♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WE'RE BACK WITH THE ONE AND ONLY
CHER.
THIS IS A FANTASTIC PHOTO RIGHT HERE.
THAT'S YOU AND DARLENE LOVE AND PHIL SPECTOR IN THE FORGROUND.
IS IT TRUE YOU SANG BACKGROUND VOCALS ON "BE MY BABY" AND
"YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING"?"
>> I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING, "LOVING FEELING" I WAS THE ONLY
GIRL THERE, AND SONNY WAS THE SHORTEST GUY.
BUT HONESTLY, I THINK I DID.
BUT IT WAS SUCH AN INSANE TIME FOR ME, I... DARLENE DIDN'T SHOW
UP.
SHE HAD A FLAT TIRE OR SOMETHING.
AND PHILIP LOOKED AT ME AND HE SAID, "SONNY SAID YOU CAN SING."
AND I WAS ABOUT TO-- I WAS QUALIFYING MY CREDENTIALS, AND
HE SAID, "I DON'T CARE.
I JUST WANT NOISE.
GET OUT THERE."
AND THAT WAS-- I STARTED THAT NIGHT.
AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING AT ALL.
AND THEN HE DIDN'T DO ANY SONGS WITHOUT ME.
AND "LOVING FEELING" WAS MY LAST SONG.
AND IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST DATES EVER.
BUT I DID THE WHOLE CHRISTMAS ALBUM.
AND EVERYBODY WAS DOING DRUGS BUT ME.
( LAUGHTER )
16.
>> OKAY, I'LL TELL YOU-- YES.
OKAY, LET ME TELL THE STORY QUICKLY ABOUT PHILIP.
SO IT WAS THE END OF THE ALBUM, AND WE WERE WORKING NIGHT AND
DAY, NIGHT AND DAY ARE FOR THIS WHOLE MONTH.
SO ANYWAY, SO SOMEONE TOOK HIM TO HE AIRPORT.
AND HE-- HE WAS TERRIFIED TO FLY.
SO HE CALLS SONNY FROM THE AIRPORT, AND HE HAD TAKEN A LOT
OF DRUGS, BUT THEN THE PLANE WAS LATE TAKING OFF, AND HE COULDN'T
MOVE.
AND HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIRPORT IN A-- IN A-- IN A CHAIR
WITH HIS-- ALL OF HIS-- HIS, YOU KNOW, CARRY-ON OVER HIM.
SONNY SAID, "YOU HAVE TO GO GET HIM.
I'M TOO TIRED.
I CAN'T DO IT."
I WENT THERE.
HE WAS PASSED OUT.
I WOKE HIM UP.
I SHOOK HIM.
HE SAID, "I NEED A PAIR OF SUNGLASSES."
I TOOK HIM TO GET SUNGLASSES AND I PUSHED HIM ON THE PLANE-- IN
THE OLD DAYS YOU COULD DO THIS KIND OF STUFF-- PUSHED HIM ON
THE PLANE, TOLD HIM TO SHUT UP, AND HE LANDED IN NEW YORK.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF-- A LOT, A LOT OF A LOT OF PHIL SPECTOR
STORIES.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU WORKING ON NEW MUSH NOW DURING QUARANTINE?
>> NOT, WELL, YES, KIND OF-- YES, I AM.
BUT... I'M WORKING ON AN ALBUM THAT'S REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT.
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO IT.
BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS GOING TO BE.
SO YOU HAVE TO RECORD, LIKE, FOUR SONGS TO GET ONE.
>> Stephen: AND THAT'S ALL WE'RE GOING TO GET.
YOU'RE ALL YOU'RE GOING TO TELL US.
>> ABSOLUTELY!
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FASCINATING
PROJECT.
THERE WAS-- TELL ME IF I'M GETTING THIS RIGHT.
THERE WAS AN ELEPHANT LIVING ALONE IN PAKISTAN.
YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS ELEPHANT, AND YOU HELPED GET IT
A PERMANENT HOME IN-- IN-- IS IT--
>> CAMBODIA.
>> Stephen: CAMBODIA, OKAY.
WHO IS THIS ELEPHANT AND HOW DID YOU GUYS BECOME FRIENDS?
AND HOW DID THIS DOCUMENTARY "CHER AND THE LONLIEST ELEPHANT"
COME ABOUT?
>> Stephen: MY TWITTER SITE STARTED BOMBING ME WITH
#FREEKAAVAN #FREEKAAVAN.
AND I WAS ALREADY TRYING TO FREE AN ELEPHANT IN LOS ANGELES AND
HAVING NO LUCK.
SO I JUST THOUGHT, THEY SEND ME ALL KIND OF STUFF AND I WON'T
ANSWER THEM, AND THEY'LL JUST FORGET IT.
BUT THEY DIDN'T, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I STARTED WONDERING IF I
COULD DO IT.
BUT I HAD A MAN I MET, BOB GELDOF'S MANAGER, AND I MET HIM
AT A THING IN QATAR.
AND HE TOLD ME ABOUT ELFANTS.
HE WAS FROM SOUTH AFRICA, AND HE MOVED ELFANTS.
AND I CALLED HIM AND I SAID, "HI, MARK.
YOU MIGHT NOT REMEMBER ME--" WHICH IS SUCH A DUMB THING TO
SAY BUT.
"IT'S CHER, AND REMEMBER WE RODE BACK TOGETHER.
AND I SAID I NEED HELP.
I NEED TO MOVE AN ELEPHANT."
AND HE SAID, "NO PROBLEM."
AND I SAID, "IT'S IN ISLAMABAD."
AND HE SAID, "ALL RIGHT."
AND HE WENT THERE, AND HE SAID, "UNSHACKLE HIM."
HE WAS SHACKLED FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE.
HE HAS SUCH BAD SCARS AROUND THE BACK OF HIS ANKLES BUT THEY'RE
GETTING BETTER.
HE WENT THERE.
HE SAID, "UNSHACKLE HIM.
PUT A LOP ON THIS LEAN-TO HE'S IN, AND PUT WATER IN THAT LITTLE
POOL," WHICH IS NOTHING.
AND SO THEN WE STARTED.
IT TOOK US FOUR YEARS AND TWO DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS, AND
FREE THE WILD DID IT.
WE WERE BY OURSELVES THE WHOLE TIME.
FREE THE WILD IS THE NAME OF OUR CHARITY, MARK AND MINE.
AND SO, WE JUST KEPT GOING.
AND EVERYBODY KEPT TELLING US NO.
AN I GOT A TWEET SAYING, "I'LL BE DOWN ON MY KNEES PLEASE.
LET ME HAVE THIS ELEPHANT."
AND FINELY, THE PRIME MINISTER, THEY SAID SOMETHING THAT I'M
SURE THEY THOUGHT WAS GOING TO STOP ME, AND IT DID FOR ABOUT 15
MINUTES.
"IF YOU COME AND PICK HIM UP PERSONALLY, WE WILL GIVE HIM TO
YOU" >> Stephen: AND I BELIEVE WE
HAVE A CLIP OF THAT HAPPENING.
JIM.
>> HELLO, KAAVAN.
>> DR. EMIR KNOWS THERE ARE TWO WAYS FOR SHARE TO BOND WITH
KAAVAN.
FOOD.
>> I LIKE WATERMELON, TOO ( LAUGHING )
>> AND MUSIC.
KAAVAN'S FAVORITE SONG.
♪ EVERY HIGHWAY, BUT MORE, MUCH MORE THAN THIS
♪ I DID MY WAY ♪ >> HE LOVES THAT SONG.
ANIMALS, YOU KNOW, THEY LOVE MUSIC.
THEY'RE SOOTHED BY IT.
THEY REALLY ARE ♪ I'VE HAD A FEW
BUT THEN TOO FEW TO MENTION ♪ IT WAS LIKE I ALREADY KNEW HIM,
BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE.
AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT HE WOULD HAVE SUCH A CUTE
PERSONALITY.
>> Stephen: THAT IS A LUCKY ELEPHANT.
NOT ONLY DOES HE GET FREE, BUT HE GETS SERENADED BY CHER.
>> IN THE WORST PERFORMANCE OF MY LIFE.
( LAUGHTER )
SING-- WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS NO EAR?
AND I KEPT THINKING, I KEPT THINKING, OKAY, OKAY, YOU'RE
OBSESSED WITH YOUR-- WITH YOURSELF, BUT GET OVER IT, AND
JUST SING THE DUMB SONG, AND NO MATTER HOW IT SOUNDS, IT'S FOR
HIM AND IT'S IMPORTANT.
>> Stephen: I THINK IT SOUNDED GREAT.
I THINK THAT'S A PERFECT SONG.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: I THINK SINATRA ORIGINALLY RECORDED THAT SONG
FOR A RHINO.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
WELL, CHER, IT'S SO LOVELY TO SEE YOU.
PLEASE COME BACK.
I WANT TO HEAR MORE PHIL SECTOR STORIES, AND EVERYONE ELSE
YOU'VE EVER WORKED WITH.
YOU'RE A NATIONAL RESERVE OF-- OF JOY FOR ALL OF US.
PLEASE COME BACK.
>> IT WAS NICE TO SEE YOU!
>> Stephen: "CHER AND THE LONELIEST ELEPHANT" IS AVAILABLE
TO STREAM ON PARAMOUNT+ THIS THURSDAY, AND AIRS ON THE
SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL ON MAY 19.
CHER, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
♪ ♪ ♪