Husker Du perform 'Could You Be the One?' and 'She's a Woman (And Now He is a Man)' live on the Late Show with Joan Rivers on April 27, 1987. Also includes a short interview.
I remember staying up to watch this and tape it on the vcr and it was just so strange... back then being a fan of band's like Husker Du and The Replacements, etc. it was like you were rooting for your team... it was great to see any of "Your Bands" get on t.v. or move up to bigger places. Too bad it usually meant the end of the band's run.
Yeah, man. Gear Daddies on Letterman was kind of fun for us St Cloud State stoned students late night. But they don't come close to The Mats and Husker Du!
This was actually a pretty good interview! In the pre-Nirvana days, it was actually a really big deal for an underground band to sign with a major label. In some quarters, it meant you had finally "made it", but in other quarters it meant you had "sold out". Whoever prepped Joan's questions knew what they were talking about and why this was a relevant question. (Hey, maybe she prepped her own questions, but I suspect the show had someone on staff whose job that was.) Anyhow, Husker Du and the Replacements were among the first of the American underground bands of the '80s to sign with a major. Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr would follow, and then grunge hit the mainstream and kicked open the floodgates... for better or worse.
I like this alternative take on the song compared to the album. Bob Mould is full of surprises. Just by raising it up an octave here and there this becomes a totally different experience. That solo really nails it out. This is still powerful !!
According to Michael Azerrad's "Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991," Bob, Grant, and Greg were jamming, playing Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer." One of the song's verses is in French, so one of them started yelling all the foreign phrases he could think of. One of the phrases that was yelled was "Husker Du." And the rest is history.
Husker Du was the absolute greatest. The funny thing is I saw this when it aired when I was 17 and I never thought I'd see this taping again. Thanks chokito91 for this gem
This is the greatest moment in rock. Only second to Bowie singing with bing Crosby. The guys handled that weirdnest with greatest class. Now at this age I really appreciate that even with the sharpest divide of cultures, fuck, Joan rivers with husker du. Sometimes the opposite ends which have no meaning to be together work. Nice bow tie Joan.
crazy historic footage (thanks), unbelievable this is from only 1-2 years before Nirvana entered the landscape, it feels like decades older, almost more like the time of Sex pistols in Bill Grundy show... Huesker paved the way for all the Nirvanas and Smashing Pumpkins etc
signing to Warner Brothers didn't help them and they put out two records as good as the to before it, a bit cleaned up. Not much promo, though they had a big, devoted following. Over all, i like Candy Apple Gray at least as much as Flip Your Whig--i just think its too slick, but the songs are there...even on the 2x lp. They probably had more in them, 2 of them wanted to kill each other and they were just a forgotten indie band stuck on Warner Brothers. Personally, i think the Du had run its course. That was what the band wanted...they had total artistic freedom...your giving us this money to record, we're using it. all of it.
This surely is bizarre. But legend has it that Warner didn't know what to do with them. Then again, those were the times. There was no blueprint for the mainstream indüstry yet how to deal with this kind of thing.
hayzeephantayzee Why wouldn't Warner know what to do with them? They were a rock band, and Warner was in the business of managing and promoting rock bands. Probably had more to do with the fact that Bob and Grant couldn't stand the sight of one another at this point.
Absolutely. Almost every great band had these dynamics going on, in every genre. It's so unlikely to meet a musical soulmate, this is something to be cherished, but usually, like Strummer/Jones, Morrissey/Marr, or Hart/Mould, it can't go on for a long time. So if you find that someone, burn burn burn!
I loved Warehouse, but I never saw them live during that era... these live versions are so great. I always assumed the album was slightly over produced, but damn.
I did, my once and only time in Denver. Standing in line outside I heard them rehearse this song as were getting drunk. Then Grant walked by in a haze. I didn't realize who it was til later. great show, such a loss
Hüsker Dü, Replacements, Dream Syndicate, True West, Band of Outsiders, Rain Parade, Jeff Dahl, Plan 9, Plasticland.............. so many cool bands in the 80s
these are cutting edge punk rock? these brothers of punk changed the world as we no it. thank god the mighty lords for husker du the descendents and social D
Bob & Grant even shared a smile during this performance during the end of the solo. Who would've thought they weren't getting along & that this would be the last Husker album. I guess all good things have to come to an end sometimes.
I have to comment again because this live version is better than the album recording. Bob sings with different notes and with more passion here. Flawless performance.
I saw Bob At Irving Plaza NYC it was just him and his guitar.. Last Dog and Pony Show.. Loved It.. Almost wrecked driving back home to upstate NY.. Fun Times...
It's a miracle that musicians who compliment eachother so immensely can actually find eachother in such a big world. :p This is one of the greatest musical combinations there was. Too bad about how it ended..
Bob has a gourgeous daughter. She was about 14 when I saw her picture. I cannot remember when that was now. She looked like her pop. But it worked on her.
I never saw this before. Love(d) the band, still do and miss them immensely. I have to admit, i was a bigger fan of Sugar however. Thanks for posting this!
funny.. i remember missing this show because i was out playing basketball and went out for for beers afterwards... now twenty years later ,first time....
Oh my gosh, this brings back such happy memories...I actually met Bob Mould in the 80's...was dating someone who knew him before he got so famous...anyhoo...I remember it was April in Minnesota and freezing and we three went to a wrestling match together...I was wearing a white mini-skirt and a top made out of rags and lime green gloves...woo-hoo....we had so much fun and Bob was amazingly laid back and almost shy in a cute kind of way...very very nice guy...it was such an awesome time!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much for putting this up. Slowly but surely educating my daughter that Green Day, Fenix, TX and Yellowcard are good, but 3rd generation punk, if punk at all! Yay!
