Late Night with David Letterman -

Title: Late Night With David Letterman (NBC TV show)
Source: audio tape, video tape. Transcription from tape by "Pieter from Holland" as published on the Tom Waits Library
Date: Ed Sullivan Theater, New York/ USA. October 5, 1988
Key words: Big Time, Hair

Picture: Late Night With David Letterman. October 5, 1988

Accompanying pictures

Source: "The Late Show with David Letterman" (US TV show). Date: Ed Sullivan Theater, New York/ USA. October 5, 1988. Credits: video screenshot/ � CBS Broadcasting Inc.

Late Night With David Letterman (NBC)

DL: Our next guest is one of the most distinctive writers and performers working today. In addition to his albums and his Broadway show, he has just completed a musical movie entitled 'Big Time'. Performing 'Straight from The Top' from 'Big Time', ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Tom Waits!

TW: Thank you babe. I love ya. I love you individually and as a group. I'd like to do a little number here. that ehhh. about traffic.

[Performs: 'Straight To The Top (Vegas)' with Greg Cohen and Ralph Carney]

DL: Nice job Tom! How are ya?
TW: Alright, how do you do?
DL: Good. Have a seat.
TW: Okay, thank you.
DL: You're okay?
TW: I'm alright, but I'm out of breath.
DL: Yeah. You eh. is it me or does your hair... does it look a little lighter than the last time I saw you? Have you had a little rinse or something on that?
TW: Well, as a matter of fact I did.
DL: Is that right? It looks. it looks great.
TW: Well thank you, I'm glad you mentioned that, you know? Cause I eh, I moved back to California you know eh it makes a difference. I get treated better. I got more friends. [laughter].
DL: Really? Just by altering the colour of your hair.?
TW: Well, I was eh doing a 120 m/ph. on the way to the airport. I was late, I got pulled over by a cop, he opened the door, he put the flashlight on my face and he gave me the hand-eye coordination.
DL: Right.
TW: He did this [moves his index finger back and forth in front of his face], he went back and forth and finally he said.: "What did ya do to your hair. You got a rinse on that or eh?". He was a blonde and we talked about moisturizers. [laughter]. He said: "Get outta here!"
DL: So he let you off, he did not give you a ticket?
TW: No! No ticket, this is it! [points to his hair] that's my ticket.
DL: Yeah, I guess so! Eh, and how is the movie 'Big Time'? How is it being received?
TW: Well, it's kind of an action/ adventure film...
DL: Heh, heh, heh...
TW: It's eh. I think it's doing alright. It's eh. The reviews are coming in and eh.
DL: What kind of things are people saying about it?
TW: Well, a guy in Chicago said: "Piano teachers will be shocked." And eh, that was one of the good ones.
DL: Why is that, what in there will be shocking to piano teachers?
TW: I don't know. I eh, something with my technique. I don't know. Another guy said eh: "It looks like it was filmed in the belly of a very sick animal." [laughter].
DL: Well now, does that eh, does that please you. I mean is that what you were hoping to achieve, or is that... ?
TW: Well, it's pretty close eh.. Surprised they caught it [laughter].
DL: Ehhh, and you just got here early this morning? Late last night? When did you come in?
TW: Late last night eh the driver gave me Carte Blanche. He said I can charge everything to NBC.
DL: Great.
TW: So I've been making a lot of calls. And eh I got a new suit. And eh, I'm going to Singapore for a couple of days. And I really appreciate that [shakes Letterman's hand].
DL: Oh sure, any time. Eh, did you, you don't mind flying late at night. A lot of people are uncomfortable doing that.
TW: I don't mind it. I like it. It's usually clean. It's beautiful. It's quiet. The little lights there. The little shhhhhh. You know? But eh, I had a lot of Secret Service men on the plane.
DL: You travel with the Secret Service?
TW: Well I thought you hired them.
DL: No, maybe for very special guests we bring in the Secret Service.
TW: I thought you went overboard myself. But I...
DL: Were there actually Secret Service guys?
TW: Well yeah, there was about eh... Well there must have been thirty of them. I think all the 'Business' was just Secret Service. They were looking in envelopes and opening up magazines.
DL: Really?
TW: They were doing that little dance they do, you know? Kinda. [does silly dance movements while seated]
DL: Now how do you know they are the secret service and not just the Rotary Club or something?
TW: Well, they had the head gear. Well, they had a lot of big voltage type of computer things coming out of their necks.
DL: Heh, heh, heh. Coax hanging out of there suits eh?
TW: I thought it was maybe a hearing impaired group but it turned out to be like eh... [laughter]. They had big phone jacks inside of their necks and eh, you know it was.
DL: Do you know why they were on your flight?
TW: Well no, I waited. First I thought it was me and then I waited and eh... the door opened on the side and I was already seated and eh Larry "Bud" Melman⁽¹⁾ walked on [laughter].
DL: No.
TW: I kid you not man. And I said: "Larry, I'm gonna be doing the show." And he said: "Schjnick na flov..."
DL: Aha.
TW: "Schjmoflov."
DL: It was Russian?
TW: I assume, I don't know eh...


Calvert DeForest aka. Larry "Bud" Melman. "... And I said: "Larry, I'm gonna be doing the show." And he said: "Schjnick na flov..."

DL: Now let's see, 'Big Time' is this opening across the country? Opening in selected theatres, where is it right now?
TW: I wouldn't say it's wide, but it's eh. it's right about in here [holds up his hands about a foot apart]..
DL: Yeah.
TW: It's about fifteen cities and eh we're gonna branche out from there.
DL: And, and Allan King plays your father?
TW: Yeah, and I have a lot of scenes with Faye Dunaway.
DL: Nice to see you again. Congratulations on the hair colour, it turned out good! Tom Waits ladies and gentlemen. We'll be back after this.

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Calvert DeForest aka. Larry "Bud" Melman. "If Calvert DeForest had been told in the mid-1980s that he would be featured on one of the hottest television programs in history, he would not have believed it. But Calvert is the genuine article, a truly original character, not entirely of this world and impossible to describe in a few words. Calvert found stardom as "Larry Bud Melman" on NBC. Now going by his real name, he was the first face viewers saw on Late Show's debut on August 30, when he popped out of a big CBS "Eye" bellowing "This is CBS!" Calvert is the empty vessel into which flow the ideas of the Late Show writing staff. (CBS Official Late Show Site)

Further reading: CBS official Late Show site, DDY's Late Show Fan Page, Another Bad David Letterman Web Page, Unofficial David Letterman Homepage, Brilliant Careers at Salon.com, Calvert DeForest Website