David Letterman on Later with Bob Costas, January 12, 1989, Unedited

The full, unedited interview, including pre-and post-footage.

There were three cameras utilized, each with its corresponding videotape: one focused on Dave, one on Bob, and a center shot covering both. I synced the first and third together as a split-screen because one camera captured footage and angles the other didn't and vice versa, as you'll see. (I didn't have the isolated camera on Bob.)

The taping took place on January 12, 1989, the night after Dave had taped his own Late Night, which had included a two-segment appearance with Bob; a performance by Was (Not Was); Don the Police Dog with his trainer Janet Noble; Chris Elliott; and Inna Gorbatov, a Russian translator, on to help explain the cancellation of the Soviet hockey team and who then translated the night's Top Ten list (Least Popular Pepperidge Farm Cookies). Thus the references before the start of the interview to Bob, Was (Not Was), and Inna.

The hour-plus taping was edited down to two 23-minute shows that aired on January 31 and February 1, 1989, in anticipation of Late Night's 7th Anniversary special, which was broadcast the following night, February 2 (the special had been taped ten days earlier, on January 23).

(Paul Shaffer taped his interview with Bob just before Dave, and that aired January 30. I'll put that up after it's digitized.)

The audio mix has Dave on the left channel, Bob on the right. The silence immediately after the interview is due to the mic signals being turned off.