I'm Shady Seaweed
"America's Oldest Living Toddler"
Welcome to the 57th annual
New Year's Rockin' Eve
in the Shady!
The wrecking ball in Shady Square is about to drop, signalling the end of
the year 2019. As we look ahead to the coming year, let's view the past
with 2020 hindsight, specifically Dick Clark's long running music program
American Bandstand. Tonight the spotlight is not on the songs or artists
who performed on the show, not even on Dick Clark. Instead I ask that
you focus your attention on the teenagers who danced on Bandstand
over the years. In case you can't spare the time to watch every
video from beginning to end, I provided in bold red letters,
the year 2019. As we look ahead to the coming year, let's view the past
with 2020 hindsight, specifically Dick Clark's long running music program
American Bandstand. Tonight the spotlight is not on the songs or artists
who performed on the show, not even on Dick Clark. Instead I ask that
you focus your attention on the teenagers who danced on Bandstand
over the years. In case you can't spare the time to watch every
video from beginning to end, I provided in bold red letters,
the recommended start point for each video.
RETURN WITH US NOW
TO THE GLORY YEARS OF BANDSTAND.
TO THE GLORY YEARS OF BANDSTAND.
Observe the studio dancers of the 60s and 70s,
their body language, clothing styles and hairdos.
Note their attitude, how they conducted
themselves on the program.
their body language, clothing styles and hairdos.
Note their attitude, how they conducted
themselves on the program.
THE SUPREMES
...the sweetness, the innocence, the pure joy of young America.
I ask you, friend... where did it go?
"The Happening" - The Supremes
(1967 ep. of American Bandstand)
START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 1:41 MARK!
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
1967 and the times they are a changin'. There's something in the air,
the revolution's here, and the Bandstand gang is ready to rock!
"Somebody To Love" - Jefferson Airplane
(1967 ep. of American Bandstand)
START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 16 SEC. MARK!
IRMA THOMAS
...dreamy old school R&B ballad. In that warm embrace,
time was on their side. It stood still.
"Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" - Irma Thomas
(1964 ep. of American Bandstand)
START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 1:30 MARK!
THE TURTLES
...genuine enthusiasm... Back then, being on television, exposed to
a national audience, was a big deal. In today's hi-tech world,
fame is just a click away. It's just not the same.
"She'd Rather Be With Me" The Turtles
(1967 ep. of American Bandstand)
START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 25 SEC. MARK!
JAN AND DEAN
On this 1968 episode, the kids danced to an oldie
from five years earlier... and really got into it!
"Surf City" - Jan And Dean
(1968 ep. of American Bandstand)
START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 1:39 MARK!
THE ASSOCIATION
The date of this broadcast was October 7, 1967.
Changing times, to be sure, but sweet harmony
and blissful slow dancing were still in style.
Changing times, to be sure, but sweet harmony
and blissful slow dancing were still in style.
"Never My Love" - The Association
(1967 ep. of American Bandstand)
START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 3:30 MARK!
JOHNNY RIVERS
1966 - a great year to be young. Please watch this video from 1:16 until at least
the 2 minute mark because the best part comes at 1:56 when a girl seated in
the audience realizes she's on camera and smiles sweetly. That moment
speaks volumes about the way we were. We had it all, my friend,
and somewhere along the line... we lost it.
"Poor Side Of Town" - Johnny Rivers
(1966 ep. of American Bandstand)
START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 1:16 MARK!
Submitted for your approval - exhibits A through G - seven scenes of teenagers
having good clean fun... unbridled joy... fresh faced exuberance. Simply put -
it was great to be young in the 60s! If you ever wondered why Boomers
say they wouldn't trade places with any other generation, the magic
moments on these videos are all the evidence you'll ever need.
having good clean fun... unbridled joy... fresh faced exuberance. Simply put -
it was great to be young in the 60s! If you ever wondered why Boomers
say they wouldn't trade places with any other generation, the magic
moments on these videos are all the evidence you'll ever need.
If I could turn back time
If I could find a way...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, I wouldn't want to trade places with the younger generations since the 60s. I was quite young when most of today's mewsic released but I do remember many of the titles mainly because they are good ole oldies. Those days of innocence are lost forever. I regret wishing my days away as a kid. We all did it but you don't even realize it until it's too late. That hasn't changed and probably never will but honestly kids today are growing up faster than we did. Well, they aren't more mature than we were but are assuming roles that are far beyond their years which removes their innocence and that's very sad. Being an adult has it's perks but to be a kid again for just a little longer would be nice. :) Thanks for sharing fabulous songs from the 60s. And, since we can't turn back time, let's find a way to enjoy the now. Happy 2020 to you, dear friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for coming over between holidays, dear friend. My goodness, you take early bird honors for the second week in a row!
I agree with everything you expressed here, Cathy, and I appreciate your comments. How do we reclaim lost innocence in this high tech age? I wish I knew the answer. I suppose we can start by doing what you and I discussed on your post this morning, and that is to go out of our way to help others instead of going out of our way to hurt them.
You are much younger that Shady D but, if you were born as late as 1964, you still fit into the Boomer category. Clearly you have a Boomer's heart and soul and realize how lucky you were to have experienced the type of childhood today's young people will never know. Although we cannot literally turn back time, we can relive our youth to some extent by listening to these old songs, watching the kids dancing, and imagining ourselves out on the floor boogieing with them. Do it, make it real, and you will feel that youthful energy surging through your system. I truly believe we can slow the aging process and ward off illness by tapping into the music of our youth on a regular basis.
Thank you again for being here today, dear friend Cathy. Happy new year to you and DH and your kids!
Tom,
DeleteThe final countdown for the new year is almost upon us. WOW is all I can say about 2019! One minute its here and the next...well, it'll soon be gone.
I was born in 1961 and I do fit the Boomer category. I'm thankful to live my early years in those early days of sweetness and it's totally true you can tap into one's inner youth through mewsic. We may not look as young as we once were but there's reason we can't feel that fountain of youth flowing within and I firmly believe if we do that, then that's the 'fountain of youth' people seek but don't understand.
Thank you for your friendship this year. It's been a joy to connect through mewsic, mewsings, and more. You definitely have a real talent for pulling together fun posts using some of your favorite TV characters and the mewsic is solid gold classics even if it's stuff I'm hearing for the first time. A visit to your blog is a real education for me each time. I'm looking forward to sharing the new year with you in Blogosphere and ask God to bestow on you health, happiness, and prosperity throughout 2020, my friend!
★⋰⋱★⋰⋱★⋰⋱★⋰⋱★⋰⋱★⋰⋱ ★
★HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY FRIEND★
★⋱⋰★⋱⋰★⋱⋰★⋱⋰★⋱⋰★⋱⋰ ★
Thank you, thank you, thank you, dear Cathy!
DeleteI am sincerely thankful to have a grade A friend like you here in the blogosphere. We both have a lot to share and we both enjoy learning and spreading good vibes. We are a good fit.
May you and DH and your children and their families enjoy health, happiness and prosperity in the coming year!
Ooo.....Johnny Rivers, Jefferson Airplane.... but I think I have to give top honors to The Association this time, with Never My Love!
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteWelcome, dear friend! Thank you for braving 10 degree temperatures in world famous Shady Square to see the wrecking ball drop and take part in the 57th annual New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady blogcast hosted by Shady Seaweed.
I'm glad you found three favorite artists/songs in this batch. That Association clip is a late add. It showed up on YouTube last month and it is so good that I plugged it into the lineup for this year's bash. Isn't it wonderful how remastered audio and video make it seem like the show aired this past weekend instead of 52+ years ago?
Thanks again for coming to the party, dear friend Kelly, and happy new year to you!
Shady,
ReplyDeleteI swear I was born in the wrong decade! I love the 60s, especially with music.
I love Jefferson Airplane and Someone to Love is my favourite. You chose my favourites for this piece and I'm now rocking out with the kitties!
I can't believe we are five days away from the end of 2019! The end of a decade - where did it go?
Have a great Thankful Thursday.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for coming to my annual New Year's eve salivation, dear friend! The ball's dropping, the music's playing and the gang's dancing on Bandstand. Boomers would be the first to agree that you and others your age would have had a fantastic time as 60s teenagers. The hits just kept on comin'. Glad you liked watching the kids do their thing to The Airplane's big hit "Somebody To Love." It was a hit on the Dell jukebox, too, signaling a change in the wind.
Technically there is still one more year left in this decade. The next decade doesn't begin until Jan. 1, 2021, so that's something to celebrate.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend JM, and happy new year!
I guess I look at it as the social construct of 2020-2029, etc. I looked at it and both are correct. I guess it'll just a back to back celebration. :) Then again, maybe I should look at my decades as the 9s through the 9s since I was born in 1989 and my new decades start in the 9s. I like to say, it's a celebration every day. :)
DeleteHopefully in our new Roaring 20s, we can bring back some of the novelties. I have always said I was born in the wrong decade... it seems like 20s-90s were fun, 2000s and 2010s have been okay, but I wish I could have experienced all that my grandparents and parents experienced when they were younger.
Happy New Year, dear friend!
I agree, dear JM. You would have appreciated life earlier in the 20th century, particularly the middle of the span, and I wish you could have been there to experience what I and my friends did. We may think of this as the start of The Roaring Twenties of the 21st century, but there's no going back to those simpler low tech times when most of us felt safe outdoors at night and left our doors and windows unlocked.
DeleteHappy New Year, dear friend JM. See you in 2020!
Merry Christmas and I hope it was lovely. I worked, up until Christmas Eve and went too far baking a ton of cookies.chocolate chip, peanut butter, rum balls, German cookies-they Have jam in the middle, chocolate mocha filling wafers and shortbread. I made rouladen with red cabbage, potatoes and broccoli and my family was over Christmas Eve for our gift giving. I was beyond tired yesterday and slept most of the day. Now, loving the music here and watching these videos makes me think of simpler times. Watching the White Rabbit video, it made me giggle at how they dance just like they do today. There was one guy, for a split second I saw him in a dark suit and he could dance! Fun times to watch.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, dear friend! Sounds like you whipped up holiday treats aplenty to feed the masses, dear friend. Good job! I'm glad you were finally able to rest and sleep on Christmas day. Mrs. Shady and I spent most of the day on the road crisscrossing the Florida peninsula. All this travel we've been doing is getting old.
I don't think I posted "White Rabbit," and so I am assuming you meant "Somebody To Love." Imagine how it was for those AB teenagers to hear iconic rock classics like that one played for the very first time. It's like trying to remember what the world was like without The Beatles. Some of the Bandstand dancers were better than others, and the debate goes on as to which set of teenagers danced better, the ones in LA or the ones back "home" in Philadelphia that appeared on the series in its early years. I favor the Philly group.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend BB, and happy new year!
Travelling that much would be getting to me. Yes, I meant somebody To Love. ...I love her voice. I hope you are settled in now
DeleteThanks, Birgit!
DeleteWe are not yet "settled in." We have been doing DIY moving week by week, but still need to hire professional movers to haul the heavy items at the end of next month. Around the 21st of January I will be taking a three week break from blogging to finish packing, move and get "settled in."
Thanks for rocking, rolling and remembering with me, dear friend BB!
Oh my gosh Shady, my previous young life just flashed in front of my face! And my ears! All my fav tunes and watching those kids dancing had me checking out the fashions and realized I wore most of the dress styles and shoes too! I noticed how clean cut the guys were with the ties and white shirts. A few rebels in the crowd sported turtle necks with sport coats and I even spotted a John Lennon hat in one video. Those were the days. In 67 I was 14 and enjoying school dances and boy/girl parties. The 60's were certainly a decade filled with change. The war came into focus as my brothers went off to fight and things were tense until they arrived home safe. Yes, my childhood time was great and I'm glad I was a part of that generation. Happy New Year to you and Mrs. Shady and I hope 2020 is fabulous to you!
ReplyDeleteHi, Yaya!
DeleteThank you very much for being in the sea of faces at Shady Square to witness the ball drop on New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady!
I knew you'd focus on the clothing and hair styles of the 60s seen in these vintage American Bandstand clips. I am happy to know you wore some of the same clothes and shoes as the Bandstand girls. These videos represent a span of time from 1964 to 1968, years of tremendous change in America. Beginning around 1969 the dress code on Bandstand started to relax. Guys wore their hair longer and stopped wearing sport jackets and ties. As you and the people who comment on these videos remind us, some of the young men seen on the Bandstand dance floor were soon toting guns in Vietnam. Some never returned. A few of the people who regularly comment on these AB videos were the actual dancers you see in these clips. Sadly they report that several of their friends, the other kids you see in these vids, both boys and girls, are no longer with us. It is a blessing that your brothers all returned from service safe and sound.
Thank you again for coming by and for your usual interesting remarks, dear friend YaYa. Happy new year to you and your family!
Hey friend Shady! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas. I was just talking to my sister about how much I miss good old Dick Clark and though we were talking about his New Years Rocking Eve show from Times Square on the 31st, I fondly remember watching American Bandstand as an almost teen. I was 12 in 1967 so of course I thought it would have been totally cool to be on TV. It is also a fitting way to end this year as my "word of the year" was "Dance!" Hope you and Mrs. Shady have a wonderful New Year!
ReplyDeleteJanet’s Smiles
Hi, Janet!
DeleteI'm excited to see you, dear friend. Thanks for coming to my New Year's Eve party!
Yessum, seems like a long time now since the late Dick Clark hosted his New Year's Rockin' Eve special on ABC from Times Square. It was hard to watch and listen as he struggled through the live telecasts in his final years following strokes.
I'm glad you picked up on the point I made in the text. In the 50s and 60s, it was a novelty to be on television, just about the coolest thing imaginable. Today's young people are used to being overexposed on social media and it wouldn't phase them nearly as much. I watched a Bandstand clip this morning in which Dick Clark held the mic up to a dozen of his regular studio dancers and asked them to name their all time favorite male singer. Only two of them could name a single person (Dion and Sinatra). I read a comment that helps explain why so many drew a blank or refused to answer:
<< In those days being in front of a camera was new. Most of them would have been very shy to speak up let alone take a chance on saying something others might not agree with. Notice how the host kind of put down the two people who actually answered his question because he was looking for the right answer. >>
The "right" answer Dick was looking for in this case was Elvis Presley.
Mrs. Shady and I did lots of driving Christmas day visiting family in two different parts of Florida. We were tired by the end of the day but we had a great time.
Thank you again for coming by and bringing your smiles, dear friend Janet. You are cordially invited to join the fun throughout 2020 here at Shady's Place. Happy new year!
Thunderbutt and I are wishing you and yours never-ending Health and Happiness and Hope for 2020, friend Shady:) Love, cat.
ReplyDeleteHi, cat! Hi, Theo Thunderbutt!
DeleteThank you very much for offering these sweet holiday greetings, dear cat. I've been missing you, but happy that you were able to get away from Canadian winter for a while and enjoy another tropical holiday on the coast of Mexico.
You are a valued friend, cat. Once again I thank you for coming to see me here at Shady's Place throughout 2019. Your life stories always fascinate me and you warm my heart with your lubbins. I wish you and your loved ones all the best in 2020, dear friend cat!
Hi Tom. I so enjoyed your New Year's Rockin' Eve post with a salute to the teen dancers on American Bandstand during the 60s. It was really nice to be transported back to a time of sweet innocence. It's wild to see all the boys wearing suit jackets and ties. The hair styles and the clothes and shoes: what a wonderful showcase of a time gone by.
ReplyDeleteThere was some fun dancers who really got into it (and some of the spotlight dancers on the risers were quite good, especially one young man, I can't remember which song it was now but he had some great footwork)...and then there were those who you could tell were a bit camera-shy or maybe shy with the opposite sex.
Of course the best of all American Bandstand has always been the incomparable Dick Clark! He was so cool. I love when he says things like "...that's a groovy sound, isn't it?" (after the Turtles song) and he really enjoys watching the dancers. I also always enjoyed back then (and still today through the YouTube videos) seeing him interact with the teens, especially when he was asking questions (like the Q&A session he had here asking the boys what girls do that bug them and asking the girls the same, what irritates them about boys. It was interesting to hear their answers. The innocence of age back then was so obvious. Compare to today: I was watching an episode of the new "Kids Say the Darndest Things" with host Tiffany Haddish a few days ago. She is amazing with the kids and it's so funny. In this particular Q&A session with a three 9 year old boys, she told them she was needing to get a new car and asked them what kind of car she should get. The one boy answered, exact words: "Probably a Toyota Corolla. They're very dependable." which in itself was hilarious coming from a 9 year old. She asked the next boy, "What kind of car do you think I should get?" He answered, "I see you as a Tesla girl." Tiffany Haddish says "Why do you think I should get a Tesla?" and he comes back with "Because I think that's a sexy car for you." Of course the whole audience cracks up, I cracked up, Tiffany cracked up, but she turned to him and said "I know you're almost 10 but you're using some grown-up words!" It was shocking, in a hilarious way, but also very telling about how the innocence of youth doesn't go as far or as long as it used to back in the day.
Happy New Year to you Tom. Thanks for a great Rockin' New Year's Eve post. It really warmed my heart and made me all nostalgic.
I'll shoot you an e later on this week.
all the best,
Happy New Year!
Michele at Angels Bark
Hi, Michele!
DeleteIt's a wonderful surprise to see you, dear friend. Welcome back to Shady's Place! You're just in time for the annual wrecking ball drop in Shady Square, a time honored tradition (57 years) - a spectacle viewed live by millions around the world. :)
I'm delighted that you enjoyed flashing back to the 60s and witnessing "the way we were" - how young people dressed, danced and expressed themselves verbally on American Bandstand. It's true. Some of those couples danced with flair while others appeared awkward. It's interesting to note that episodes of the show were taped five weeks in advance of the air date. Therefore some of the records that went on to become smash hits and are today as familiar to us as the backs of our hands were brand new when those AB kids danced to them on the show. Some of the dancers had a "deer in headlights" look on their faces when the music started because they had never heard the song before. As you pointed out, there was no shortage of shy and tongue-tied teenagers when a TV camera was aimed at them and especially when a microphone was thrust in their faces. My impression of Dick Clark is that he was a glib talker who often said things that didn't come out right, didn't make much sense or could have been expressed more effectively if he had more time to think. That's live television for you. There were many emcees worse than Clark but, truth be told, I have seen better, Hy Lit being one example.
Thanks for sharing about Kids Say the Darndest Things. in the 50s and 60s I watched Art Linkletter's House Party and occasionally in the late 90s the version of Kids Say the Darndest Things hosted by Bill Cosby. I just did some reading about the new series hosted by Tiffany Haddish. Although the producers claim the kids are not coached before the show or their lines/replies rehearsed, they do submit to pre-show interviews in which their are briefed on the topics to be discussed and to get an idea of how they will reply. Sometimes the kids surprise everybody by saying something completely different during the show than they did to the producer back stage before taping.
Michele, I am overjoyed that you dropped by. Thank you again, dear friend. You are in my thoughts every day. You have been through the wringer. I hope 2020 will be a much better year for you. Take good care of yourself I'll see you next year!
Sorry I'm so late. One thing that struck me about these videos is that the kids were dancing to any type of music that was being played. That's actually kind of rare these days. Ever since disco--and as you I've told you, I like disco--there's been this mind-set that you can only dance to a song that's SPECIFICALLY designed to be a dance song. That's why they play only "dance" songs at dance clubs. True, even before disco there were particular type of dance styles--the waltz, the tango, the jitterbug, the Twist, the Hustle--but those dances existed side by side with just plain dancing to just plain "music". And look at the slow dances. Go to any dance club today and see if anyone dances to a slow song. They can't because they no longer play slow songs at dance clubs. And not because there's no such thing as slow songs anymore. There's been plenty of slow songs in Top 40 in the past 40 years, but you're considered a lunatic if you're seen actually dancing to one.
ReplyDeleteNow go back and look at those Bandstand videos. "Somebody to Love"? Since when has that ever been described as a "dance song"? Yet those kids have no problem dancing to it. The Association? Slow as molasses! And that doesn't stop those kids one bit (and look how close those boys and kids are during those slow dances. Probably why the camera is focused mostly on the heads. You don't want to run afoul of Standards and Practices.)
We really need to get back to the idea that any type of music can be danced to. A folk song can be danced to. Beethoven's Fifth can be danced to. Hell, I bet even the "Star Spangled Banner" can be danced to (seeing as you have to stand up anyway.)
I hope you had a merry Christmas, Shady.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for coming to my annual New Year's eve extravaganza direct from the world famous Shady Square, good buddy! Question: when the wrecking ball dropped, did you get a smooch from Jenny McCarthy? :)
You make a very good point about slow dancing being a thing of the past. Over and over on YouTube I read comments posted by people lamenting that fact. When Bandstand was still in Philadelphia, the teens often danced cheek to cheek. Some of the hip regulars also invented a bump style form of dancing in which they drew their bodies together and bumped at the hips. It was exclusive to Philly and it's too cool for school. That's why I favor the early years of the show when it originated from Philadelphia. Another interesting tidbit that I read recently states that Dick Clark sometimes scolded couples who tried to hog the spotlight and remained directly in front of the camera too long, effectively blocking other dancers from getting their share of exposure. Clark would actually call out to them by name and tell them to fall back into the pack to make room for others. In those early years the cameras were large, heavy and cumbersome. They were essentially locked down in one position and the kids needed to dance past them. It wasn't until the later 60s when the show was taped in LA that cameras became lighter and had greater mobility and techniques of panning, zooming and trucking were used to cover the field of dancers in a more interesting fashion.
As I mentioned to Michele (above), the Bandstand episodes were taped four or five weeks in advance. At the time of taping it was difficult to predict which records would go on to become hits. Sometimes the goofiest recordings imaginable were played on the show, and those brand X recordings that nobody remembers today were posted on the show's Top 10 board along with classics by The Beatles and other famous artists. The dancers needed to figure out how to dance to all of the records that played - the good, the bad and the ugly. The best dancers were the ones who jumped in, had fun and made the most of it while the others struggled.
Right you are, Kirk. I'd get up and dance to Roseanne Barr's rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Yep... I'd dance right on out the door. :)
Yes, Mrs. Shady and I had a merry Christmas, Kirk, and I hope you and yours did too. I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year, good buddy. Thanks again for your support and see you in 2020!
Hi Shady Seaweed...I managed to make it here before the "ball" drops! I hope you and Mrs. Shady had a pretty nice Christmas, even with all moving and traveling!
ReplyDeleteI grew up with American Bandstand, but was no longer watching it in the late 60's. Guess I was out doing a bit of my own dancing and enjoying the music! Gosh, the music was ever changing by then, and some of us were dancing in different directions. However, I always loved American Bandstand, and Dick Clark. We knew the names of the popular dancers on the show in earlier 60's. I don't remember Irma Thomas and "Anyone who Knows What Love Is", but what a good song! And you found a good video to showcase the song with!
Jan and Dean were so great, and "Surf City" was certainly a fun song, it always made me feel more full of life and hope! I loved the surf scene! And, how about that " Summer Blonde" commercial! I used it a lot, and when my son was around 10 yrs old in the early 80's, he used it too! It's true, you gradually became blonde, and no one was the wiser, haha!
The Association was good in all of their music, and it was nice to see dancing to "Never My Love". I never got to dance slow to this one or Johnny Rivers, "Poor Side of Town", and great song. And, I did catch the sweet smile in the video!
This is one of your great posts, Shady Seaweed! The Jefferson Airplane and The Turtles, had a play in the dance scene. I notice in the later 60's some of the dance moves changing, and I am so impressed with the guys! They all a very good dancers! Very few of the boys in my class would even dance, but I found that to be different in other part of the city where teen dance clubs housed a better variety of dancers. I guess that is how we learned to dance the latest styles.
I agree with you, Shady, I wouldn't trade places with any other generation, no matter how much easier and how good they may have it!
Happy New Year, dear Shady McSeaweed! Take care, dear friend-love this post!
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteThanks for coming to the 57th annual New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady jamboree, dear friend! You made it here in plenty of time to see the ball drop. Kiss, Shady Seaweed's regularly scheduled guests who in years past helped Shady "Kiss the year goodbye," couldn't make it this year. Seems Gene Simmons tripped over his tongue and got a nasty bump on his noggin. In his absence, we switched live to LA for a recap of some of the great songs and dances on American Bandstand in the 60s.
Thanks for sharing memories of watching Bandstand, remembering that Summer Blonde commercial, and how you and Rusty used the product years ago. In old TV spots like those embedded in AB, you sometimes see future stars like Susan Dey of The Partridge Family and LA Law:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT0uLJQHXBU
... and Cybil Shepperd:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v0XPL1AOtA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v4IrRwG8I8
Slow dancing was big at the Shady Dell, and I preferred it to fast dancing. My Funky Robot did not appeal to the Dellettes. :) I'm sorry you never had the opportunity to slow drag to either of those records. They are great snuggle songs. I feel lucky to have grown up in the East where dancing was popular with guys as well as the girls. I always envied guys who were smooth on their feet. I never was.
I'm thrilled that you enjoyed this nostalgic journey back to the 60s as my yearender post, dear friend Suzanne. Thank you again for being here, and for your continued unwavering support and friendship in 2019. I've got lots of great music in the pipeline for 2020 along with exciting new hosts and guest deejays. I hope you and Scootie have a nice New Year's eve and I hope to see you this Wednesday, January 1, when I present my annual Year of the Dell Rat feature. It's a two-parter and I hope you like it. See you next year, dear friend Suzanne!