Nobsound MS-10D Tube Amplifier review

Audiophiles saving up for mega-buck systems are always looking for insanely good buys in audio… because apparently there’s no middle-ground between $60 and $3000.
I’ve seen several decades of recommendations for "giant-killer" disk players (Radio Shack’s CD-3400 and the Sony PlayStation), phono cartridges (Grado ZTE+1) and reel decks (Sony TC-155).
These days, Audio-Technica’s AT-LP60 turntable, Dayton Audio speakers and the small, Lepai class-D integrated amps get the nod: they all list for under $100 and get great reviews (although I find the A-T ‘table is far too flimsy; the extra money for a U-Turn Orbit or A-T’s own AT-LP120USB is well spent).
I’ve only listed new gear, of course… no one wants a used Sony PlayStation or TC-155 anymore. But there are great buys to be found with a used NAD 3020B integrated amp or Dynaco PAS-3X.
I’m purposely mentioning the Dynaco because for many years, I had Dynaco-based gear in my second system.  First, it was a Dynaco PAS-3X preamp and Stereo 120 power amp with a Heathkit AJ-12 tuner. The preamp was tubed, the rest was solid state, and I bought the whole mess for $10 at a garage sale on the same day I got up the courage to ask out the cute waitress at Bob’s Big Boy.  The tuner turned out to have major drift issues and was unimpressive; same goes for the waitress.  The Dynaco gear sounded okay, but no better than the Harman/Kardon HK670 receiver I owned at the time (bought used with a Rotel RP-2400 turntable at another garage sale for $40).  The Stereo 120 also liked to cut out a lot (also like the waitress), so I traded it towards a McIntosh 752, and sold the PAS-3X.  A few years later, I got another PAS-3X, a Stereo 70 and an FM-3; all tubed.  I liked the sound but, again, it wasn’t a world of difference from what I had then: a Marantz 1070 integrated (used as a preamp) and McIntosh 752 combo.  I also was nervous about the occasional pops and hisses from the power amp (a common occurrence as tubes die, apparently).  For those interested in the FM-3, by the way, it needed a new rectifier tube (which haven’t been made for decades), so I never got around to firing that up.
At one point, I used the Dynaco preamp with the McIntosh: apparently, vintage gear works best when a tube preamp mates with a solid-state power amp.  However, the scratchy connections on the Dynaco bothered me and I gave up.  (As someone who mostly bought used, I was always concerned that a given piece of equipment was about to have a major malfunction.)
I avoided tubes for about 10 years (buying new, solid-state gear) until the Nobsound integrated amp started getting some buzz online.  The early reviews complained of either poor quality control (no longer an issue, it seems) or the tubes being used solely for visual effect (not true).
I plugged it into my system and was startled by how much more body and life the sound had.  The tube “warmth” everyone talks about was finally apparent to my ears.  Vinyl (pretty much my only source) sounded much more alive and lifelike.  It’s the kind of thing that vinyl-haters claim doesn’t exist, and that it’s psychosomatic.  Whatever the reason it sounds and feels better, it does.
The system includes a Garrard 401 with SME 3009 arm and Stanton 681mkIII-S cartridge into a Technics SU-C01 preamp and McIntosh MC2505 power amp, feeding a pair of JBL 4410’s.  The Nobsound was used in place of the McIntosh, fed by the Technics preamp’s tape outputs (in effect, using the Technics as a phono preamp).
My first extended listening was on side one of “The Notorious Byrd Brothers,” during which I heard instrumental parts which I had previously never heard (xylophones and percussion mostly).  Switching to the recent mono reissue of The Rolling Stones’ “Aftermath” (UK edition), I was struck by how sinewy the bass sounded on “Under My Thumb.”  It felt like it was 1,000 feet tall!
After a bit, I put on Charles Earland's "Living Black": the brass attacked with bite on "Killer Joe" and I could hear the room noise much better than before (this is a live album, but you wouldn't know it since much of the crowd is mixed out of recording).  For some reason, I also decided to put on a few 45s, including "Loser" by Beck and "Le Freak" by Chic, both of which had far more bass and presence than before.  None of these pressings have significant inner-groove distortion, which usually turns to hash on solid state gear.
I should mention at this point that the Technics preamp (like most preamps I’ve used) has a loudness button, something which I find vitally important given the quirks of my system and source material.  The Nobsound has no such button, but offers such a wide range in the bass and treble controls that I didn’t need any other compensation.  I’ve never understood audiophiles who eschew tone controls; the assertion is that only perfectly recorded source material is worth listening to.  (Usually, I find the opposite to be true).
My only criticism of the Nobsound is the lack of a mono button or balance control.  For under $200, this first leap into tube territory may be all you need until you can afford to be one of those audiophiles who no longer looks for bargains.

David Letterman, Jack Paar, Desi Arnaz and the Emmys

In its early years, Late Night With David Letterman did an unusually good job of booking showbiz legends... Bob Hope, George Burns, Milton Berle, Jack Paar, Henry Morgan, Sammy Davis Jr., Don Rickles, Jerry Lewis, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson and Desi Arnaz had all appeared with Dave by 1985.  In the clip below, Arnaz makes his one and only appearance (May 23, 1983), and they get a special visitor (who had not yet guested with Dave at that point) around the 9:05 mark.


This was possible because in those days, Dave taped in Studio 6A while the local NBC station's "Live at 5" newscast would be happening across the hall, in 6B.  Dave would often go over and interrupt WNBC (likely pre-planned somewhat) including a famous incident in 1987 with Harvey Pekar (in which the artist is solely focused on Al Roker, who had once been at WKYC in Cleveland, Pekar's hometown).
For the record, Conan O'Brien also did his show in 6A, while Paar, Carson and now Jimmy Fallon used 6B.  (And just to move even further off-course, here's Don Rickles on "Live at 5" in 1985; a classic).
Getting back to Arnaz, it's interesting that Dave basically turns the whole show over to one guest -- something you would think wouldn't happen given that critics said Dave's interview skills were still developing (although he does just fine).  This happened with a number of the above-mentioned guests.  Arnaz seems relaxed and confident, just as he did when hosting SNL in 1976.  However, the physical deterioration is very apparent from 1976 to 1983.
Fast forwarding to September, 1986, Dave co-hosted the Emmys that year with Shelley Long.  Not only did he and Paul make a week-long runner out of Dave's discomfort with the whole thing, but he also appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," got in some mild jabs at Lucille Ball, and then generated some comedy from the whole thing afterward.  YouTube user Don Giller -- who posted the Arnaz clip above -- is a saint, and has put together a half-hour encapsulation of Dave and the '86 Emmys.  It's brilliantly edited, and a much better use of 34 minutes than, say, watching an episode of "The Big Bang Theory" and then teasing animals for 4 minutes.


One thing I noticed here is that Dave says to Brandon [Tartikoff], "we won't be third for much longer." I believe NBC was already in second place at this point.  It was just before the third season of "The Cosby Show," which had already paid huge dividends for the network on Thursday nights, as well as attracting talent to the network in general.  (If you're keeping track, here's the hit shows that were on NBC primetime that fall: Family Ties, The Hogan Family (aka Valerie in 86-87), ALF, Matlock, Highway to Heaven, Night Court, Cheers, L.A. Law, Miami Vice, The Facts of Life, The Golden Girls, 227, Amen, Hunter, two movie nights and the lower-rated but demographically amazing Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere).
Dave actually did a decent job of hosting that year, and fortunately did not point to the show as a career-defining failure (as he would with the Oscars a decade later).
For good measure, this is the open of the 1986 Emmys, with a cast of stars from the past.  Over on his "News From ME" blog, writer Mark Evanier has several exhaustive, interesting posts devoted to this production (and the glaring mistake you'll see at 1:40).

KBT: Farinacci's and Tomorrow In Review

Another edition of #KBT finds Mr. Dave from Farinacci's Pizza visiting with a non-pizza surprise, plus a look at tomorrow's headlines from The Chicago Chronicle.

Nerding Out for Music Sounds: 78rpm Bonanza with Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Fats Domino

A look at the few 78rpm disks I have -- all 50s rock and roll (and some that aren't from America!).

WKRP in Cincinnati DVD music changes

As a Christmas gift to all of you who received the WKRP in Cincinnati boxed set in years past, here -- finally -- is a list of all the music that was replaced on the Shout! Factory "complete series" DVDs.  One of the myths about this show is that the music was changed after the initial CBS run. Not true: I have syndicated copies from the early 1990s in which most -- but not all -- of the music is unchanged.  The first time they made major replacements was for the 2007 Season 1 box, which is now out of print.
The new DVD set has 90 percent of the music unchanged.  Looks like the main sticks-in-the-mud now are the Beatles, Rolling Stones and the Time-Warner company (the Warner Bros., Atlantic, Elektra, Reprise labels)... those three entities account for most of the songs that Shout! couldn't get cleared.

Season 1
PREACHER: this was the third episode produced, but the last to air that season
I'm Down, The Beatles

HOLD UP: one other change in this episode was done just before the original airing. The dialogue is reversed or dubbed whenever Hamilton Camp's character mentions brand names.
Atomic Punk, Van Halen
Back In the U.S.A., Linda Ronstadt

TURKEYS AWAY
Dogs, Pink Floyd... a great scene, which you can view here

GOODBYE JOHNNY
Surfin' USA, Beach Boys... this uses a soundalike on my syndicated copy

THE CONTEST NOBODY COULD WIN
Lotta Love, Nicolette Larson


Season 2
FOR LOVE OR MONEY, PT 1
Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor), Robert Palmer
Rise, Herb Alpert

MIKE FRIGHT
Who Listens To The Radio?, The Sports
Rock And Roll Music, Chuck Berry

THE PATTER OF LITTLE FEET
Sing A Happy Song, The O'Jays
Thank Heaven For Little Girls, Maurice Chevalier

BABY IF YOU'VE EVER WONDERED
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Michael Jackson

SPARKY
Survival, Bob Marley & The Wailers

A FAMILY AFFAIR
Foxy Lady, The Jimi Hendrix Experience

IN CONCERT
Sympathy For The Devil, The Rolling Stones... this is a very obvious dub job, done early in the syndicated run, and it makes Gary Sandy look silly while he's singing along.

THE DOCTOR'S DAUGHTER
The Long Run, The Eagles... watch the turntable when this song plays near the end; it's clearly been left on 78 speed, instead of 33

MOST IMPROVED STATION
61 Clay, Ron Nagle

Season 3
THE AIRPLANE SHOW: I barely recall any music in this episode
Whip It, Devo
Military Percussion One, Chris Karan
Space Truckin', Deep Purple
You Light Up My Life, Debbie Boone
Gimme Some Slack, The Cars

REAL FAMILIES: I barely recall any music in this episode, either
Once In a Lifetime, Talking Heads
She's So Cold, Rolling Stones

THE BABY
Could I Be Dreamin', Pointer Sisters

A MILE IN MY SHOES
Get Off My Cloud, Rolling Stones

BAH HUMBUG
Wanted, Perry Como

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
Get Away, Ry Cooder

FROG STORY
Gone Dead Train, Randy Newman

VENUS AND THE MAN: With this episode, John Lennon's portrait from The White Album is prominently displayed in the music library; this episode was the first one produced after Lennon's murder on Dec. 8
Looking For Love, Candi Staton
Remember, John Lennon

DR. FEVER AND MR. TIDE
Sympathy For The Devil, The Rolling Stones
Le Freak, Chic

SECRETS OF DAYTON HEIGHTS
I've Found A New Baby, Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

OUT TO LUNCH
Here Comes The Sun, The Beatles
I Will Follow, U2
Jive Talkin', Bee Gees... this is a very good soundalike with the lyrics "Talk talk talk the night away."

TILL DEBT DO US PART
We Just Disagree, Dave Mason

Season 4
AN EXPLOSIVE AFFAIR
Celebration, Kool & The Gang

THE UNION
Start Me Up, The Rolling Stones

YOU CAN'T GO OUT OF TOWN AGAIN
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones

PILLS
The Old Songs, Barry Manilow... within the show, this is not on WKRP's playlist, but part of a syndicated show

JENNIFER AND JOHNNY'S CHARITY
Come Together, Beatles

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
Take My Heart, Kool & the Gang

THE CREATION OF VENUS: this episode is the backstory of much of the pilot; I always thought someone should edit all of this together, along with the re-created scenes from "Mama's Review" with Carol Bruce playing Mother Carlson. Interesting that the only song this episode has in common with the pilot is "Queen of the Forest" by Ted Nugent... the first song played after the format change.
Wavelength, Van Morrison

RIP Jack Benny (A Tribute to Jack Benny/A Love Letter to Jack Benny), 1894-1974

The worst belated Christmas gift ever... a eulogy for Jack Benny, who died December 26, 1974.  This is a CBS News rememberance which aired three days later:



That CBS News special obviously concentrates on his CBS years (1949-64).  You can also watch the special, "A Love Letter to Jack Benny" (which aired Feb. 5, 1981), hosted by George Burns, Johnny Carson and Bob Hope, for his NBC years (1964-74, when he was mostly doing specials).  I do not believe it covers his time on NBC Radio (1932-48, except for a few months at CBS).

For good measure, read my post about Benny's "Si, Sy, So" routine with Mel Blanc and Johnny Carson.

I have added this table to keep track of when you could have seen (and heard) Mr. Benjamin Kubelsky...

NBC Radio: 05/02/32-12/26/48 (except 10/30/32-1/26/33 on CBS)

CBS Radio: 01/02/49-05/22/55
CBS-TV: 10/28/50-4/21/64

NBC-TV: 9/25/64-4/16/65, followed by specials through January, 1974

The Beatles Christmas Records

{UPDATE 12/14/17... here's my review of the new, official Beatles Christmas Record boxed set}

If you’ve heard “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” only NINE-thousand times this month, consider yourself lucky.  And if you’re looking for some other yuletide records by The Beatles, you may want to dig up their seven fan club messages.
In 50+ years, the band has released thousands of songs as a band and solo.  But only a handful have any sort of holiday connection: John’s “Happy Xmas,” Paul’s “Wonderful Christmastime”/“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae” as well as his 2012 take on “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)” and Ringo’s “I Wanna Be Santa Claus” LP.  George also put out “Ding Dong, Ding Dong” in 1974, which is more New Year’s than holiday themed; and I’m not going to count his songs that may have significance on Indian holidays.
The Beatles’ Christmas Carol begins in 1963.  That January, their second single “Please Please Me,” became a huge British hit.  Things snowballed from there, and by December, they were a showbiz juggernaut throughout Europe.  On Christmas Day, the #1 record in England was “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”  (The British consider it especially prestigious to have a Christmas #1 – a feat the Beatles would accomplish a record 4 times.)
On October 17, 1963 – following a session for “I Want to Hold Your Hand” – The Beatles recorded some ad-libbed versions of holiday tunes, and a few scripted lines from their PR man, Tony Barrow.  The result was labeled “Sincere Good Wishes for Christmas and the New Year” and was sent out on a plastic flexi-disc to members of their fan club.

The Beatles’ first Christmas Record was sent to British fan club members in 1963.
Moving ahead to 1964 – the Beatles spent that year conquering America and much of the rest of the world.  That fall, on October 26 – after the final session for their fourth LP, “Beatles for Sale” -- they recorded another Christmas record for their fans… and they titled it “Another Beatles Christmas Record.”

The 1964 Christmas message was sent out to their British fans in mid-December, just before notching another Christmas #1 in England with “I Feel Fine.”
In America, fans got an edited version of the 1963 Christmas message.  That recording was also briefly available in 2010 as a downloadable prize in “The Beatles: Rock Band” video game.
But back to the ‘60s, 1965 another year of huge success for the Beatles.  They had three #1 hits that year in England, the last of which was the Christmas #1 “Day Tripper.”  In America, “Yesterday” was the last of five Number Ones.  That tune figured heavily in the 1965 Christmas message, which was recorded on November 8, after a session for the George Harrison song “Think For Yourself.”


“The Beatles’ Third Christmas Record” was again sent to fans in Great Britain in mid-December, but not sent to American fans at all.  Over here, we simply got a holiday postcard from the band.  (In April, 1966, their fan club explained that the tape had arrived too late the previous winter to get the record out in time.)  None of these records, by the way, was actually a “vinyl record.”  Instead, they were what’s known as flexi-disks: thin plastic sheets onto which grooves were embossed and could be played back with decent-but-unspectacular fidelity.  These were frequently used for promotional purposes and spoken word messages.  (I remember seeing them on the back of cereal boxes when I was growing up.)  In the Beatles’ case, they would often be attached with a perforation inside of a cardboard jacket or mailer; Norman Mailer.
Moving ahead to the fall of 1966, on the day after Thanksgiving, The Beatles headed to the offices of their music publisher, Dick James, to record their annual Christmas message.  This was the first one to feature any of the Beatles playing an instrument – Paul on piano, in this case.  It was also the first one not to be recorded at Abbey Road Studios for some reason.  And, they changed up the formula a bit by creating a Pantomime-themed program of songs and sketches titled “Everywhere: It’s Christmas.”


Hopefully, British fans enjoyed “Pantomime: Everywhere It’s Christmas” in 1966, which came in a beautiful psychedelic sleeve (pictured above) designed by Paul McCartney.  Once again, American fans got only a holiday postcard.  And that would happen again in 1967, when The Beatles went all-out.  On the day after releasing “Hello Goodbye” – their final Christmas #1 in England – the band recorded a catchy tune entitled “Christmastime Is Here Again,” and interwove it around the concept of a series of acts auditioning to be on the BBC.


The 1967 Beatles’ Christmas disc, “Christmastime Is Here Again,” was the last one the group would record together.  By Christmas of 1968, the band had begun falling apart: the White Album sessions of that summer and fall had led to frayed tempers and even a temporary walk-out by Ringo.  The Beatles also launched Apple Records and its associated companies, which quickly turned from a utopian artist colony to a money-sucking source of frustration.
Amidst all that division, each Beatle recorded a separate contribution for the Christmas record -- usually at home -- and then everything was edited together by DJ Kenny Everett, a friend of the Beatles.  Clocking in at nearly 8 minutes, it’s the longest Beatles Christmas Record, and the first to feature guests: Yoko Ono and Tiny Tim.


“The Beatles’ 1968 Christmas Record” was released in England AND America in late December.  In 1969, they would continue the practice of recording separate segments and having them edited together by Kenny Everett.  The Beatles’ final Christmas record was sent out on December 19, 1969, in a sleeve designed by Ringo Starr and his son, Zak.


The 1969 record ends with Yoko interviewing John and The Beatles’ song “The End,” which marked “The End” of the 1960s, and of the Beatles’ Christmas Records.  In 1970, the band would release their final album, “Let It Be,” followed 6 months later by “The Beatles Christmas ALBUM.”
That beautifully packaged LP collected all seven fan club Christmas messages – reportedly copied from pristine flexi-disks that had been saved by their fan club secretary.  In the spring of 1971, the album was sent to fan club members in Great Britain, under the title “From Then To Us.”
Bootleg versions of those albums have been around for years, but the Christmas records have never gotten an official release – with one exception.
In 1995, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr reunited to record a backing track for an old John Lennon demo recording, called “Free As a Bird.”  It would be the first new Beatles single in 25 years.  And one of the bonus tracks on the CD single was a 3:03 version of the song “Christmastime Is Here Again” from 1967.
It’s a festive reminder of the seven flexi-disks that showcased The Beatles’ humor, blossoming personalities and increasing complexity as artists throughout the 1960s.  While most of their Christmas recordings are sketches or acapella ad-libs, “Christmastime Is Here Again” is the only proper Christmas song by The Beatles.

UPDATE: Here's my review of the 2017 boxed set of Christmas records:

Mel Torme and Ella Fitzgerald (and Buddy Rich)

The man who wrote "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire" (officially titled "The Christmas Song") was jazz great Mel Torme (aka "The Velvet Fog").  Here's some interesting clips...

Mel with Ella Fitzgerald at the 1976 Grammy Awards.  His adoration of "The First Lady of Song" is palpable, and Torme always lamented that they never made an album together.  This is as close as we'll get.  Keep your eyes peeled for crowd shots of 1) a beefy Conan O'Brien lookalike, 2) Marvin Hamlisch and Gladys Knight grooving (separately) and 3) clueless, glassy-eyed disco chicks.  It's cut out on this version, but Ella and Mel get a standing ovation before AND after they perform.  They also graciously give a nod to the band.  And then poor Mel mis-reads "Chick Corea" as "Chuck"... just before Corea wins the Grammy...


Mel appears on the sadly short-lived "Great American Dream Machine" in 1971(?) performing "Route 66"...


Mel scats (in a tribute to Ella)...


Goofy slapstick with Mel in an appearance on "Night Court" (the main character, Judge Stone, played by Harry Anderson, was obsessed with Torme)...

We might as well add Mel's buddy, Buddy Rich, here... this is Jerry Seinfeld discussing the infamous tapes of Rich berating his band (in an unintentionally hilarious fashion) after a set:


And now, Buddy and Tonight Show drummer Ed Shaugnessy in a drum battle.  Host Johnny Carson was no slouch behind the drums himself.  Rich used to say that Carson could do unconventional things with his hands due to years of practicing magic tricks.

Nerding Out for Music Sounds: HAPPY & ARTIE TRAUM

A look at the Woodstock brother-duo's three albums: Happy & Artie Traum (Capitol, 1969), Double-Back (Capitol, 1971) and Hard Times In the Country (Rounder Records, 1975), plus a discussion of their solo work, Homespun Tapes, Bob Dylan, The Band and even George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers.

KBT: Bob Schilling with Habba Lava hot sauce

Another great #KBT, this time looking at all the sauces offered by Habba Lava... scientifically engineered not to cause heartburn!

Lionel Richie & the Commodores: Sail On

Today, this video looks awkward and a little silly due to the constantly grinning singers, the drum-lip-synching that's clearly off, and the overuse of green screen.  However, at the time (1979) this was state-of-the-art and amazing.  Music videos were just getting traction as promotional devices (usually to be played on talk or music shows, in lieu of the band performing), but MTV was still two years away.   By then, Richie was seriously considering going solo and preparing to become one of the king's of the early MTV age (once the network's rumored color line was broken).  His songwriting skill is probably what's most impressive here: a black R&B artist writing what is essentially a country song... and making it a hit!  No wonder Kenny Rogers covered his "Lady" so successfully the next year.  Whether you like his music or not, Richie clearly had the skills to crossover.  How else could he start out as a piano player from Howard University and become popular enough to host the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics?  He even made a fan of Peter Griffin.

#snl4kidz

The new Class of 2017 of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

A BREAKING NEWS/broken news edition of "Nerding Out For Music Sounds" looks at the new class of the Rock Hall: Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tupac Shakur, Pearl Jam, Nile Rodgers, Joan Baez and Journey. We'll also discuss Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Jeff Lynne, Nine Inch Nails, Chicago, Steve Miller, Deep Purple, Rick Santorum, Notorious B.I.G., Eddie Vedder, Chic, Bernard Edwards, Bob Dylan, Steve Perry, Santana, Biggie Smalls, Rufus, Chaka Khan, Steppenwolf, Jane's Addiction, Depeche Mode, Trent Reznor, The Zombies, Bad Brains, Living Colour, Velvet Underground, Television, Tom Verlaine, The Cars, J. Geils Band, MC5, Jane's Addiction, Janet Jackson, Kraftwerk, Joe Tex, Quentin Tarantino, Lollapalooza, #KBNOMS, vinyl, stereophile, stevehoffman, NOMS, 2Pac, ELO.

Restaurants in Northeast Ohio part 2

Here's a small update on a few restaurants we've hit since our last post on places to eat.  I decided to post these since most of them are pretty good.

Slyman's Tavern -- 9/9/8
Fire -- 10/10/9
Flour -- 8/9/7
Cafe Tandoor -- 8/7/7
La Loma -- 8.5/5/9
Peachtree (Burger Night) -- 9/4/7
Peachtree (general) -- 8/6/8
Happy Dog -- 8/7/8

Nerding Out for Music Sounds: ELVIS PRESLEY Collection, Candlelite Music

The 5-LP 1980 boxed set "The Elvis Presley Collection" from Candlelite Music (pressed by RCA) is probably the best way to get The King on vinyl (although I would pickup the Sun Sessions LP, and maybe Elvis Country, too).

Columbia Records' first attempt at the 7" 33 single

In mid-1948, Columbia Records announced the new "long-playing" 33 1/3rpm vinyl record, a vast improvement (in sound quality, convenience and playing time) over the then-standard 10" shellac 78rpm.  Six months later, RCA (Columbia's main competitor) announced the 7" 45rpm disk, which had the same playing time as the 78, but was far more convenient and durable.  The new RCA disks had a special, larger spindle hole (which would prove to be useful for jukeboxes), and otherwise offered no advantages over the 33's.  In those days, it seems RCA routinely tossed out half-baked technologies just for the sake of seeming competitive (when in fact, this only served to inconvenience consumers).  In early 1949, Columbia decided to start issuing 7" 33rpm singles to standardize all turntables at the new speed (33) instead of requiring two or three speeds on each unit.  This plan eventually failed, probably because the Columbia 7" disks had small center holes... and DJs found they preferred being able to pick up a stack of 45s with the large hole.  This is my guess, anyhow, because it's one reason cited a decade later, when Columbia (along with RCA and other companies) tried 7" 33's again.  The only notable side effect from these late 1950s/early 1960s disks is that they were in stereo, and several of the Elvis releases have become sought after.
But going back to 1949, both RCA and Columbia eventually decided to release 7" 45s, 12" 33's and nothing else, leaving the 7" 33 as a curio.  I recently found a handful of these early Columbia disks, and I profile their anomalies in this video...

Norman Lear's terrible sitcom about "The Baxters" (1980)

"The Baxters" was a sitcom that started as a local production in Boston. It was part a divinity student's Sunday morning public-affairs show. Eventually, it expanded to prime time and caught the attention of Norman Lear, who syndicated it with Larry Keith in the main role. The show was "interactive," in that the first half was a scripted "situation," and the second half featured a live studio audience discussing the segment.

This was an exercise in uncomfortable, 1970's-style touchy-feeliness, with no laugh track. Horrendous. This is the first and last segment I have ever seen. I have not bothered linking the second half, but it should show up on YouTube right after you watch this. Which you shouldn't.

Surgery Time

I'm having ANOTHER medical procedure today.  If you missed the beginning of this latest health odyssey, head back to my tweets from mid-November (@KabirBhatiaTime).  Have a nice weekend!

KBT with The Learned Owl, and Santa Claus in downtown Chicago

Kate Schlademan, owner of The Learned Owl book shop (in Hudson, Ohio), brings some interesting holiday reads/gift ideas to #KBT (including several books about LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, plus one about "How to Speak Midwestern" by Edward McClelland).  Santa Claus also makes an appearance, stopping by the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Avenue) in Chicago.

Alan Thicke, Thicke of the Night, and other terrible TV shows through time

NOTE: This post was written last week, before the untimely death of Mr. Thicke.  It wasn't even scheduled to go live until next week.  However, in the interest of timeliness, I have re-scheduled it so people can appreciate his efforts and sense of humor about himself.

-Thicke Of The Night (1984): this show is legendarily bad; Thicke said it was ahead of its time and should have aired in 2084, after all the participants had passed away.  This episode starts with a meta cold open in which he walks off to protect his reputation as a talk show host, name-checking Phil Donahue and David Letterman.

-"Not Necessarily The News" (1984): one of the first HBO original shows, from the "hilarious" people behind ABC's "Fridays." Wasting Stuart Pankin in a too-clever, contrived, high-school-level production is a shame:


-Steampipe Alley (1988): this is just the first few minutes. Mario Cantone is a great comedian, and this show wasn't bad, but his energy here was always way too much for me. Maybe since I'm not from New York.


-The Beach Boys on "Home Improvement" (1997): this is from soon before Carl Wilson died, and the whole thing is just too pat and cutesy. Tim Allen's faux-wonder at hearing the band sing is irritating, and seeing the 12-year-old with a pony tail (Al Jardine's son, Matt?) as part of the group is just weird.  Why are they singing "Surfer Girl" in the middle of a Michigan winter, to a grown man?  These guys should have called it quits in 1973.  Mike Love has let the fame go to his head.


-Tom Jones and Loretta Swit on "Donny & Marie" (1978): it's a weird enough grouping until they start to sing Johnny Cash's "Daddy Sang Bass"... and alter the words to be MORE secular ("in the sky, up in the sky" instead of "in the sky, Lord, in the sky"). The YouTube heading calls this a "comedy skit" for some reason.


-A clip from the awful, short-lived 1993 "Chevy Chase Show."  Goldie Hawn still thinks she's a teenager, and her actual teenaged son (in the audience) gets a nationally televised birthday! Who cares?! This is probably the only time this overprivileged little #&$% has been on TV. Also, Chevy's uncomfortable dancing would have made flop sweat seem like a welcome change.


-William Shatner singing "Keep it Gay" on the "Mike Douglas Show." This isn't so much bad but just odd, because it's been edited (by the sensitive folks at the Comedy Central Roasts, where this originates) to seem homoerotic. It's actually a bouncy take on this tune, which I have been unable to find anywhere else.


-Battle of the Network Stars: Robert Conrad vs. Gabe Kaplan... why this was major news back then is anyone's guess, but it's nice to see Telly Savalas and Howard Cosell weighing in, as well as Conrad looking silly.


-Erik Estrada (as Frank Poncherello) disco dances and sings on CHiPs. WHY WHY WHY?!?!  How did this show last 5 seasons?!


-David Hasselhoff in "Revenge of The Cheerleaders": Years ago, this clip was shown on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," but I was unable to find the whole thing until now. "The Hoff" looks 12, and must weigh about 100 lbs. here. I'm not sure why everyone laughs at his solo spot (which he seems VERY eager to do); is that a reference to something else in the film? I've only scrubbed through the movie once, and only remember a scene where one gross cheerleader uses a banana to excite some of the basketball players.


-"Disco Duck" is one of the worst songs ever made. I'll spare you the versions of Rick Dees singing on "Midnight Special" or "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour." Here, the song is "brought to life" by the awkwardly near-naked dancers of the BBC's "Top of the Pops." The director is sick.


-"United States" promo (1980): this was a very short-lived sitcom on NBC, at a time when they were desperate to try anything (the Fred Silverman years, 1978-81). The show was shot on tape, with no audience or music, and starred Beau Bridges. Larry Gelbart created this thing, and was likely given carte blanche. This is repeatedly mentioned in Vince Waldron's 1986 book on the greatest sitcoms of all-time, but has since disappeared (understandably) and also been reviled (inexplicably). Judging by the promo, this was a difficult show to watch.


-Six O'Clock Follies (1980): I asked Gary David Goldberg about this years ago and he had vague memories, and said it likely didn't exist anymore. Well, this segment did survive: the opening credits. Joe Cocker's song is so incredibly out-of-place and irritating, it's a wonder this lasted past the first broadcast. Grant Tinker mentions this as a trying project in his 1993 book.


-When producer/NBC exec Dick Ebersol took over SNL in 1981, Al Franken went on the air to sarcastically extol Ebersol's humor credits, citing the 1978 sitcom "Rollergirls" in particular. Here's the opening credits, complete with sexy girls, semi-catchy late-70s music, and not much else.


-The Mary Tyler Moore Hour (aka Mary): Moore's two variety show comebacks from the late 70s both flopped, despite some stellar talent (David Letterman, Dick Shawn, James Hampton, Swoosie Kurtz), and the story is well-told elsewhere. Here's a few clips.  The first is "With a Little Luck," which has been shown on Letterman's "Late Show" to embarrass Dave in the past.

-And finally, the first episode to air (I believe) with the "hilarious" "Saturday Night Virus."  Actually, the visit to the WJM newsroom isn't bad...

David Letterman and Michael Keaton do battle with JAM (jingles)

In 1987, David Letterman commissioned some catchy (and hilarious) radio jingles for his show from JAM Productions, one of the two pre-eminent radio jingle houses in the country (the other was PAMS). Check them out...


-A few years earlier, in 1982, JAM took a rare dive into TV theme music, for the CBS show "Report to Murphy," starring Dave's buddy, Michael Keaton (who was about to breakthrough in "Night Shift").

(Mostly) terrible commercials featuring celebrities

Here's a collection of weird commercials, most of which have some celebrity tie-in...
-Mel Tillis for Whataburger (a great Texas hamburger chain); his stuttering is incorporated right into the ad. Nice to see him have a sense of humor...


-Selena for Coca Cola Classic (in English); I know she was pegged as "The Mexican Madonna," but I just don't see it here. She seems too wholesome, but that's probably what Coke wanted...


-Selena for Coca Cola in Spanish ("El Sabor de Tu Vida" which means "The Taste of Your Life"); she seems to have a bit more attitude here than in English, even though Spanish is NOT her native tongue (she grew up in Texas)


-Eddie Murphy for the 1990 Toyota Celica... "Supa Supa!" For years before the internet, it was rumored Eddie had kissed a Toyota in a Japanese commercial, as if that was completely scandalous. As you can see from the ads, they're more confusing than upsetting (since Americans in Japanese ads routinely have to say odd things that will appeal to Eastern ears):


-Philip Michael Thomas for International Psychic Network (1994); no comment


-A commercial break from WCLQ Cleveland, 1985 (I found this while searching for the Hal Artz Auto jingle, which has been stuck in my head for decades. Alas, this is one of those "concept" ads that has no music. I did enjoy the ad inviting me to go bowling, however).


-Shake and Vac (this is a British ad from 1980 that is iconic over there; why they didn't run it here, too, is beyond me)


-Freedom Rock: I have this tattooed on my brain, mainly because the radio at the very beginning is the same one my parents had

-Don Rickles at the Latin Casino: a cute 1975 ad for Mr. Warmth's appearance at the New Jersey nightclub (with Fabian!)


-The Bull was a brand of malt liquor from Schlitz, advertised in the early 1980s. Here, it's The Platters and Kool and the Gang. I've also seen one with The Spinners. I believe I tracked these down because they were parodied somewhere... but I can't remember where!


-Sanyo car stereo commercial (1979): a man abducts women off the street to hear his $500 car stereo installed in a $1000 car. I've never understood their slogan from back then: "that's life." I always thought "that's life" was a lament for when things go wrong (like being abducted into a $1000 econobox)


-Bob Fosse's Dancin' (1978): this is for the show's Broadway run. A much better ad (not currently on YouTube) was made a few years later for the touring company. The athleticism on display is amazing, but I question the "white man trying to sound like Sammy Davis" announcer giving equal parity to Bach, George M. Cohan, Neil Diamond and Melissa Manchester.


-Akai Japanese commercial featuring The Manhattan Transfer: Man, do I hate the Manhattan Transfer's smug, cutesy version of "Birdland." Even if it weren't over-the-top, the lyrics suck and it's riddled with early 80s synths. (The original from Weather Report is only a little bit better). This ad also irritates me because the reel-to-reel (an Akai GX-747) is clearly running backwards. And at this late date, reel tape was pretty much a dead format (for consumers)! At least it appears that The Transfer are trapped in a dungeon in this ad.


-Wings Greatest: a humorous commercial for Paul's 1978 his collection, "Wings Greatest." For those who can't understand why he released this album, a bit of history: he owed Capitol (US) one more album before starting his then-new deal with Columbia Records (which had given him a huge advance, plus the rights to many classic musicals... an empire that would eventually explode in the 1980s and make Paul one of the richest musicians ever even WITHOUT owning the Beatles' song publishing). Paul also wanted to collect a number of his non-album hit singles ("Another Day," "Hi, Hi, Hi," "Live and Let Die," "Mull of Kintyre," "Junior's Farm"). This is also the reason that several obvious hits ("Maybe I'm Amazed," "C Moon," "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," "Helen Wheels," the #1 "Listen to What the Man Said") were left off.
Read bizrre the story here of how the photograph of a chryselephantine statuette of Semiramis made the front cover.


-Grapefruit 45: I have never understood this or what the diet aid actually does, but seeing a guy who looks like a Chicago Bears-training-camp-reject say "that a babe" is classic. Also, the way he refers to past ads makes it seem like there's a whole series of these. Let's see them!


-October 3, 1981 HBO Free Preview: This is not so much an ad as an extended time-filler between movies. It features Squire Friddell (the greatest commercial pitchman of all-time, who did so many Toyota ads), Karen Morris-Gowdy ("special co-star?!"; she was on "Ryan's Hope" and is Curt Gowdy's daughter-in-law) and the bizarre Norm Crosby. I would love to know who thought this group would have chemistry. Gowdy's attempts to be funny with Crosby are painful (and it's all over-scripted). I also don't understand why Oklahoma has to have its own phone number. Was this some weird AT&T pre-breakup thing? Just curious.


-And here's another ad with Norm Crosby, for Red Lobster.  He's from New England, so I guess that makes sense:

James Brown Festival

This Christmas-themed episode of "Late Night with David Letterman" (12/18/91) features "Dave's Record Collection" complete with James Brown's ridiculous Christmas music.  So I've decided to link some more Godfather of Soul-related material.

-"Give It Up Or Turnit Loose": not the original, but an amazing remix


-James Brown quells unrest at the Boston Garden following the assassination of Dr. King, 4/5/1968


-Brown's first appearance on "Late Night" (7/12/82), which is widely considered his final great television appearance.  Second-to-last-greatest may be his appearance on SNL, December 13, 1980, which was only rerun once (in 2005) since his portion of the episode went well over-time and throws off the edited 60-minute reruns.  Additionally, shows from season 6 were rarely rerun, since this was the first year without producer Lorne Michaels and the show was a disaster.  (Once it was quickly re-tooled, they neatly forgot the 12 episodes under producer Jean Doumanian).  Brown was originally slated to appear on 2/23/80 (season 5, with host Kirk Douglas) but was replaced for unknown reasons by a reunited (and feuding) Sam & Dave.


-Most people remember James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party on SNL, but what about its predecessor, James Brown as Annie?  Not as good, but still enjoyable.

Putting the BS in CBS and PBS

Three of my favorite TV logos.  Sometimes I play these (in this order) to soothe myself before bed:

-PBS (1970s-90s... Mr. Rogers):


-Paramount Pictures (1970s-80s... Cheers, Happy Days, Taxi; modern reruns of these shows just don't seem right without this musical sting at the end). This company is now part of CBS-TV.  How fortuitous for the next entry...


 -CBS Special (1970s-80s... Bugs Bunny, Charlie Brown):



-Here's a couple more that aren't really favorites of mine, but are just interesting...
This is Showtime's early 1980s "After Hours" intro.  You'll notice on this evening, they're showing "Confessions of a Driving School Instructor," a terrible British sex farce in the mould of early "Police Academy."  I've also seen this intro before the weak Don Adams/Don Rickles burlesque special "Two Top Bananas" (not Rickles' fault).  And judging by the graphics, this also would have been used for boxing matches? What a bizarre catch-all. Seems like this was just a way of titillating viewers into thinking they were about the get X-rated material (which wasn't even shown on the Playboy Channel back then).


-And this is the adults-only open from the Chicago-based "ON TV" system (from the days before cable television was allowed into the city).  They gave viewers a LOT of time to make sure the kids were out of the room and away from the television.  The system was transmitted via a standard broadcast signal (Channel 44), but required a de-scrambler at home, meaning it was much easier to possibly hack into than traditional cable TV (which finally came to Chicago in the mid-80s).


-This looks like the close from the same broadcast of the same film... interesting choice of short subject afterward ("A Phantasy" by Norman McLaren); the music is terrifying:

A Herb Alpert Double Feature, with Doonesbury, Disney, Mr. Magoo and the Harlem Globetrotters

The 1966 animated short "A Herb Alpert Double Feature" won the Oscar that year for Best Animated Short. The tunes ("Spanish Flea" and "Tijuana Taxi") should be familiar to most people, as should the animation style, which was so prevalent in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Unfortunately, the plotting in this film does not really hold up today.
Faaaaaar more interesting is the story of the filmmakers themselves: John and Faith Hubley.
He started out working as an animator at Disney in the 1930s, leaving during the 1941 strike.  His work appears in "Dumbo," "Pinocchio," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Bambi" and "Fantasia." And "Gigli" (jk).
Later, he co-created Mr. Magoo, got blacklisted for refusing to name names in the Communist witch hunts, created the Maypo cereal mascot and started work on the huge U.K. hit feature "Watership Down," which he left unfinished when he died in 1977 (producer Martin Rosen stepped in to finish the movie).
Hubley also frequently worked with his wife, Faith (nee Chestman); they collaborated on the Herb Alpert piece, and on "Moonbird" and "The Hole" (which won short subject Oscars in 1959 and 1962, respectively).
The couple's last major collaboration was "A Doonesbury Special" for NBC in 1976 -- a show that has since been preserved by the Academy Film Archive.
Faith began her career at Columbia Pictures, serving as script supervisor for "12 Angry Men," as well as editing a movie starring the Harlem Globetrotters! No Oscar for that one...
Oh, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1975 and managed to live with the disease until 2001!  Maybe someone should do a LONG subject on these two.

Peter Sellers, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and sausages

We used to watch either "White Christmas" or "Holiday Inn" every holiday season... and I say "either" because I can't remember which one we watched.  They're the same movie!  The same cannot be said for "Road to Hong Kong," the final Crosby-Hope "Road to" picture.  Although by this point things were getting labored (more a problem of the script than the stars' advanced ages, despite what you'll read in reviews), there is one brilliant scene in the movie, starring a then-rising comedian, Peter Sellers.  This never fails to make me laugh.  "Let's play some jazz, man."  This will seem like heresy, but this short bit makes me laugh more than all of "The Party."  For best results, advance it to 1:24 (if it doesn't do so automatically).


#snl4kidz

10 Great Manifestations of Brother Theodore (from THE 'BURBS)

Most people know Brother Theodore from his appearances on "Late Night with David Letterman," or from his supporting role in the under-rated 1989 Joe Dante/Tom Hanks film, "The 'Burbs."  Here's an article on 10 of his great appearances (including this one, previously written about on this blog).

The 10 Most Influential Speakers of the Last 50 Years

Here's an interesting list of the 10 Most Influential Speakers of The Last 50 Years.  I'm surprised they did not include the Rogers LS3/5a, and DID include two Bose models (proving that "most influential" can also mean "most negatively influential").  Other contenders might have been the Altec 604 or the Quad ESL if this was an "all-time" list, but both of those models came out before 1964 (the cutoff for this article).

Monty Python and SPAM

In honor of Monty Python's "Spam" sketch, which first aired on this date in 1970, I'm posting it below.


On a related note, here's "The Intro and the Outro" by Python-friends, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.

NES CLASSIC EDITION Unboxing and review: Nerding Out For Music Sounds

Genius nephew and I unbox and review the Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition.  Includes the games Balloon Fight, Bubble Bobble, Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Double Dragon II: The Revenge, Dr. Mario, Excitebike, Final Fantasy, Galaga, Ghosts'n Goblins, Gradius, Ice Climber, Kid Icarus, Kirby's Adventure, Mario Bros., Mega Man 2, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Pac-Man, Punch-Out! Featuring Mr. Dream, StarTropics, Super C, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Tecmo Bowl, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.  From a personal standpoint, it might have been nice to see Kid Icarus or Contra.  From a practical standpoint, I'm surprised there's no Tetris (which is likely public domain) or Super Mario World. And from a Family Guy standpoint, I'm glad there's no Double Dribble.



Bottom line: cool package, excellent idea, nice graphics, great choice of games... but the response time on the controllers is very disappointing. We also discuss the CES/Donkey Kong/Atari controversy, for which I would love some clarification.  #KBNOMS

7 Volkswagen Beetle commercials

Several idiotic articles call the original Volkswagen Beetle one of the worst cars ever made.  It is not.

So here's some great commercials for the gone-but-not-forgotten VW Bug:




 There are many more posted on Youtube, plus this interesting vid...

Seven Commercials From The Cast of MASH, After MASH (but not on AfterMASH)

MASH -- or M*A*S*H or M.A.S.H. -- castmembers did a number of commercials for IBM computers in the late 1980s.  As this blog post notes, hardly anything seemed to change in their personal dynamics.  It's just a different setting.  The only main characters missing are Col. Blake (McLean Stevenson), Winchester (David Ogden Stiers) and B.J. (Mike Farrell).  Strange.  Alan Alda also did commercials in the early 1980s for Atari computers, but soon after, Atari was a shell of its former self and IBM had captured the PC market.  Commercials for both types of machines -- plus some other products, all sold by MASH cast -- are at the links above and below.  Fortunately, no one has to sing and dance to the awful "How you gonna do it?  Gonna PS/2 it!" jingle.

69 Installments of SNL Weekend Update With Norm Macdonald

{NOTE: In an effort to accept that technology has passed me by, I will be re-christening many of my posts with a number at the beginning... because it generates hits!  So instead of "Lost Beatles Tracks," you'll see "Seven Lost Beatles Tracks."  I don't like belaboring the titles, either, but that's the name of the game... and computers are clearly the wave of the future.}

Norm Macdonald has spent the past 18 years as “the guy who got fired from ‘Weekend Update’ for making O.J. Simpson jokes.”  Wrong.

He’s had (relatively short-lived) sitcoms and a talk show, plus several parts in movies during the past two decades.

He was also a favorite guest of Conan O’Brien and David Letterman (although Letterman seemed to cool towards him after having heart surgery: Norm appeared 17 times from 1993-2000, but only 6 times after that – including two very memorable appearances in Dave’s final weeks on the air).

He hilariously hosted SNL in 1999, twice dropping “Goddamn,” delivering a monologue that said “the show blows,” ad-libbing during his “News & Views with Larry King” segments, and generally not caring about anything – as he always does (Artie Lange has since said that Norm considered doing the monologue and then leaving).

Macdonald has also toured over the years, and currently has an online talk show (Norm Macdonald Live).  Most recently, he put out a best-selling book, “Based on a True Story.”

Although much of the book is fictional (Norm said he wanted to write a novel, but the publisher insisted on a memoir), he does include a great deal of background about his time at “Weekend Update,” which seems to be fairly straightforward.

He recounts his first meeting with legendary SNL writer Jim Downey: Downey wanted “Weekend Update” to have a “punk sensibility,” like The Clash.  (One clearly fictional section of the book has Norm insisting he’s not a musician, and therefore cannot turn “Update” into punk rock).

During the lead-up to SNL’s 25^th anniversary special (1999), Chevy Chase (who originated “Weekend Update”) said the only anchor he felt got it “right” was Norm.  The tone for Chase’s years (1975-76) was so different from Norm’s, it’s surprising he said that.  In later years, Jane Curtin, Bill Murray, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon would all shape the segment to their strengths and do well, and Chase seems to be forgetting the very popular Dennis Miller years (1985-1991).  However, none of the anchors has ever created a persona and tone for the segment as strong as Norm's, to the point that it feels like a separate show-within-a-show.

During Norm’s years, he worked almost exclusively on “Update,” along with Jim Downey.  At one point, Don Ohlmeyer (NBC President) decreed he did not care for Downey, and had him fired.  Downey – who had been with the show since 1976, except for a period at “Late Night with David Letterman” – is widely hailed as one of the best television comedy writers of all-time.  (For me, personally, he’s in the same league as David Lloyd and John Swartzwelder).

After Downey’s departure, he was able to come back and work only on “Update,” giving it even more autonomy within SNL.  When Norm was fired in December, 1997, the semi-official reason from Ohlmeyer was that the news segment felt flat and Norm was unfunny.  The unofficial reason -- the one that’s been dogging Norm ever since -- is that Ohlmeyer didn’t like the constant jokes about his friend, O.J. Simpson, during Simpson’s much-publicized murder trial.  Macdonald has always dismissed that theory, and in fact says Ohlmeyer was surprised at being called and asked by Norm about the firing, replying “oh, so they [SNL staff] want me to be the bad guy?”  This all leads me to believe that Lorne Michaels (or others at the show) simply didn’t like the level of independence the “Weekend Update” crew was enjoying.  Read about this saga in Tom Shales’ “Live From New York” and decide for yourself.

To help prove my point, I went back and watched every single “Weekend Update” anchored by Norm, from 1994 through December, 1997 (season 20 through halfway into season 23).  It’s clear from watching that Don Ohlmeyer – and Norm’s critics at SNL and Rolling Stone – were dead wrong.

These 69 gems of comedy are a secret stash that still holds up perfectly today.

Although the audience takes a couple episodes to warm to Macdonald, they quickly get the stripped-down aesthetic of his version of “Weekend Update.”  Many times, “The Fake News” was the only thing that worked in the show (something noted by David Letterman during Norm’s post-firing-appearances).

By Norm’s second season, he’s getting huge applause at the start of “Update,” sometimes having to shout just to get the audience to quiet down.

As for O.J. jokes, they increased in the lead-up to the criminal trial, were relentless during the trial (November, 1994-October, 1995) and then faded.  Once the civil trial began (November, 1996 to February, 1997) the jokes returned, then faded again, popping up only when Simpson was in the news (such as when he was refused service at a restaurant).  By the final (half) season, Norm was only making about one O.J. joke for every two “Update” segments.  That's not much... by this point, he was far tougher on President Bill Clinton.

And to critics who say Norm would stare at the camera aimlessly: that was part of a bit!  (Read about this below in the David Alan Grier episode of 12/9/95).

Here now is an encapsulation of how Norm made us laugh for three years…

Season 20: After almost a decade of acclaim, season 19 was poorly received by critics.  SNL made a number of small changes going into this year, including moving Norm from writer and occasional featured player to “Update” host.  Recurring themes on WU this season include the Clintons hating eachother, dog's sniffing eachother's butts, Marion Barry loving crack, and "the current issue of _______ magazine."

Steve Martin/Eric Clapton: September 24, 1994

Norm gets off to a slow start, with an audience that isn't sure what's happening.  They will quickly come around.  This installment features O.J. jokes, as well as "Germans Love David Hasselhoff."  Guests include Laura Kightlinger on life lessons (which gets a poor response; she and Norm do not care for eachother), as well as Adam Sandler as Gil Graham reviewing summer concerts.

Marisa Tomei/Bonnie Raitt: October 1, 1994

More O.J. jokes, plus another "Germans Love David Hasselhoff."  Guests include Mike Myers (one of two “Update” appearances with Norm) and Tim Meadows on the hockey strike, and David Spade as the wordless "Cool Guy."

John Travolta/Seal: October 15, 1994

More O.J. jokes, plus "Germans Love David Hasselhoff."  Guests include Chris Farley on the baseball strike, and Adam Sandler and David Spade as "Two Guys From a Religious Cult."

Dana Carvey/Edie Brickell & Paul Simon: October 22, 1994

More O.J. jokes, plus "Germans Love David Hasselhoff."  Guests include Al Franken (who had lobbied to host “Update” this season, and left when he was passed over) on negative political ads, plus Hans & Franz.

Sarah Jessica Parker/R.E.M.: November 12, 1994

No O.J. jokes this week, but we do get "Germans Love David Hasselhoff."  Music reviewer Gil Graham (Adam Sandler) returns.

John Turturro/Tom Petty: November 19, 1994

More O.J. jokes, plus "Germans Love David Hasselhoff," which is appropriate since the real Hasselhoff makes a cameo.  Norm tries to get him to prove the "theory" about Germans in a segment that runs way too long (because the audience once again seems befuddled).  The bit won't return for over two years.  The only other guest is Mike Myers as Judge Ito (from the Simpson trial).  Also includes what may be the first joke during Norm's tenure about Michael Jackson.

Roseanne/Green Day: December 3, 1994

No O.J. Simpson jokes, but this edition features the first use of "Happy Birthday, Jesus... hope you like crap!"  Guests include an Adam Sandler cameo (singing "The Hanukkah Song”) David Spade on athletes on strike, and Janeane Garofalo as a fictional ACLU rep (who awkwardly interacts with Norm; her segment was solid, even if the audience wasn’t into it).

Alec Baldwin/Beastie Boys: December 10, 1994

No O.J. Simpson jokes, but this edition features the first mention of "DUH Magazine."  No guests this week.

George Foreman/Hole: December 17, 1994

O.J. Simpson jokes return.  Adam Sandler, David Spade and Chris Farley return as part of

"Two Guys From a Religious Cult" and Martha Stewart (Janeane Garofalo) gives Christmas tips.

Jeff Daniels/Luscious Jackson: January 14, 1995

More O.J. Simpson jokes.  Guests include David Spade on concerts, and Ellen Cleghorne as O.J.'s mother.

David Hyde Pierce/Live: January 21, 1995

More O.J. Simpson jokes.  Tim Meadows discusses the hockey strike and Jay Mohr (in his only appearance with Norm on “Update”) presents sports bloopers.

Bob Newhart/Des'ree: February 11, 1995

More O.J. Simpson jokes.  Guests include David Spade doing a "Hollywood Minute"-style run down of Cindy Crawford's suitors, Adam Sandler singing "Sex Phone Lady" and a look at footage from the O.J. trial with Chris Elliot mugging while giving testimony.

Deion Sanders/Bon Jovi: February 18, 1995

More O.J. Simpson jokes, and the first use of "Don't I Know It!" The only guest is Operaman.

George Clooney/The Cranberries: February 25, 1995

More O.J. Simpson jokes.  Starting with this appearance, Norm changes his greeting to "This Is the News" instead of "Now, the Fake News."  Guests include Kevin Nealon on Medicare, George Clooney on "Chicago Hope" and an O.J. juror (Ellen Cleghorne).

Paul Reiser/Annie Lennox: March 18, 1995

More O.J. jokes. Guests include David Spade as Jeff Foxworthy, and Frank Dippy & Hank Doodle (Sandler and Farley).

John Goodman/The Tragically Hip: March 25, 1995

More O.J. jokes. The guest is a cameo by Kato Kaelin.

Damon Wayans/Dionne Farris: April 8, 1995

More O.J. jokes. Guests include David Spade as Jeff Foxworthy, and Adam Sandler asking Mike Tyson to beat people up for him.

Courteney Cox/Dave Matthews Band: April 15, 1995

More O.J. jokes. Molly Shannon makes her first Update appearance, as an English teacher obsessed with grammar and diction.

Bob Saget/TLC: May 6, 1995

More O.J. jokes. Guests include Ellen Cleghorne decrying the cancellation of "Full House" and Morweena Banks discussing American TV.  Banks outranked Norm on Rolling Stone magazine’s 2015 ranking of every SNL castmember, much to his annoyance (before seeing the list, he reportedly specifically asked if he was lower than Banks, who appeared on just 4 episodes before returning to England).  The segment ends with a clip of Howard Cosell (from his hosting stint on April 13, 1985) to mark his passing (from the sketch in which he plays his own father in flashback, opposite Billy Crystal as his mother).

David Duchovny/Rod Stewart: May 13, 1995

More O.J. jokes. Guests include Adam Sandler with a Mother's Day song, Laura Kightlinger on friends getting married (which again does poorly) and Michael McKean as Adam West, discussing the newer Batman films.

Season 21: SNL got a major revamp and mostly new cast.  Norm was one of the few asked to stay.

Mariel Hemingway/Blues Traveler: September 30, 1995

More O.J. jokes, plus the first uses of "or as they call it, Wednesday."  Also contains the joke about Ezra/Better Than Ezra. Nancy Walls is guest commentator, talking about the sad state of society.  For some reason, the news starts with the theme from "Friends" ("I'll Be There For You").

Chevy Chase/Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories: October 7, 1995

The first show after the O.J. verdict, it famously started with Norm saying "murder is legal in California."  Also includes another use of "don't I know it."  Contains an extended location piece from Father Guido Sarducci searching for the Pope's wallet, which the audience does not seem to understand.  Possibly they were unfamiliar with who Sarducci was (this would be his last appearance, to date, on the show).  The intro music changes again this week to an unknown instrumental.

David Schwimmer/Natalie Merchant: October 21, 1995

More O.J. jokes.  Norm returns to starting Update by saying "and now, The Fake News."  Jim Breuer guests to discuss bar fights (clearly a part of his standup act) and Will Ferrell makes his Update debut as a Cleveland Indians fan discussing Chief Wahoo.

Gabriel Byrne/Alanis Morissette: October 28, 1995

More O.J. jokes.  Guests include Darrell Hammond as Phil Donahue, and Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon and David Spade acting immature during an editorial on respect.

Quentin Tarantino/The Smashing Pumpkins: November 11, 1995

More O.J. jokes.  Debut of Norm-worshipping fops Lucien & Fagin (Mark McKinney and David Koechner).  The other guest is Don King (played by Tim Meadows) trying to sweet-talk Norm.

Laura Leighton/Rancid: November 18, 1995

More O.J. jokes.  Colin Quinn makes his Update debut, playing Joe Blow with news from The Bronx.  The other guest is a Howard Stern supporter (writer Frank Sebastiano) who twice comes on under false pretenses just to yell "Stern Rules!"

Anthony Edwards/Foo Fighters: December 2, 1995

More O.J. jokes.  David Koechner debuts his nervous "Norm's brother" character (ironic since Norm's real-life brother is a smooth and polished CBC newsman).

David Alan Grier/Silverchair: December 9, 1995

More O.J. jokes, and the debut of "or so the Germans would have us believe."  The audience's uncomfortable tittering at this joke -- while Norm prolongs a stares at the camera -- was an attempt at meta-comedy.  Unfortunately, it was seized upon by Rolling Stone magazine in its ranking of SNL castmembers.  Norm was ranked 135 out of 141, just ahead of The Muppets (who weren't really castmembers), Colin Quinn, Robert Downey, Jr. and Gilbert Gottfried.  The Rolling Stone writers at least acknowledged the last three as talented people who were wasted on the show.  In Norm's entry, they dismissed him as "a Dennis Miller clone with no mullet and no jokes. Stare into the camera a little longer, Norm; maybe it'll get funnier."  Seizing on one recurring bit -- which was done five times out of 69 Updates -- to define Norm's career is completely wrong-headed.  (And by the way, the joke does get some laughs each time).

Guests include Lenny the Lion (Colin Quinn) on animal control, and Darrell Hammond's Bill Clinton reviewing "The American President."

Madeline Kahn/Bush: December 16, 1995

More O.J. jokes, and another "or so the Germans would have us believe." The guest is St. Nicky, played by Colin Quinn.

Christopher Walken/Joan Osborne: January 13, 1996

More O.J. jokes, another "or so the Germans would have us believe" and "don't I know it."  Jim Breuer returns to discuss alcohol (again seemingly lifted from his standup act).  The other guest is Darrell Hammond as Jesse Jackson, discussing civil rights and laughter.

Alec Baldwin/Tori Amos: January 20, 1996

More O.J. jokes.  Colin Quinn returns as Joe Blow.

Danny Aiello/Coolio: February 10, 1996

More O.J. jokes.  David Koechner returns as "Norm's brother."  The other guest is a cameo by Dallas Cowboy Larry Brown.

Tom Arnold/Tupac Shakur: February 17, 1996

More O.J. jokes, plus an over-long (fake) phone call from O.J. Simpson (Tim Meadows), trying to sell his new video.  Other guests include Joe Blow (Colin Quinn) as well as Adam Sandler making a cameo to sing a song about his grandmother.

Elle Macpherson/Sting: February 24, 1996

More O.J. jokes, and another use of "or so the Germans would have us believe," as well as the return of Lucien & Fagin (Mark McKinney and David Koechner).

John Goodman/Everclear: March 16, 1996

More O.J. jokes, and another use of "or so the Germans would have us believe." Colin Quinn guests to discuss St. Patrick's Day.

Phil Hartman/Gin Blossoms: March 23, 1996

More O.J. jokes.  Darrell Hammond returns as Jesse Jackson to discuss the Oscars.  Phil Hartman guests as Frankenstein (a character from his years on the show).

Steve Forbes/Rage Against the Machine: April 13, 1996

More O.J. jokes, plus guest Fred Wolf on personalized mail.  (Wolf would co-write "Dirty Work" with Norm, and also has a small cameo in the film as one of the homeless men, along with legendary SNL writer Jim Downey.  This is Wolf's only Update appearance despite writing on-and-off from seasons 17-22).

Teri Hatcher/Dave Matthews Band: April 20, 1996

More O.J. jokes, plus a guest commentary from golfer Greg Norman (played by Mark McKinney).

Christine Baranski/The Cure: May 11, 1996

No O.J. jokes this week.  David Koechner returns as "Norm's brother."  The other guest is a cameo by the Chicago Bulls' Dennis Rodman.

Jim Carrey/Soundgarden: May 18, 1996

The O.J. jokes return.

Season 22: Slight changes to the cast, but otherwise the show remains the same.  This season's regular Update targets (aside from O.J. Simpson) include Michael Jackson, The Clintons (specifically jokes about Bill wanting to kill Hillary, and both of them having killed Vince Foster), and a lot of prison rape jokes.

Tom Hanks/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers: September 28, 1996

More O.J. jokes, and the debut of "you guessed it, Frank Stallone."  Ana Gasteyer debuts the retro-obsessed Kincaid character, and the other guest is a cameo by Olympian Kerry Strug.

Lisa Kudrow/Sheryl Crow: October 5, 1996

More O.J. jokes, plus the first use of "I bet this wouldn't have happened if they were rich, old white guys."  Norm also gets in a good deal of ad-libbing around the audience's boos for Roberto Alomar.  Darrell Hammond returns as Bill Clinton to review "Independence Day."

Bill Pullman/New Edition: October 19, 1996

More O.J. jokes, and another "I bet this wouldn't have happened... white guys."  The guest is Will Ferrell as Harry Caray.

Dana Carvey/Dr. Dre: October 26, 1996

More O.J. jokes, another "Frank Stallone," and a commentary by Joe Blow (Colin Quinn) on Yankee Stadium.

Chris Rock/The Wallflowers: November 2, 1996

More O.J. jokes and another "Frank Stallone."

Robert Downey, Jr./Fiona Apple: November 16, 1996

More O.J. jokes, and another "I bet this wouldn't have happened... white guys."  The guest is a cameo by Bob Dole (who was also in the cold open) interrupting Norm's jokes at Dole's expense.  This edition features Norm (seemingly) ad-libbing to the audience "Michael Jackson is a homosexual pedophile," as well as "The President's a murderer, you didn't know that?"

Phil Hartman/Bush: November 23, 1996

More O.J. jokes and another "Frank Stallone."  Norm gets in an ad-lib about "The Dean Martin Show."  The guest is a cameo by frequent Dean Martin-guest Rodney Dangerfield (one of Norm’s idols, who also hosted March 8, 1980 and cameoed April 7, 1979).

Martin Short/No Doubt: December 7, 1996

More O.J. jokes, plus a commentary by Lenny the Lion (Colin Quinn) on health care.

Rosie O'Donnell/Whitney Houston: December 14, 1996

More O.J. jokes and another "Frank Stallone."  An animated Beavis & Butthead make a cameo (promoting "Beavis & Butthead Do America").

Kevin Spacey/Beck: January 11, 1997

More O.J. jokes.  Guest is Courtney Love (Molly Shannon) discussing "The People vs. Larry Flynt."

David Alan Grier/Snoop Doggy Dogg: January 18, 1997

More O.J. jokes.  Guest is Colin Quinn on Michael Irvin.

Neve Campbell/David Bowie: February 8, 1997

More O.J. Jokes, plus the first Hollywood Minute with David Spade (on Update) in nearly 3 years.  Norm is clearly embarrassed when he ruins the final joke at the end by mispronouncing a word.

Chevy Chase/Live: February 15, 1997

More O.J. jokes.  Guest is Colin Quinn on Clinton's infidelities.

Alec Baldwin/Tina Turner: February 22, 1997

More O.J. jokes.  Guest cameo by Howard Stern.

Sting/Veruca Salt: March 15, 1997

More O.J. jokes, plus the debut of "Note to self."  Guests include a drunk Colin Quinn, and Ana Gasteyer on "Annie."

Mike Myers/Aerosmith: March 22, 1997

No O.J. jokes this week, but Norm does use "Frank Stallone" and "note to self."  Guests include Dominican Lou (Tracy Morgan, making his Update debut) on the Oscars, and Bill Clinton (Darrell Hammond) reviewing "Absolute Power."

Rob Lowe/Spice Girls: April 12, 1997

No O.J. jokes this week, but Norm does use "note to self."  This episode features his unintentional uttering of "what the fuck" after burping.

Pamela Anderson/Rollins Band: April 19, 1997

O.J. jokes return, and a use of "Frank Stallone" and "note to self" (in which he references last week's accidental swearing).

John Goodman/Jewel: May 10, 1997

No O.J. jokes this week, but Norm does use "note to self."  Guests include Dominican Lou (Tracy Morgan) on Big Blue, as well as Will Ferrell vomiting about Ellen DeGeneres coming out of the closet (which leads to a classic Norm ad-lib).

Jeff Goldblum/En Vogue: May 17, 1997

More O.J. jokes, plus "note to self" and the first "Germans Love David Hasselhoff" since Nov. 19, 1994.  Guests include Lenny the Lion (Colin Quinn) on violence.  Norm also reads kids' letters to The President.

Season 23: Few changes from the previous season but sadly, Norm is gone from Update after the Christmas hiatus.  Recurring themes this season are Janet Reno's gender, Marv Albert's sex scandal, and President Clinton's sex life as well as his ties to the Chinese.

Sylvester Stallone/Jamiroquai: September 27, 1997

No O.J. jokes.  Guests include a cameo by the real Richard Jewell (an idea Norm later said he did not care for), and Ana Gasteyer as Cinder Calhoun singing "Sausage of Pain."

Matthew Perry/Oasis: October 4, 1997

One O.J. joke, plus "note to self."

Brendan Fraser/Björk: October 18, 1997

No O.J. jokes.  The guest is Will Ferrell as Harry Caray.

Chris Farley/The Mighty Mighty Bosstones: October 25, 1997

No O.J. jokes, but Norm again uses "don't I know it."  The guest is Tracy Morgan, reminding people he's "the other black guy" on SNL.

Jon Lovitz/Jane's Addiction: November 8, 1997

No O.J. jokes.  The guest is Jon Lovitz reprising his Tommy Flanagan pathological liar character.

Claire Danes/Mariah Carey: November 15, 1997

One O.J. joke, plus local news from Joe Blow (Colin Quinn).

Rudolph Giuliani/Sarah McLachlan: November 22, 1997

No O.J. jokes.  Cinder Calhoun (Ana Gasteyer) returns to perform "Basted In Blood" with musical guest Sarah McLachlan.

Nathan Lane/Metallica & Marianne Faithfull: December 6, 1997

No O.J. jokes.  The guest is Lou Costello (played by Nathan Lane).

Helen Hunt/Hanson: December 13, 1997

One O.J joke.  Guests include a drunk Colin Quinn.  Norm's final 3 jokes on Update are classics, including the extended riff on a "women are bad drivers" pie chart.

Here's an audio compilation of some of his best jokes.