1960’s Television Part 1
Since this website/blog is a work in progress, I thought that a segment or two on television in the 60’s, and in particular, television that included musical acts should be included.
Does this look familiar to you?
Or how about this?
If you woke up very early, I mean before The Modern Farmer, or if you stayed up really late, this is what you would see on the television!
In the New York area, TV was a lot different back in the 60’s. We had 3 national channels WABC(Channel 7), WCBS(Channel 2), and WNBC(Channel 4) , WNET (Channel 13) a local PBS outlet and a few local stations WNEW(channel 5), WOR(Channel 9) and WPIX(Channel 11). Cable, FIOS, and Satellite had not been invented and the thought of 500 channels was sheer fantasy!
With the creation of Rock n’ Roll, TV stations, realizing the economic impact started booking bands on primetime variety shows and a slew of “teenage dance” shows began.
The Arthur Murray Dance Party was a television variety show which ran from 1950 until 1960. The show was hosted by famous dances Arthur and Kathryn Murray, and was basically a long advertisement for their chain of dance studios hat are still in business today! The show was set up like a large party with Kathryn hosting a variety of guests from actors, sports stars, to musicians. Back in 1957 they hosted a show with the great Buddy Holly
One interesting side note, the Arthur Murray Dance Party was the only series on TV that ran on all four networks at least twice.
Like most of us, I spent a lot of time in front of a television. As far back as I could remember, I was always enthralled when singers, bands, and instrumentalists were on. One the shows that I loved to watch was Ozzie & Harriet
It starred former big band leader Ozzie Nelson and his wife singer Harriet Nelson and the two sons David and Ricky. The show was a sitcom focusing on the families average day to day problems. Ricky was the first teen idol to use television to promote hit records. In one episode, Ricky sang the Fats Domino classic “I’m Walkin” and it went to number 4 on the charts! Every episode after that ended with Ricky singing with a band that included the guitar legend James Burton. Elvis Presley’s backup singers accompanied Ricky on his albums. Ricky Nelson
Here is an interesting fact, between 1957 and 1973; Ricky Nelson had 53 songs on the billboard top 100 and 19 top ten hits.
Another show pre Beatles that was a musical mainstay for my parents was the Lawrence Welk Show. It was hard to sit through the show but at least some of the songs were familiar. I found this clip of the Chantays playing “Pipeline” in 1963 Chantays
Ed Sullivan changed the whole ballgame in February 1964. Beatlemania had taken hold and I was completed under its spell! There wasn’t anything coming out of England that I wasn’t trying to soak up.
March 8, 1964, the fifth Sunday after the Beatles Ed Sullivan debut was in my opinion, the start of the British Invasion. It was the night the Dave Clark Five appeared. Glad All Over
From that moment on, there wasn’t a Sunday night that I wasn’t tuned in to see the next English group.
Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas
After the Beatles everything changed! Everyone spoke with a British accent! Everyone had a band!
We did gigs even if we couldn’t play!
It seemed that there was music on TV from morning to night!
Lying comfortably on my stomach head supported by hands supported by elbows on shag carpet…family time in front of the RCA!! (I still think Father Knows Best (Bud story lines) were the best!)
I remember it being a big deal when I learned my parents went to see the movie “Georgie Girl”.
I had heard it had a strip tease act in the movie…WOW!!
White go go boots my parents could not afford to buy me. Agony!!! Won a neighborhood dance contest with local teens as judges. I did do an impressive skate…thanks to American Bandstand!