This is why this channel is lightyears better than the Letterman channel. If you have nothing to do one weekend you can just waste it all on these collections. Pure joy.
Oh so happy to have found this Ruth Norman interview! Thank you for providing something that couldn't be found anywhere else. I love Dave, and the spaceships were supposed to land near my San Diego neighborhood but sadly never materialized. 😉
I'm so happy to know I'm not the only one who finds this material to be timeless. I loved Johnny Carson and I love Dave as much as the next guy. This is the stuff that set him apart from everyone else. Bringing the nut lady and the potato chip lady into our lives.
I've been watching these about one a night since you posted this. It's been a pleasant addition to my evenings for a couple of weeks now. Thanks very much for posting. Dave walked a nice balance with these. The audience liked these folks and Dave did too, they weren't show biz types who've trained for this level of exposure for years, so he couldn't really go after them too hard. On the other hand he had to say something funny about some things that were obviously funny. It seems like it would be easy to under do it or over do it with the humor. Dave seemed to be right in the pocket almost the whole time. The only one I can think of who worked with civilians better was Johnny Carson and that's just a matter of opinion. I think they were both very very good at this.
0:00 Tom Hughes, Potato Museum - February 15, 1982 7:03 Ruth "Uriel" Norman, Cosmic Visionary - April 29, 1982 22:19 Elizabeth Tashjian, Nut Museum, 1 - May 3, 1983 33:35 Lowell Davis, Names Keeper - August 22, 1983 48:18 Elizabeth Tashjian, Nut Museum, 2 - May 15, 1984 58:33 Jean Rath, Purple Lady - May 29, 1984 1:05:50 George Mostoller, Food Collector - November 15, 1984 1:11:45 Ila Loetscher, Turtle Lady - November 6, 1985 1:21:45 George Cook, Songwriter - December 25, 1985 (taped December 4) 1:27:11 Myrtle Young, Potato Chip Collector, 1 - July 28, 1987 1:35:32 Bill Black, Hair Collector - February 2, 1989 1:40:36 Dalton Stevens, Button King - March 21, 1989 1:46:43 Trudy Shape and Frank Lehman, The Bee People - April 7, 1989 1:53:43 Walter Swan, One-book Bookstore - June 22, 1990 (comedian Doug Stanhope lives in Bisbee AZ) 1:58:43 Harold Goebel, Orange-Peeler Man - April 5, 1991 2:05:35 Myrtle Young, Potato Chip Collector, 2 - September 6, 1991
Such a great batch, thanks so much, Don! Interesting how on the very first one, Dave seems a little too snarky, but the rest of the way he's very sweet and respectful, as we true fans always knew about him!
I remember some of these but absolutely missed many. LOVE this type of material from Dave's show. Any time civilians were incorporated on his show - as a guest or on the street - it was a treat. Brilliant. Great comp. The nut lady obviously had a great sense of humor and was a nutty artist and fun. The turtle lady, too. Great moments on wacky late night.
People who come at life from a different angle make life interesting, and sometimes open our mind to the possibility of allowing us to expand our horizons in ways we would have probably overlooked. In some ways it reminds me of the enthusiasm and inquisitiveness of a child, life seems to drain us of this as we grow, but some manage to hold on to that freedom, I envy that a bit.
Lowell Davis averaged slightly less than 43 names/year before this show. So sweet that introduction to the staff surpassed that number in one day! 👏👍👍♥️
Dave, without a bit of hesitancy, rattled off the names of his staff/coworkers as he introduced them one by one to Mr. Davis. I wonder how many talk show hosts past and present would be able to do that?
I like how Letterman distances himself from the cacklers in the audience. 14:00 She is referring to Nietzschean philosophy, which is studied in universities to this day. Obviously she's coming across as a goof ball, but I want to think she knows it. Notice how she takes a deep breath before the interview begins. P.S. Nut woman is awesome.
I've thought of some of these so many times over the years, how great to see them again! Q: Wasn't there another turtle expert, a British lady, who showed Dave how to tell male from female turtles by a "stub" on the shell? They had an absolutely house-down-bringing exchange. If there's a sequel compilation, I hope it includes Elmer Fleming the Spoon Man! Thanks again for the best channel on RUclips!
This is getting me a bit emotional. Something about the way Dave treated these people with respect and the uniqueness they brought to the show. Real people just being themselves, regardless of what people thought of them. A quality that we could use more of now days. Be yourself, be happy.
I see the point youre going for, but also you probably shouldnt further some of these peoples delusions and he is only doing it to make light of them for comedy. I love Dave and I dont wish anything bad on him now, but I dont think you could morally do this. People sort of get mad at Dr. Phil because its almost exactly what he is doing except Dr Phil doesnt do it for comedy. And Letterman is probably more qualified than Dr Phil to help I believe. lol
@@jacksonjack7838 lolol I agree on Dave being more qualified than dr Phil... And also about the delusions being supported... I for one think it is pretty sick how often parents lie to their children for either fun or their own good. I really don't understand how betraying the trust of your children will help create better people.
That poor potato guy, you could tell he felt like a complete joke by the end of the interview. I enjoyed the interviews with "the nut lady" Elizabeth Tashjian the most, she seemed like such a nice and creative person
This could be called Good Clean Fun. It’s so innocent and charming. The Turtle Lady absolutely stole my heart. What a delightful woman. You can see Dave’s real affection for all of them, or at the very least Midwestern manners. Asking the audience to show Uriel some respect while also telling her that people are bound to react to her unusual statements was quite tactful. There have been plenty of shows that have non-showbiz folks on and make them look like boobs. This was just lovely. Thanks, Don.
possibly not enough content to justify the hotel bill ... or maybe one of George Miller's anecdotes just meandered on a shade too long the lady from Mars mentioned she'd been bumped on a previous occasion
I LOVE potatoes. Mashed, baked au gratin, potato salad, German potato salad, potato chips, potato salad, potato au gratin, potato fried with onions, cheesy potatoes, potato gnocchi, need I go on? Cuz I can.
There are a lot of people interested in so many different things. Dave is fabulous. I think he is the best interviewer EVER. Scientology, Hailbop, Christian Science etc.
@5:39 "How is it that a potato can provide power?" *Dave sincerely asks* by the time I went to elementary school in the 90s, learning about potato power was in the curriculum! like... the whole potato powering a light is as basic as a erupting volcano experiment. I am surprised this wasn't common knowledge in the 80s.
I'm finding myself deeply moved by the interview with names keeper Lowell Davis--what a strange and profound way to spend one's life. Any idea what happened to him, Don, or what happened to his book? A quick search for "Lowell Davis, Savannah, Missouri" doesn't yield any helpful information.
He was among the few for whom I couldn’t find an obituary. All I’ve found so far was this profile after Charles Kuralt had done a story on him in 1984, a year after his Late Night appearance - m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=255912
There's something strangely profound about his hobby (for lack of a better word). Think about it. How many people a day do we come in contact with and have no idea who these people are. People we just pass by for a moment. This man has attempted to keep a record of those people., It's touching.
These people are very serious about what others may consider less than serious pastimes. Appalled at the audience's immaturity which could actually hurt people who are perhaps eccentric but truly sensitive human beings.
The audience was there to laugh and have a good time, that's literally what Lettermans show was all about, he began as a comedian and that's how he and his show was perceived (a comedian with a fun talk show), especially in the 80s. Context is key.
@@KeizerHedorah Laugh at some of the ideas presented in a comic context, but what I saw was people laughing at people who had a different way of thinking.
@@KeizerHedorah I just love it when anyone, even someone out their in virtuallandia tells me "what I saw" or thought. I stand by my first assertion--they laughed people. Bend that, then bend over, buddy. I hope you know what I' mean now.
😅 I would be through the roof! if I’d been rehearsing for Letterman and got bumped by a 7 year old hamburger a man keeps in his room 😅 (A bit of foreshadowing of Dave’s editing out Bill’s routine about 6? years later. I presume something from sharing the stand-up world rubbed him the wrong way.)
You know what I’d like to see? The segment where Dave had Miss Ridged Tool on the show.. I remember that she was obnoxious and he started to rip her to shreds. It that already posted someplace?
Don, do you have a collection of "James the Drifter" appearances? These "civilian" guests were consistently more interesting than the "celebrity" guests.
I asked Paul. I asked Will. I asked Steve Khan, who often subbed for Hiram. No one knew. Both Hiram and Steve had separately performed it with the band. Always during the last commercial break. I have song copyright data kept in the Library of Congress. There’s a song copyrighted to Hiram in late 1982 titled “Before We Close,” and I’d like to believe that that’s what this is. But I need something more definitive, and that’s not yet come.
@@dongiller Thats so official Im almost afraid to talk to you now, coz Im just some idiot on the youtube. Your efforts are very much appreciated, and here I was thinking it was Dire Straits or something. P.S. I thought I read Steve Zhan for a second, lol
@@dongiller Any chance you can help me out with the song from the outro at 1:58:00 I thought it was 'All I do is Think of You' at first but its clearly not and now Im drawing a blank.
@@dongillerO wow, I assumed it was “If You Think You’re Lonely Now…” Great call & I was so pleasantly surprised to hear the audio from the recap of Norm’s “bumped” week 😅!
I've thought about the space lady. I figure maybe the audience e thought this was her performance art. I mean Andy Kaufman and rather Theodore hand been on.
I'd laugh at the lady early in the video, I can't pretend I'm better than the audience. Really that kind of reaction kept the lid on some whacky ideas until social media gave everyone a platform.
This is why this channel is lightyears better than the Letterman channel. If you have nothing to do one weekend you can just waste it all on these collections. Pure joy.
My dad always told me my uncle was on letterman. I never believed him until I finally found this clip 💕 RIP Uncle George 💕
This is wonderful, these guests are the soul of what made Late Night so special. Please make this an ongoing series.
Oh so happy to have found this Ruth Norman interview! Thank you for providing something that couldn't be found anywhere else. I love Dave, and the spaceships were supposed to land near my San Diego neighborhood but sadly never materialized. 😉
The crazy thing is that I've seen a "flying saucer," and maybe that's what made her go off the rails 🤷♀️
Dang Donz, another superb gem collection. Thank you very much.
I'm so happy to know I'm not the only one who finds this material to be timeless. I loved Johnny Carson and I love Dave as much as the next guy. This is the stuff that set him apart from everyone else. Bringing the nut lady and the potato chip lady into our lives.
This is one of the BEST compilations EVER!:))
Oh yes this is the type of thing I love! More unknown/weird random people. Thanks for all your hard work!!!
I've been watching these about one a night since you posted this. It's been a pleasant addition to my evenings for a couple of weeks now. Thanks very much for posting. Dave walked a nice balance with these. The audience liked these folks and Dave did too, they weren't show biz types who've trained for this level of exposure for years, so he couldn't really go after them too hard. On the other hand he had to say something funny about some things that were obviously funny. It seems like it would be easy to under do it or over do it with the humor. Dave seemed to be right in the pocket almost the whole time. The only one I can think of who worked with civilians better was Johnny Carson and that's just a matter of opinion. I think they were both very very good at this.
A really touching moment when Name Man is introduced to the staff and the staff’s response.
I found that simply charming.
0:00 Tom Hughes, Potato Museum - February 15, 1982
7:03 Ruth "Uriel" Norman, Cosmic Visionary - April 29, 1982
22:19 Elizabeth Tashjian, Nut Museum, 1 - May 3, 1983
33:35 Lowell Davis, Names Keeper - August 22, 1983
48:18 Elizabeth Tashjian, Nut Museum, 2 - May 15, 1984
58:33 Jean Rath, Purple Lady - May 29, 1984
1:05:50 George Mostoller, Food Collector - November 15, 1984
1:11:45 Ila Loetscher, Turtle Lady - November 6, 1985
1:21:45 George Cook, Songwriter - December 25, 1985 (taped December 4)
1:27:11 Myrtle Young, Potato Chip Collector, 1 - July 28, 1987
1:35:32 Bill Black, Hair Collector - February 2, 1989
1:40:36 Dalton Stevens, Button King - March 21, 1989
1:46:43 Trudy Shape and Frank Lehman, The Bee People - April 7, 1989
1:53:43 Walter Swan, One-book Bookstore - June 22, 1990 (comedian Doug Stanhope lives in Bisbee AZ)
1:58:43 Harold Goebel, Orange-Peeler Man - April 5, 1991
2:05:35 Myrtle Young, Potato Chip Collector, 2 - September 6, 1991
i wish i could bookmark or @dongiller would pin this comment !
@@FlockOfHawksditto! thanks op
This collection was a blast, made my night. Thanks
Thanks for all the work Don!
Such a great batch, thanks so much, Don! Interesting how on the very first one, Dave seems a little too snarky, but the rest of the way he's very sweet and respectful, as we true fans always knew about him!
I adore the nut lady she would have been cast in a Cohen Brothers movie. What a face and what a voice. . . A Gem!!
Remarkable. You see the life's work and interests and passions of these people.
I remember some of these but absolutely missed many. LOVE this type of material from Dave's show. Any time civilians were incorporated on his show - as a guest or on the street - it was a treat. Brilliant. Great comp. The nut lady obviously had a great sense of humor and was a nutty artist and fun. The turtle lady, too. Great moments on wacky late night.
People who come at life from a different angle make life interesting, and sometimes open our mind to the possibility of allowing us to expand our horizons in ways we would have probably overlooked.
In some ways it reminds me of the enthusiasm and inquisitiveness of a child, life seems to drain us of this as we grow, but some manage to hold on to that freedom, I envy that a bit.
Lowell Davis averaged slightly less than 43 names/year before this show. So sweet that introduction to the staff surpassed that number in one day! 👏👍👍♥️
Dave, without a bit of hesitancy, rattled off the names of his staff/coworkers as he introduced them one by one to Mr. Davis. I wonder how many talk show hosts past and present would be able to do that?
That lady in purple is great..the great generation born turn-of-the-century..made the 20s roar!
The trick or whatever she did with the first turtle was a little disturbing.
Ruth "Uriel" Norman is giving me good vibes
I like how Letterman distances himself from the cacklers in the audience. 14:00 She is referring to Nietzschean philosophy, which is studied in universities to this day. Obviously she's coming across as a goof ball, but I want to think she knows it. Notice how she takes a deep breath before the interview begins. P.S. Nut woman is awesome.
Awesome video Don! Will have to check this out later, but I love these kinds of interviews
I've thought of some of these so many times over the years, how great to see them again!
Q: Wasn't there another turtle expert, a British lady, who showed Dave how to tell male from female turtles by a "stub" on the shell? They had an absolutely house-down-bringing exchange.
If there's a sequel compilation, I hope it includes Elmer Fleming the Spoon Man! Thanks again for the best channel on RUclips!
LOVED the potato chip lady's collection!
Thanks, I was looking for the Ruth Norman interview! "Unarius Academy of Science" (UFO Religion, 1954).
...thanks for ms uriel...she holds her own with fellow legend David...
The Nut Lady is giving me Grey Gardens vibes, she is wonderful. i wish she had come back to show her panels.
Love that Uriel Norman interview.
she's scary
I admit I cried a little at the end of the “name guy” segment
This is getting me a bit emotional. Something about the way Dave treated these people with respect and the uniqueness they brought to the show. Real people just being themselves, regardless of what people thought of them. A quality that we could use more of now days. Be yourself, be happy.
Yep. Great point.
I see the point youre going for, but also you probably shouldnt further some of these peoples delusions and he is only doing it to make light of them for comedy. I love Dave and I dont wish anything bad on him now, but I dont think you could morally do this. People sort of get mad at Dr. Phil because its almost exactly what he is doing except Dr Phil doesnt do it for comedy. And Letterman is probably more qualified than Dr Phil to help I believe. lol
@@jacksonjack7838 lolol I agree on Dave being more qualified than dr Phil... And also about the delusions being supported... I for one think it is pretty sick how often parents lie to their children for either fun or their own good. I really don't understand how betraying the trust of your children will help create better people.
He treated old people kindly and compassionate.
That poor potato guy, you could tell he felt like a complete joke by the end of the interview. I enjoyed the interviews with "the nut lady" Elizabeth Tashjian the most, she seemed like such a nice and creative person
Myrtle the potato chip lady’s voice reminded me a little of Daniel Striped Tiger from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.
The Nut Lady reminds me of ..
.. actually nobody.
But I must say, her singing is quite nice 😊
The Nut Lady. Truly one of a kind. What a style. Pure Nut Passion.
Excellent, thanks.
im so excited to watch this
This could be called Good Clean Fun. It’s so innocent and charming. The Turtle Lady absolutely stole my heart. What a delightful woman. You can see Dave’s real affection for all of them, or at the very least Midwestern manners. Asking the audience to show Uriel some respect while also telling her that people are bound to react to her unusual statements was quite tactful. There have been plenty of shows that have non-showbiz folks on and make them look like boobs. This was just lovely. Thanks, Don.
Mr. pringle
Bummed that the nut lady never made it back to show her panels.
Her singing was pretty good! Like Snow White or something.
@@funforalgernon Like Snow White, haha! I didn't think of that, but now that you said it!
possibly not enough content to justify the hotel bill ... or maybe one of George Miller's anecdotes just meandered on a shade too long
the lady from Mars mentioned she'd been bumped on a previous occasion
They played the turtle lady off with "Drive My Car"? Why not "Happy Together"?
I LOVE potatoes. Mashed, baked au gratin, potato salad, German potato salad, potato chips, potato salad, potato au gratin, potato fried with onions, cheesy potatoes, potato gnocchi, need I go on? Cuz I can.
I do too
The nut lady is awesome 23:46
There are a lot of people interested in so many different things. Dave is fabulous. I think he is the best interviewer EVER. Scientology, Hailbop, Christian Science etc.
Lowell Davis was just precious
Great clips! I'd love to see the rocks-that-look-like-food guy again (the one who sounded like George 'Goober' Lindsey)...
Hopefully he wasn't left to rot in his bedroom as an experiment
Please get this later portion to the letterman site, the lady sounds like some of my previous normal family 🤣🤙
I remember the potato chip lady. She is so cute and sweet!
777777i ppl uhh
"Prince honey...I was wearing purple before you were born." ~ Little Richard
that's a helluva coat Dave was wearing with the turtle lady. 1:15:00
@5:39 "How is it that a potato can provide power?"
*Dave sincerely asks*
by the time I went to elementary school in the 90s, learning about potato power was in the curriculum!
like... the whole potato powering a light is as basic as a erupting volcano experiment. I am surprised this wasn't common knowledge in the 80s.
It’s also in several art museums as an Arte Povera piece
I'm finding myself deeply moved by the interview with names keeper Lowell Davis--what a strange and profound way to spend one's life. Any idea what happened to him, Don, or what happened to his book? A quick search for "Lowell Davis, Savannah, Missouri" doesn't yield any helpful information.
He was among the few for whom I couldn’t find an obituary. All I’ve found so far was this profile after Charles Kuralt had done a story on him in 1984, a year after his Late Night appearance - m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=255912
There's something strangely profound about his hobby (for lack of a better word). Think about it. How many people a day do we come in contact with and have no idea who these people are. People we just pass by for a moment. This man has attempted to keep a record of those people., It's touching.
These people are very serious about what others may consider less than serious pastimes. Appalled at the audience's immaturity which could actually hurt people who are perhaps eccentric but truly sensitive human beings.
That got to me as well
The audience was there to laugh and have a good time, that's literally what Lettermans show was all about, he began as a comedian and that's how he and his show was perceived (a comedian with a fun talk show), especially in the 80s. Context is key.
@@KeizerHedorah Laugh at some of the ideas presented in a comic context, but what I saw was people laughing at people who had a different way of thinking.
@@gregorybufkin890 you saw people on a comedians talk show laugh at the shows guests, who were there because of their odd hobbies.
@@KeizerHedorah I just love it when anyone, even someone out their in virtuallandia tells me "what I saw" or thought. I stand by my first assertion--they laughed people. Bend that, then bend over, buddy. I hope you know what I' mean now.
dang, Bill Hicks got bumped by mummified food.
😅 I would be through the roof! if I’d been rehearsing for Letterman and got bumped by a 7 year old hamburger a man keeps in his room 😅 (A bit of foreshadowing of Dave’s editing out Bill’s routine about 6? years later. I presume something from sharing the stand-up world rubbed him the wrong way.)
“I just think they’re neat” - Tom Hughes
You know what I’d like to see? The segment where Dave had Miss Ridged Tool on the show.. I remember that she was obnoxious and he started to rip her to shreds. It that already posted someplace?
One of my earliest uploads from late November 2014 - ruclips.net/video/BzjWmYIHVlg/видео.html
Elizabeth cracks me up with her nutledge everytime!
Don, do you have a collection of "James the Drifter" appearances? These "civilian" guests were consistently more interesting than the "celebrity" guests.
I haven’t prepared a compilation yet.
I love the title of this post! Ha
Love this collection.
Was the Port Arthur Texas bit a one off or did they have announcements for each time they added a new affiliate?
It was a recurring segment.
6:45 what on Earth is this song?
I asked Paul. I asked Will. I asked Steve Khan, who often subbed for Hiram. No one knew. Both Hiram and Steve had separately performed it with the band. Always during the last commercial break. I have song copyright data kept in the Library of Congress. There’s a song copyrighted to Hiram in late 1982 titled “Before We Close,” and I’d like to believe that that’s what this is. But I need something more definitive, and that’s not yet come.
@@dongiller Thats so official Im almost afraid to talk to you now, coz Im just some idiot on the youtube.
Your efforts are very much appreciated, and here I was thinking it was Dire Straits or something.
P.S. I thought I read Steve Zhan for a second, lol
@@dongiller Any chance you can help me out with the song from the outro at 1:58:00 I thought it was 'All I do is Think of You' at first but its clearly not and now Im drawing a blank.
@@jacksonjack7838 ruclips.net/video/6StORhP7n2c/видео.html
@@dongillerO wow, I assumed it was “If You Think You’re Lonely Now…” Great call & I was so pleasantly surprised to hear the audio from the recap of Norm’s “bumped” week 😅!
20:00 This lady probably lived later on in Santa Fe or Sedona.
That lady that said she's from mars will be very loved if we ever find life underground on mars
Yeah Elon musk will take credit for it though
Interesting that these eccentric people all write songs and sing to accompany their strange passions.
Any insight on why the audience was chanting Myrtle? Was this incited by Paul? and how about the Oohs of delight?
Will have to check, but I’m guessing it had something to do with what had occurred earlier in the show.
1:27 Paul "Pick a sound effect" lol
I want The Nut Lady on my spotify playlist
😅
A lady who tells her age will tell anything. Ruth said she is thousands of years old… she told us everything we didn’t want to know.
A shame they dropped these types of guests when they moved to CBS.
He would have never let that space lady get away with all that three or four years later.
"Look at those pants" lol
No Arthur Jones...?
He’d first have had to appear on Late Night. He never did.
For my money, the food guy is more bizarre than the space lady. That's just strange, man.
I might add that I mean no disrespect by that.
It makes no sense, but Dalton Stevens, aka The Button King was only 59 years old in 1989.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button_King
Really?
Seemed so much older....
sadly, chip industry standards have fallen over the years. anytime i get a bag of the ripple cut chips, it’s like 25 percent “little combs”
He collects dessicated food and he works with shoes. For crying out loud, man. Save some tail for the rest of us.
How come I'm always in a bad mood after I watch old Letterman shows?
Dunno I’m the opposite. Maybe because the past seems better than the future and you miss the past? I been there man
Maybe you're just goofy
The purple lady would be considered super normal today.
the nut lady is brilliant and wise
7:30min-15:10min, he was pretty fair
Aren't these people more interesting than the usual so-called celebrities?
100 times
Sad souls were all born at the wrong time, if they were around today , all of them would have a RUclips channel and making 💰
I've thought about the space lady. I figure maybe the audience e thought this was her performance art. I mean Andy Kaufman and rather Theodore hand been on.
I’d much rather watch the interesting characters featured in this video than some vapid celebrity plugging his/her latest project.
Ruth Norman was interesting.
I'd laugh at the lady early in the video, I can't pretend I'm better than the audience. Really that kind of reaction kept the lid on some whacky ideas until social media gave everyone a platform.
nut lady was sweet
i have no idea what the nut lady said. i feel less informed lol
I just have to say, there's something disturbing about putting a doll's dress and wig on a turtle, as if it's a normal thing
Thats a totally normal thing. Whats your problem?
Lol
Pretty sure you couldn't do this segment nowadays. People would think it's exploiting mental illness.
To think Bill Hicks got bumped for rotten food.
13:20 Qanon early-adopter
Central WISCONSIN
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Norman