Season: 2 (The Sonny & Cher Show)
Episode: 29
Guest(s): Jim Nabors, Debbie Reynolds
CBS Air Date: February 11, 1977
Also aired: Never re-aired.
Opening Song: “For Once in My Life” (Audio)
Cover of Stevie Wonder (1967)
They also sang this song previously on the Comedy Hour #23, and the Cher show #3 and #13.
Opening Banter: They talk about Cher’s dress which Sonny likes. They talk about how expensive Cher’s clothes are. Sonny asks about Gregg Allman and Elijah Blue. He calls Gregg “the big guy.” Sonny is still joking that Gregg never talks to him.
Skit: Barbara Nauseous introduces a Russian variety show where Cher and Debbie Reynolds are Russian performers who sing.
Heartbreak of Psoriasis: More TV commercial spoofs with Sonny, Cher Jim Nabors and Debbie Reynolds.
Concert: “Just You” (Video)
Cover of Sonny & Cher (1965)
It’s unfortunate this episode has never aired again. I feel this is an important song for them and have often scholar’d about it.
Sonny & Cher are back with their show’s musical director and long-time song arranger, Harold Battiste. They’re also back in their 60s-fits. Cher is actually wearing a replica of one of her old outfits, a layered white top and matching bell-bottoms. She’s also wearing a wig with wings (that time in the 60s where she had portions of her bangs growing out).
This time they’re talking about “the second record we ever did.” Sonny tells Cher she looks silly in her outfit and she says it kept her out of the army. Sonny makes a Cher hair flipping joke with his pageboy wig. Sonny introduces Harold Battiste again and explains how “Baby Don’t Go” was a hit in LA and San Francisco, which enabled them to get bookings in those towns. The problem was Cher was deathly afraid of flying at the time and Sonny would have to drive the 8 hours back and forth between the cities, sometimes on back-to-back days (it only a 45-minute flight Sonny laments). Cher even made a plane stop once. So Sonny makes a joke about how taxing all the driving was on his singing.
Here Sonny admits he used his record promotion job access (did he ever deny it?) to get their “Just You” in the pile of records for listeners to vote on at the local radio station. Sonny & Cher called up many times with disguised voices to vote. But honestly, it doesn’t sound like winning that radio contest with “Just You” changed their fortunes all that much.
We fade to the concert set with Cher, in a triangular violet (or blue?) afro wig, shimmery sheer top and black pants, and Sonny in a matching suit and ruffled shirt. They sing the song and Cher accidentally sings “I’ll die for you twice.”
The Prisoner: Cher wants Rocco to buy her new furniture for her new place. Rocco says he can’t buy her furniture from prison. Cher thinks he can because she heard he’ll be “getting the chair” soon. (Oy.) Cher tells Rocco she has four football players living with her, too. So Rocco says, “you know, I’m going to kill you when I get outa here.” Because the guards always overhear this murderous intent, Cher’s character always goads him into saying something that will keep in locked up in perpetuity. Quite a scheme.
Guest Spot: Debbie Reynolds sings “Gee, But It’s Good to Be Here”
Great Lovers:
+ Don Quixote (Sonny) and Dulcinea (Debbie Reynolds)
+ Opera singer Enrico Caruso (Jim Nabors) and his nagging wife (Cher)
IGUB: They banter and sing “I Got You Babe” and walk off.
Thanks to Jay for the official run-down on this lost episode. He says according to TV Guide for that week, this episode was postponed from an earlier date. When Sonny introduces “Just You” he talks about doing the “Baby Don’t Go” history segment “last week.” So this theory seems accurate.
Highlights: A deep dive into the song “Just You.” Lowlight: no Cher solo.
