Season: 2 (Cher)
Episode: 20
Guest(s): Anthony Newley, The Ike and Tina Turner Review
CBS Air Date: October 12, 1975
Also aired: VH-1
Torch Open/Opening Song: “There’ll Be Some Changes Made” (Video)
Cover of Ethel Waters (1921)
Cher wears a yellow feather cape that she throws off to reveal a yellow pant suit with cut outs, very sparkly. The circle in the stage is also yellow with white sparkly feather patterns. She claps a lot, hangs her hand a lot.
Monologue:Cher shows off her outfit and fluffs her hair. She talks about how bad she is at telling jokes and how her producer, George, and card guy, Larry, gave her pointers. She says to sit back and be cool and she’s knows we’re out there because she can hear us breathing.
Guest Spot: Anthony Newley sings “Quilip”
Guest Duet (Video)
Cher joins Anthony Newley to sing “Take a Little Dab of Hope” (? possibly musical Oliver!)
Guest Spot: Tina Turner sings “River Deep, Mountain High” and then Ike and Tina perform “Baby, Get It On.” (Video)
The Ikettes are very colorful.
Skit (Video, 11:16)
Cher (in a bobbed wig) attempts to get Ike to reveal his deep philosophical thoughts. The joke is Ike is not much of a talker. They dub his thoughts with a Jewish voice for some reason.
Skit: Cher and Newley are a nouveau rich couple and their car has been stolen for ransom money.
Cher Solo: “You Turn Me On” (Audio)
Cover of Labelle (1974)
I really love this Labelle song and wish we could see Cher doing it.
Guest Duet: Cher joins Tina Turner to sing “Give Me the Country Side of Life” (Video)
Cover of Robert Parker (1975)
This is great. Cher and Tina wear jeans and feather/fur halter tops. Cher wears her turquoise earrings. They swing their mics with chords and dance around.
Skit: Newley pitches a record album comprised of the worst 100 songs.
Finale (Video)
Cher, Tina Turner and Anthony Newley do a salute to revival meeting songs. The audience looks real for a moment and then is revealed to be dancers, as the spirit takes over them.
- “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show” (Neil Diamond, 1969) – Newley really hams it up between two dueling pianos. The audience dancers get into it. Cher and Tina come on in complimentary red dresses and boas. Cher is wearing her tough-chic wig.
- “Resurrection Shuffle” (Ashton, Gardner and Dyke, 1971) – Cher and Turner do this one. They throw off their boas. Cher’s dress is showing her slip. Cher gets out of breath.
- “Saved” (LaVern Baker, 1960) – I love this song. Cher will also do it in her finale with Dolly Parton in the 1978 television special. Cher and Turner start this one off and Newley joins in. Lots of dancing. The Ikettes and Ike join. Cher really throws it down to keep up with Tina and by the end she looks exhausted.
Close (Video, 19:46)
Cher closes the show with a reprise of “Saved” with Newley and Turner.
VH-1 is a half hour show and is missing Cher’s duet with Newley, her losing weight skit and her skit with Newley, Ike and Tina’s “River Deep, Mountain High,” Newley’s solo skit and Cher’s solo Labelle song (that one hurts).
Highlights: Cher and Tina, every time. The tent-revival finale.
