Remember the good ol' days when Johnny discovered some new talent? Didn't matter if they had something to plug or not; he'd have them back right away. He fell in love with k.d. lang the first time he saw her
If people want to be completely blown away, K.D. Lang's tribute to Johnny Carson on the Jay Leno show should be watched on RU-vid. It was right after Carson's death, and the song is called "Simple". You have GOT TO WATCH this song. Off the earth plane, heavenly, like a prayer. Just positive grace. So amazing. Angelic and soulful. Brilliant.
Ladies and gentlemen, that is a real singer. No bullshit, shooting off unnecessary notes. All the notes, each one she sings, are each, very intentional. Technically an amazing singer, especially seeing her perform - pure, emotion - k d lang thank Christ I saw her twice ~
Her voice is a miraculous thing. There’s just no other way to describe it. I was in junior high when I happened upon this Johnny Carson episode...and it CHANGED MY LIFE. I could NOT believe that somebody could have a voice like that. I couldn’t remember her name, and was unable to find her again for a few years when I went in to a record store in San Diego...and said, “I will not leave this story until I find her”. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I started on one side of the store and went rack by rack, going through all the CDs until I found her face. This must’ve been 1989.
man, woman, angel . . . skirts, pants, . . .no matter. She has mastered her art to the highest level and stayed true to herself. She is blessed and wonderful.
Carson was not exactly forthcoming with the compliments (he didn't buttkiss as so many hosts do now) so him saying what he said about k.d. actually means something.
HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING HER IN EDMONTON,ALBERTA,,,,MANY MANY TIMES,,,SHE WAS FABULOUS,,,,BEFORE SHE HIT IT BIG,,SHE PLAYED THE SIDETRACK CAFE, GREAT MEMORIES,,,SHE WAS GREAT IN PERSON,,,I ALWAYS KNEW SHE WOULD HIT THE BIG TIMES.
I actually saw this the night it aired on NBC. Her amazing talent raised the hairs on the back of my neck and Johnny’s spontaneous reaction confirmed that I had seen an immense talent’s breaking on the world stage, live. (which was rare back in those days in small town British Columbia.) Thank you K.D. for sharing your gift.
There are other versions of Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray on RU-vid where K.D. holds that note a LOT longer. Still, you have to hand it to her . . . nobody can touch her voice. So expressive. So pure. So exceedingly fine. So little of perfection in this world, but this woman comes as close as a person can. And she is exceedingly modest, of course. What a fantastic template for a human being.
A video from Australia she holds that so long the hold audio system was resonating to that note. Was amazing, last I check it still on RU-vid. By the way, Patsy Cline original reordered this song.
You know what Sister Xavier (her piano/song-teacher) said about her? "She can hold the tone till the cows come home". And more I'll say!...AND, she is a beautiful person - in all thinkable ways.
amazing!! I've heard critics say that k.d. has the most pitch perfect, and most control over her instrument (her voice) of any singer of our time. talented does not even come close to what I am trying to express. here it is in 2014, and sure, life all of us she's grown older, but that voice, that voice remains as strong and pure as it was way back in the beginning; and I've been an enormous fan from the "get go." presently my favorite song is, love is everything, from hymns of the 49th parallel. watch the "max sessions" selection. absolutely, bring tears to your eyes, beautiful. just keep singing, k.d.! hoping you'll record a new record, and go on tour...PLEASE!!
I love the Max Sessions. I watch each song individually on youtube. I wish there were a dvd of them but I guess I will have to make my own, which is fine.
The Max sessions are one of my favorites too, Anne. In 2005 then she was at her best as far as calm, poised and her voice was unbelievably awesome! Now, in 2019, she not only sings even better but is so handsomely beautiful in concerts I can't take my eyes off her. No matter what she sings, her eyes and reddish high cheek bones flatter her face, along with such a sincere and lovable smile. I could go on forever...
Pete Fountain is the best ever clarinet player. Johnny had him on the show one night and ended up giving Pete all the time and rescheduled the guests for another night. That's how good Pete was because Johnny never did that for any one else. KD is in the same class. No one in the world will ever sing 3 cigarettes like she did. The emotion poured out on every note of the song. More than just the ability to belt out the notes. KD brings life to the notes of this song. Amazing talent!
Her version of '3 Cigarettes in an Ashtray' makes my heart ache in the best way. One of my favorite songs of all time and her rendition is so friggin' good. What a voice
Her music has a way of taking you back to your greatest loves. The ones you lost. The ones that lost you. That's why I think even Johnny couldn't help but remember a lot of stuff. So that's what makes it so great.
My jaws have forever dropped and can't pick it up to its place. Today is a special day..for the first time I came across this number.. Watching KD Lang do that spontaneous jig... And 3 cigaretts just blew me away
Her performance on the Smother's Brothers show was all that I saw back then, but that was enough to make me buy her album. Her voice is amazing, and she knows how to use it. There can't be many that are her equal.
7:06 Wow! That's legendary composer and actor, Jester Hairston, next to Johnny (and then Carl Reiner). Jester was an expert in black spirituals and choral music. His best known composition is the song, "Amen", that was featured in the Sidney Poitier film, "Lilies of the Field". Jester actually sang the song and Poitier lip synched it for the movie. He is a guest because he also starred in the 80's comedy, "Amen", with Sherman Hemsley. THIS was a beautiful man.
She STILL blows my mind !!!! To think she had so much time with a fellow Texan, Roy Orbison.. I'm so jealous !!!!. Thank you K. Diddy for keeping his music alive. (An old Texas Boy).
The two gentlemen sitting with Johnny at the end of this clip are Carl Reiner and Jester Hairston. This would be Johnny's show episode #26.87 broadcast June 24, 1987.
3 cigarettes in an ashtray. Ie never heard it before. Coming from a church background (where no cigarettes were allowed, of course 🙄🤣) , that song is hymnic! The music ad the passion with which she sang made me immediately think of the style of hymns! Beautiful music is beautiful music! Amazing!
I love k d's fun loving personality as much as her singing. Leaving Consort Alberta and entering life's experiences of how cruel the "world" can be so young hurts me. Her music is NOT about her life choices. A successful musician is asked to perform even at intimate gatherings. Not many can survive that hurt. Yes she can sing like no other but don't overlook her love of live.
It's so sad -- and unbelievable -- that k.d. was ostracized by Nashville and the CMA for years because she didn't fit the mold of the pretty, feminine female country music singer and because of the rumors (at the time) that she was a lesbian. Most C&W radio stations wouldn't play her music. And the biggest shame of all is that her first love was Country Music. She even named her band the Reclines after her idol Patsy Cline ("Re-Clines"),and her signature song back then, Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray was a cover of the old Patsy Cline song. K.d. should have been a Country Music superstar in the late 80's. Instead she was rejected, shunned and shut out, so she ended up turning to other genres where the fans weren't so stupidly prejudiced. As Roy Orbison put it, k.d. lang has "the best pipes in the business." She did, and does, have a truly remarkable, unique voice. The power, the tone of her voice, the timbre, the range, her incredible entertainment instincts. The world has changed so much in the past 30 years since she first came on the music scene in America. It's too bad the hate and the biases prevented her from reaching the heights she should have rightfully attained back then. She should have been the queen of country music and the blues. Nobody else even came close to her ability.
+karrezza I doubt whether KD ever wore anything or did anything she didn't want to do at any time. She has always been unique and did anything she wanted. She wore a dress at that time because she wanted to. I don't think anyone could boss her around. Ever.
+karrezza The outfits are hard to look at without wincing, but they were part of an over-the-top country-swing schtick that she had going at the time. Note the black top and slacks for the second number.
@@joanpletschet-carlson6975 I agree, Joan. Also, her male identity was not even out to her yet then...she had some male attributes but was also outwardly feminine, as well.
@@jadezee6316 Not so! k d constantly reinvents herself to suit the occasion. She's an artist who knows how to present herself to please the audience, along being a hard worker.
omg. Fantastic. k.d. lang does Three Cigarettes better than Patsy's performance of it. Leann Rimes might do as well with the number, too. Almost always, if Patsy performs a song, nobody else has a performance of it that can match Patsy's. And there are some mighty fine country singers who come close to matching Patsy. IMHO, Emmylou Harris and LeAnn Rimes are Patsy's peers. But this performance of Three Cigarettes is better than Patsy's.
I would be so happy to see someone like Johnny Carson never say something like 'she's a real talent isn't she?' fade away forever. I can't even compose this sentence with proper English grammar so I guess 'wishing' will have to do.