AMERICAN BANDSTAND'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY (TV)

Summary

This special celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of the after-school music variety show, "American Bandstand," with host Dick Clark, who recalls the famous musical stars of the fifties, sixties and seventies who appeared on the popular show. Highlights of this program which features performances by rock artists interwoven with archival performance footage include: a look at the period's dance styles from the bop to the bump; observations about the era when drive-in theaters and angora sweaters were the rage; Chubby Checker performs a "Twist" medley; throughout the show, Clark reminisces about the regular Bandstand dancers and tells where they are now. First the 1960s are represented with clips of such bands as The Beach Boys performing "Surfin' USA," The Beatles singing "A Hard Days Night" and "Strawberry Fields Forever," Donovan singing "Catch the Wind," The Jefferson Airplane performing "White Rabbit," Steppenwolf singing their rock anthem "Born to Be Wild," The Fifth Dimension singing "Up-Up and Away," Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons -- celebrating their fifteenth anniversary together -- singing "Walk Like a Man" and a medley of "December 1963 (Oh What A Night)" and "Who Loves You." Then, Steve Allen does a parody of Clark's famous Top Ten Board and comedian David Brenner performs a routine associated with the show. Next is footage of Stevie Wonder's first appearance on the show along with an original composition celebrating the show's silver anniversary.

Next there is a segment devoted to singers who died before their time including artists such as Sam Cooke performing "You Send Me," The Mamas and The Papas -- in their first television appearance -- performing "California Dreamin'," The Big Bopper singing "Chantilly Lace," Billy Stewart singing "Summertime," "Gentleman" Jim Reeves singing "He'll Have to Go," Chuck Willis performing "What Am I Living For?" Clyde McPhatter singing "Since You've Been Gone," Gene Vincent singing "Be-Bop-A-Lula," Jim Croce -- who made his first television appearance ever on Bandstand-- singing "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," Eddie Cochran performing "Drive-In Show," Otis Redding singing one of his many hits, "Try a Little Tenderness," Bobby Darin singing "Mack the Knife" and "Splish Splash," followed by an interview with Clark. The next segment features the new breed of artists who followed and were known as singer/musicians including Jerry Lee Lewis singing "Great Balls of Fire," Melissa Manchester singing "Better Days," Charlie Rich performing "Mohair Sam" and "Muddy Waters," Fats Domino singing "I'm Ready," Johnny Cash singing "Frankie's Man, Johnny," Little Richard performing "Having Some Fun Tonight," Neil Sedaka with "Laughter in the Rain" and "Oh! Carol," Carole King singing "Jazzman," Glen Campbell singing "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "The Universal Soldier," Neil Diamond singing "Cherry, Cherry," Barry Manilow -- who also made his television debut on the show -- singing "Mandy" accompanied by a special performance of "Bandstand Boogie." The 1950s are examined with such performers as The Silhouettes singing "Get a Job," The Coasters performing "Charlie Brown," Dion and The Belmonts singing "A Teenager in Love," Julius La Rosa singing "Torero," Elvis Presley singing "Hound Dog," Buddy Holly and The Crickets performing "That'll Be the Day," one of the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll Chuck Berry singing "Johnny B. Goode"; for the anniversary special Berry also performs a medley which includes "Johnny B. Goode" and "Sweet Little Sixteen;" a clip features Cheech and Chong's appearance on the show helping with the Rate-A-Record segment.

The next segment of clips focuses on the plethora of popular musical duos including performers such as The Carpenters singing "We've Only Just Begun," The Everly Brothers singing "Cathy's Clown," Sonny and Cher singing their classic, "I Got You Babe," Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Jan and Dean singing "Baby Talk," Ike and Tina Turner singing "I Can't Believe What You Say," April and Nino singing "Deep Purple," Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., singing "You Don't Have to Be a Star," The Righteous Brothers singing "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration," Les Paul and Mary Ford singing "Put a Ring on My Finger," The Captain and Tennille -- who made their debut on Bandstand -- singing "Love Will Keep Us Together," the duo also performs "Disney Girls." The next portion of the show focuses on the women singers who began to break through the male-dominated music world during the fifties and sixties and includes footage of Connie Francis singing "Lipstick on Your Collar" and "Where The Boys Are," Annette Funicello singing "Tall Paul," Judy Collins singing "Send in the Clowns," the "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin performing "Can't You Just See Me" and "Something He Can Feel," Brenda Lee singing "Sweet Nothin's," Linda Ronstandt singing "You're No Good," Anita Bryant performing "Promise Me a Rose," Marie Osmond singing "Paper Roses," Natalie Cole singing "Inseparable," Dionne Warwick singing "Walk On By," Helen Reddy singing "I Don't Know How to Love Him," Diana Ross and The Supremes singing "Baby Love" and "Stop! In the Name of Love." Next, a comedic performance from Jim Stafford honors the sometimes forgotten songwriters; following this is footage of the many teenage idols that American Bandstand has fostered in its twenty-five years such as Fabian singing "Turn Me Loose," Paul Anka singing "Put Your Head on My Shoulder," Paul Revere and The Raiders singing "Hungry," The Jackson Five singing "I Want You Back," Bobby Rydell singing "Wild One," Rick Nelson singing "Travelin' Man," John Travolta singing "Let Her In," Rudy Vallee singing "You're Bringing Me Down," Frankie Lymon singing "Goody Goody," Frankie Avalon singing "Venus," The Osmonds singing "Down By the Lazy River," Bobby Vee singing "Run to Him," Johnny Tillotson singing " True True Happiness." A rousing performance by Johnnie Ray brings the crowd to its feet after singing "Cry." The 1970s are represented with such artists as Pratt and McClain singing "Happy Days," John Sebastian singing "Welcome Back," David Bowie singing "The Jean Genie," and Cyndi Grecco singing "Making Our Dreams Come True" (the theme song from the television show "Laverne and Shirley"). The anniversary special is capped off with an all-star band performing Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven." Commercials deleted.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: February 4, 1977 Friday 9:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 1:42:01
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: T79:0274
• GENRE: Music/Variety; Specials
• SUBJECT HEADING: Most Popular (Top 100); Music, popular (songs, etc.); Rock music; African-American Collection - Music; Women's Collection - Music
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1977
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Bill Lee … Executive Producer, Writer
• Judy Price … Producer
• Barry Glazer … Director
• Robert Arthur … Writer
• H.B. Barnum … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Director
• Ron Poindexter … Choreographer
• Dick Clark … Host
• Steve Allen
• Greg Allman
• Paul Anka
• April & Nino (See also: Stevens, April;Tempo, Nino)
• Frankie Avalon
• The Beatles
• Chuck Berry
• Bill Haley & his Comets
• Booker T. (See also: Jones,Booker T.)
• Pat Boone
• David Bowie
• David Brenner
• Anita Bryant
• Donald Byrd
• Glen Campbell
• The Carpenters
• Captain & Tennille (Daryl Dragon & Toni Tennille)
• Johnny Cash
• Cheech & Chong (See also: Marin, Cheech; Chong Tommy)
• Chubby Checker
• The Coasters
• Eddie Cochran
• Natalie Cole
• Judy Collins
• Sam Cooke
• Jim Croce
• Steve Cropper
• Charlie Daniels
• Bobby Darin
• Billy Davis
• Kiki Dee
• Neil Diamond
• Dion & The Belmonts
• Fats Domino
• Donovan (Donovan Leitch)
• Duck Dunn
• Everly Brothers, The
• Fabian (See also: Forte, Fabiano)
• Fifth Dimension, The
• Mary Ford
• Four Seasons, The
• Connie Francis
• Aretha Franklin
• Annette Funicello
• Marvin Gaye
• Cyndi Grecco
• Jim Guercio
• Michael Jackson
• Jan & Dean
• Jefferson Airplane, The
• Elton John
• Carole King
• La Rosa, Julius
• Brenda Lee
• Jerry Lee Lewis
• Mark Lindsay
• Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman)
• Frankie Lymon
• Mamas and the Papas, The
• Melissa Manchester
• Chuck Mangione
• Barry Manilow
• Penny Marshall
• Les McCann
• Marilyn McCoo
• Ed McMahon
• Clyde McPhatter
• Walter Murphy
• Nelson, Rick (See also: Nelson, Ricky)
• Carroll O'Connor
• Charlie O'Donnell
• Nigel Olsson
• Tony Orlando
• The Osmonds
• Marie Osmonds
• Patti Page
• Les Paul
• Paul Revere & the Raiders
• Pointer Sisters, The
• Pratt & McClain (See also: Pratt, Truett; McClain, Jerry)
• Lou Rawls
• Johnnie Ray
• Otis Redding
• Helen Reddy
• Jim Reeves
• Charlie Rich
• Richardson, Jiles Perry (The Big Bopper)
• Righteous Brothers, The
• Rin Tin Tin
• Johnny Rivers
• Linda Ronstadt
• Diana Ross
• Bobby Rydell
• Seals & Crofts (See also: Seals, Jim; Crofts, Dash)
• John Sebastian
• Neil Sedaka
• Severinsen, Doc (See also: Severinsen, Carl H.)
• The Silhouettes
• Sonny & Cher (Salvatore Bono & Cherilyn Lapiere)
• Jim Stafford
• Steppenwolf
• Billy Stewart
• Donna Summer
• The Supremes
• Nino Tempo
• Tammi Terrell
• Johnny Tillotson
• John Travolta
• Ike Turner
• Tina Turner
• Rudy Vallee
• Frankie Valli
• Bobby Vee
• Gene Vincent
• Junior Walker
• Dionne Warwick
• Paul Williams
• Chuck Willis
• Stevie Wonder