"Let me set the scene: the SNL announcer says: "Once again here's Elvis Costello" as the band launched into a slightly hyper version of "Less Than Zero". Elvis is wearing a grey jacket with a dark tie and a striped shirt, plus narrow-leg blue jeans. As Elvis reaches the line about "there's a vacancy waiting in the English voodoo" he stops short, not quite getting the word 'voodoo' out as he starts to turn, yelling frantically "Stop! Stop!" to the Attractions. The second "stop" is almost inaudible as he has his back to the microphone by this point. Having gotten the band's attention Elvis turns back to the audience and rather earnestly announces "I'm sorry, Ladies and Gentlemen, there's no reason to do this song here". He then turns back towards the band and says "OK, Radio Radio... 1, 2, 3, 4" and the band crash, slightly awkwardly, into the opening chords of 'Radio Radio'..."
Elvis Costello, Saturday Night Live, December 1977. I only saw the clip now (check out the whole article here and the clip here) but I could imagine how watching that felt like then. I think that's what's missing in television these days (not counting brains); spontaneity. Everything is scripted. Script. Script. Script.
Live gag shows here in the Philippines, albeit non scripted, still lacks one thing though; taste.
So I guess that don't count, don't it?
(via Tom McMahon and Elvis Costello Online and Andre Torrez).
