Letterman, Late Night Special Part 8

[HallWayGang]

Tom smoking that goooooooooood lol

[gatorpetty]

I read on and found the answer.

[gatorpetty]

I hear a bass line, who's playing it? Howies on acoustic.

[helmet959]

Good old SM57...

[planktonite]

Arnold you idiot! Why would you cheat on her????

[707jetairliner]

I saw this on tv in 1990. I still think it one of petty's best live performances ever. The entire band sounds great! Stan Lynch sounds awesome on his relatively simple drum kit!

[pigmama50]

Lovin' me some Tom Petty!

[pigmama50]

Lovin' me some Tom!

[missmarisalynn]

he looks cute with the braces :)

[TheYajrennat]

Howie on acoustic, nice.

[TheYajrennat]

2:48 for TP

[PimiPetty]

What a beautiful song!!!

Maybe my fovourite from Tom Petty!

[58windsong]

Song is Face in the Crowd

[alenejoan]

what is the name of this song?

[billynlinda]

at the start was she talking about Arnie.........sex addict .......thats funny

[steffeonthetube]

This period in Pettys life is one of my favorites. The collaboration with Jeff Lynne, the release of Full Moon Fever and the Wilbury project. And this song is so great.

[burlingtonbill1]

@steffeonthetube Absolutely agree! Wish there could be a Wilburys V. 4 !

[drumrrroll]

how rated do you need to be? Underrated? c'mon people. Tom Petty would be happy with his rating. It music not a sports comp.

[f2h007]

All of you are forgetting that Petty isn't known for his great live performances but for being one of the most prolific and consistant song-writers of our time. He has few peers...

[drumrrroll]

Underrated....whack?!

[LedJam26]

Mike is such a sick slide player. So much taste.

[marks661man]

sheesh,,another fight over whos the best this n that. u guyz r forgetting a pretty big artist in this type of music;;bruce springsteen. saw him in the70s and i can tell u he rocked harder than petty cud ever dream of. saw dire straits, and speaking of jackson brown saw him too. all 3 of them cud hav blown the 80s petty show i saw,,off the stage. knophler? lindley?c'mon now biggest climax of the petty show was when he was running around in a Reagan mask. lame. petty is a follower,not a leader.

[RuthlessTyrant]

@marks661man obviously you know jack shit about music. you talk about ppl fighting over who is the better artis but yet throw in your 2cents lol bruce sounds like a man with HEMORRHOIDS! TP shows always sell out so he must be doing something right.

[monstermunch26]

@RuthlessTyrant yeah petty is a an amazing song writer and musician..there's no good music like this these days.

[monstermunch26]

@RuthlessTyrant petty is a genius

[xterra43]

@monstermunch26 Yes he is... He doesn't get enough credit for his songwriting.

[brianodeci08]

Tom Petty the 'greatest'? Well maybe 2sum. Always saw him as more of a Jim Morrison-type figure, more than an innovator in songwriting/multi-insturmental­ism ala Jackson Browne or other bands like that. &quite possibly w/a lot less 'soul' than Browne had. Like Morrison, he had a great insturmental backdrop made by sum of the most underrated musicians of that time. Only other example I can think of in a solo artist who may have benefitted from a great band as much was Elton John or P. Collins.

[cbben4124]

Petty's 1990 tour kicked off directly after this appearance. Can anyone tell me whether Scott Thurston (performing keyboards here, off in the back) joined the group for the tour (and if so was he along for the 1989 tour as well?)?

The consensus seems to be that he didn't join until 1991, but his appearance here makes me wonder whether he was with the Heartbreakers on their 1989 and 1990 tours. Thanks!

[cowie86]

Who is that F%^&ING gorgeous woman that Letterman is interviewing at the start?!

[jon1156]

@cowie86 Maria Shriver - JFK's niece, Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife and former CBS news anchor.

[debi5058]

Tom Petty' singing is beautiful.

[tompondus]

Mike Campbell is the GREATEST.

[fanzappa]

12 string slide...nice...

[bronco7xxl]

This is Super Great!!!! David has the Best Job in the World!! I don't watch him because I sleep to early! But he meets so many Great people!!! Rock on Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers!!

[612Crewz]

I bet petty smokes the best weed there is

[PepperDr94]

. Well we cleared up that 3 petshop boy fans didnt like this. Which means, THERE VOTES DONT COUNT! Tom PEtty * THB is the BEST band EVER in the HISTORY of ROCK!

[jenningswriter]

very underrated artist...agreed 110%

[thecitywalls]

letterman with hair?!

[avrillavigne189]

STONED!!!!! hah!

[axeman7000]

Howie usually plays bass but is obviously playing acoustic guitar. The only possible conclusion I can come up with is that Scott Thurston is playing bass on keyboard. I absolutely hear a bass.

[TurgeonFan77132]

Yeah, Scott's playing bass on the keyboard. I think it's b/c they are trying to play the song the way it was on "Full Moon Fever." It was very acoustic guitar heavy with Jeff Lynne working on that album.

[derricaantonio]

@axeman7000 The entire Letterman band is there too ;)

[zombiedude25]

sends shivers up my spine when he sings it , fucking amazing

[doctorsholl13]

Howie Epstein is playing bass

[rock300800]

but Howie is strumming away on an acoustic guitar???

[doctorsholl13]

true lol but other than the kick drum i dont really hear any other type of bass... either way mike campbell's skills are ridiculous

[rock300800]

Yes, Mike Campbell is amazing...nobody plays like him!!! The whole band is great!!!

I definately hear a bass...LOL....is it possible they are playing a bass line on the keyboards???? I miss Stan Lynch on drums, but the new guy they have is good!!!

[doctorsholl13]

i was thinking that to that it could be on the keyboard since they have 2 going during the song. Idk if you saw the documentary but Stan Lynch was kind of a d-bag lol but Steve Ferrone the current drummer since '95 is awesome!

[rock300800]

No, I did not see that documentary....is it out on DVD??? would love to see it!!!

[doctorsholl13]

yea its called "Runnin' Down a Dream"

[rock300800]

Thanks!

[hockeybooks]

there's a bootleg of Stan Lynch singing "Psychotic Reaction" out there, worth finding

[tbird13936]

@hockeybooks it's not a bootleg. If I'm thinking of the same one, then do a search of "Tom Petty Take the Highway Tour" and you should be able to find it. Unfortunately that tour is out of print and they never made a DVD out of it. I hop they do because Into the Great Wide Open is one of my top three favorite Petty albums. You can also hear that song on the "Playback" box set.

[strtofdrms]

It is Stan.

[rock300800]

Looks like Stan....who is playing bass???

[zombiedude25]

who the hell is that on the drums , thats not stan is it?

[zombiedude25]

i get goosbumps everytime i hear the chords and his voice

[axeman7000]

I take it that Scott Thurston was playing bass on keyboard.

Nice hair Mike...lol

[marycreeves]

AWESOME

[Doofer22]

What a fantastic band.

[Graham60543]

what effects does mike use?

[axeman7000]

I hear delay and reverb...some chorus too

[satriale66012]

I finally got that rickenbacker 36012 and i play this song

[hornstrum]

don't know what YOU bought, but the guitar is this video is a Rickenbacker 620/12 in Fireglo finish, NOT a 360

[satriale66012]

whoa...calm down old man

[satriale66012]

for the sound not the look

[spyballerina]

doobie doobie doobie

tom's a booooobbiiieee

a stoned one at that.

great performance though.

[patchmack2]

tom is completely stoned...and he still puts on a great performance

[philipatoz]

Petty's tunes always offer an interesting and compactly told storyline, each being backed up by beautifully lush instrumentation. If fact, his lyrics are precisely why he had such MTV success, as his lyrics lent themselves so well to visual interpretation. And although sonically full, his soundscapes are always just sparse enough to distinctively bring out the best tonal qualities of the individual instruments. The guy's undoubtedly a master, and probably America's most underrated rock star.

[jls1505]

wow, i wish i culd give a million thumbs up for that one comment

[blindwilliehighlight]

Oh, yes! And then you have Bruce on the opposite place (hiper-rated)

[tedwilson79]

@philipatoz Hey I just came across your comment and had to write and tell you how evocative it was. I'm a big Petty fan and you summed up his music and production style beautifully. If you ever had the the desire, I'm sure you could be a professional writer. I really enjoyed the bite sized review you offered up here. Kudos!

[philipatoz]

@tedwilson79, thanks - and I do write and design for a living. I'd totally forgotten writing my comment.

[21CenBreakdown]

one of the most unique voices in rock.

[leonardoboy2]

RICKENBACKER!

[ZeldaMaster408]

wow randy Johnson really was young at the time he pitch for the Seattle mariners

FACT: THE PRESIDENT OF NINTENDO OWNS THE SEATTLE MARINERS

[marcegambler]

pretty video... beatiful voice, so soft!

[yellowfur]

I like his voice. I don't know know quite what it is. I just like it.

[paintballmoreyo]

i like it because it instead kind of whiney if you know what i mean

[tompondus]

Amazing version. Mike Campbell is fantastic.Love this band.

[nucleardude11]

stan has a beard, howies playing guitar, mike looks like a crack pod, benmont is loosing his hair, tom looks like he's in his 70s, what happened to these guys

[jls1505]

nothing. your just a stupid cunt.

[nucleardude11]

i didn't mean it in a bad way, and get that stick out of your ass

[jls1505]

it really doesnt matter what they look like, they're still kick ass

[nucleardude11]

i never said they were not, actually, they are one of my favorite bands

[Graham60543]

1st who gives a shit if he has a beard,  2nd howie plays both, 3rd mikes normal, 4th benmont is old lol and last tom is just stoned out of his mind but who cares

[nucleardude11]

what the hell, im just saying they have changed

[bshott]

im pretty sure they have always been stoned lol

and letterman looks different too i wonder why? maybe cuz this video is hella old

[nucleardude11]

well maybe stan and mike, and lettermen doe look different, to the max

[TurgeonFan77132]

That he is.

[tompondus]

Happy 58 years Birth Tom.

[heydoode]

Tom rocks!!

[bruinbro23]

TP is....on Full Moon Fever, Jeff Lynne, Mike Campbell and TP played all the instruments..and he played bass.

[TurgeonFan77132]

No. Jeff Lynne played bass on the album. Petty is credited with 6 and 12 string acoustic and electric guitars, tambourine, and keyboards.

[sniper00006]

I dont think there is any bass...

[paulbhensley]

wow! this is one of my favorite songs by them and way better quality than my letterman video.

[zombiedude25]

think tom petty is shy??

[tompettygoddess]

Lol. I love that part.

[tompettygoddess]

Tom Petty is so awesome.

He looks so good here too!!!!!

I remember when I first watched this..it made me fall even more in love with Tom :]

[BaahBen]

What a great, great song!

[andyinoregon]

Before all of this ever went down . . . one

of the best opening lines to a rock and roll

song ever penned, and set to the most melancholy yet gorgeous melody in all of Tom

Petty's amazing music.

and

[blindwilliehighlight]

The song is A Face In The Crowd, from the album Full Moon Fever (1989). so the show must be from 89 or 1990...

[sswltphb]

He's about 40 here, sounds and looks killer to me-Go Tommy!

[7tompetty3]

Tom looks stooooned and Mike is AWESOME <3

[Fastboy007]

TP looks so stoned here...it's one of those times where shades would of worked really good!!

[tompondus]

Mike Campell is just the best slide guitarist

in the world.Just amazing what he can do.

[fanzappa]

@tompondus he's melodic and i dig him, but he's NOT the best in the world. listen to sonny landreth, ry cooder, david lindley, derek trucks...

[tompondus]

I heard them. Mike can do it all. Like George Harrison said:

There is Mike Campbell and there is Ry Cooder.

I dig Derek trucks-- so those Mike. But there is only one Mike Campbell.

Sorry but Mike is Number one.:)

[fanzappa]

@tompondus ok...whatever...

[raywagman]

@fanzappa No.. he is the best in the world.

[fanzappa]

@raywagman ok...whatever...

[TurgeonFan77132]

I see a second electric guitar behind Mike. Did they perform a second song that evening from "Full Moon Fever?"

[tompondus]

The year is 1990.

The song is called `A FACE IN THE CROWD`

[Josh0889]

Does anyone know what year this was?

[RayNChari]

Well, Tom Petty looks pretty young in this so it must've been quite a while ago

[tompondus]

Mike campell is so AMAZING.Best player ever.

[heylover3]

"This guys been stoned since the 3rd grade."

[lochka]

why is mike campbell so awesome...

[badellA86]

I want to be high as tom lol...

[DangerousBastard]

Not bad. As for Petty being "high", I cant see any major indication, and I can usually tell, God knows I've seen that look in the mirror enough times! ;-)

[calliemimosa]

This is a great performance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers!!!

Thanks so much for sharing it. Can't get enough of them guys! Seriously, Would love to be able to watch or listen to them all the time.

[Laurian1903]

If you meant "high" like Tom being on top of his game, then yes, he surely is :) Best musician ever, all his songs are very good or at least good. None there to hate.

[Wingspan91089]

I love "Face in the Crowd"! Such a pretty song! TOM PETTY ROCKS!

[ruth421963]

Maria looks so good here, shes a busy woman however so she has grown older....Im plzed to see she didnt opt for plastic surgery. I love this shows!!

[foleynj86]

Keep these anniversary shows coming! I would love to see the others on here. I don't know why the video release leaves the music highlights off of them?!

[alexgdeferrari]

Excellent performance by TP&HB!! And it's the first time I see someone play slide with a 12 string guitar. Mike Campbell is awesome.

[Shizzlacher]

And to think, the Governor of California married that intellectual.

[mikerm5255]

Wow, way to bring everyone down. It's an anniversary show with the crowd all hyped..."Face in the Crowd"?

[jls1505]

you are a shit stain on the underwear of life

[ericlayer]

Is it just me, or does Petty look incredibly high here?

[Shizzlacher]

Petty? High? Surely, you jest.

[smurfthumper]

Wait. I've heard rumors about this sort of thing. Could it be I've finally discovered that rarest of all beasts, Sarcasm?

[spaceyrules]

Maria, before she became Skeletor!

[pachi747]

tom petty rules!!!