GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS {GEORGE CARLIN, CLIFTON DAVIS, LOLA FALANA} (TV)
Summary
One in this short-lived musical/variety series hosted by musical group Gladys Knight & the Pips. The program begins as Knight and the Pips take the stage and sing "Comin' On," followed by "Just in Time." Knight then introduces the three Pips: her cousins William Guest and Edward Patten, and brother Merald "Bubba" Knight, who swoons over special guest star Lola Falana. They are joined by guests George Carlin, Clifton Davis and then Falana, and Knight directs them to their individual dressing rooms. As Falana searches for the stage manager, Bubba attempts to woo her, eventually declaring his eternal love for her from outside of her dressing room, only to have Davis open the door in confusion. Falana then sings "I've Got the Music in Me," and Knight sits down with Davis to chat about his career, including his foray into Shakespeare. They then sing a "Romeo and Juliet" song in the style of '50s duo Mickey & Sylvia, assisted by the Pips. Carlin takes the stage and talks about underappreciated early 1950s music, referring back to his upbringing in "white Harlem" and explaining the "third culture" in the neighborhood between the two races. He sits at the piano and plays a few brief pieces, and the Pips join him for the doo-wop song "Cherry Pie."
Knight ponders matters of love and loneliness and sings "Help Me Make It Through the Night," and Bubba performs "Long Tall Glasses," complete with an exuberant dance. In a comedic sketch, Carlin portrays a motormouthed and eccentric radio DJ who plays a number of strange songs and offers some unorthodox news reports before he is interrupted by Knight and the Pips, who are there to be interviewed. He mistakes them for the Harlem Globetrotters, however, and asks a handful of odd questions before sending them on their way. Davis then sings "Never Can Say Goodbye," which he himself wrote, and Falana and Bubba sing "Turn On Love," a duet about his amorous intentions for their evening together and her preference for watching television. Next, Knight explains that she and her family were "born and raised in the church," and she and the Pips sing "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," "Jesus is My Kind of People," and "Jesus is Just Alright." Knight then closes the show by thanking her guests in song. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: July 17, 1975 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:02796
- GENRE: Music/Variety
- SUBJECT HEADING: Music/Variety; Comedy
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1975
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bob Henry … Producer
- Patricia Rickey … Associate Producer
- Tony Charmoli … Director
- Herbert Baker … Writer
- George Yanok … Writer
- Peter Gallay … Writer
- Sid Green … Writer
- George Wyle … Music by, Conductor
- Gladys Knight … Host, Performer
- William Guest … Host, Performer
- Edward Patten … Host, Performer
- Merald "Bubba" Knight … Host, Performer
- George Carlin … Guest, Performer
- Clifton Davis … Guest, Performer
- Lola Falana … Guest, Performer
- Mickey & Sylvia