Thomas Paine
Really Really Experienced
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2001
- Posts
- 438
My past came back to haunt me yesterday.
One of the cable channels, AMC I think, ran two hours of the mid-60's rock music TV show, Hullabaloo, and by the end of the first half-hour, I was squirming in my seat with embarrassment. I couldn't believe that anything that seemed so cool when I was 12 could be so gut-wrenchingly bad today.
Back in the day when rock music was first becoming mainstream, TV didn't know what to do with it, and "Hullabaloo" (and no doubt its sibling "Shindig") is firm evidence of that fact that their best effort was to turn it into yet another network variety show. The format was pretty simple: a guest host, usually a solo performer of some note, opened with a song (more on that in a moment) then introduced that week's guest musicians who would perform their current hit. Toward the end of the show, the guests would gather and peform other people's current hits, then a "go-go" segment featuring an up-and-coming act crammed onto a tiny stage would finish it off.
So, what did I see that made me cringe?
A very young Michael Landon, with a V-neck sweater and a D.A. (if you don't know what that is, you don't want to know...) singing, yes, singing.
Gary Lewis, son of Jerry and lead singer for the one-hit wonders, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, hosting and opening a show with a big band arrangement of "Wild Blue Yonder" -- yep, the Air Force theme song.
The Byrds, with David Crosby in poncho and full smirk, singing the Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic?" and looking none too damn happy about it, except for Roger McGuinn dancing around like he was very, very high.
The Hullabaloo dancers, all squeaky clean in their show logo sweatshirts or Mary Quant mini-dresses, frugging all over the damn place. All of them, with the possible exception of one guy who looked suspiciously part Asian, white, blonde and blue-eyed.
There was more, too, but I couldn't take it anymore, especially when I walked back into the room only to see Sonny and Cher, in full fake-fur vest mode, yucking it up with that week's host, the Samela himself, Sammy Davis Jr.
I will never, ever sneer at MTV again, I promise.
One of the cable channels, AMC I think, ran two hours of the mid-60's rock music TV show, Hullabaloo, and by the end of the first half-hour, I was squirming in my seat with embarrassment. I couldn't believe that anything that seemed so cool when I was 12 could be so gut-wrenchingly bad today.
Back in the day when rock music was first becoming mainstream, TV didn't know what to do with it, and "Hullabaloo" (and no doubt its sibling "Shindig") is firm evidence of that fact that their best effort was to turn it into yet another network variety show. The format was pretty simple: a guest host, usually a solo performer of some note, opened with a song (more on that in a moment) then introduced that week's guest musicians who would perform their current hit. Toward the end of the show, the guests would gather and peform other people's current hits, then a "go-go" segment featuring an up-and-coming act crammed onto a tiny stage would finish it off.
So, what did I see that made me cringe?
A very young Michael Landon, with a V-neck sweater and a D.A. (if you don't know what that is, you don't want to know...) singing, yes, singing.
Gary Lewis, son of Jerry and lead singer for the one-hit wonders, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, hosting and opening a show with a big band arrangement of "Wild Blue Yonder" -- yep, the Air Force theme song.
The Byrds, with David Crosby in poncho and full smirk, singing the Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic?" and looking none too damn happy about it, except for Roger McGuinn dancing around like he was very, very high.
The Hullabaloo dancers, all squeaky clean in their show logo sweatshirts or Mary Quant mini-dresses, frugging all over the damn place. All of them, with the possible exception of one guy who looked suspiciously part Asian, white, blonde and blue-eyed.
There was more, too, but I couldn't take it anymore, especially when I walked back into the room only to see Sonny and Cher, in full fake-fur vest mode, yucking it up with that week's host, the Samela himself, Sammy Davis Jr.
I will never, ever sneer at MTV again, I promise.
