New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady 2021: Rock, Roll and Remember Dick Clark & the Teen Dancers on Bandstand!

 HI, I'M SHADY SEAWEED 

 "AMERICA'S OLDEST LIVING TODDLER" 

 WELCOMING 

 YOU TO THE 

 59th 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 2021. As we look ahead to the coming year, let's view the past
with 20-20 hindsight as we go back to the glory years of Dick Clark's
long running music program American Bandstand. Tonight the spot-
light 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.

Assuming that you don't have time to watch every video

from start to finish, I cued each one to the spot where,

in my opinion, the best dance sequence begins.

 RETURN WITH US NOW TO 
 THE GOLDEN YEARS OF BANDSTAND. 

Observe the young studio dancers of the 1960s,
their body language, clothing styles and hairdos.
Note their attitude, how they conducted
themselves on the program.

 THE CRYSTALS 

The Crystals song "Da Doo Ron Ron" was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich

and Phil Spector. Like "yada yada yada" on Seinfeld, the words "Da Doo Ron Ron"

were merely nonsense syllables used to fill gaps in the song until "real" lyrics

could be inserted. However Spector decided he liked the gibberish and

it was left in the song. The result was a top 3 hit for his girl group.

On January 4, 1964, when the following episode aired, American Bandstand

was still broadcasting from Philadelphia. In this clip, you will see the most

popular members of Bandstand's cast of studio dancers performing an

unusual move they invented, a maneuver that's too cool for school.

Watch as they repeatedly bump together in a stylish East Coast

variation of the Lindy Hop, a dance style that did not

follow the show out to the West Coast that year.

"Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)" - The Crystals

(May/June 1963, highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100/#4 Cash Box,

#5 R&B, dancers on Jan. 4, 1964, ep. of American Bandstand)

 TIM TAM & THE TURN-ONS 

The gang of regulars on the West Coast version of Bandstand had their own

dance styles. In this clip in particular, the dancing is very impressive because
the gang gets down, gets into it, and does a more energetic workout than
usual. Watch the moves as the kids groove to "Wait A Minute," a minor

hit by the Detroit area rock 'n' roll band Tim Tam And The Turn-Ons.

"Wait A Minute" - Tim Tam and the Turn-Ons

(Mar. 1966, highest chart pos. #76 Hot 100,
dancers on Feb. 12, 1966 ep. of Bandstand)

 THE SUPREMES 

(SHEBANG!)

Now here is a glimpse of another LA-based music show for teenagers.

Shebang, hosted by disc jockey and radio personality Casey Kasem,

aired from 1965 to 1968 on KTLA channel 5. In this rare video,

Kasem and the studio dancers, some of them regulars on

American Bandstand, celebrate the show's one year

anniversary. You will see Jewel Akens, the man

who had a hit with "The Birds And The Bees,"

autographing the Shebang banner, and a

blonde dancer at the 6:50 mark who

looks a lot like Goldie Hawn!

"Stop! In The Name Of Love" - The Supremes

(Mar./Apr. 1965, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100

& Cash Box/#2 R&B, dancers on Mar. 16, 1966,

one year anniversary ep. of TV series Shebang)

 THE BOX TOPS 

Clothing and hair styles and dance steps changed considerably
as the early 60s yielded to the mid and late 60s. Notice how

the Bandstanders looked and danced in the fall of 1967.

"The Letter" - The Box Tops

(Sept./Oct. 1967, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box,

dancers on Oct. 21, 1967 ep. of American Bandstand)

 THE 5TH DIMENSION 

I grew up knowing "Go Where You Wanna Go" only as the 1965 song written

by John Phillips, recorded by The Mamas & The Papas and released as a single

and as a track on their 1966 debut studio album If You Can Believe Your Eyes

and Ears. Until recently I wasn't aware of the cover by The 5th Dimension

released in 1967 on their debut studio album Up, Up and Away. Watch

what the Bandstand studio dancers do with the song.

"Go Where You Wanna Go" - The 5th Dimension

(Feb./Mar. 1967, highest chart pos. #16 Hot 100 & Cash Box,

dancers on Feb. 4, 1967 Ep. of American Bandstand)

 SPENCER DAVIS GROUP 

More great dancing out on the West Coast can be witnessed in this

clip from an episode in early 1967 as the Bandstand teens do their

thing to "Gimme Some Lovin', a top 5 hit for the English rock band

The Spencer Davis Group featuring Steve Winwood on lead vocals.

"Gimme Some Lovin'" - Spencer Davis Group

(Feb./Mar. 1967, highest chart pos. #5 Cash Box/#7 Hot 100,
dancers on Feb. 4, 1967 ep. of American Bandstand)

 BOBBY VINTON 

To close the show, a song and video that mark a pivotal point in time for

several reasons. It is one of the first episodes of American Bandstand

to be taped after the assassination of President Kennedy. It is one of

the last Bandstand shows to be taped in Philadelphia before the show

moved to LA. It also represents a moment when the pop music scene

was about to change radically and permanently.  The song you are

about to hear, a sweet romantic 50s style ballad by pop crooner

Bobby Vinton, reached #1 on the chart the first week of 1964.

By the time this episode of Bandstand aired one week later on

January 11th, Bobby's ballad had been replaced at the top of the

chart by the rowdy and allegedly dirty ditty "Louie Louie" by the

garage rock band The Kingsment, and "I Want To Hold Your Hand"

by an English combo named The Beatles made it's first appearance

on the U.S. chart. Starting two weeks later and for the next 16 weeks,

The Beatles topped the U.S. chart with their refreshingly new and

different sounding recordings. The era of rock bands had begun,

rendering American teen idols obsolete. The times, they were

a changin'. There, I've said it again.

"There! I've Said It Again" - Bobby Vinton

(Dec. 1963/Jan. 1964, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box,
dancers on Jan. 11, 1964 ep. of American Bandstand)

Can it be that it was all so simple then

Or has time rewritten every line?

If we had the chance to do it all again

Tell me, would we? Could we?

Submitted for your approval - exhibits A through G - seven scenes of
young people having good clean fun... unbridled joy... fresh faced
exuberance. Simply put - it was great to be alive in the 60s!
If you ever wondered why Boomers say they wouldn't
trade places with kids of 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! 

Libbin' It Up With The Good Girls (Cindy, Patti & Jane) Vol. 1: Things I'd Like to Say to Somebody Groovy!

BOOTH ANNOUNCER GARY OWENS:

...and the cow was returned to its rightful owner.

And that's the latest from S-P-M-M news...
fast, up-to-the-minute, completely fake
and proud of it. Now stand by for

 LIBBIN' IT UP with 

 THE GOOD GIRLS 

 Cindy, Patti & Jane 

on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!

PIGGYBACK COLD OPEN:
CLICK TO PLAY THE FIRST VIDEO.
AT THE 15 SEC. MARK, CLICK TO
START THE SECOND VIDEO!

"Things I'd Like To Say" - New Colony Six

(Feb./Mar. 1969, highest chart pos. #13 Cash Box/#16 Hot 100)

Kicking off the show and putting you in a mellow mood, that was

the soft rock sound of the Chicago band New Colony Six doing the

biggest hit of their career "Things I'd Like to Say." That single was

released in October 1968 and climbed the charts slowly, reaching

its peak in the top 15 in March of 1969.

Cindy               Patti                   Jane

Hi, I'm Patti Robinson, here with my friends and co-workers Cindy Reston

and Jane Hollander. We're The Good Girls. By day we work as researchers

at News of the Week magazine in New York City on the television series

Good Girls Revolt. By night we woman the microphone as the newest

members of The Shady Bunch deejay staff here on S-P-M-M Radio.

We're libbin it up with the grooviest sounds that came out of the

revolutionary period from the mid 60s through early 70s!

She's "living in shame." Diana Ross and the Supremes

are up next to tell the tale in this the sequel to their

chart-topping 1968 single "Love Child."

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

One of several late 60s Motown hits with social consciousness themes,
"I'm Livin' In Shame" was penned by The Clan, the group of composers
that replaced the songwriting/producing team of Holland–Dozier–
Holland and gave us "Love Child." Now the story continues!

"I'm Livin' In Shame" - Diana Ross And The Supremes

(Feb./Mar. 1969, highest chart pos. #8 R&B & Cash Box/#10 Hot 100)

"I'm Livin' In Shame" a top 10 crossover hit

for Diana Ross and the Supremes in 1969.

By early the following year Diana Ross

was out on her own as a solo artist and

The Supremes had a new lead singer,

Jean Terrell, who revitalized the act

and led them to a string of hits in

the early 70s.

Now it's time for me to turn the mic

over to my friend Cindy who will

play the next two songs.

Thanks, Patti. You're Libbin It Up with
The Good Girls exclusively here on
S-P-M-M... Retrosonic Radio in
Futuresonic Stereo Surround.
Our 7-in-row commercial free
cruise is just getting started.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

My first spin is a super enhanced version
of a single recorded by a group of pop
rockers from right here in New York.
They call themselves Alive and Kicking

and this is their claim to fame, a top 5 hit
in the summer of '70-- "Tighter, Tighter!"

"Tighter, Tighter" - Alive And Kicking

(July/Aug. 1970, highest chart pos. #5 Cash Box/#7 Hot 100)

Alive And Kicking with "Tighter, Tighter," a 1970 nugget

that was co-written and co-produced by Tommy James.

You're Libbin' It Up with The Good Girls on S-P-M-M...

the station that's #1 for music and fun, and I'm Cindy.

CLICK TO START VIDEO NOW!

The compositions of New York singer and song-
writer Laura Nyro gave The 5th Dimension
five of their hits including the song I'm
playing right now, a groovy tune
entitled "Stoned Soul Picnic."

"Stoned Soul Picnic" - The 5th Dimension

(June/July/Aug. 1968, highest chart pos.
#2 R&B/#3 Hot 100/#6 Cash Box)

A soulful sound to trigger sweet
memories of the summer of '68...
 that was "Stoned Soul Picnic,"
the first hit single released by
The 5th Dimension to cross
over to the R&B chart,
reaching the top 3
on both lists.

That does it for me. Now I'm
handing the mic to my friend
Jane who has the next two
songs on our playlist.

Thank you, Cindy, and hi everyone.
If you're just tuning in... we're
The Good Girls, Patti, Cindy and
me, Jane. We're friends and co-
workers, a new breed of women
asserting ourselves and breaking
through the glass ceiling at
News of the Week magazine in
the late 60s. We're having a blast
moonlighting as Shady Bunch DJs
 here on S-P-M-M. A moment ago,
Cindy played a great sound by
The 5th Dimension.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

I'm sure you recall the single that became the next major crossover hit
for that group, the 1969 smash "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In," a medley
of songs from the rock musical Hair. Well here's another one from
that Broadway show. Good morning, starshine, The Good Girls
say hello, and this is-- Oliver!

"Good Morning Starshine" - Oliver

(June/July 1969, highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100,
#4 Cash Box, from 1967 musical Hair)

From the Broadway musical Hair that was

William Oliver Swofford, better known as Oliver,

with one of the great feel good songs of late 60s

sunshine pop rock - "Good Morning Starshine."

Here's another dose of classic 60s sunshine pop.

It's the Mama's and the Papa's with a song from

their #1 charting 1966 debut album If You
Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. 

START VIDEO NOW!

This hip ditty from John, Denny, Michy and

Mama Cass was also released on the B sides
of two singles, "Go Where You Wanna Go" and

"California Dreamin." Here's-- "Somebody Groovy!"

"Somebody Groovy" - The Mama's And The Papa's

(Jan./Feb./Mar. 1966, B side of "California Dreamin',"

from Mar. 1966 album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears)

So cool, The Mamas And The Papas with "Somebody Groovy"

from their debut album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears.
Spelling errors aside (both the album and single were printed
with apostrophes in "Mamas" and "Papas") the LP ranks high
on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Cindy               Patti                   Jane

Gosh, they're waving us off and that means we gotta go.
Thanks a lot for joining us for our first radio blogcast.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Coming up on the B side of news, Shawn & Gus, those crazy guys from Psych,
return to play another game of Rock Jeopardy, and we'll be back soon with
another sensational set of songs from the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
on Libbin' It Up. Until then we're The Good Girls, Cindy, Patti & Jane,

saying goodbye for now and reminding you to follow that dream
wherever that dream may lead. Just go for it. Never give up -
never give in. See you next time!

"Classical Gas" - Mason Williams

(July/Aug. 1968, highest chart pos. #1 Cash Box/#2 Hot 100)