Added: 4 years ago
From: DelRocksMySpace
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  • I watch this video once a week. It is just great.

  • this is the definition of a classic...

  • I love this song!!!

  • One of the greatest of all time. Why do we find out the side affects of Dr. prescribed drugs after a tragedy? Del, hope to meet you someday, on the otherside of the battle.

  • Awsome intro to a spot-on performance. Very few people can age so gracefully when it comes to music. One can only imagine how good he'd sound today... R.I.P.

  • love this

  • wow , he totally smashed it!" brilliant!!

  • Excellent!

  • I can't stand that miserable Paul Schaffer. He's way too show-off.

  • @coomason5 He did perform that organ riff like 14 M-Fer's. 14 being the highest attainable number when using the M-Fer scale!

  • @coomason5 why just cuz hes enjoying playing music for a guy as great as del shannon? come on dude b real

  • i cant BELIEVE how much i luv this song...

  • I dig this song so much !! Played it twice in a row @ my high school reunion party. .. Class of 1968 North high, oildale, Ca ... DEL SHANNON YOU ARE THE COOLEST !!!

  • What a talent...his is greatly missed. Fabulous voice, fabulous performance...

  • del shannon was as cool as the other side of the pillow..rest in peace..

  • @chillyrooster haha

  • Terrific. Thanks for posting!

  • Del Shannon was one of the coolest rockers ever......and look how much those younger musicians are enjoying playing with a legend.

  • That was just amazing. I really had no idea he was so good live. Of cause like many of my age I remember him well from the sixties. But till seeing him live in this and a couple of other video's on here I watched tonight I had never none that he had such presence on stage. Great upload. Thanks for sharing.

  • Del Is Just Amazing! Love This!

  • Paul Shaffer is one funky jew!

  • I remember my parents playing his records on our old turntable; also remember him performing on the t.v. show "Sha-Na-Na"......such a great loss.

  • Boy, he was a polished performer, wasn't he? Slick, subtle moves. Bad ass. Oh Del, I hope you've found peace.

  • @tiarnan76

    there is no answer.

    It's just a matter of the individuals.

  • Good version.

  • My tears are falling watching this but tears of joy at his super voice as well as sadness! xxxxxxxxxxxxx

  • R.I.P. Del..keep on rockin' in Heaven.

    Maybe you will find there what you've searched on Earth in vain.

  • It's really a tragedy...he killed himself with a firearm in 1990 cause he sufferd of depressions...all genies I know are suffering of depressions...and very often I ask myself...why?

  • @blue81357 what do you normally answer yourself with?

  • @blue81357 there is a theory that some people that are prolific writers like tsychcovski have too much electricity in their brain it makes them productive but drives them crazy tsychcovski tried to commit suicide 2 times he wasnt happy

  • and so is an another legend gone :-(

  • Take it away Schaef. You bald wild man.

  • No one can do it like Del Shannon....always loved him

    Wob64

  • highest drum cymbals in the world

  • @GFiacconi He wants some face time

  • Paul does not pay girls to hang out with him. Its pretty obvious that he hangs out with dudes! What is disturbing is Will Lee! Wow, great bass player but man oh man! That is some dancing now!

  • I have never seen the Schaef enjoy himself at piano so much until I saw him accompany Del Shannon.

  • @maskedavenger777 This was mention by Schaef a lifelong dream come true. He mentioned it was his greatest finest moment while playing piano for the Letterman show.

  • @BBQFanNo1 Wow, I didn't know that. Sometimes I think many people who go to business school to later end up managing fast food restaurants, would have been happier as musicians. There isn't anyone to work for but yourself, you might as well sing for your supper. No one's hiring middle management, so do your own gig.

  • I really can't get it, what is so nice about his songs? Somebody could help? What mood it gives to you if you like it ... because for me it doesn't work at all and I wish at least to have a clue ... why somebody likes it ... please help .

    I do like music in general, I play, I sing, I dance and I know it is personal and each one likes what he likes, I wish at least to have an idea what is it about, if you could help me. Thank you in advance...

  • @yurigglutube Well...THIS song is just a sign of it's times. It colors this era really well.

    It is also just pretty wicked for it's day. C'mon...can you not dig that bitch'n organ solo?

    Really?

  • MAN OH MAN CAN THAT PAUL EVER FUCKING PLAY...MAN IS HE FUCKIN GOOD!!!!

  • My son loved this song...just about the time he was trying to be "crazy" as a 14 year old can be...I told him he could be as crazy as he wanted to be...do what he wanted to do...just come home at night, have a sit-down supper and go to bed before midnight...NO MATTER WHAT. Damned kid did it...turned out pretty good.

  • @spahjrp Wow, either you have a kid that liked old music (which is a great thing) or you were born before 1930 and your son was part of the American Graffiti generation (which is also great). Either way, it sounds like your son had some great parenting.

  • what a gorgeous voice....RIP DEL!! Miss you

  • Great Video!! I grew up listening to Del Shannon (Charles Weedon Westover) and Dion, in those days they were really great. It is a shame we lost Del the way we did. I thought the Crime Story version was a good remake for the show.

  • My introduction to Del Shannon's music.

    On my 11th birthday my parents got me a turntable with a Saturday Night Fever record to come from my aunt who was late arriving. While waiting my Dad put on a Del Shannon record. I loved his music, and he never saw that record again.

    BTW: For Sale (1) Saturday Night Fever LP vinyl exc. cond. used once.Call Don @ 586...

  • @rivgsdon LOL! How much will you give me to take it?

  • @geargemartin A bottle of scotch, which might come in handy if you decide to play it.

  • this tune is ridiculously great

  • All this attention for Frankie Valli...why?Painfully underappreciated in America.Shaffer played THE SAME BREAK on Scandal's 1982 single Goodbye to you.On a radio interview,Patty Smyth laughed and said ''Hats off to Larry!''He hadn't charted in britain since 1965 until last year,when a hits album hit 25.I know Del is gone,but his Legacy living on matters to ME.Thank you for the clip.

  • he hit all the high notes awsome

    and Paul Nailed the keyboard solo note for exact note

    Wonderful!

  • Paul IS a rocker...

  • @chillyrooster I thought that was a stupid comment until I saw the footage and lolled.

  • @chillyrooster He's giving it to you

  • Paul Schafer on the keys FTW

  • great falsetto

  • He looks like Dexter

  • I had posted a couple of months ago that Pauls' keyboard solo in the bridge was an emulation of the Georges Jenny Ondeoline (it was a great innovation by another music pioneer) but then bobcows had posted the corrected info - a 'musitron' - invented by Dels' keyboard player Max Crook. Great music. Peace.

  • They really hit the groove in the second half of the song....phenominal players and Del was great!

  • I remember the ENTIRE "Rock'n'Roll era beginning with Alan Freed's "Moondog Show" and "Runaway" by Del Shannon was one of the best R & R tunes to ever become a recording.

  • thanks for uploading this , its sad that he committed suicide though, just four years after this.

  • @OzKnosis Yes, he gave up on life and blew his brains out with a rifle. What an amazing talent Charles Weedon Westover (Del Shannon) was. He killed himself only 5 days after playing in a memorial show for Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper.

  • Fucking Paul Schaeffer....I cannot stand the sight of this guy.......

  • @ROCKSTARCRANE me either

  • I really dont get it why this song hasnt been sampled and whatnot during the years, cuz its hella fuckin balls to the walls amazing

  • gone too soon....one of the greats of rock & roll.....Mister Del Shannon!

    may you find whatever it was that you went after Del............rock on brother.

  • Hard boiled detective

  • wow i was born in 59 and always love this song i didn't know he took his life so sad.

  • Pure effing genius this guy was! Absolutely an American treasure. No rock artist on the planet could ever touch this guy!

  • RIP Dell. You are missed brother. Thank you for you.

  • love

    love

    love

    love song...

  • Del you were and made history. I am one that is saddened by your untimely death. I miss you , and you should have stuck around.

  • @notlazy99 I agree wholeheartedly! Del, I wish you would have stuck around.

  • so cool...

  • Small Faces covered this as well..

  • ths s music guys,,,n great performance too

  • Agree with jctorontojctoronto! At first, I thought, "He must be miming" but then the occasional phrasing change (from the original) appears and Paul S. and the band = amazing!

  • He looks like Bruce Genner... the Gold Medal winner.

  • Comment removed

  • @allsnoogle Actually it's a "Musitron" invented by Max Crook, Del's keyboard player.

  • Bass players should not dance.

  • most awesome

  • I was born in 1983 and I wasn't really a music fan as a child and when he committed suicide in 1990 I was 7 and my parents were a fan and they seemed sad and I asked them what and they told me Del Shannon died yesterday and I was like who so I borrowed my parents record player and record and this is how I got to like him

    R.I.P Del Shannon 1934 - 1990

  • @CoalShifter1983 - ditto.

  • @CoalShifter1983 Wow, I didn't know that. Why'd he kill himself. He was a golden legend

  • It didn't occur to me till much later in life that this was one of the few pop songs of that era that was written in a minor key, which may have been why it had such a huge impact.

  • Someone should find Letterman's email and send this video. Fantastic!

  • Never saw this, wow.....Del is awesome, and Paul is AMAZING here.......This is a wonderful clip. Thanks for posting it. I really enjoyed this.

  • big paul throwin' us the bird at 1:46

  • I loved this song Del helped me thru a lot a runaway

  • paul kicked ass on this

  • max crook did that wicked keyboard on the original, paul did a great job on this performance though

  • Paul did a perfect job with the "bridge"

  • go to give paul s. his due here.

    STUNNINGLY GOOD..

    what a moment this was for pop music on tv.

    more please.

    jctoronto

  • Great job by Paul on the musitron solo. Also its funny to see Paul with hair.

  • wow-Paul is dead on it!

    great id-thank you-

  • he died in 1990

  • the best ever

    JeffKendall44@aol

  • prefer this to the original

  • THAT IS ONE GREAT SONG !

  • miss ya del

  • awesome then, awesome now. great song, loved the bass. May DS rest in peace, song stood the test of time.

  • That was awesome. I agree about Paul. LOL

  • What' a great live performance. !!!!!!!!! Thanks for the music Del !

  • Excellent song, t bad all that is so called music nowadays is that sht called RAP. which isn't even music. Oh!! I miss this kind of music. Bring it back, Please somebody. So we can get rid of the SHIT that is nowadays.

  • Who'd have thought in four years from this night he'd be dead?

  • He was HAWT!

  • Like Jeff Lynne wrote: God bless Del Shannon.

  • He died 3 days after my birthday...

  • The band played up to the awesomeness of the song and Shannon was HOT !

  • One of the greatest performers to show up on Letterman. He should feel honored.

  • no, even though he wrote and sang many songs about breakups and heartaches, he remained married to the same woman-I don't think there was any "her driving him crazy"-if anything, she should be commended for how should stood by him when his career tanked, when he sunk into alcoholism, and went through problems with depression.....and also, he did NOT play the organ part originally.....it was his keyboardist that not only played it, but also had engineered the orgon to make those sounds

  • tears are falling and i feel the pain...wow.!

  • fabolous thanks babe ,,,xxxxbabsie hugs

  • I hope I can sing that high when I'm 52...

  • Awsome song tbh

  • Yes, Suffering from depression, Shannon committed suicide on February 8, 1990, with a .22 caliber rifle at his home in Santa Clarita, CA.

  • One of the GREATS of rock and roll. Del played the organ on the original version, and was an AWESOME guitar player. Also, I absolutely LOVE falsetto singing. A short, cheap DVD is available. It was recorded live at Little Darlin's, in Florida, in 1988. The only bad thing about it is having to watch a whole bunch of crackers try to dance. It's pretty bad. Otherwise, it's a great DVD.

  • Will Lee on Bass?

  • he seemed happy, too bad he killed himself for depression =(

    RIP Del.

  • YEAH!!!

  • [she runaway ]....kills me all the times!! What a great song....

  • Primo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The one and only Del!!! We miss you, man, may you be experiencing the peace that eluded you on the planet.

  • I first heard this at 6 yrs old,been hook'd on this era of music ever since..

  • My most vivd memory of this song is from American Graffiti. Hope you're rocking out up there in rock and roll heaven, Del. Miss ya, man!

  • Paul nailed it! More than I can say for that goof in the red sweater and blue jeans. Too bad about Del,he was very good.

  • HE WAS SUCH A GREAT TALENT. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS.

  • I wonder why he looks like 'Lurch' (from the Addams Family) in this performance..? Too much make-up..

  • @tomk773 haha

  • My favourite pop song of all time, cannnot and will never be bettered, the vocals, the melody, the lyrics, and whether on record or most live takes, the production / arrangement is second to none. Even the tarted up one for that cop show is superb.

  • go paul schaffer!!

  • Del still sounded awesome even later in life. It's sad that he was depressed enough to take his own life in 1990. This man was an incredible talent.

  • I like this version better than the original I like the deeper voice

  • With all the fame he has gained, and all of great memories, and oh yeah, the money he has earned by being on a successful show for years, I'll bet Paul Schaeffer wouldn't trade that moment, playing "Runaway" with Del Shannon, for anything.

  • I played this 45 so many times the music nearly became inaudible.

    Thanks Del for giving this song a long R&R life.

    Peace.

    Rock

  • Del could rock out with the best of them!

  • NOT lip synced. 100%. OK as a keyboard player, the synth sounds soooo weak, and misses the pressure and "dirtiness" of the clavioline used in the 1961 original.

  • Great performance. Paul and his crew looked like they just came from work though,

    They could've given Shannon (living legend then) the honour to dress up a bit.

    Like Keith Richards did for Chuck Berry.

  • Besides being a great song, the guy at the piano is terrific!

  • Just watching this breaks my heart! I loved Del and his music,..the era he came from,...the whole 50's and early 60's! It was all so beautiful and romantic. It's hurts to think he felt he had to kill himself!! Dam it!!!

  • He committed suicide sadly

  • paul has hair!

  • Amazing after all these years.

  • paul was cool on this one

  • I never knew Del Shannon was a midget?

  • GREAT!!! LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL

  • Very beautiful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • When Runaway first played on the radio in the 60's, I fell in love with rock and roll and Del Shannon. It is my all time favorite song. The first song I learn on guitar was Runaway. I cried when I heard he passed away.

  • keyboard guy is great..

  • Awesome version, sounds much better than the original to me!

    It's quite "heavy"!

  • What the hell is wrong with the bassplayer? Is he a he or a she perhaps... Funny! The song is great.

  • I just watched both 64 - 65 version and the Letterman version. The 64 - 65 version is so much better. I think it's his timing in the early one that is so much better. Sorry Del...just my opinion.

  • the size of that keyboard!

  • Work it out Paul!

  • this is my favorite song..but they new atized it..oh no

  • One of my favourite songs of all time and I was born a year after this performance was broadcast - he was the original at using synthesizers!! A man way before his time! Del Shannon = Legend :D

  • Great video - great song!

    It seems a lot of singers commit suicide right before they start something new - like a new tour (like Elvis).

  • A week before he killed himself he called a friend of mine who is an agent saying things were happening for him, he had a new album coming out and he wanted to go out on tour. Seven days later he put a gun to his head! Why why why Del?

  • from my understanding, when a person that has been depressed for a long time decides to end his/her life, there is a period of happiness and energy. this period is likely due to the "freedom" they are about to experience from the pain they are feeling. it is actually quite common before suicide to go through a period of optimism. that optimism is not due to the prospect of something good in their life, but from the prospect of ending the burden they are experiencing.

  • @philaboston That makes sense.

  • He was so great --he didn't need a lot of studio backup to sound great. He could actually sing!! Too bad he killed himself. Wonder why??

  • Hats off to Del.

  • uuuggh! IDIOT, it's a girl!

  • @crapydycrap Uh, no. And HE is still with the Late show band. Will Lee has been with Paul since the 70's.

  • that bass player with the red sweater, looks so gay!!!!

  • Why did such a wonderful talent kill himself? Why was he depressed?

  • @willukus

    i read somthing about his wife or exwife driving him crazy,using the kids against him and something about trying to get him to change his will.

    maybe maybe not???

  • del schannon is a legend

  • the more you listen & learn about this guy the more you will realize he was truly one of the great influences on rock music. His stage presence was was the very essence of cool...he could play and he could sing...the stance behind the mike was his and his alone......

  • I saw this when it aired. Del's great ! Letterman's a moron and that bass player should have be tied, gagged and stuck in a closet.

  • for some reason, I was really getting into his music and videos tonite, wishing I would have got to see him. However, I had no idea he passed away exactly 20 yrs ago today till I saw it, exactly at midnite PST, on the Black is Black video. Talk about a coincidence. RIP Del!! You were so great, we will always love your music.

  • To Lou1884,

    I too felt like listening to Del Shannon tonight without realizing the significance of the date. This song is a timeless classic.

  • cada canciòn tiene un recuerdo personal..te lleva a un tiempo quizàs mejor o ..no..pero viajas con èl eso es lo que te deja

  • Is he dead?

  • @itarare 20 years ago today, Feb 8

  • @itarare 

  • @itarare ...Del Shannon committed suicide in 1990..