(the original)'Saturday Night Live" with Howard Cosell(1975)

[Caractacus]

any of yalls remember that variety show the aired on ABC from September 1975 until January 1976?
It only lasted 18 episodes.
here is a brief clip from one of 'em.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS2BtthZOug

[Caractacus]

yeah,I remember when that showed first debued on 20.September 1975.
some of the guests on the first show
were Shirley Bassey who sang a song,
John Denver who also sang a song.
and surprise guest Frank Sinatra did a walk on.
(as well as the Broadway cast of "The Wiz" who did the song'Ease on Down the Road".
The main musical guests were the Bay City Rollars
who had a concert at one a.m in London(England)
so that it could be beamed live on Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell.
Cosell proclaimed them to be"the next Beatles"(or maybe,but that remains to be seen he also added)
check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trzh8gHm93k

and this too
(their biggest hit"Saturday Night"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBkcB3fo7VE

[Caractacus]

I remember about a week before the show debut on ABC,Howard Cosell was hyping the show in the press.
Here is what he told PEOPLE magazine,

"You know what's going to make the show? Me-the born superstar"
They didnt give me looks,but they gave me an absolute monopoly on brains and talent"

(source PEOPLE magazine September.29.1975(page 20).

[yancey]

Howard really tried to hype the Bay City Rollers and turn them into the next coming of the Beatles.

He and they failed miserably.

[Caractacus]

Howard Cosell also considered John Lennon a good buddy and was hoping and presuming that John,Paul,George and Ringo
would all get back together for the debut show.(which was broadcasting live from the Ed Sullivan Theater).

[SenorPipino]

I recall Cosell singing a duet with Ali on one of the shows, shortly after the Thrilla in Manila.

One of the memorable lines Cosell sung was "If you ever find your ego in need of repair----I got a spare."
Ali sung back "If you ever shut your mouth, I'll head south."

This parody was sung to the tune of "Friendship."

Amazing (or is it sad) that I can remember this stuff after nearly 40 years.

[SenorPipino]

Howard Cosell also considered John Lennon a good buddy and was hoping and presuming that John,Paul,George and Ringo
would all get back together for the debut show.(which was broadcasting live from the Ed Sullivan Theater).

Can't imagine that the lads would have done it for free.
A Beatles reunion would have landed on closed-circuit.

I think Cosell fancied himself a close, personal friend of Lennon because he once conducted an interview with him on Monday Night Football. It lasted about 3 minutes, but after that Howard probably considered himself a Fifth Beatle.
I actually enjoyed Cosell, but he could be a bit pompous and self-important at times.