6th Anniversary Special on Letterman, February 4, 1988

Taped January 24 at Radio City Music Hall.

Part 1:
Satellite Interviews that aired the night of the anniversary:
1. Bobbi Wyant, Dallas, TX
2. Monica Schneider, Rockford, IL

Part 2: The anniversary show.
With a stand-up by Richard Lewis and a performance medley by Ben E. King and Cyndi Lauper, with backup vocalists Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, and Roberta Flack.
Sitting in with the World's Most Dangerous Band:
Freddie Hubbard and Jon Faddis, trumpet
Clarence Clemons, Tom Scott, and David Sanborn, saxophones
Robert Cray, Joe Walsh, and Dwayne Eddy, guitars
Carole King, Billy Joel, and Warren Zevon, keyboards

Part 3: An earlier edit of the show that aired on E! July 4, 1995.

There were two shows taped on January 24 -- one during the afternoon, the other in the evening. What evidently happened is that NBC sent E! an earlier edit of the show; various segments come from the afternoon rather than evening taping. Some of the differences between the two:

1. Opening Bill Wendell announce:
E!: absent
Air: present

2. Open: Dave describes a tie:
E!: as aluminum
Air: as tarnac

3. Video montage (last clip)
E!: Anton bites bird
Air: Dave draws blood as surgeon

4. New Gift Items
E!: items don't work
Air: items work

5. Music medley
E!: evening taping
Air: afternoon taping

6. Stupid Pet Tricks
E! and Air differ

7. Remote montage
E! and Air differ

7. Richard Lewis
E!: afternoon taping
Air: evening taping

6. Chris Elliott
E!: edited out
Air: included

8. Close: LN World of Love
E! and Air with different video montages

9. Cold Close: Giant velcro jump
E!: edited out
Air: included

A late-January 1998 email from Michael Galante:

I was in the evening show audience sitting in the second row center. My brother and I stood in front of Radio City for 8 1/2 hours waiting to get in. Paul and the band came out a half hour early and played until show time! The NBC show was very edited between the afternoon and evening tapings. Here are a few edits that I am sure of -

1. At the show, we did not hear Bill Wendell's v/o. This could have been added later.

2. The new gift items didn't work in the evening performance. That's why Dave says, "my thanks to GE" after the commercial break!

3. Stupid Pet Tricks was a combination of both shows. Maybe you noticed the water tank appears and disappears throughout the segment. NBC theme dog (evening), Dog diving for rocks (afternoon - didn't perform on the evening show!), Caeser the dog (evening), Hammer the pitbull (afternoon when he bowls because you can see the tank - evening when he rolls the ball into the audience because I can see myself. I'm wearing the yellow sweater!)

4. Sweet Soul Music was the afternoon show. After the commercial break it's back to the evening show because I can see myself lift by LNwDL cap quickly in the air!

5. The giant velcro jump was the evening show. After the curtain came down, Dave came out and thanked everyone for coming. He then tossed the white velcro balls into the audience and I got one of them!

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And a late-July 2015 note from Adam Nedeff:

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, the wrestling manager who is introduced sitting in the audience, tells an interesting story about the taping in his autobiography, and wrestlers being wrestlers, I'd love to know if it's true.

Afternoon taping: Bobby doesn't want to just take a bow, so he comes up with a bit to do but doesn't bother telling anybody. When Dave introduces him, Bobby walks up onstage, hands Dave a Bobby Heenan action figure, and does a bad guy wrestler interview insulting Dave and the audience. Dave FREEZES completely. Bobby walks off the stage, and a staffer looks at him and mumbles "Jesus Christ, just so you know, Dave does NOT like surprises."...

Night taping: Bobby is sat in the same seat to do the bit again, and just out of view of the camera is a security guard with a gun. Bobby takes his bow and sits down silently, and that's what aired.