The B List: The Letterman Edition

1. Letterman interviews a wacked out David Byrne, and the Talking Heads perform Burning Down The House and I Zimbra in 1983:

[youtube]rwCEajWOjKE[/youtube]

2. REM makes their television debut on Late Night in 1983, performing Radio Free Europe and So. Central Rain:

[youtube]Ykp0Vq77IBw[/youtube]

3. Gnarls Barkley plays Crazy with a string section during their appearance last August on The Late Show:

[youtube]aI-9QAeHP5s[/youtube]

4. The Black Crowes, who made their network TV debut on Late Night, played a cover of Traffic’s Feelin’ Alright during a celebration of Letterman’s first anniversary on CBS in 1994:

[youtube]NohMVqECIc4[/youtube]

5. My Morning Jacket and the Boston Pops play Gideon:

[youtube]AjLFG0i2_AE[/youtube]

6. Eddie Van Halen rips an instrumental version of Panama in 1985:

[youtube]1ZU32Ex4p04[/youtube]

7. During Letterman’s last show on NBC in 1993, Bruce Springsteen stopped by to join Paul and the boys for the fitting Glory Days:

[youtube]cB35yLkZEmQ[/youtube]

8. Ween plays Exactly Where I’m At during this White Pepper promotional appearance from the year 2000:

[youtube]iWu9u9hIYoQ[/youtube]

9. The Dynamic Duo: Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia play When I Paint My Masterpiece in 1987. That’s really a tremendous song:

[youtube]roC88xJyK4s[/youtube]

10. In 1986, Keith Emerson sits in with Paul and the band for an incredible take on America from the musical West Side Story:

11. The Neville Brothers and The Meters combined forces for a fierce Fire On The Bayou:

[youtube]ks8VBta0w6E[/youtube]

12. Sly Stone shows a little too much enthusiasm during this version of Ya Ya Ya Ya Ya and I Want To Take You Higher from 1983, right before he went into hiding:

[youtube]zcTlgHXQZws[/youtube]

13. In 1994, Lou Reed graced Letterman with his presence for a performance of Sweet Jane:

[youtube]1edgKKwKf-0[/youtube]

14. On the date of Kurt Cobain’s suicide, Blind Melon plays an altered version of Change. I love the question mark Shannon Hoon drew on his head. It’s fucking awful that we lost two of the best voices of that decade in Cobain and Hoon. I blame Imus:

[youtube]UCsXdZsXY4Q[/youtube]

15. Radiohead plays a brilliant version of Karma Police during a 1997 appearance on The Late Show:

[youtube]ySMjcq7ON8o[/youtube]

16. Motorhead plays a rippin’ version of Chuck Berry’s Let It Rock on Late Night in 1991:

[youtube]EIOlzQHrKe4[/youtube]

17. Jeff Healey wins for best blind guitar player as illustrated by this ridiculous version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps:

[youtube]Q3vE_whyhOQ[/youtube]

18. Phish climbs out onto the marquee at Letterman to perform Scents and Subtle Sounds, ten years after they first performed on the show:

[youtube]nD8o_CmQAj8[/youtube]

19. Beck always stops by Letterman’s show when he releases an album. In 2005 Beck stopped by The Ed Sullivan Theater to perform Black Tambourine:

[youtube]ko08zsqxc2I[/youtube]

20. Joe Walsh looks wasted during this late ’80s version of Rocky Mountain Way. That is one helluva tie-dye on the other guitar player.

[youtube]-Zgwe7XdORs[/youtube]

I couldn’t find copies of my two favorite Letterman appearances: The Band playing Atlantic City in 1993 and Warren Zevon’s Lawyer’s Guns and Money. If anyone has seen those clips, or has other clips to recommend, leave a link or comment below…