We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga

I paid $3.99 for the book. When I got it there was a large $2.00 sticker on it.

We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives receives a powerful reading by author Paul Shaffer, whose strong voice brings to life these stories of great personalities of music, stage and film while recounting his own life. His experiences in the entertainment industry move from his first applause standing at the organ in his synagogue at age twelve to broadcasting from the Ed Sullivan Theater: his encounters with some of the biggest names in music and acting makes for a personal, engrossing listen that libraries will welcome.

When I first heard Paul was releasing a book about his life one night when watching the Late Show, I knew I had to read it. Paul, although first and foremost a musical genius, who knows just about every song ever recorded, is also an unabashed celebrity hound! His fasination with the music and lives of the beloved artists and singers he grew up with, and was influenced by, are brought forth in this book with reverential glee. I loved every page of it, from his days as a young musician playing strip clubs to directing the Late Night band, and playing with some of the biggest names in rock and roll if not all of them. And his stories about the SNL days are worth the price of admission. I give this book a big thumbs up. Read it and you'll come away with an even bigger appreciation for the DJ on Dave's show. (you'll have to read the book to understand that last sentence)

In order to experience this book, you must get the audio version. If you don't, you are missing a great deal of fun, brought on by Paul's expressions, imitations, accents, and singing. You know what I mean, because you see and hear him every night. These things just can't be appreciated from the written word. If you've never tried an audio book (or download) let this be the first, even if you've read the book. Believe me it's worth it. Truly an exceptional book by an exceptional musician and chronicler of contemporary culture and music. I loved it!!

This is the thoroughly entertaining and engrossing life story of Paul Shaffer who is known to all as Dave Letterman's sidekick and band leader. Paul tracks his days from the time he attended an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada to his present day star status. There is one constant throughout Paul's engaging tale... and that is his unbridled love of music. Paul was always looking for new challenges from the time he was competing with his childhood rival Marvin Slobotsky for the musical hearts of his local congregation... and pulled out all stops by learning to play "EXODUS" by "ear" after watching it performed during the Shaffer's Sunday night Father-And-Son-Ritual watching the Ed Sullivan Show... to the storied times in the future when Paul breathlessly describes meeting and trying to win the respect of all his youthful idols such as Ray Charles... James Brown... Bob Dylan... Phil Spector... Mick Jagger... Miles Davis... and untold others. What makes Paul's story so blissful... is that unlike other high profile life stories... which attempt to become "shocking-tell-all's"... Paul's is strictly told from his musical heart. There is not one stop along the musical fantasy that became the author's life... that the reader doesn't feel the boyish... bubbly... enthusiasm... that emanates from every pore in Paul's body. He always loved rock and roll and the blues... and wow!... pinch me!... I can't believe I'm playing with these "cats"... is what Paul radiates from start to finish. Any "busting-of-chops" of any of the musical luminaries is done in a humorous and gentle manner. Such as when he meets and plays with Bob Dylan... and while Paul is in awe and oh-so-eager to please... all Dylan cares about is meeting Larry "Bud" Melman "a lovable nerd" who was a running character on The Letterman Show. Shaffer does point out though... Dylan's seemingly constant changing of religious beliefs. When Paul gets to play with his idols Ray Charles and James Brown the reverence he shows to their talents and persona would be akin to the treatment that a religious Catholic would show to the Pope. Regarding James Brown Paul writes: "THIS MAN WAS JAMES BROWN. AND HIS PERFORMANCE IN THIS MOVIE MADE TIME GRIND TO A HALT, AND THE WORLD STOP TURNING ON ITS AXIS. DOGS STOPPED CHASING CATS. CATS STOPPED CHASING BIRDS. LIONS LAY DOWN WITH LAMBS. BABIES CEASED CRYING. WOMEN STOPPED WEEPING. AND JAMES BROWN, IN SINGING "OUT OF SIGHT", CONQUERED THE KNOWN WORLD. FROM THERE HE WENT INTO "TRY ME" AND "PRISONER OF LOVE." "BUT IT WAS "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE" THAT TORE THE ROOF OFF AND BROUGHT DOWN THE HEAVENS. AT THE END OF THE SONG, A CAPE WAS PLACED ON JAMES'S BACK. I SAT IN WONDER." The early days of "Saturday Night Live" are covered from an insider's perspective including his relationship with all the early stars, Belushi, Aykroyd, Chase, Murray, and others... including his beloved Gilda Radner. How he was selected for the Letterman "gig".

This is a layup. If you love show business, or even what passes for show business these days, you need to get WE'LL BE HERE FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES. It is as good a look at the life through a blessed insider as you could possibly ask for. Tremendous rollicking fun. Here are the three key questions you need to ask yourself after reading a book of this genre: 1) Did I learn things I didn't know about people I like? 2) Was the book written or dictated? 3) Did the author keep his ego out of the way of the story? I know Paul 20 years. I consider him a good friend, and not because that's what people in show business say, and certainly not because he mentions me in the book. We have had many long conversations over the years. Believe me, I knew maybe 20 percent of the stories. Unreal. You know a guy 20 years and you have no idea about his contribution. So, giant check to question one. Paul wrote the book with David Ritz, who is one of the great celebrity biographers of the last 50 years. David Ritz doesn't always get all of the fastball. Here he did. The book is distinctly in Paul's voice. The prose has a musician's rhythm. It is most definitely written. And written well. Giant check to question two. I'll be honest, I did not expect Paul Shaffer, lover of camp and show biz phoniness and the Jerry Lewis Telethon, to be so humble in recounting his life. Humility, as I have learned, is the ability to be inconvenienced. Everyone gets their due, even if Paul must stand off to the side. But that is the gig. Paul is as I have know him, a master accompanist. Hip to the end. And as Tower of Power tells us, "sometimes hipness is what it ain't." It is those tender moments, of love and family and gratitude, what hipness ain't, that I will hold longer than the stories. Check, check two, check three... As a friend, I am proud of him. As a writer, prouder.