Jim Henson Gets Freaky on The Tonight Show, 1974 (video)
As a further illustration of just how much things have changed in the last thirty plus years, here's a clip of an untitled piece of psychedelic performance art from Jim Henson, who Johnny Carson introduces as "Jim Jenson" on The Tonight Show, ca 1974: [download mpeg video, 17 megs, or youtube it]
The music is Raymond Scott's Limbo, The Organized Mind, from the great 2-CD set, Manhattan Research Inc. As Parq put it, you can practically hear middle America collectively saying What the Fuck? Even Johnny shakes his head in awe. Or maybe it was regret. Thanks to Mickey Mephistopheles from the FMU Message Board.
UPDATE: Jeff of RaymondScott.com reports: Jim was performing the "mouth" and "eyes" live, but the film, including Henson's voice-over & Raymond Scott's soundtrack, was completed many years earlier, in 1967. The film's title is The Organized Mind, and the character's name is "Limbo."
Altho this clip is from a 1974 airing of THE TONIGHT SHOW, Henson & Raymond Scott actually completed the original film in 1967...
Posted by: Jeff Winner | June 30, 2006 at 02:57 PM
I think Johnny's head-shake was aimed at Statler and Waldorf.
Posted by: Kevin | June 30, 2006 at 05:02 PM
Why is it all these fantastically rare videos are finally surfacing on YouTube? Its annoying - I've searched for copies of these things fdr many years and though its good to see them on YouTube, the quality of YouTube videos is utterly abysmal so it rather spoils it all.
Posted by: Gerald Osbourne | June 30, 2006 at 06:43 PM
Here's one for Jeff or Irwin:
Any idea if Raymond Scott was involved with the music for this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh-cDluIkIQ
Entitled "Count to 10 with Nobody", this Sesame Street excerpt featured an electronic soundtrack and Jim Henson's Limbo puppet. (Krys on the messageboard says the voiceover talent is Rosko, presumably the late Bill "Rosko" Mercer of WNEW in the late 60s, but I wouldn't have a clue.)
Posted by: Mickey Mephistopheles | June 30, 2006 at 09:09 PM
Fantastic! I watched the entire thing thinking it was an animation clip untl the very end when the chair and puppetry controls are revealed. Genius! I'd love to see someone today tackle this, animation or otherwise, with anything from Ken Nordine's Word Jazz series.
Posted by: Dale Hazelton | July 01, 2006 at 08:29 AM
wow that was trippy.
Posted by: Kendall | July 02, 2006 at 01:54 PM
Is that Kelly Burke in the picture there?
Posted by: Hef | July 03, 2006 at 02:00 PM