I doubt words can actually describe what you’re about to see, but I’ll try. This clip was the second-to-last “sketch” on the first episode of the ill-fated ‘Richard Pryor Show’ from 1977. Like many (most?) of the sketches from the four shows that were produced, it was not necessarily funny, as much as it was thought-provoking.
On the surface, this is just Pryor in a funny costume pretending to play the guitar in front of a fake audience of extras and fans. But *sub*-textually, this was one of the most incredible things ever shown on a broadcast network (Tuesday nights at 8:00, on ABC.) (I imagine this is what a PCP freakout looks like, from the inside.)
Pre-Spinal Tap Mystical Hobbit Rockers? Check.
Druidic cloaks? Check.
Smoke machines? Check.
Pryor utilizing the long-accepted habit of slurring your words to get past censors? (See ‘Louie Louie’ by the Kingsmen for history’s best example) Check.
Pryor throwing giant bags of drugs and pills into his all-white teenage audience? Check.
Pryor using a gas gun to kill the first few rows? Check.
And finally, Richard Pryor taking a machine gun to his fans, killing every white teenager in the place? Double-check.
Enjoy, and look for a very young Sandra Bernhard in the audience!
Duration : 0:7:53
[youtube NqteDk15Ud8]
Thank God for …
Thank God for Youtube and the person for posting some of the funniest sh!t ever!! I am a huge Pryor fan & have been listening to him since 11 years old. He is great and I didnt even know this existed until now. I laughed my off cuz I also am a huge KISS fan, He was so good. Just another fantastic example of pure genius. He was the Dave Chappelle of the 70′s & 80′s. F kin funny Sh!t!
this video=wtf
this video=wtf
This is so F”N …
This is so F”N BRUTAL!!!!
It makes Venom look like Abba
Love this song. …
Love this song. Wonder who it really is?
Sandra Bernhard @ 1 …
Sandra Bernhard @ 1:56
So metal \m/
So metal \m/
@ThrashisBack6 …
@ThrashisBack6 WAAAAAAAAAAAAW youre like.. soooo coool!!!!! can i touch you?
Pops from the …
Pops from the wayans bros, and robin williams is in this too… yeah it was funny then got kinda dark towards the end.
I can imagine this …
I can imagine this song being the theme for CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society.
Jimi Hendrix’ …
Jimi Hendrix’ influence is all over this lol That ofcourse and the current generation back then.
AT the peak of …
AT the peak of theatric glam rock with KISS and PARLIAMENT with funk on acid . This, for what it was at the time is alright. I GOT TO SHOW UM GONNA KILL ALL OF YOU….and their dumb let it happen like he was a GOD laying down a commandment……in fact, to the avg fan of whatever type of music back then they were. MONEY FOR NOTHING and FOR FREE and can’t leave out those rediculous requests. THIS is making fun of those groups who had it like that.
i was the 60,666 …
i was the 60,666 view xD
was the word “metal …
was the word “metal” even so spread out as for Richard Pryor to use it to describe heavy metal bands in 1977?
An interesting …
An interesting coincidence is that there was an all-black hard rock band called “Death” who were active about the same time this aired. They were from Detroit. Their music is much better that the music in this clip so I muted the video and played “You’re a Prisoner” by Death instead.
Hows that?
Hows that?
shut the up. …
shut the up. you sound prejudice
This would make a …
This would make a great halloween costume for a black person.
Just as weird as …
Just as weird as the ending is Pryor’s musically interpretation of heavy metal as new orleans blues/funk.
Incredible. Better the second time. Gets weirder.
Thats the best …
Thats the best death rock I ever seen.
Uhhhhhhhh…that …
Uhhhhhhhh…that was pretty up right there man…LOVED IT!!! (p.s. y’all know that wasn’t really the RP show right? Just checking.)
this… is… …
this… is… amazing
mass suicide of …
mass suicide of whites at the feet of a Black cult figure. it’s like jonestown in reverse, only jonestown didn’t happen til after this was broadcast.
Crazy sht
Crazy sht
Great vid man, just …
Great vid man, just what I needed when drinking these beers man.
Is that robbin …
Is that robbin williams playing drums in the background? I know he did the show too, the drummer has his same hair lol