Absolute brilliance for Mel Brooks to have first conceived this scene, then to persuade Count Basie to do it, then to incur the substantial cost to bring an entire orchestra to a desert for a 20-second scene! Hard to realize that its 50th anniversary is approaching!
One of the proudest moments of my youth was when I saw this scene on television. A brother in a lead role, in a major motion picture. I still smile whenever I see this scene right here. God bless you Cleavon Little. God bless you Count Basie. Much appreciation to you Mel Brooks. "Blazing Saddles" Amazing Movie.
@@60march The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. It continues under the direction of trumpeter Scotty Barnhart. Originally including such musicians as Buck Clayton and Lester Young in the line-up, the band in the 1950s and 1960s made use of the work of such arrangers as Neal Hefti and featured musicians such as Thad Jones and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Its recordings of this era included collaborations with singers such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 - October 22, 1992) in his role as the black sheriff in the movie Blazing Saddles, was not in the band.
@@frankroy2005 Oh Crikey. How stupid of me. He was the Sheriff. (Didn't see the word Brother..Duh) Of course you are super proud. Brilliant movie. One of the funniest ever. I am a huge jazz fan so all know all about the great man Basie. Reason for going here was because I had a go at April in Paris myself on my tenor.
My dad told me when he first saw this in the theater, he was so caught off guard by Count Basie's orchestra in the middle of the prairie that he nearly pissed himself laughing.
This scene put together by Mel. with the jazz swing of the Count and his Orchestra out on the prairie, with Cleavon dressed to the 9's and riding to Rock Ridge is simply... outstanding! Long live Blazing Saddles and may we as a country "toughen up" again to be able to look at ourselves (and biases) and be willing to laugh at our foolishness.
When I saw this in the movie theater, I cried laughing (like everybody else, probably). When I saw this later on RUclips, I cried laughing some more. What a film! Bless Basie's and Brooks' hearts!
Recently walked past Count Basie's medallion on the American Jazz Walk of Fame in Kansas City, and had this very scene in mind as I took photos. Greatness.
I "gotta" story. I'm a City College of N.Y. journalism graduate from 1976. As part of the program you had to take "communications" courses like TV production, film, etc. I took a film appreciation course. I have forgotten the professor's name but she was an avant guarde (forgive the spelling) African American lady who produced and directed upscale art films back then. She dressed in native African dress. She was beautiful and a good teacher, open to students' ideas. She gave us an assignment to pick out a movie with radical juxtapositions of telling a story, perspective, breaking the rules, etc. I took a risk. I did my paper on "Blazing Saddles." She was so much into seeing, directing and producing art films she had not seen the movie and said, "Mel Brooks really did these things?" Like having Count Basie doing "April In Paris" with a black Roy Rogers with Gucci saddle bags in the middle of the prairie. I said yes. She went to see the movie. I got an "A". God bless her openness and God bless my fellow native of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Mel Brooks.
Great story! Mel Brooks❤️ Today, the PC climate in Hollyweird and audiences would not embrace this type of genius satire. Sidebar question, sir: Where the hell did true journalism go and how did biased editorialists take over the MSM?
Thankfully, she did not storm out the first time the movie used the N word. Those who would don't realize that this is an ANTI-racism movie, and shows how stoopid racism is.
I remember when this came out. I got to see it here in Hollywood and some of my Mom's friends had worked on it. I was still too young to work in film yet and I so wish I could have worked on westerns. Especially this one. They were pretty much over by the time I started working. I've stood on pretty much all the western sets in LA and I used to work at Warner Brothers for a few years. So I also live close to there as well. The scene where they all run out of the gate at Warner is on Barham Blvd and Across the street is the back of Universal studios. I've been driving past that gate since my Dad was doing the driving when I was a little kid. After I saw that film, I think of it every single time I pass that gate. I went past it yesterday lol This scene absolutely blew me away. The sound was much much better in the theater and I think we saw it in the Chinese theater on Hollywood Blvd. To me, that was the coolest thing I had ever seen in a movie and my admiration for Basie and that type of music just grew from that day on. I remember my Dad being thrilled that I loved that scene so much. I begged him to take me to see it again and it was the only film he took me to twice. An it was because of this scene. The next time we saw it was on a Sunday and the audience was jam packed fulla black folk and when that camera pulled back and showed Clevon in that gear the audience went absolutely MAD!. So I jumped up and screamed too. An my Dad seemed quite cool with it all. When the film was over we got up to leave and a black guy in the seat behind us motioned to my Dad, who was a Jew from NY, an certainly was not a racist but he was definitely out of his element in this audience.So my Dad said hi to the guy and the guy said to my Dad, "Man, you are an awesome Dad to bring your kid to this film. An the fact this kid knows and loves Basie so much. . . man, I wish my Dad had been that cool to me." Then he look at me an held out his hand so I slapped it lol Which was the thing back then. An then he said to me, "Some day yer gonna be grown up and yer gonna remember this day. An the main thing you are gonna remember is how motherfuckin cool yer ole man was to bring you here today an let go wild with the crowd! You remember that when you have kids " An we all walked out together an he an my Dad talked about NY an Basie an stuff. Turns out my Dad saw Basie in a club in NY that the guy had also seen Basie coming out of one night as he was walking past. So they ended up talk an then hitting a bar together. One of the best nights of my entire childhood. :)
In 1974 at 14 I, in my best hippie duds, caught the Bus over to what passed for the art house movie theater in Charlotte and saw this film. It was so much fun there in the hipster south watching this particular film! To this day I remember the uproarious laughter. This was my favorite scene as I'd just landed the Bari Sax chair in Bill Hanna's high school Charlotte Jazz Ensemble.
I loved that scene not only because it featured Count Basie and his orchestra, but because of the hilarious incongruity of a big band playing cool music in the middle of the desert in a Western scene with a black cowboy with fancy Gucci accoutrement and fancy duds riding on a Palomino in style.
Actually, Mel wanted John Wayne to play the Waco Kid. He said he couldn't do it as it would be completely out of character for him, but he loved the concept.
@@Conn30Mtenor Interesting tidbit was that Brooks was looking for someone like Frankie Laine to sing the song and Frankie just happened to audition. Both Duke and Frankie loved the movie!
I was at home watching some stupid movie on TV, my Dad in his chair reading. (He didn't care for TV) When this came on he perked up, "Why, why..that's.... He's from that era and it was priceless!
This whole scene speaks VOLUME. What a great way to have a send off. Count Basie and his Orchestra in the middle prairie. It is so SOPHISTICATED if you ask me 🥁🎻🪕🎺🎸🎷🎹👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Aug.21st: Happy birthday Jazz pianist-Composer-Bandleader William James "Count" Basie (1904-1984) Kennedy Center Honors, Grammy Award: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Thank you and God bless. R.I.P. Legend. Thanks for the upload, Chris Carter. Blessings
One of the great movies. Everyone could laugh together back in those days instead of getting so damned offended as everyone is now, especially the millennials.
You'd be surprised how UNOFFENDED Millenials are about this movie. Just search up the Millenial reactions over this movie on RUclips and you'd be laughing, at least, of their surprised reactions but they're not offended.
Millennials are generally fine with the film, but every boomer under the sun seems to feel the need to pretend they're being attacked every time they bring the movie up I guess
The ultimate anachronism that only mel brooks could pull-off, amid a story depicting -- through comedic genius -- the entrenched violent white racism so keenly demonstrated whenever a Blackman is put in charge. Count Basie--straight outta Red Bank N.J.
Can you imagine sitting with Brooks when this idea came to him? "we need an entrance for Cleave to return to Rock Ridge, you know a real classy entrance of a smooth brother ..... I got it! Count Basie, we'll get Count Basie ....." "Mel, it'll never happen ........"
Now whenever I walk through a Southwestern desert in New Mexico or Arizona, Count Basie will be playing "April In Paris" in the background, at least in my mind.
Until the copyright lawyers catch up with me, my favorite scene from _Blazing Saddles_ is up on my RUclips account. #BlazingSaddles #CountBasie #CleavonLittle
This is actually satire of the movie industry which was anal about having no music unless it was source music or wall to wall music . This is satire of source music .
"source music" and "wall-to-wall" music. Two terms I'd never heard before, but kind of had a gut idea of what they meant, I looked them up and was not disappointed. Thank you for educating me and adding some terms to my vocabulary.
Can you imagine sitting with Brooks when this idea came to him? "we need an entrance for Cleave to return to Rock Ridge, you know a real classy entrance of a smooth brother ..... I got it! Count Basie, we'll get Count Basie ....." "Mel, it'll never happen ........"
I read that Brooks wanted a singer for the title song, "someone who sounds like Frankie Laine." Then the real Frankie Laine walked in, "you think I could do it well enough?"
I just watched this for the first time yesterday and I recognised the song from a count Basie cassette I have and I thought “I wonder if this version of the song was performed by count Basie too” before he and his band were revealed
Count Basie was an answer on Jeopardy last night and Tim Conway's daughter was on the radio which made me think of Harvey Korman and Blazing Saddles and the Gucci saddle bags, LOL.
All you Count Basie fans GOD bless you .!! I happen to have known Freddy G & Butch M personally. Freddy nickname. Was ( the human metronome ) he kept better time than a Swiss watch .!! Joey
"Count Basie, we want you and your orchestra to play in our movie." "Ok sure, where at?" "At the sands." "The Sands Hotel was torn down years ago!" "You misunderstand me."
I still like to imagine a 'Blazing Saddles' musical. I imagine for this moment Bart would have a big, jazzy "Look at me now!" type of song. And one lyric might say something like "I'm gonna clean up this town, and NOT as the janitor!"
A cigarette brand in Australia had a similar idea for what turned out to be a cult classic ad. Anyhow have a Winfield. With Paul Hogan at about the same time. This is the best way to fight racism.
And now, to ruin the illusion: I actually did an assignment for my Jazz and Media class in grad school on this very scene. If you hadn't noticed, the syncing of music and video is absolutely atrocious. The band you see on screen was not the Basie band at the time; they had just come back to the mainland (NYC) from some gigs overseas, and they just had Basie fly out to LA for the scene. The band you see does have some former and future Basie band members, but no currents, other than the man himself. Still a winner, though! Oh, and the band you hear are LA studio cats!
If I could ask Mel Brooks one question it would have to be how the hell did he get Count Basie and His Orchestra to shoot this scene in the middle of nowhere? 😅
Early days of "lyp sync", imagine my surprise when I realized that drummer was my teacher at the American Conservatory of Music-Chicago, the incredible Harold Jones, what a kick, no pun intended
A scene which is irrelevant to the plot and brings the narrative to a complete halt, which explains why I had to scrape myself off the floor helpless with giggles. I saw Blazing Saddles as part of a double bill with Monty Python and the Holy Grail, another work of comedic genius full of utterly irrelevant moments like this.
Absolute brilliance for Mel Brooks to have first conceived this scene, then to persuade Count Basie to do it, then to incur the substantial cost to bring an entire orchestra to a desert for a 20-second scene! Hard to realize that its 50th anniversary is approaching!
Even harder to believe Mel Brooks might be even still witness it. 97 and counting
One of the smoothest, coolest scenes, in cinematic history.
Khaldoun El Bey
I agree!
One of the proudest moments of my youth was when I saw this scene on television. A brother in a lead role, in a major motion picture. I still smile whenever I see this scene right here. God bless you Cleavon Little. God bless you Count Basie. Much appreciation to you Mel Brooks. "Blazing Saddles" Amazing Movie.
Beautifully stated
@@aaronstein947 Thank you Sir.
Was he in the band Fred?
@@60march The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. It continues under the direction of trumpeter Scotty Barnhart.
Originally including such musicians as Buck Clayton and Lester Young in the line-up, the band in the 1950s and 1960s made use of the work of such arrangers as Neal Hefti and featured musicians such as Thad Jones and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Its recordings of this era included collaborations with singers such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 - October 22, 1992) in his role as the black sheriff in the movie Blazing Saddles, was not in the band.
@@frankroy2005 Oh Crikey. How stupid of me. He was the Sheriff. (Didn't see the word Brother..Duh) Of course you are super proud. Brilliant movie. One of the funniest ever. I am a huge jazz fan so all know all about the great man Basie. Reason for going here was because I had a go at April in Paris myself on my tenor.
My dad told me when he first saw this in the theater, he was so caught off guard by Count Basie's orchestra in the middle of the prairie that he nearly pissed himself laughing.
chris1pdx I can dig that. For me, it's laughter-related near-asphyxia.
+chris1pdx
Yep. Mel Brooks is a genius.
As is Count Basie. ;)
Chris: I was like your dad - fell down laughing, pissing all the way!
I saw this movie for the first time in the wee hours at home and woke up my family laughing in this scene.
It's absurdity at its finest.
This scene put together by Mel. with the jazz swing of the Count and his Orchestra out on the prairie, with Cleavon dressed to the 9's and riding to Rock Ridge is simply... outstanding!
Long live Blazing Saddles and may we as a country "toughen up" again to be able to look at ourselves (and biases) and be willing to laugh at our foolishness.
When I saw this in the movie theater, I cried laughing (like everybody else, probably). When I saw this later on RUclips, I cried laughing some more. What a film! Bless Basie's and Brooks' hearts!
Count Basie and his band came to my elementary school wayyyy back in the day. They were amazing!!!
One of the Basie Band's signature tunes. "One more once!"
Recently walked past Count Basie's medallion on the American Jazz Walk of Fame in Kansas City, and had this very scene in mind as I took photos. Greatness.
I "gotta" story. I'm a City College of N.Y. journalism graduate from 1976. As part of the program you had to take "communications" courses like TV production, film, etc. I took a film appreciation course. I have forgotten the professor's name but she was an avant guarde (forgive the spelling) African American lady who produced and directed upscale art films back then. She dressed in native African dress. She was beautiful and a good teacher, open to students' ideas. She gave us an assignment to pick out a movie with radical juxtapositions of telling a story, perspective, breaking the rules, etc. I took a risk. I did my paper on "Blazing Saddles." She was so much into seeing, directing and producing art films she had not seen the movie and said, "Mel Brooks really did these things?" Like having Count Basie doing "April In Paris" with a black Roy Rogers with Gucci saddle bags in the middle of the prairie. I said yes. She went to see the movie. I got an "A". God bless her openness and God bless my fellow native of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Mel Brooks.
Bless that professor's heart.
Great story! Mel Brooks❤️ Today, the PC climate in Hollyweird and audiences would not embrace this type of genius satire.
Sidebar question, sir:
Where the hell did true journalism go and how did biased editorialists take over the MSM?
Thankfully, she did not storm out the first time the movie used the N word. Those who would don't realize that this is an ANTI-racism movie, and shows how stoopid racism is.
Sure pal
I remember when this came out. I got to see it here in Hollywood and some of my Mom's friends had worked on it. I was still too young to work in film yet and I so wish I could have worked on westerns. Especially this one. They were pretty much over by the time I started working. I've stood on pretty much all the western sets in LA and I used to work at Warner Brothers for a few years. So I also live close to there as well. The scene where they all run out of the gate at Warner is on Barham Blvd and Across the street is the back of Universal studios. I've been driving past that gate since my Dad was doing the driving when I was a little kid. After I saw that film, I think of it every single time I pass that gate. I went past it yesterday lol
This scene absolutely blew me away. The sound was much much better in the theater and I think we saw it in the Chinese theater on Hollywood Blvd. To me, that was the coolest thing I had ever seen in a movie and my admiration for Basie and that type of music just grew from that day on. I remember my Dad being thrilled that I loved that scene so much. I begged him to take me to see it again and it was the only film he took me to twice. An it was because of this scene. The next time we saw it was on a Sunday and the audience was jam packed fulla black folk and when that camera pulled back and showed Clevon in that gear the audience went absolutely MAD!. So I jumped up and screamed too. An my Dad seemed quite cool with it all.
When the film was over we got up to leave and a black guy in the seat behind us motioned to my Dad, who was a Jew from NY, an certainly was not a racist but he was definitely out of his element in this audience.So my Dad said hi to the guy and the guy said to my Dad, "Man, you are an awesome Dad to bring your kid to this film. An the fact this kid knows and loves Basie so much. . . man, I wish my Dad had been that cool to me." Then he look at me an held out his hand so I slapped it lol Which was the thing back then. An then he said to me, "Some day yer gonna be grown up and yer gonna remember this day. An the main thing you are gonna remember is how motherfuckin cool yer ole man was to bring you here today an let go wild with the crowd! You remember that when you have kids " An we all walked out together an he an my Dad talked about NY an Basie an stuff. Turns out my Dad saw Basie in a club in NY that the guy had also seen Basie coming out of one night as he was walking past. So they ended up talk an then hitting a bar together.
One of the best nights of my entire childhood. :)
Wonderful story!
@@jimhead2042 Thanks, man. I've tried to return the favor to my own kids.
I'm glad I can now watch this over and over. All that's missing is Count Basie telling the band "one more once" at the end of April in Paris.
CCEX actual it was, alright boys one more time
@@forrestcalkins93 it's both, one more time ... one more once my jazz combo uses it for false endings for several songs.
Considering comedic timing, it is perfect just the way it is. Adding "one more time" would have fallen as flat as Lilly Von Schtupp's singing.
In 1974 at 14 I, in my best hippie duds, caught the Bus over to what passed for the art house movie theater in Charlotte and saw this film. It was so much fun there in the hipster south watching this particular film! To this day I remember the uproarious laughter. This was my favorite scene as I'd just landed the Bari Sax chair in Bill Hanna's high school Charlotte Jazz Ensemble.
I love the intensity of the closing part of this song.
That's the Count Basie way. The best!
That trumpet shines at the end.
August 21: Happy birthday Bandleader William "Count" Basie (1904-1984) RIP and Blessings
Profoundly moving, because Basie’s life, Duke Ellington’s life, are the spiritual and artistic foundation of the movie.
I loved that scene not only because it featured Count Basie and his orchestra, but because of the hilarious incongruity of a big band playing cool music in the middle of the desert in a Western scene with a black cowboy with fancy Gucci accoutrement and fancy duds riding on a Palomino in style.
Mel Brooks also wanted a cameo by John Wayne in this movie but the Duke said no. Lucky for us the Count said yes.
Actually, Mel wanted John Wayne to play the Waco Kid. He said he couldn't do it as it would be completely out of character for him, but he loved the concept.
John Wayne just wasn't funny. He would have dragged the movie down. Glad he said no. Cast was spot on as it was!
Frankie Laine sang the title song which more than makes up for no Duke. I am heartily in agreement. Basie was a master.
@@Conn30Mtenor Interesting tidbit was that Brooks was looking for someone like Frankie Laine to sing the song and Frankie just happened to audition. Both Duke and Frankie loved the movie!
I saw Count Basie twice! The 1st time, my Dad took me. The 2nd time, I took my Mom. Lucky me... 6 months later, he was gone.
Mel fucking Brooks gets the greatest orchestra to play in his spoof about Cowboys how awesome!
An absolutely beautifully crafted scene.
I was at home watching some stupid movie on TV, my Dad in his chair reading. (He didn't care for TV) When this came on he perked up, "Why, why..that's.... He's from that era and it was priceless!
This whole scene speaks VOLUME. What a great way to have a send off. Count Basie and his Orchestra in the middle prairie. It is so SOPHISTICATED if you ask me 🥁🎻🪕🎺🎸🎷🎹👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Count Basie ROCKS. A legend in a legendary film.
Oh wow! Count Basie and his orchestra on Blazing Saddles! Love it!
This scene is classic. Count Basie is amazing! Thanks for sharing
That horse is the most gorgeous palomino to ever grace the silver screen!
Aug.21st: Happy birthday Jazz pianist-Composer-Bandleader William James "Count" Basie (1904-1984) Kennedy Center Honors, Grammy Award: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Thank you and God bless. R.I.P. Legend. Thanks for the upload, Chris Carter. Blessings
I get chills from this. The scene is great but the music is tops. I love this song so much and has such a great vibe to it.
I never heard April In Paris the same after this film was released...... The spin is so unique as to put it in a new category.
Not just the best scene in this movie but one of the greatest of all time, just wonderful!!
You cannot top this, the greatest music in the funniest western ever made !
The 'scene' is historic and DEEP*****!!
Yeah, i love this****! Thank you.
Seeing Count Basie Orchestra (in their 2016 form) for the first time last night brought me here. Great jazz!
What a beautiful and surreal movie
That is so cool that Count Bassie and his orchestra were in this film 🥁🎹🎷🎺🎸🔥🔥🔥
My absolute favourite scene as well. Brilliant!
One of the great movies. Everyone could laugh together back in those days instead of getting so damned offended as everyone is now, especially the millennials.
You'd be surprised how UNOFFENDED Millenials are about this movie. Just search up the Millenial reactions over this movie on RUclips and you'd be laughing, at least, of their surprised reactions but they're not offended.
@@geoffwilliams4478 true I've been checking out the reactions to this movie PRICELESS NON-STOP LAUGHTER 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@zenaaubrey2701 🤣 IKR? And I was brought up on movies like this!
"It's twoo, it's twoo!"
Millennials are generally fine with the film, but every boomer under the sun seems to feel the need to pretend they're being attacked every time they bring the movie up I guess
After Blues, my favorite music.
All time great movie! ...And with The Count involved....MAGIC!!! X
Mel Brooks, don't ever apologize for this comedy masterpiece.
This is supposed to be a scene of comedy but it's just soo classy.
The ultimate anachronism that only mel brooks could pull-off, amid a story depicting -- through comedic genius -- the entrenched violent white racism so keenly demonstrated whenever a Blackman is put in charge.
Count Basie--straight outta Red Bank N.J.
Best scene in the movie
I always loved this scene and the song, I loves how count basie him self was in it with his orchestra
Can you imagine sitting with Brooks when this idea came to him? "we need an entrance for Cleave to return to Rock Ridge, you know a real classy entrance of a smooth brother ..... I got it! Count Basie, we'll get Count Basie ....." "Mel, it'll never happen ........"
Now whenever I walk through a Southwestern desert in New Mexico or Arizona, Count Basie will be playing "April In Paris" in the background, at least in my mind.
Love it, Love IT, LOVE IT!!!
Let's try it one more once :)
colinpeterhill it was actual alright boys one more time
@@forrestcalkins93 depends on the version. In one the Count first say "one more time", then he goes a second time and says "let's try one more once"
Until the copyright lawyers catch up with me, my favorite scene from _Blazing Saddles_ is up on my RUclips account.
#BlazingSaddles #CountBasie #CleavonLittle
My favorite too.
This is actually satire of the movie industry which was anal about having no music unless it was source music or wall to wall music . This is satire of source music .
Also the fact that it is Jazz music in a Western. 😂
"source music" and "wall-to-wall" music. Two terms I'd never heard before, but kind of had a gut idea of what they meant, I looked them up and was not disappointed. Thank you for educating me and adding some terms to my vocabulary.
Pure timeless comedy and it's because this scene is so hilariously composed
Can you imagine sitting with Brooks when this idea came to him? "we need an entrance for Cleave to return to Rock Ridge, you know a real classy entrance of a smooth brother ..... I got it! Count Basie, we'll get Count Basie ....." "Mel, it'll never happen ........"
I read that Brooks wanted a singer for the title song, "someone who sounds like Frankie Laine." Then the real Frankie Laine walked in, "you think I could do it well enough?"
Love that Gucci saddlebag.
Shedding tears…this scene is sad oh so sadder
I just watched this for the first time yesterday and I recognised the song from a count Basie cassette I have and I thought “I wonder if this version of the song was performed by count Basie too” before he and his band were revealed
April in Rock Ridge
My favorite scene as well!
PRIIIIICELESSSSSSS!!!!🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Count Basie was an answer on Jeopardy last night and Tim Conway's daughter was on the radio which made me think of Harvey Korman and Blazing Saddles and the Gucci saddle bags, LOL.
genius!
Surreal and cool
All you Count Basie fans GOD bless you .!! I happen to have known Freddy G & Butch M personally. Freddy nickname. Was ( the human metronome ) he kept better time than a Swiss watch .!! Joey
One more Time 🎼🎷🎺🥁🎹.
One more once!
“One more time!”
Laughing my arse of at this scene, 48 years after the film was made!
The devil disliked this piece twice.
"Count Basie, we want you and your orchestra to play in our movie."
"Ok sure, where at?"
"At the sands."
"The Sands Hotel was torn down years ago!"
"You misunderstand me."
High diving the count hell yes
I still like to imagine a 'Blazing Saddles' musical. I imagine for this moment Bart would have a big, jazzy "Look at me now!" type of song.
And one lyric might say something like "I'm gonna clean up this town, and NOT as the janitor!"
Swag on celluloid before it was ever in our vocabulary......
👏🏿🤴🏿👏🏿🤴🏿🌟
Gucci
This movie was Hilarious 🤣
Skin from one Cool dude to another!
A cigarette brand in Australia had a similar idea for what turned out to be a cult classic ad. Anyhow have a Winfield. With Paul Hogan at about the same time.
This is the best way to fight racism.
I saw this movie when I was 11, and 48 years later, I still don't get the joke.
They were actually outside no green screen
An anachronism that only Mel Brooks could pull-off..
And now, to ruin the illusion: I actually did an assignment for my Jazz and Media class in grad school on this very scene. If you hadn't noticed, the syncing of music and video is absolutely atrocious. The band you see on screen was not the Basie band at the time; they had just come back to the mainland (NYC) from some gigs overseas, and they just had Basie fly out to LA for the scene. The band you see does have some former and future Basie band members, but no currents, other than the man himself. Still a winner, though! Oh, and the band you hear are LA studio cats!
If I could ask Mel Brooks one question it would have to be how the hell did he get Count Basie and His Orchestra to shoot this scene in the middle of nowhere? 😅
What’s the title of the music piece played in this clip?
April In Paris
@@ChrisCarterWanderinChild Yes! Thank you.
The only scene from the whole movie that would not need to be edited for political correctness in today's climate
What song is this?
April In Paris.
April In Paris
April in Paris! My sister April's favorite song!!
April in paris
That's about the only scene that would not have to be edited for political correctness
the drummer isn't even playing along
Early days of "lyp sync", imagine my surprise when I realized that drummer was my teacher at the American Conservatory of Music-Chicago, the incredible Harold Jones, what a kick, no pun intended
Where the white women at!?
Pop out my nose almost every time, so bad I can't drink pop any more.
I quote that all the time!
Precisely what I'll say to any KKK member and I'm white 😃
A scene which is irrelevant to the plot and brings the narrative to a complete halt, which explains why I had to scrape myself off the floor helpless with giggles.
I saw Blazing Saddles as part of a double bill with Monty Python and the Holy Grail, another work of comedic genius full of utterly irrelevant moments like this.