# Late Night Talk Shows: When the Band Introduces A Bit With A Few Bars of Song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-night-talk-shows-when-the-band-introduces-a-bit-with-a-few-bars-of-song/719876 "2015-05-12T18:24:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-night-talk-shows-when-the-band-introduces-a-bit-with-a-few-bars-of-song/719876/1 "2015-05-12T18:24:00Z")
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s an example: Jimmy Fallon (_The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon_) is about to do a bit - in this case, Audience Suggestion Box - and the house band, The Roots, introduce the bit with a song that lasts all of a few seconds. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq9bmnWsvBM) Jimmy is, of course, not the only late night talk show to introduce bits this way - in fact, I think most, if not all, late night talk shows do this. When did this convention start? I don’t remember seeing it on Johnny Carson when I was a small child back in the day, but I do remember seeing it on Letterman when I was a teen. Did Letterman introduce the idea? ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-night-talk-shows-when-the-band-introduces-a-bit-with-a-few-bars-of-song/719876/2 "2015-05-12T19:20:04Z")
Carson did it, and I doubt he invented it. Skitch Henderson et al. were more often highlighted than those in recent years, so abbreviated band music is not new. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-night-talk-shows-when-the-band-introduces-a-bit-with-a-few-bars-of-song/719876/3 "2015-05-12T19:31:37Z")
It probably dates back to radio. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-night-talk-shows-when-the-band-introduces-a-bit-with-a-few-bars-of-song/719876/4 "2015-05-12T23:20:27Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It probably dates back to radio. I think you misspelled “vaudeville” there. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-night-talk-shows-when-the-band-introduces-a-bit-with-a-few-bars-of-song/719876/5 "2015-05-13T04:20:11Z")
Definitely vaudeville, perhaps earlier (“variety” shows). ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-night-talk-shows-when-the-band-introduces-a-bit-with-a-few-bars-of-song/719876/6 "2015-05-13T19:32:26Z")
It COULD go back to vaudeville- if not, I’m sure the old pianists and organists at silent movie theaters had fun thinking up musical bits that fit with the scenes that were appearing on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-night-talk-shows-when-the-band-introduces-a-bit-with-a-few-bars-of-song/719876/7 "2015-05-14T01:40:23Z")
Bob Hope was always introduced by “Thanks for the Memory”, a song he sang in “The Big Broadcast of 1938”. The Jack Benny theme “Love in Bloom” apparently began when he sponsored by Lucky Strike (1944-1955).