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: MMario
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 11:39 AM

'spaw - don't you badmouth Topo Gigio! I would rather have *that* mouse then the one we are stuck with!

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 11:45 AM

MMario: You mean Dope-o Georgio?

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: MMario
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 11:46 AM

I meant Walt's fiendish personifictation

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 01:00 PM

There's some funny stuff (and clips) detailing Sullivan's attempts at communicating with The mamas ansd the Papas. When Denny talks about it, it seems like a scream, but when you watch the clips, the 'acts' look as uncomfortable as Ed.

Any ideas on whether other Gospel acts appeared on Ed?

Rick

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Pene Azul
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 01:05 PM

Here's a nice site with an episode guide that emphasizes musical guests on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Jeff

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 01:07 PM

Thanks jeff.

Rick

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 01:23 PM

Okay.........Here's probably the best listing available, although with some incomplete listings, as to what was on the show. The first link covers "Toast of the Town" which it what the show was called for the first years and the second link continues on from there.

Toast of the Town Episode Guide Seasons 1-7

Ed Sullivan Show Episode Guide

Spaw

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 01:25 PM

Ain't this a bitch? While I'm Googling, Pene is posting!!! Aced out again!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 02:49 PM

Ed Sullivan was a real piece of work.

The way I got the story was this:—

First, a bit of background: In 1962, Seattle put on "Century 21," also known as the Seattle World's Fair. It was one of the most successful world fairs ever, and the only world's fair in history that finished in the black. The former fairgrounds is now the Seattle Center, a complex of concert halls, exhibition halls, and theaters that provided homes for the development of a world-class symphony orchestra, ballet company, opera company, and several repertory theater companies, not to mention the Pacific Science Center and the new Experience Music Project. It's also the location of such huge annual gatherings as the Bumbershoot Arts Festival and the Northwest Folklife Festival. Seattle's two most recognizable icons, the Space Needle and the monorail were built for the fair. Not a bad return for a six-month bash.

Century 21 was an official world's fair. The international commission that decided such things had a rule that says there will be no more than one world's fair in a four year period, sort of like the Olympics. Part of the idea is to keep one city's world's fair from stealing the thunder of another's. International expositions are another matter. A city can put one on any time it wants. But to put on an international exposition and call it a "world's fair" would be like a city putting on an international sports tournament in an off-year and calling it an "Olympic Games" without bothering to consult with the International Olympic Committee. It just ain't kosher.

About a year or so after Century 21, New York had an international exposition out by Flushing Meadows. This was not an official, sanctioned world's fair.

Early in 1962, Ed Sullivan contacted the Powers That Be at Century 21 and said that he would like to do his Sunday night broadcasts from the Seattle Center fairgrounds for the duration of the fair, showcasing the fair's acts and exhibits. It would give Sullivan's show a great boost, and it would be good publicity for the Seattle World's Fair as well. The Powers That Be said "Fine! Come ahead!" Then Sullivan told the Powers That Be how much he would charge for condescending to come out to this God-forsaken outpost in the wilderness and help this primitive clump of log cabins and igloos with its cute little fair. The Powers That Be said, "Sorry, Ed, but for that price, we could buy NBC, ABC, and CBS and put on our own television shows. Thanks, but no thanks!"

Sullivan got nasty. Very nasty. From that point on, at every opportunity, both on his TV show and in his newspaper column, he trashed Seattle's Century 21, referring to it as "the Seattle exposition," and trumpeted the up-coming New York exposition (not sanctioned by the committee) as "the New York World's Fair." Didn't hurt Century 21 any, but it kinda made him look like a ass.

Gotta give The Great Stone Face his due, though. He did introduce a lot of pretty good people to a much wider audience.

Re Senior Wences: I thought Topo Gigio was kinda cute until Ed butted into the act. All the "I lahve you, Eddie! Kees me, Eddie!" got a bit sickening. But I really liked the head in the box. "'S all right?" "'S all right!"

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 03:02 PM

Don Firth: Wow, I never knew that the 1964-65 New York World's Fair (the one with the Unisphere) wasn't officially sanctioned. According to this site – http://naid.sppsr.ucla.edu/ny64fair/index.html – the Bureau of International Expositions allowed only one US world's fair per decade, and limited world's fairs to one-year runs. The NY World's Fair ran for a total of 360 days, but over the course of two years (April to October each year). I wonder why they were allowed to call it a "World's Fair"?

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: MMario
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 03:07 PM

I wasn't aware of it either - and my family attended the one in NY both years

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 03:08 PM

Mine too!

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: GUEST,bill kennedy
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 03:09 PM

Topo Gigio was not a creation of the Great Senor Wences, it was Maria Prego's creation, the Italian Mouse.

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 03:13 PM

Full name: Mrs. Maria Perego Caldura, of Milan.

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 03:13 PM

BTW Senor Wences 'head in the box' was called Pedro, and his hand with drawn face and wig was called 'Johnny'.

and from a web site on the 'World's Fair'

"the fair wasn't sanctioned by the Bureau of International Expositions because world's fairs are limited to one year runs. Besides the BIE had already given their blessing to Seattle's 1962 fair (only one U.S. fair allowed per decade). Consequently most European countries and the Communist bloc boycotted it. None-the-less countries mainly in Asia, South America, the Mid-East and Africa were represented."

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 03:28 PM

Thanks Bill....And I wasn't saying that Senor Whatshisname did Topo Gigio too, just that I found both acts equally obnoxious. Senor Wences......yeah..........Didn't anyone else find it odd that he painted big lipstick lips on his hand? What did he do with that hand offstage? Wonder if he ever had to shave 'Johnny?'

Spaw

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 04:15 PM

Spaw, you are a sick sumbitch.

One thing I do miss about Ed's show...the guy that spins the plates on top of the cue sticks with the "sword dance" music in the background. As time went by, the guy had to keep adding more sticks and plates to make it exciting so that he had about 50 plates with three plates wobbling and ready to fall at all times. It was kind of like watching a training film for what life would be like as an adult.

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 04:17 PM

Sharon, I don't think they were really "allowed" to call it a "World's Fair," they just did. As far as I know, if the Bureau of International Expositions ever howled about it, it never made the news. But since the headquarters of most of the major news bureaus are in New York City, maybe that's another example of the advantages of "location, location, location. . . ." You can usually get away with just about anything if you have the biggest bull-horn.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 08 Apr 02 - 04:45 PM

the city of new york CERTAINLY called it a wORLD'S fAIR, from its inception & in all the marketing material & I don't think it was through Ed Sullivan's instigation or indignation at Seattle, though I believe that story is likely true. you can call anything anything, that doesn't mean that the official governing body of such things will sanction it, which in this case it did not.

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Don Firth
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 03:43 PM

Bill, when Seattle beat New York to the "World's Fair" designation, I think the New York backers just decided to go ahead and call New York's exposition a world's fair and hoped that nobody called them on it, which, as far as I know, nobody ever did. It wasn't the NY backers who were trying to trash Seattle's fair. In fact, they probably didn't want to call that much attention to it. Where the trashing came from was Ed Sullivan, who was pissed at Seattle's backers for having the audacity to think they could get along without him and his show. I doubt that Sullivan had much, if any, real influence with the NY backers.

From here, Sullivan's snit was pathetically amusing and without significance. Even without Sullivan's blessing, Century 21 let a lot of people know that Seattle wasn't just a cross between a logging camp and a fishing village, we got a terrific civic center out of the deal (theaters and exhibition halls, a couple of sports arenas, the opera house, other performance venues, etc.), and I wound up singing somewhere on or near the fairgrounds several days and/or nights a week for six months. It was a blast!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Deckman
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 03:44 PM

BOY ... we sure had some great fun at the Seattle Worlds Fair, didn't we Don? Every Sunday was folksinging at the United Nations Pavilion. There were many concerts. I sang before the largest audience I'd ever seen, 6,000 people. It was an awesome experience. Many top performers were brought to seattle during that six months: Theo Bikell, Joan Baez, on and on. Do you remember us going down to skid road and catching the flamenco troupe that was in town? Don, can you believe that it all happened FOURTY YEARS AGO! Yee gawds and little fishes! CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Deckman
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 03:46 PM

Hey ... I think I finally understand what a "thread creep" is. I think I just did one. Or someone did. Bob

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Don Firth
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 04:27 PM

(How's this for thread gallop?)

That was a fantastic time. We had a chance to meet some of the "biggies" as they passed through, and not just meet them but spend a little quality time with them. Three I remember in particular:—

After Joan Baez's concert at the Opera House, Dave Peterson and I rescued her from the backstage mob. Turns out she'd been in Seattle for a couple of days before the concert, wandered around the fairgrounds some, didn't know anybody, and was a bit lonesome. We drove her up to Dottie Broxon's house on Capitol Hill where a nice party ensued. Lots of singing. Joan didn't sing because she was beat and thought she was on the verge of a cold (and besides, she's already sung her li'l lungs out). As I recall, you invited her to your home (much nicer than a hotel) and saw to it that she got to the airport okay.

Richard Dyer-Bennet did concerts on three consecutive evenings at the Playhouse, then came to the UN Pavilion Sunday afternoon and joined us in our weekly concert there. I'd met him in 1957, but had a chance to go backstage and gas with him again for awhile.

Theo Bikel did a concert at the Opera House, then the following day, Campus Music and Gallery in the University District put on a record autographing session for him. Unfortunately not that many people dropped by (somebody goofed on getting the publicity out), but Nancy Quensé and I and a couple of other people had a chance to sit there and gab with him for about two hours. Very encouraging as far as our singing ambitions were concerned, a great story-teller, and an all-in-all terrific guy!

Those UN Pavilion concerts were amazing. Outdoors every Sunday afternoon, and they sometimes went on for three or four hours. Lots of good singers. Lots of audience. And a lot of singing jobs spun off from those, too. One great one was when Nancy, Stan, and I got tapped to do a concert at the Port Townsend Arts Festival by someone who heard us at the UN Pavilion. Treated us like royalty!

Forty years ago!! Sheesh!!

Don (having a nostalgia fit!) Firth

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Don Firth
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 04:33 PM

(I should clarify that. Joan had been staying at a hotel and Bob called his [then] wife, Norma, and asked her if it was okay to check Joan out of her hotel and bring her home. Norma said, "Great!" and fixed up the guest room. Whew!)

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Deckman
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 04:54 PM

WHEW INDEED! Yes Norma and I brought Joan and her friend home and we all hung out for a couple of days. We enjoyed the time and I know Joan and her friend did also. Joan was still quite new to the scene and really liked quiet places to 'hidey hole' and avoid all the publicity. During that time, I learned a lot about what life on the road was really like. I'm just now reading "Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez and Richard Farina." Everything I read so far rings very true to what I saw in 1962. I kept up a little coorespondence with her for a while, and then visited with her again at the 65 Berkeley Folk Festival. What wonderful times those were. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: 1962 Seattle World's Fair / Century 21
From: SharonA
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 05:05 PM

Just so that anyone doing a Forum Search can find the info on Century 21, I'm posting this message with a relevant Subject Title (which I should've done before!). Anyone who wants to read about Century 21 (the 1962 Seattle World's Fair), please see posts on this thread beginning with Don Firth's post of 08-Apr-02 - 02:49 PM... and continuing on past this post!

Subject: RE: 1964-1965 New York World's Fair
From: SharonA
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 05:08 PM

Just so that anyone doing a Forum Search can find info on the New York World's Fair ('64-'65), I'm posting this message with a relevant Subject Title (which I should've done before!). Anyone who wants to read about this Fair and the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, please see posts on this thread beginning with Don Firth's post of 08-Apr-02 - 02:49 PM... and continuing on past this post!

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: catspaw49
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 06:04 PM

Better yet Sharon, to anyone coming to this thread and while blindly looking for World's Fair info, we need to award a prize if they can see (without reading) how this thread title can possibly relate to a World's Fair!

Don and Bob.......There are already established categories for thread subject change:


Thread Creep, Phase I..Postings begin to wander off the original topic and into areas of personal interest.

Thread Creep, Phase II..Several members are talking about the original subject while others are talking about the "Creep" subject.

Thread Creep, Phase III...Some are talking on the original subject while two or more other groups are talking about "Creep" subjects.

Thread Drift..Somewhere along the line the original subject becomes almost totally lost and dies a slow death because the occasional fool will keep trying to revive it while others (also fools) have moved on.

Thread Runaway..The original subject has breathed it's last and while another has taken over, it too is losing momentum because yet another topic has taken off like a fire-assed buzzard.

Thread Blown All To Hell..Several groups are rambling on about a variety of things, none of which are in the slightest way related to the original posting.

Thread Hyperzap..Occurs when someone (like myself) is triggered by the original or subsequent postings into a train of thought that results in a post completely "out of the blue" and has nothing that anyone can see to do with anything. This generally slows the progress of the thread until someone retrieves the ball from deep left field.

Sybill Creep..A strange form of thread creep that happens when someone alludes to someone or something on another thread that may be running. I have seen this phenomenom happen generally in Phase II or Phase III which helps the Creep to move on to the next phase more quickly.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Peter T.
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 06:24 PM

Metathread Creep - A group are discussing the way in which Mudcat threads tend to creep, while the thread creeps.

Post-modern-thread-creep - What do we mean by narrative? Can one thing really follow another? Was Hume right when he suggested that causality is merely familiarity?

Poly-Dichlorothread-zene (PDZ) - A thread that disrupts the endocrine glands, resulting in Reg brothers.

Moonfleet - a novel I had to read as a kid in school about smugglers.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: Ed Sullivan, Control Freak
From: SharonA
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 06:30 PM

Spaw: I think that the problem here is in the thread title since even Rick Fielding, in his first post CREATING the thread, crept away from Gospel-singin'. Perhaps the thread should have been entitled "Ed Sullivan, Control Freak" (which relates to Don Firth's story about the two World's Fairs).

That still means that the discussion about individuals' performances at the Fairs qualifies as thread creep, but perhaps in one of the earlier stages of Creepdom.

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Big Mick
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 06:35 PM

Thanks a lot, Peter!!! Now I have to go change a perfectly good pair of jeans!!! You really ought to warn folks before you do that. It was the Poly-dichloro that ruined a perfectly good pair of Carhartt jeans.

Mick

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 09 Apr 02 - 06:35 PM

Holy COW!!

Awwright, so Peace In The Valley ain't that interestin'!

Ok, Ok, Elvis' Mother doesn't count!

Nobody cares about J.D. Sumner? I can respect that (sure I can)

....but how did Dubya, Israelis vs. Palestinians, and Peter T's wooden leg become part of this discussion?

I'll try again with the "white Gospel singers on prime time TV" some other time!

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Don Firth
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 01:30 AM

Sorry, Rick. I just sorta got carried away.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 01:31 AM

Or, what about "Ed Sullivan, Failed Diplomat"? I remember as a kid once watching the obligatory Culture slot on his show when he featured the ballet company of one of the major U.S. cities (not New York). Afterwards he did his customary little chat with them, and then - while they were all still standing there on the stage - turned to the camera and announced, "Next week we have the Bolshoi Ballet - then you'll see some REAL dancing, folks!"

I also seem to remember Mick Jagger saying in an interview that he never actually sang the whitewashed line "spend some time" together, but mumbled the real thing so inaudibly that They didn't catch on. In yer face, Ed.

What became of ES in later years after his glory days faded?

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 01:53 AM

Peter T, while I did not laugh uproariously at your above post, I did injure myself while trying to place tongue-in-cheek while eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Didn't I hear on Entertainment Tonight that Topogigio was addicted to painkillers and living in Venice Beach now?

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 10:50 AM

Eilleen Farrell who died recently told an Ed Sullivan story that was interesting. the drill was show up in the morning, with full orchestra for rehearsal, than there was a TAPED dress rehearsal in the afternoon, Ed would watch the tape, and if there was something he didn't like he'd change it. Eilleen had an aria prepared, rehearsed, taped, Ed wanted her to change it to another aria he preferred. The orchestra was called back from break, they had to rehearse it quickly, then show time. SHe said they had a contract for 4-6 more future appearances, she canceled it and never appeared again. Said life was too short for that kind of aggravation.

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: SharonA
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 11:21 AM

It's my understanding that the Japanese have turned Topo Gigio into Anime. Pardon me while I retch *glorphf*

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 11:27 AM

Topo has been big in Japan for a while now, HUGE anime industry, kids love him they call him in one series yume miru topo gigio 'dreaming topo gigio' or 'mouse of the future' seems his rocket ship landed 400 years before he left earth, or something like that...

Subject: RE: Singin' a Gospel song on Ed Sullivan.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 01:18 PM

Don....I'll forgive you ANYTHING!....see, there are perqs to being old and wise!

But since the 'drift' is more interesting than the original topic......Does anyone remember PROFESSOR BACKWARDS?! Holy shit, what an act!

And the Ultimate...the strangest...the most bizarre of all....PROFESSOR IRWIN COREY!

Makes me wonder why these guys with their obviously advanced degrees, and Doctorates, went into show biz.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: Professor Backwards (from The Ed Sullivan Show)
From: SharonA
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 02:54 PM

Rick: No, I missed Professor Backwards since I never saw the TV show (see my first post to this thread). Your comment prompted me to try to find some information about his act, and I came across an article about his murder! It was printed in True Detective magazine; BTW, the article does include a description of his act, as well as of his rise to fame. To get to the article, click on the following blueclickeylink, then click on the yellow link in the first paragraph that says "Click here to read article on Professor Backwards": http://www.backwardsbob.com/bobstory.html

Subject: Professor Backwards (from The Ed Sullivan Show)
From: SharonA
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 02:58 PM

A follow-up question: Is that Professor Backwards the same guy as the one pictured at the bottom of this article (captioned as "Professor Backwards astounded audiences with his unusual writing skills. He could write simultaneously upside-down and backwards.")? Link: http://english.cla.umn.edu/GraduateProfiles/KSurkan/4403/ville.html