Name: Slim Whitman on Letterman, April 1, 1982
Uploaded: 2019-04-13T04:25:52.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Slim Whitman on Letterman, April 1, 1982' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2019-04-13. Transcript available. Slim performs "Secret Love," then chats with Dave.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Slim Whitman on Letterman, April 1, 1982' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2019-04-13. Transcript available. Slim performs "Secret Love," then chats with Dave.

Thank you very much. Welcome back to the show.
Stephen King is on the show tonight, also Carol Liefer, and my first guest
started his singing career in 1948.
He has since become a major recording star in England and other countries
around the world.
In the United States, however, he was virtually unknown until a merchandise
company offered a collection of his greatest hits on television.
And as they say, the rest is history. Please welcome, Slim Whitman.
Once I had a secret love that lived within the heart of me.
All too soon my secret love became impatient to be free.
So I told the friendly star
The way that dreamers often do
Just how wonderful you are
And why I'm so in love with you
Now I shouted from the highest hill
Deep untold a golden dreadful
Now my heart's an open door
And my secret love's no sin anymore
Now my heart's an open door
Now my heart's an open door
Now I shouted from the highest hill
And my secret love's an open door
Even told a golden dreadful
Now my heart's an open door
Now my heart's an open door
And my secret love's no secret anymore
Now my secret love's no secret anymore
Now my secret love's no secret anymore
Now my secret love's no secret anymore
Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be right back to talk with Slim if you take a look
at this.
Welcome back to the show
Slim Whitman is here
Terrific, by the way
Thank you very much
Wonderful
Great song
I don't know where to begin
You're just like the American dream come true, I guess
I hope so
You started in this country as a country western singer years ago
Yeah, I started in 1948
And you went to England
England in 1956
And became a huge star there
It was very good there
But it was very good here before it was good there
I see
It started really in 1952 with songs like the one I just sang, Secret Love
And Rosemary and Your Love Call
And then it went on to England
Yeah, now when
Now it says there the statistic that in England you sold more records than the
Beatles and Elvis Presley
Well, it's
As far as selling more records than Elvis and the Beatles, that's not exactly
The way it states, I think on television, I think that's where it came from
It states that this artist had the number one record longer than any other
artist in the world
Including Elvis and the Beatles
It was
What record was that?
It was Rosemary
And how long was that the number one record?
It was 11 consecutive weeks in 1956
It's still there as the longest record in British history
It's in a Guinness Book of Records
And I think that's what that's all I meant
But it seems to me that the real stepping stone, the breakthrough for you was
the television commercial
The power of television
That's right
How did that begin?
How did that happen?
Well, I was sitting at home in Florida
I live in Florida with my family
And one day the phone rang about two and a half years ago
The company, the marketing company had leased the tracks
I think 20 tracks from Capitol Records in California
They were going on television
And wanted to know if I would do the commercial
And heck, I've watched all these album commercials
They didn't excite me
And I said, well, I don't know
I don't think I want to do it
And my son, which is here, Byron
My son is around here somewhere
He's my bodyguard
Bodyguard?
Yeah, he's a big guy
He's about 6'4
And I'll bring him around
He sings a little, too
We'll talk about that later
Do you have groupies and so forth?
Well, he's part of my show, really
And he came with me today
But then he says, hey, you haven't got anything to lose
You haven't sold a record in the United States in 10 years
Why don't you go do it?
And that was the way it started
I did
I went to Pittsburgh and did the commercial
And I said, when's it coming out?
They said, when it passes the test market
I said, I haven't sold a record in 10 years
You want me to pass the test market?
Yeah
But it did
It passed with flying colors
And once they found out
They had a hit on their hands
They really worked
And I'm going to congratulate them
Because a lot of people
They only go so far with the record and quit
But they went all the way
They went from here to Hawaii, Alaska
And the whole United States
Even backlash to England
So now you're
Let me ask you this
You get a lot of money from those record sales?
Well, I hope I do
I haven't yet
Haven't yet
But as a result of the record sales
You became popular again
Well, that's the reason I'm here
Really, because of that
Yeah
When you started out
You knew
I guess you helped Elvis Presley
Get a job on a
Well, Elvis
In fact, I played Memphis
In the early 50s
I think 1954, 5
I think 55
And there was a young fellow
That he put on the show
He just came on the show
What show was that?
It was in Memphis Auditorium
We played in Memphis Auditorium
And they said
We got a young fellow
We want to just put on the show
A couple numbers
And get him off of there
But once he got on
We couldn't get him off
See?
And when I got back to Louisiana
I was on the Louisiana Hayride then
And I said
There's a young guy in Memphis
That is doing pretty well
Ask a guy who knows
I wasn't even able to sing
After he got off stage
And that's when he went
To Louisiana Hayride
And we toured together
And the fellow
That became his manager
Colonel Tom
Was handling another act then
At the end of that tour
He had dropped the other act
And got Elvis
That's where it started
Tell me
How does a person go about yodeling?
Well
I mean, that is sort of
Your signature or trademark
Yeah, I've been asked
Little things I did on Secret Love
Can you do one here?
Or
Una paloma blanca
I'm like a bird in the sky
But
It's something you have to board with
They ask me all the time
If I knew when I learned to yodel
I don't remember
Don't remember
It was there all the time
But it's now you're trademarking
Yeah, if I go on stage
And not do it
Then I might as well go home
People are disappointed, surely
Stay where you are, if you will, Mr. Whitman
We'll be right back
To you
Talking with Slim Whitman
Welcome back
Thank you, Paul
Slim Whitman is here
Who buys these records?
Do you have fans from the old days now?
And then I guess you're creating a new following
Yes
I think the fans from the old days
The ones that brought
The early Secret Loves
Are the ones that really started this thing back
And buying a song like Mr. Songman
And the book that we have out
And it's titled Mr. Songman
It's put out by the Brethren Press
And it was in Illinois
And in fact, it's got the same suit
And the album proves one thing
I do have another suit
Boy, that is a suit you got there
I've been sitting here
Could I try on the jacket?
Yeah
Is this an expensive garment, Slim?
Whoa
Yes, it is
Be careful
Wait a minute
Hey, how about that?
Right there
Thank you
Thank you
Looks well
It does well
Now
Before we bring out Mayor Koch
To talk about the transit strike
This is a lovely garment
I guess
Now don't
You have these specially made, I guess
Yes
In Nashville
This must be a real kick for you
It is
This year
It really is
Renewed success
I've had more fun than I've ever had
Really
Yeah
Terrific
Thank you very much for being here, Slim
It was a pleasure meeting you
Coat
I'd like to have my coat back
I'll give you your coat back
Slim Whitman, ladies and gentlemen
All right, back
We're going to take a look at some new commemorative stage
Stephen King will be here
And Carol Wolfman
I'll see you next time
We'll see you next time
We'll see you next time
We'll see you next time