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

by Paul Shaffer, David Ritz

From Paul Shaffer, lifelong music junkie, hipster, and longtime leader of David Letterman's band, comes a candid, endearing, hilarious, and star-studded memoir of a life in-and love of-show business.

How does a kid go from a remote Canadian town at the tip of Lake Superior to the bright lights of Broadway and a gig leading the band on Letterman? This book is Paul Shaffer's answer to that question. From playing seedy strip joints in Toronto, to his first legitimate job out of college-which found him working with future stars (and friends) Gilda Radner, Martin Short, and Eugene Levy-to being first musical director of the nascent Saturday Night Live and helping to form the Blues Brothers, to being onstage every night with Dave and playing with the greatest musicians of our time, Shaffer has lived the ultimate showbiz life.

Now, in this hilarious, entertaining, and candid memoir-in which he dishes on everyone from John Belushi and Jerry Lewis to Mel Gibson and Britney Spears-Paul gives us the full behind-the-scenes story of his life, from banging out pop tunes on the piano at the age of twelve to leading the band every night at the Sullivan Theater.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Audiobook, History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a guy who has been in the eye of pop culture hurricanes such as the beginning of Saturday Night Live, the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, and the David Letterman show, Paul has surprising few interesting tales to tell.

About the only story I found valuable was how he turned down the role of George Costanza in the Seinfeld television show.

It is well known that Paul was a heavy party guy in the past with an appetite for drugs. None of those stories made it into the book. All we could read was his Vegas lounge singer, hipster speak about how cool it was to meet musicians no one has ever heard of.

Paul was critical of no one in this book. It was disappointing to read Paul gush over a phony like Jerry Lewis and a murderer like Phil “mono is better than stereo” Spector.

Paul pulled ALL of his punches in this book. He was not honest (Letterman is a saint…yeah, right) and did not discuss the truly interesting parts of his life. What was left was a glossed-over, uninteresting piece of fluff.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audio book narrated by Shaffer himself was a real joy to read. He does all the voices like Dylan and Letterman, and it is great. Also, he comes across a true fan, a music enthusiast and in awe of his idols. This translates into a delightfully giddy series of recollections about The Blues Brothers, Phil Spector, Eric Clapton, Harry Shearer/Spinal Tap, and more.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always liked Paul Shaffer. At least until I read We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives. He seems a bit hung up on how great he is, which makes sense since he’s the only child of two doting parents. In fact, my favorite part of the book was about his early life, how his parents loved entertaining and music, and pretty much spoiled him rotten. The few tales about Late Night with David Letterman, particularly those offstage, sparked interest, as Dave seems a most generous and innovative employer. Much is told about Shaffer’s role in early SNL, where he makes much of his contributions. I’m going to have to rewatch the fifth season DVDs, since I really don’t remember Shaffer at all. I’ll grant that he’s a great musician, but was he really a top SNL comedian?

We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives is mostly Shaffer’s stories about famous people that he’s met, and some very briefly. The book doesn’t tell a story with beginning, middle, and end. Of course, Shaffer isn’t a writer. David Ritz, his coauthor and an actual writer, could have organized the material and paced the stories to develop some drama, but no. Some stories are charming, as with his heartfelt tribute to Mike Smith, songwriter and keyboardist with the Dave Clark Five, who had become disabled. Some are designed to be funny, but come out rather nasty. The best of the stories are about the influences that various stars had on Shaffer’s music. But overall, Shaffer comes off a bit shallow, the sum of his interface with famous people. He also goes out of his way to show himself off as a sexy hetero dude. Really sexy men don’t have to tell people they’re sexy.

If you like Paul Shaffer, and want to know more about his various gigs and connections, read his book for his showbiz stories. But don’t expect insight into what he’s like outside of the limelight.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read memoirs of famous people, I tend to hear the voice of the writer in my head. Sometimes that's a good thing. With Paul Shaffer, this got annoying at times when he relayed anecdotes that I didn't give two rips about. For example, he went on a bit too long, in my opinion, about his obsession with Jerry Lewis and Don Ho. The writing style was a little too "hep cat" at times as well. The book did have enough amusing stories to keep me reading. I enjoyed reading about growing up with crazy party-happy Jewish parents in Canada, his days on tour with The Blues Brothers and on SNL, and encounters with rock stars (and even one famous groupie!) If you like Paul Shaffer, you'll like this book. If he annoys you, this book will really annoy you.

[Deb]

I listened to the audio version of this book. I really enjoyed Paul Shaffer's memoir! I especially loved that Paul, himself, is "the reader". This was one of those audiobooks that I hated to put down. As the bandleader and music genius behind the David Letterman show, he was my generation's Doc Severinsen (from The Johnny Carson Show). A little bling and a lot of style and talent.
It was interesting to follow Mr Shaffer's life from his humble beginnings, hearing about how he developed the love of the keyboard, to his big break and meeting some of icons of the entertainment industry. A good ear-reading adventure, in my opinion.

[Marylu Sanok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories of his life, not a complete autobiography but interesting none the less

[Bradley Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Lots of cool background info on Paul, SNL, Letterman, and the music biz.
Finished in one sitting when I couldn't sleep at the hotel in Durango.

[Julie Laporte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disliked the structure of the book (what structure???), often the tone, and much of the content, but it's worth the two stars to hear some of the celeb stories (like when he cut Mel Gibson's leg on the Letterman show, or his long pre-SNL history with Gilda Radner), although it seemed about half of the stories were gossipy and/or were trying to project a biased image. It was very bizarre, because sometimes the words were there to say something nice about a celeb (like Jerry Lewis), but all or most of the examples were quite negative, in contrast. I really enjoyed learning what it's like to have a job like Paul Shaffer, where he often acts as the musical director on important, high-profile projects like inductions to Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame or a concert for the Olympics.

Glad I read it to expand my musical repertoire as well. Definitely have to look more into Phil Spector!

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've always liked Paul Shaffer. He's kooky, swingin', and fun to watch. But he's not a writer. His music career is truly amazing. He has met and worked with nearly everyone who is anyone in "the biz", but this book really fell flat.

He changes from first person to third and back again repeatedly, changes tenses mid-paragraph, and the narrative jumps around so much it's like watching a dog chasing cars. The slightest little memory jog makes him abandon a story midway and leap years before or after on something totally unrelated.

I would really love to learn about his life and career, but I'll have to wait for someone else to write about him.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a huge fan of Paul Shaffer. I actually think he's funnier than David Letterman. When Dave announced the release of this book on his show, I couldn't wait to get a hold of it. This is a great celebrity biography by the coolest hipster around. His stories are even more fascinating than I could have guessed. To hear him read this on the audio book, with his hilarious impressions of the funny and the famous, is a true insider's delight.

[John Kube · Rating 4 out of 5]

As fan of the Letterman show since the early NBC days, I've been a fan of Paul for a long time. Also, as a fellow Canadian, it's even easier to be a fan. I loved Paul's storytelling. Such a nice guy. Friend to everybody, especially anybody involved in music. Really enjoyed this book.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “PAUL MOVES FROM “SIDEKICK” TO CENTER STAGE WITH THIS BOOK!”
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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”… along with his ups and downs with “The Blues Brothers”. Most readers will be surprised when they learn about Shaffer’s fascination with Jerry Lewis and his telethon and his almost photographic recall of famous *HOLLYWOOD-SCHMALTZ*.

Did you know that Little Richard is an Orthodox Jew? Do you know who the character Elwood Blues was named after? Did you know that Paul Shaffer could have been George Costanza… if only he returned a call? You’ll learn all this and more simply by treating yourself to the pleasure of reading this book. And throughout this musical maestro’s melodious story he is very proud of the fact that… “I MYSELF HAVE REMAINED CONSISTENT. I’M JEWISH, I’M HAPPY. I LOVE THE TRADITION. LIKE MY FAVORITE BALL PLAYER, SANDY KOUFAX, I DON’T PLAY ON YOM KIPPUR, THE HOLIEST TIME OF THE JEWISH YEAR, THE SACRED DAY OF ATONEMENT.” *Amen!*

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paul Shaffer certainly loves music and old band members but too much of his book involves telling dull stories about them that many of us won't care about. He insists on giving specific names of the members of all sorts of groups he was involved in or details about minor studio sessions. He also pads talking about his Jewish heritage and his very short time as an actor. It's a bloated memoir that does contain some good anecdotes but you have to weed through all the dull stuff in order to find them.

His early years in Canada are somewhat interesting, especially with the many famous comedians he worked with during shows like Godspell. But he filters his young years through his Jewish background and is too glib when joking about those that weren't born into his faith. At one point he brags that Paul Newman was "the handsomest Jew since the beginning of time," but fails to point out that only Newman's father was Jewish and in Orthodoxy being born to a Gentile mother doesn't exactly make you a prime example of being a tribe member.

Shaffer seems unclear of the differences between faith, race, and country of origin. For example, his dad asks if the Moody Blues is a black group and Paul responds, "No, Dad, they're English." Last time I looked you could be black AND English, just as you can be black and Jewish or Jewish and English.

Then let's talk about what's missing from the book: sex and drugs. He mentions a few of his friends with drug problems yet he is up all night with some of the biggest drug abusers in modern history and says nothing about his own indulgence. Paul also states his attraction to women but it's distant and lacks details.

The big question that he fails to answer is about his own sexuality. His affectations often come across as flamboyant and fey, and he was pals with a number of gay guys including Barry Manilow, leading one to wonder about his interests in men. Ironically, Shaffer works with the gay man who wrote disco hit Last Dance. The two combined to write It's Raining Men and were going to premiere it at Gay Pride Day in Central Park but Paul's wife talked him out of it for fear of bad publicity. Hmmmm. He really needed to address the obvious question.

The book sounds canned in spots with outside details brought in that sound like the co-author overwriting and trying to make things entertaining on paper. There is a lot of repetitiveness. When we hear for the fifth time Paul's love of Jerry Lewis we have to roll our eyes, because the famous comedian treats Shaffer poorly. In general, Shaffer seems to think way too positively about some famously mean guys in show business, overpraising Lewis, Chevy Chase, David Letterman, Lorne Michaels, and the notorious Phil Spector. It's unclear if Paul is just too wimpy to say anything negative about them, but the musician has no problem tossing in a few zingers of others that he had trouble working with, including his wife.

Certainly the book is worth reading if you are interested in SNL or Letterman, but you have to wade through a whole bunch of Shaffer's bland musical vamping to get to the rare good melodies.

[Justin Lahey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Shaffer’s “We’ll Be Here for the Rest of our Lives” is an excellent memoir by one of Canada’s most uniquely talented cats! And it might be one of the best book titles. It’s a very funny and revealing look at the highs and lows of trying to make it in an industry that isn’t known for its patience, kindness and understanding.

The saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover” has never been truer in the case of Paul Shaffer. If you don’t know Shaffer’s story but think you have him pegged, guess again. This is a wonderful look at the road to entertainment glory. It’s packed with great tales of Hollywood and the swingin’ music scene from Coast to Coast.

Paul Shaffer’s career is so much more than just being David Letterman’s faithful sidekick over all those years. And if you have a chance to listen to the Audiobook narrated by Shaffer himself, you get an even more entertaining listen as he tells his story like only he could, and nails several high profile imitations along the way!

This memoir is just as entertaining, generous and insightful as Martin Short’s “I Must Say”. No surprise really, as they are two of Canada’s biggest entertainment exports!

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with many celebrity memoirs this one is probably best enjoyed in audiobook form so you can hear it from the man himself. Funny enough Shaffer does a lot of pretty good celebrity impressions, with the notable exception of his David Letterman which is not even close.

I was kind of hoping for more details about the inner workings of the CBS Orchestra and World's Most Dangerous Band, but I guess this book was targeted at a wider audience. He even seemed to go light on his years with Letterman, maybe because the show was still on the air at the time and he needed to protect the names of the innocent. Instead he focuses more on his early years and run-ins with various musical idols and other celebrity anecdotes.

This book is fun, entertaining, and firmly in the realm of showbiz fluff, much like the man himself. I'm glad I read it, but I'll still be waiting with bated breath for Will Lee to write the the memoir the World's Most Dangerous Band and it's studio musician wanna-be fanboys truly deserve.

[Lorraine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book hoping to read how a small town boy from Thunder Bay ended up an important part of the television music scene and hear all about the amazing stories he was sure to have.
I did find out that not only did Paul Shaffer want to be the best musician he could be, but he also wanted to be the most famous.
His parent's need to be popular and surround themselves with popular and famous people rubbed off on young Paul. As a result this book comes off as a huge boast about all these things and Shaffer ends up looking like a whiny pretentious overachiever.
Was looking forward to more SNL stories and I don't believe for 1 minute that Shaffer did not partake in the drug culture of the times.
Ultimately, not nearly as entertaining as it could have been.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that is definitely better to listen to as an audiobook then it would be to read a physical copy. Whole story telling he does impersonations of the people he is portraying (does a pretty convincing David Letterman) the book talks a lot about his time on SNL as well as being with Dave on both major networks. Some parts seem a little more like bragging of knowing or spending such and such time with celebrities, but overall an interesting read.

[Mark Wasiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quickly devoured the audio book. Nice to hear Paul and hear him do voices of people. Must read for music and Letterman fans. I really learned a lot. There's a lot of music mentioned so I've made a playlist of a lot of the songs mentioned from chapter 5 on. Found some stuff I didn't know about. Hope you do too. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65X...

[J.S. Bratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

an easy breezy romp thru the pop culture explosions glory days with the knowledgeable and sincere Paul Shaffer sharing inside jokes, random factoids, awkward encounters and great stories from The Late Show to The Olympics to Broadway the RNRHOF, to Strip Clubs and dropping profound nuggets such as: the later; the hipper

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dishy, gossipy, profane, and hilarious behind the music and television screen look at Paul Shaffer's career, with enough tales of Andy Kaufman, John Belushi, David Leterman, Gilda Radner, Darlene Love, the early days of SNL, and the music industry to keep me engaged and laughing my ass off. Great fun to read.

[Tim Ozinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, I was a Leno person rather than a Letterman person but the author knew everyone back in the day and tells his stories well, well worth a read. This is the bandleader from the Letterman show

[Oznosis Coznos · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read....very entertaining

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Dave Hazzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious.

[tyRonE hArDing · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written. Just not intersting to me.

[Tracy Backer · Rating 5 out of 5]

i wanted more stories. Shaffer was everywhere, worked with so many people, musicians and comedians. I really enjoyed the book.

[Timothy Batson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should've figured it was as horny as it was based on the cover. Serves me right.

Entertaining enough, but mostly boring.

[Brian Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things I learned about Paul:

- He loves Vegas Schmaltz
- He is fiercely Jewish
- He quietly is involved in a LOT of music

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for a challenge it was ok just not what I thought it would be

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of amusing anecdotes. Musicians tell the best stories