Back in 1964, Paul McCartney played The Ed Sullivan Show with The Beatles. And on Thursday night, he returned to the same venue to turn out the lights on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Sir Paul returned to Ed Sullivan Theater, as it was renamed in 1967, to sit for an interview with Colbert on the host’s final broadcast, and then performed The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye,” with Colbert singing backup, along with Elvis Costello, former bandleader Jon Batiste and the show’s staff.
During the interview, Colbert asked McCartney if the theater still brings back memories. “When you close your eyes, do you hear the girls screaming?” “Yeah,” McCartney replied as the women in the audience screamed wildly.
“How often does that happen to you at this point?” Colbert asked when the screams died down. “Often,” said McCartney.
McCartney also reminisced about how, when The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, they got makeup put on them for the cameras and “it was, like, bright orange.” “That’s very popular in certain circles these days,” joked Colbert. “Now we know where it started. Thanks a lot, Paul McCartney!”
Sir Paul also talked about the romantic vision The Beatles had of America as “the land of the free, the greatest democracy,” adding, “That was what it was. It still is, hopefully.”
Prior to “Hello Goodbye,” Colbert, Costello and Batiste performed an obscure Costello song, “Jump Up.” Then, as “Hello Goodbye” faded out, Colbert went to turn out the lights, and beckoned McCartney to join him. He threw the switch, the building went dark, and it was then sucked into a wormhole and spit out into a snow globe, being sniffed at by a dog. We then heard Colbert’s voice saying, “C’mon Benny, let’s go,” and the show ended.
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