Live From New York - It's Saturday Night

It had been exactly two years since I had seen George Harrison perform at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City in 1974. I was in Jr. High, and at that time, two years seemed like earth-ages because I was so young. My mother and I had been shopping in Salt Lake and stopped by my Aunt Mae's house in Rose Park to pay my relatives a visit. I always liked going there. While mom and her sister chatted away, I took Ivan, Uncle Bill's dog for a walk in the park where he could run and jump. Ivan was a beautiful Russian Wolfhound who's long sleek body was perfectly suited for running... his favorite activity. I was amazed how quickly he could move across the grassy park. He knew he was entertaining me, so gave it all he had.

When Ivan and I got back to Aunt Mae's house, my cousin Jan had arrived. Being seven years older than myself, she had the full respect of this lowly eighth grader. Knowing that I was the biggest Beatles fan on the Wasatch front, she wasted no time telling me that George Harrison would be appearing on TV's Saturday Night Live (SNL) the coming weekend. I was stoked!

Even though SNL was in its second season, I had never seen the program before, and was looking forward to staying up late to see my favorite Beatle on live TV. Normally, I would watch late-night TV in my own room on an old black and white atop my dresser-drawers, however on this particular occasion, I watched the TV in the family room, in living color. I had my Polaroid Camera ready to snap a shot or two.

Paul Simon hosted the show that Saturday night, and came out onto stage wearing a plump-turkey* suit and sang his hit song, Still Crazy After All These Years. It was so funny. I was impressed how naturally Paul Simon took to the live TV medium. After a commercial break, Mr. Simon returned to play his popular song, Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover.

The first two skits were great. I was wiwwy wiwwy impwest wiff Baba Wawa's interview wiff Secwatewy of State, Henwy Kissenjew, and Dan Akroyd played a convincing Rod Serling in their Twilite Zone spoof.

After a brief news break from Weekend Update, my sleepy eyes and ears were rewarded with a splendid duet featuring Paul Simon and George Harrison who played the Beatles' Here Comes The Sun** and Simon and Garfunkle's Homeward Bound.

Following the stunning acoustic presentation, Mr. Simon introduced Crackerbox Palace, a short promotional movie by George Harrison, (they weren't called music videos yet). The short film, directed by Eric Idle, was a bizarre Pythonesque burlesque filmed entirely at George's magnificent mansion on the grounds of Friar Park.

At the end of the program, another George Harrison video was played. This Song was a poke at the system which had prosecuted him on a copyright infringement charge for his song My Sweet Lord, which sounds pretty much exactly like the fifties classic by the Chiffons, He's So Fine.***

I became a SNL fan at that point and watched regularly until the Not Ready For Prime Time Players were replaced by inadequates.

* It was the Thanksgiving episode

**Saturday Night Live's brightest moment.

*** My friend Joey recorded a spoof of My Sweet Lord that sounded exactly like George Harrison but sang with SHe's So Fine lyrics.