Letterman, Shaffer on "Sunday Morning"
On Sunday, Oct. 4 (9:00-10:30 a.m. ET), "CBS News Sunday Morning" correspondent Anthony Mason takes a trip down memory lane with Paul Shaffer to talk about his life in the entertainment business, from his time on Saturday Night Live to his 27 year gig with David Letterman.
As Shaffer prepares to release his book, his friend and "The Late Show" host David Letterman sat down for a rare interview last Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Below are excerpts from the "CBS News Sunday Morning" interview.
On working together:
MASON: When you went looking for a sidekick, did you know exactly what you were looking for?
LETTERMAN: No. Had no idea really. Not even so much a sidekick. We just knew we wanted to have music…It was actually like hiring, you know, two guys in one. We could've hired a musical director and then a sidekick who was smart and silly and funny. And we got 'em in the same guy. So Paul sort of supplied for us what we didn't really know we were lookin' for.
MASON: So when you guys went on the air in 1982 together, did you work out what the relationship was gonna be?
LETTERMAN: No. We didn't, really…I mean clearly, I didn't know what I was doin'. And I will say, I don't think we've even ever had a discussion about is since, have we?
MASON: This just sort of evolved on the air. I mean, when did you know that this was gonna work?
LETTERMAN: I don't think we're convinced that is has worked yet (laughs)…I will tell ya that when we do the show without Paul, rarely…it's like drivin' a rental car. You don't know where the radio is set. You don't know where the mirror is. And [it] takes you a few minutes to get accustomed to it. Without Paul over there I never get accustomed to it. So, I sadly have to pretend Paul has passed away (laughs).
LETTERMAN: He's essential. Paul is the funny guy at the party. I'm passin' out hors d'oeuvres. I'm makin' sure people have a place to hang their coats…It's a long trip. And Paul is the funny flight attendant.
SHAFFER: Wow. Thank you.
On Paul's persona:
SHAFFER: I said if I'm gonna entertain, I better look like an entertainer.
MASON: So this is the collection of glasses you've amassed over the years?
SHAFFER: I am I might look in a store and pick up a pair.
SHAFFER: I don't know why this concept of what is hip became so important to me. But, of course, I'd kind of send it up with this hipster persona.
MASON: It's part real and part fake. It's both?
SHAFFER: It's both (laughs) And there you have the strange duality of my whole personality. I can't explain that either.
MASON: Paul has this kind of hepcat persona on the air. Is that the real Paul Shaffer?
LETTERMAN: Yes. And a dying breed…If you look across the landscape of show business, there's not many of these guys left. And Paul not only represents a soon-to-be-bygone era. But is a great spokesman, and a great champion for that, as well.
SHAFFER: Thank you. So you're sayin' I'm a dinosaur, then (laughs).
LETTERMAN: Last of a great heroic breed, my friend… not a dinosaur at all…I think to understand it, to visualize it, old Las Vegas is a good place to begin. The Rat Pack and everything tangential to that. From Las Vegas to the Catskills and down to Miami and even north to San Francisco…He's the recording secretary of the great old hip show business.