Michael Bolton "When I'm Back on My Feet Again"

In early-2002, Michael Bolton stopped by the radio station where I worked to promote his latest album. At the time, Bolton's career was in a slump after a healthy decade of sporting long hair, Nicollette Sheridan and heavy exposure on Adult Contemporary radio stations. His days of putting his name on an old Motown song and watching it make the climb to #1 were over. That day I escorted Michael Bolton and his entourage into the radio station, he wore leather pants. Somehow the conversation shifted to basketball as his hotel had a basketball court and how he wanted to play that afternoon. He asked me if I played. I informed him that I last played for the St. Joseph Warriors in the 5th grade and averaged 0.0 points during my first and last season. Despite my impressive resume, he still welcomed me to shoot some hoops with him later that day. I imagined myself speaking to the hotel concierge: "Hi, I'm Todd. I'm here to play basketball with Mr. Bolton." Needless to say, I didn't play. Fast forward another decade, and Bolton has survived another Nicollette Sheridan breakup and continues to live off the royalties of "How Can We Be Lovers If We Can't Be Friends?" while turning up in roles that no one would expect. First, he appeared in an SNL Digital Short as Captain Jack Sparrow, Two & A Half Men and even had his own Netflix Valentine's Day special. Here's a guy who has found his next niche--one where he doesn't take himself too seriously. Just like leather pants, Michael Bolton is back. 

Sting "You Still Touch Me"

If you were ever stuck on an elevator with one of your favorite musicians, would you say anything? If so, what would you say? Would you sing? That was the premise of a memorable SNL sketch that found Kevin Nealon playing the every man opposite Sting while riding an elevator to the top of a New York skyscraper. After running through the usual pleasantries ("I have all your albums", "I'm a big fan"), Nealon declares his love for the song "Roxanne" and then even sings a few verses (as though Sting doesn't know how it goes). Next, Dana Carvey enters the sketch and can't help but sing "If You Love Somebody (Set Them Free)" followed by Nealon and Carvey both singing "De Do Do Do". Sting eventually leaves the elevator long before the 101st floor and takes the stairs while the duo continue to sing "Spirits in the Material World".

Paul Simon "You Can Call Me Al"

STORY BEHIND THE SONG:

"You Can Call Me Al" is Paul Simon's signature tune -- filled with catchy hooks, a penny whistle, and an entertaining video (conceived by SNL's Lorne Michaels).  Simon wrote the song during a time he described as his mid-life crisis.  Simon based the song on something that happened between his then-wife Peggy and him.  The two were at a party hosted by French composer Pierre Boulez where Pierre incorrectly referred to Paul as "Al" and his wife Peggy as "Betty".  "You Can Call Me Al" debuted in 1986 to lukewarm acclaim, but the song turned into a hit after his album Graceland won a Grammy the following year.  

Barbara Streisand & Barry Gibb - "What Kind of Fool"

You can almost hear Jimmy Fallon's impersonation of Barry Gibb in "What Kind of Fool"--a #1 duet from 1981.

Little River Band - "Take It Easy on Me"

The kids today like to abbreviate things: SNL instead of Saturday Night Live, totes instead of totally, and so forth (or et cetera as they used to say).  So save yourself the extra half second and say LRB instead of Little River Band.  Now go out and do something magical with that half second.  K?

Barbara Streisand & Neil Diamond - "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"

The morning show I produced back in 2003 had the opportunity to interview Neil Diamond.  While we all knew of Neil Diamond, we really didn't know what to do with the interview.  The host of the show had an idea: the female co-host would do the interview solo but, after the interview, the host would ask Neil a series of questions that Neil would "ignore".  The gist of the bit would be that we received word before the interview that Neil Diamond didn't like the host and would refuse to answer any questions from him.  We taped the interview as planned and played it back.  What followed was an onslaught of Neil Diamond fans who emailed the station complaining about what we had done.  They claimed (falsely) that the interview was completely fabricated because Neil talked about the Cubs instead of the Red Sox (it was true--Neil did talk about the Cubs).  I can only imagine what these same fans did when Saturday Night Live did that Neil Diamond Behind The Music parody.