Randi's Best of Video
by AK - July 19, 2013
Ok…here’s a FRIDAY EDITION Bedtime Story. it’s a little long, but stick with it if you can.. it wraps around to Neil stuff ..
Back when I was workin’ with Randi Rhodes, she had it in her head that she had to out-do all the other personalities on the air, and instead of doing a Best of CD, she was going to do a Best of Video. She’d filmed a few things here and there before I’d even started working for her, and then when we had Foreigner, and then Kip Winger perform in studio, she’d filmed those, then her in some club or bowling alley singing “Back Stabber” and all this nonsense. So like 6 weeks before they’re do to press (i was barely in favor of just doing a CD that would have taken about 6-8 hours worth of work to complete, but that wasn’t good enough for Randi) I got roped into spending my day from 9a-3p with “This Is Jim” at WLRN-TV combing through hours and hours of tape. Then I’d drive to the studio and work from 4p-midnight on the show, then start over again the next day. This went on for 5 weeks.
While all this was going on, Jim and Randi figured the best way to have all these oddball clips linked together was by having, on video, everyone in the building talk about how much they all loved and respected and worshipped at Randi’s feet. Yeah I know, I know.. I was just along for the ride.. I busted my ass like this, chugging cuban coffee all day, and ended up in the hospital with chest pains one night, but as usual, I digress..
Ok, so as part of this deal, Jim would head over to Channel 7 next door and try and get Rick Sanchez to record a little bit for the video, maybe talking about Randi, and also Neil, or others on the air. Rick is Rick, and hes always up for camera time.. and despite the non-stop attacks, he was actually a pretty nice, all-be-it super kooky guy. Goofy. Total ham. and totally willing to participate.
Next time, he approaches Sally Fitz. (This part is all based on what I was told.. I was NOT there at the time.. so.. it is what it is…) And they start talking about what he’s working on, and Randi this, and Randi that, and apparently she seems pretty ok about it…
Until…
He mentions Neil.
And she loses it. Like hysterical. In tears, even. “That man.. ohhhh.. He’s so mean to me… (sobbing, angry, losing it).. “telling those awful stories about me that AREN’T TRUE! I had to MOVE! I can’t look my neighbors in the face because they all think I was in the hospital with a DILDO in me!”
And that’s when Jim wrapped it up, thanked her, and carried his unopened camera bag back next door to WIOD and repeated what’d just happened.
Up next time, the story of “Randi and the CHAIR”…