1 of 1- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline 
NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
It's rare that any network devotes an entire three hours of primetime to one special, but NBC is giving over its entire Monday night schedule to a show called "Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music."
The show includes some famous performances, including Elvis Costello's sudden change of tune in mid-performance, when NBC supposedly forbid him from performing "Radio Radio" and he decided to play it anyway. Then there was Sinead O'Connor ripping up a picture of the Pope.
The Tonight Show band leader and director Questlove went through half a century of classic moments. to make the special.
But it's not just straight musical moments. The special also incorporates sketches in which satirical songs were a mainstay. (But "more cowbell" didn't make the cut.") Others did.
"One thing that struck Questlove: how many memorable moments began with doubt. Eddie Murphy initially rejected the idea where he was to impersonate James Brown singing at a hot tub party. Joe Piscopo was worried about how Frank Sinatra would react to him “playing” Sinatra in an “Ebony and Ivory” duet."
The special airs Monday night at 8 PM Eastern.
‘Saturday Night Live’ has a rich, half-century musical history. Questlove’s new documentary digs in
- Chrisphen
- Member
Offline
Re: NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
Hopefully they're restored the footage of Fear playing.
- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
Solid article RA thanks for sharing this.
Above is the brilliant official preview of the SNL special and whoever did it is a mashup genius.
Watching it might put a smile on your face. Get down, get funky, get back up again...as I believe Robin Williams once quipped.
Airs tonight on NBC and then Peacock.
Last edited by betaylored (January 27, 2025 1:48 pm)
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
Thanks for finding that. I was looking for a preview but never expected anything like this. Do they give Emmys for promos? That was an incredible amount of work.
Never mind the special. The preview is brilliant.
- •
Thread Starter- PeterY
- Member
Offline
Re: NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
I heard this radio interview over the weekend on NPR. It’s the New Yorker Radio Hour. The topic was “How Saturday Night Live Reinvented Television, Fifty Years Ago.”
The show is based on Susan Morrison’s book “Lorne.” She’s a New Yorker editor and talks extensively about Lorne Michaels, the producer who still runs “S.N.L.” with an iron hand. Here’s a summary:
“Saturday Night Live” turns fifty this year. Profiling its executive producer, Lorne Michaels, the New Yorker editor Susan Morrison sheds light on one of the most important people in show business. Morrison spent years talking to Michaels for her new book, “Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live,” and she includes recordings of those interviews in a conversation with David Remnick. “Lorne was a real student of what I call sort of the hinges between eras,” Morrison says. To keep the show current, Michaels “paid attention to replenishing the casts in a sort of seamless way, so that it would never seem like an old guy trying to do an entertainment for young people.” Plus, one of the show’s most notable alumni, Tina Fey—rumored to be a possible successor to Michaels, who is now eighty—reads an excerpt from the magazine’s review of the show’s first season, back in 1975.”
For anyone who has tapped into SNL over the decades it’s a great interview, just under 40 minutes.
Try this link:
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
Wow, that was a great - if a bit long - special.
I think my favourite part was when Captain Beefheart and his rather discordant material appeared on the show and not a single audience member clapped when he was finished. And one person in the audience swore at him!
You can't make stuff like that up.
I'll be curious to see if this gets nominated for a best special Emmy next year. Very well done.
- •
Thread Starter- tvguy
- Member
Offline
Re: NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
RadioActive wrote:
It's rare that any network devotes an entire three hours of primetime to one special, but NBC is giving over its entire Monday night schedule to a show called "Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music."
The show includes some famous performances, including Elvis Costello's sudden change of tune in mid-performance, when NBC supposedly forbid him from performing "Radio Radio" and he decided to play it anyway. Then there was Sinead O'Connor ripping up a picture of the Pope.
The Tonight Show band leader and director Questlove went through half a century of classic moments. to make the special.
RA, there is an entire documentary-style show dedicated to Cowbell. It’s called “The Recording Session”. There are two series of SNL at 50 shows. One series is running on NBC’s Peacock (for now) and those shows are on Corus’ Stack TV. The other series seems to be running on NBC for now (also on StackTV). The Recording Session is full of surprises, including appearances by members of Blue Oyster Cult, and three guys who were in one way or another “producers”. There are also interviews with members of Foo Fighters who were “there” - on the show as musical guests that week and saw the sketch in the studio. Lots of out-takes, including the “dress” rehearsal - which we never saw previously. It is one of the funniest documentaries - I won’t give any more away…but watch it, and enjoy.
Regrettably only one person was missing from the doc——Christopher Walken. Truth is, he’s had enough cowbell.
‘Saturday Night Live’ has a rich, half-century musical history. Questlove’s new documentary digs in
- paterson1
- Member
Offline
Re: NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
That is the best opening for a music program or special that I have ever seen. Hats off to Questlove and co- director Oz Rodriguez for putting together a brilliant promo. The perfect editing of the music and video is proof that music and performance is universal.
In a very smart counter programming move, Global is running the SNL special this Sunday at 8pm, opposite The 67th Grammy Awards on City TV and CBS. Global didn't run the program last night, so they are going to run it against the Grammy's. Brilliant.
- SpinningWheel
- Member
Offline
Re: NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
Solid article RA thanks for sharing this.
Above is the brilliant official preview of the SNL special and whoever did it is a mashup genius.
Watching it might put a smile on your face. Get down, get funky, get back up again...as I believe Robin Williams once quipped.
Airs tonight on NBC and then Peacock.
The co-Director was Questlove, he got the Academy Award for his brilliant documentary Summer of Soul. Speaking of the mashup, he talks about how he put it together in depth in this interview. You will love it.
Questlove on Flourishing In His Directing Era and Tackling Controversial Music Moments in ‘SNL’ Doc
Lorne Michaels approached QL to make it before he earned his reputation as a top shelf documentarian. They were good to get him. He's a talented musician and DJ as well.
- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: NBC's SNL Music Special Is About More Than Just Groups Playing
Solid article RA thanks for sharing this.
Above is the brilliant official preview of the SNL special and whoever did it is a mashup genius.
Watching it might put a smile on your face. Get down, get funky, get back up again...as I believe Robin Williams once quipped.
Airs tonight on NBC and then Peacock.The co-Director was Questlove, he got the Academy Award for his brilliant documentary Summer of Soul. Speaking of the mashup, he talks about how he put it together in depth in this interview. You will love it.
Questlove on Flourishing In His Directing Era and Tackling Controversial Music Moments in ‘SNL’ Doc
Lorne Michaels approached QL to make it before he earned his reputation as a top shelf documentarian. They were good to get him. He's a talented musician and DJ as well.
Appreciate being able to read this SpinningWheel. Eleven months to complete it, wow. The guy's got a good head on his shoulders. I particularly loved his self awareness when he talked about reframing "Am I" into "I am."
If those of us who used to, or still do work in radio have "the dream" about being on-air and unable to figure out the board or there's no albums or CD's in the booth, is "the dream" for a musical artist that they're performing live on SNL and it all goes horribly wrong?
Last edited by betaylored (January 31, 2025 7:00 pm)