Battle of the Bands! Denny Crane Goes Dutch Introducing a Bevy of Beauties from Holland. He'd Love to Go There... Wooden Shoe?

Dolly Dots

Denny Crane

period. end of sentence.

I'm Beantown's all time greatest lawyer... 

A-#1, top of the list, King of the hill, top of the heap.

Never lost a case. Never will.

Women love me

and I love them.

We make whoopee.

It's the American way.

 

In case you just arrived from another planet, my BFF Alan Shore

and I are stars of the David E. Kelley TV series Boston Illegal Legal.

We will also be co-hosting the new Shady's Place radio series

Letch Dance

with Alan Shore

showcasing the hoofing honeys on Top Of The Pops

and other Euro music TV shows of the 60s, 70s and 80s. 

In today's sneak preview, I am participating in the June 1

Battle Of The Bands blog hop. You will be entertained by

four Dutch all-female pop groups of the 1970s and 80s. 

Vote for the girl group you like best. Simple as that.

"My Angel is the Centerfold" 

CONTESTANT #1

CENTERFOLD 

The first Dutch girl group in today's competition is Centerfold,

a pop trio that had a string of hits in The Netherlands

during the mid to late 80s. 

Their first single, "Bad Boy," was accompanied by a spicy

photoshoot for the Dutch Playboy Magazine in 1984.

 The ladies performed their song nude on the popular TV-show TopPop.

Before long, their sex kitten image made Centerfold a household name. 

Say hello to Centerfold as they do four songs for you, beginning

with a 1988 appearance in Spain performing-- "The Goodbye." 

"The Goodbye" - Centerfold (1988 perf. in Spain) 

"Radar Love" - Golden Earring cover by Centerfold

(Dec. 1986/Jan. 1987, highest chart pos. #11 Belgium/#14 Netherlands) 

"Intimate Climate" - Centerfold

(Apr./May 1987, highest chart pos. #36 Netherlands) 

"Dictator" - Centerfold

(Mar./Apr. 1986, highest chart pos. #3 Netherlands Dance,

#6 Netherlands/#19 Belgium) 

"I Got You Babe" 

(in the Coat Check Room

of a Restaurant) 

CONTESTANT #2

BABE 

Act #2 in my contest is Babe, a Dutch girl-pop band

of the 70s and 80s that specialized in bubblegum pop.

  I think Babe sounded a lot like ABBA, and at times like

Phil Spector's girl group of the 60s, The Ronettes. 

Here's an interesting piece of trivia. Although Babe was very popular

in The Netherlands, stats show that the group had the most Top 40

hits without ever placing a single in the top 10 on the chart.

Listen now for the sound of ABBA and The Ronettes on these four Babe songs,

beginning with a single released in the fall of 1982-- "Together In Love Again!" 

"Together In Love Again" - Babe

(Oct./Nov. 1982, perf. on TopPop) 

"Explosive" - Babe (Mar/Apr. 1983) 

"Please Me, Please Do" - Babe

(first single, May/June 1979) 

"Tell Him" -  Babe

(last single, Exciters cover, June/July 1985) 

"You sho nuff the dizzle

and dats fo shizzle." 

CONTESTANT #3

FRIZZLE SIZZLE 

Act #3 in my band battle is Frizzle Sizzle,

a Dutch teenage girl group of the 80s. 

Frizzle Sizzle was selected to represent the Netherlands

in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1986.

Soon after, the group found success with their recordings of English language songs.

Here's a fine one released as a single that same year-- "Never Give Up!" 

"Never Give Up" - Frizzle Sizzle

(Apr./May 1986) 

"Dots not all, folks.

Hello, Dolly!" 

CONTESTANT #4

DOLLY DOTS 

The final contestants in my all-Dutch, all-female

Battle of the Bands are The Dolly Dots. 

From 1979 to 1988 the dance-pop sextet (I like the sound of that) 

scored a large number of hits throughout Europe. 

Here are The Dolly Dots performing their very first single released

in 1979, a top 5 hit on the charts in The Netherlands

and Belgium-- "(Tell It All About) Boys!" 

"(Tell It All About) Boys" - Dolly Dots

(June/July 1979, highest chart pos. #4 Netherlands/#5 Belgium) 

Okay, which Dutch girl pop group do you like most?

VOTE NOW!

And stay tuned for the launch of my new

Shady's Place/S-P-M-M radio series

Letch Dance

with Alan Shore

coming in 2023! 

In case you're wondering, I dated all three Centerfold women.

I was engaged to all three Babes. 

I married and divorced all of the Frizzle Sizzle gals. 

...and I'm still married to all 6 Dolly Dots...

one for every night of the week.

 That leaves a day off to rest, drink brandy and smoke

 cigars with Alan... and maybe have a sleepover. 

Life is good.

God bless America! 

DENNY

CRANE. 

Alan Shore Wheedles: "Letch Dance!"

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Pan's People do the "Monster Mash" -

Bobby "Boris" Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers

(Halloween 1962, highest chart pos. #1,

ver. 2 of dance perf. by Pan's People on
Sept. 13, 1973, ep. of Top Of The Pops)

Halloween's fast approaching and what better way to get into the spirit
than with a zesty dance routine by the lovely and talented Pan's People
from the English music television series Top Of The Pops? In that
vintage clip from Halloween season 1973, Pan's Peeps did the
"Mash"... they did the "Monster Mash," shaking their groove
things to Bobby (Boris) Pickett's nifty novelty number,
a record that originally charted at Halloween 1962.

Hi there. I'm
Alan Shore

and you're not.

I got that one
from Chevy Chase.

(BA-DUM-BUMP)

Unless you've been hiding out on planet Pluto for the last hundred years,

you know that I'm the hot shot lawyer who starred in not one but two

hit courtroom dramedies, namely The Practice and Boston Legal.

On season 8 of The Practice, I swept in, grabbed the reins and singlehandedly

resurrected the struggling Boston law firm of Young, Frutt, and Berluti. When

that blew up I moved across town, shook up the establishment and proved
myself the best and most libidinous lawyer at my BFF Denny Crane's

shop Crane, Poole & Schmidt as the star of Boston Legal.

A little more about me: My hobbies are women, incessant flirting, women,

getting even, women, invading personal space, women and crossing
the line in imaginative ways. Did I mention women? Scroll down
to view more examples of my libertine libido in action:

As you can see, I never got the memo about political correctness.

When I'm not busy going rogue... I'm a loose cannon.  

I smoke nasty cigars.....

I consume mass quantities of alcohol. I have even been known

to jaywalk on occasion... and these are my good qualities.

Gotta love me... or not.

Be that as it may, I am the most loyal

friend you'll ever find, and trust me,

you don't want me as an enemy.

Recently Shady Del Knight hired me to

spice up his Bandstands in Foreign Lands

series. My first order of business was to

raid the archives and seize the clips of

dancing damsels on Top Of The Pops.

You see, I am absolutely ob-SESSED

with attractive women, especially

when they are whirling and twirling

and jiggling and gyrating on stage.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Effective immediately I'll be hosting

Letch Dance, a new Shady's Place feature that shines the spotlight on the lovely
ladies of Pan's People, Ruby Flipper and Legs & Co, the happy hoofers who
appeared on Top Of The Pops from 1968 through 1981. Letch Dance is
a blog series that thinks it's a radio show. Big fun is literally waiting
in the wings, but first allow me to deliver my opening statement.

PAN'S PEOPLE (JULY 1968 TO APRIL 1976)

Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, over the years these young women

have been looked down upon by certain segments of society. Essentially they

have been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. I say don't

hate them just because they're beautiful and graceful on their feet.
I say don't judge them just because they chose to make a few
extra pounds sterling shaking their booties on TV.

I can cite precedent. In a landmark
decision in 1956, Supreme Court
Justice Richard Penniman wrote
the following opinion, and I quote:

The girl can't help it if she was born to please

She can't help it, the girl can't help it

And if she's got a figure made to squeeze

She can't help it, the girl can't help it

Now I'm not about to subject you to the same old tired song and dance routine.

These bopping, Bunny Hopping Brit birds are fresh faced, vivacious and exciting.

LEGS & CO (NOVEMBER 1976 TO OCTOBER 1981)

For years they helped make Top Of The Pops the toast of the town,
and they made a little bread in the process. I'm on a roll... so without
further ado... letch the music play and letch the dancing begin!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Here's the ideal music bed for a fan-made tribute to the classy lassies
of Pan's People and Legs & Co. It's "Hot Legs," a rowdy song from

Rod Stewart's 1977 album Foot Loose & Fancy Free. Have at it!

"Hot Legs" - Rod Stewart
(Mar./Apr. 1978, highest chart pos. #25 Cash Box/#28 Hot 100,

fan tribute to Pan's People and Legs & Co on Top Of The Pops)

RUBY FLIPPER (MAY TO OCTOBER 1976)

Now let's give Ruby Flipper some sugar and watch them perform. 

Remember, if the Ruby Flipper doesn't fit... you must acquit.

Ask me what I'm thinking as the girls get their kicks to

this hit tune by Walter Murphy, and I'll plead the fifth!

"A Fifth Of Beethoven" - Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band

(Aug thru Oct. 1976, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box,

dance perf. by Ruby Flipper on Top Of The Pops)

I hope you enjoyed this sneak preview

of my new blog series that thinks

it's a radio show. The evidence

presented proves beyond a shadow

that Pan's People, Ruby Flipper

 and Legs & Co... troupers one

and all, are highly skilled in the

art of terpsichore, and they

aren't bad at dancing either.

BA-DUM-BUMP)

I'm Alan Shore bidding you farewell. I promise

there'll be much more music and merriment

when I make my next appearance

at Shady's Place and cry:

Letch Dance! 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

To play us off, here again are Pan's People

with a second Halloween treat, a different

version of their "Monster Mash" routine.

Bye bye!

"Monster Mash" - Bobby "Boris" Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers

(ver. 1 promo of dance perf. by Pan's People on

Sept. 13, 1973, ep. of Top Of The Pops)