Really, the video has to be seen to be believed. The duo perform it in the usual Lawrence Welk “Platonic essence of squareness” style, apparently thinking that the repeated references to “Sweet Jesus” made the song a modern spiritual. There’s something transcendental about being less in tune with the modern youth culture than Spiro Agnew; old Dickless at least knew that the song represented all that was wrong with the world, whereas the Champagne Music exponents didn’t have a clue.
Anyway, does anyone else have any moments where musical reality outdid fiction?
Maybe not so strange, but the time Bill Clinton was running for president in 1992, and came out on Arsenio Hall playing his sax with Heartbreak Hotel. It was a spectacular bit of flash and really helped plant Bill as the next president. IMHO.
I can’t recall what year, but during the Grammys, they decided to use the latest emergent technology to satellite hookup to performances in other cities. It would be awesome!
I seem to recall the first couple of hook ups went off smoothly. But then…there was Diana Ross at the podium attempting to throw it over to Steevie Wonder, who was playing a venue in a distant city. But there’s a problem, the audio feed is fine but there seems to be an issue with the video.
So that leaves Diana, who appeared to have had a few, on national Tv, looking directly into the camera and asking, “Stevie, Can you see me?” …and…cut to commercial.
When the broadcast returned to air, there was Diana, looking sober indeed, and apologizing profusely!
Joe Cocker singing gospel with the Crusaders at the 24th Annual Grammys, after a long absence from the music scene. For me and many others it was quite an emotional come-back performance, and totally unexpected.
When Pat Boone tried to be a Heavy Metal bad boy. :eek:
eta: I was not prepared to start crying when Kermit sang The Rainbow Connection.
One surreal performance that appeared on Japanese TV in the 90s (maybe 80s): Emmanuel and Emmanuelle.
Emmanuel Lewis (from the TV show “Webster”) performing his song “Telephone” (which was inexplicably popular in Japan) for Sylvia Kristel (who was seated on stage in the iconic wicker chair from the Emmanuelle movie poster).
Never have I seen two faces more clearly scream “WTF am I doing here?”