The film 12 Angry men I had to watch in class at school when learning about legal studies. I saw it in 1996 and was surprised to find out in this video it was released in 1957!!! Great video Steve!
I first saw "12 Angry Men" in a college film course. It's considered such a classic now, I feel like I should have said a little more about it in the episode. Thanks for the comments, Usualmike!
1. I really love the credit on Old Cape Cod: Vocal by Patti Page accompanied by The Voices of Patti Page. The stereo version, which sounds great, was very rare for a long time. I'm surprised overdub pioneer Les Paul wasn't involved. 2. Cinderella was one of the very few color programs on CBS in the 1950s. Seems Bill Paley's anti-color policy was quite inconsistent. 3. Dean Martin was supposed to be in The Delicate Delinquent, but before their break-up, Dean told Jerry Lewis he did not want to play a police officer.
Thanks for the additional info, Joel! (and I hadn't noticed the credit on the Patti Page record.) Coincidentally, since I recorded this, I learned that "Cinderella" was the only musical written by Rogers & Hammerstein specficially for television. I found out because it happened to be the answer to "28 across" in last Sunday's New York Times crossword puzzle. I wish the puzzle had come a week earlier...I'd have mentioned that in the episode! Thanks again for the great info, Joel!
Great stuff Steve, strange how a lot of songs mentioned will be covered by The Beach Boys. No tv at this time for me , had to make do with a very poor reception of “Radio Luxembourg”, with Pinky and Perky’s “Going to the zoo” as my favourite song.
I had to look up Pinky & Perky. I couldn't find "Going To The Zoo," but the clips I found paint a great picture of "where you were" in '57. I'm sure I'd have loved Pinky & Perky just a few years later if I'd seen them! Thanks for the great feedback, John!
Nice rundown of the Pop records and movies for 1957's second quarter, Steve! Elvis, in his final years, started performing the Diamonds' song "Little Darlin" in his concerts. Some of these live performances were recorded. Interesting story about a young Dennis Wilson and friends lip-syncing to a song at school. Like how you connect the Beach Boys to whatever time period you're talking about, like mentioning albums by the Four Freshmen and the Hi-Lo's. Think the movie 12 Angry Men was another strong performance for Henry Fonda. Have always enjoyed the Sci-Fi films The Incredible Shrinking Man (With outstanding special effects for the time) and The Invasion Of The Saucer Men (Which I find very funny!).
Thanks, Robert! As you might have guessed, I owe Jim Murphy and his great "Becoming The Beach Boys" book for the Dennis Wilson story. (Just another piece of early Beach Boys history that might have been lost forever if not for Jim's impeccable research.) "12 Angry Men" is such an important film (especially with Henry Fonda's performance) that I kind of feel I should have said more about it here. "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and "Invasion of The Saucermen" are two of the first movies I remember ever seeing (on TV.) I was so young, I remember my mom explaining what was going on in "Shrinking Man" and my dad explaining "Saucermen" to me. (Some of it was that I was too young to follow the plots. Some of it, probably, was the poor quality of the picture on our black and white set.) I love both movies. "Saucermen," in particular, is a movie I can happily watch over and over again. It's certainly no "classic" but I find it a lot of fun and, speaking of good performances, I think Frank Gorshin really raised the level of the material. In the early diner scene, and in the scene where he's describing the saucer to his roommate, he brings a level of humor to it that I don't think was there on the written page. (If you've seen the ultra-low budget remake "Attack of The Eye Creatures," you'll have seen what I mean!) Great to hear from you, as always, Robert, and thanks for the great feedback!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I was going to ask how you found out about the Dennis Wilson story, but you answered it in your reply back! Thanks for that info. Steve!
That's great! I do wonder about the next line in "Disney Girls"...Was Bruce really making wine in the garage in 1957, when he was a freshman in high school? Thanks for the feedback, Paul!
Great job , Steve ! Your review of the popular singles sent me searching through a box of old 45 ‘s . I had begun accumulating them in 1957 and hadn’t realized what a slave I was to the top ten . There were all the hits you mentioned by The Everly Bros. , Buddy Knox , The Del Vikings , Chuck Berry , and ( inexplicably) , Perry Como’s “ Round and Round “ . ( I must have liked the song …? ) There was also a copy of Tommy Sand’s , “Teenage Crush “ . He had been elevated to idol status at Capitol Records thanks to his relationship with Frank Sinatra’s daughter , Nancy . There’s a curious story about The Diamond’s “ Little Darlin’ “ . The Canadian group intended the recording to be a parody of rock & roll . When one saw a performance, the parody became clearer with one singer holding a scarf over his head during the “ La La la’s “ as he used falsetto to pretend to be the girl in the relationship. America embraced the parody as a completely straight performance and sent it to the top of the charts . On TV , I clearly remember watching Elvis’ first Ed Sullivan appearance while we were visiting my Aunt Ruth’s house in a nearby town . Being rather strait-laced , my Aunt found the singer’s gyrations scandalous .
Thanks for sharing the great memories and info, beanie! Sounds like a nice collection of 45s! (“Round and Round” is a Perry Como song that I really like, along with all the rock ‘n roll records. Since it’s in your collection too, maybe its appeal was slightly broader, or different, from most of Perry Como’s records.) Thanks for the info on Tommy Sands. I did kind of wonder where his huge appeal came from. (Not that I find him particularly “bad” or anything. I just couldn’t see how he became SO popular.) You’ve explained it for me! I’d never heard the back story on “Little Darlin’” before either. Now that you’ve told the story, it completely makes sense. Actually, I think, it makes the recording even more “historic” for wildly expanding the kind of falsetto acceptable on a rock ‘n’ roll record. Again for sharing the great info, and for the memory of seeing Elvis for the first time and your Aunt Ruth’s reaction. Of course, I’ve always heard in general terms that some people found the performance scandalous. I think this is the first I’ve heard from someone who saw that reaction first-hand! Thanks again for sharing! Have a great week, beanie!
Some great shows back then as we were limited to so many channels. Am I wrong your vocals seem to be getting more versatile. Sadly as you posting this video we lost Duane Eddy and his one and only guitar sound. R I P
You know, I think I actually am getting a little better on the vocals. (Of course, "better" is a relative term!) On a very different note, thanks for passing along the sad news about Duane Eddy. I hadn't heard. He will be missed. Good to hear from you, Don!
Fascinating insight. You can see a teenage culture coming to the fore through a mist of adult music. Elvis, The Everly's, Del Vikings, The Diamonds, Buddy Knox, Charlie Gracie, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino all timeless classics. I really enjoy these insightful videos. I notice not a greaser in sight. I read an article years ago that argued Sha Na Na (then "Lords of Flatbush" and "Happy Days") brought the memory of greaser culture to the fore as mainstream imagery seemed to overlook it almost completely.
Excellent points, Raymond! When I was in high school in the mid/late 70s, we used to have “50s Day” at school and every guy would turn up dressed as a “greaser.” My mom used to point out that, back in the “actual” 50s, “greasers” were few and were considered highly sketchy characters, and that nobody would have ever come to school dressed like that. I think you’re absolutely right that “50s nostalgia” in music, movies and TV in the 70s really distorted the concept of “the 50s” for those who weren’t there. I hope these episodes are capturing a little more of what it was really like “back in the day.” (I’m trying my best, anyway!) Thanks for the comments and insights, Raymond!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I grew up in Northern NJ … about 20 miles from NYC . Trust me , greasers weren’t THAT rare … especially if one visited the sketchier towns for which the garden state is famous .
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 In my day, greasers became "hoods." You know, guys that took Auto Shop, hung out in the alley smoking cigarettes, and pushing the envelope on long hair & cutting class. (how's that for the later 60s stereotype?) Yet the chicks LOVED these "bad boys" !
@@burlingtonbill1 Yes! I'd forgotten that my mom always said they called them "hoods" too and gave me the same general description. Thanks for that, Bill!
A comprehensive look at records & TV of the period! Good on ya, Steve! Stan Freberg took over from Jack Benny the CBS radio show Benny left behind when he moved to TV. Freberg was fond of reminding his fans later on that he had the last network radio show before that once-popular entertaiment staple imploded. Nice to see the moment Rick Nelson broke out as the teen heartthrob singer! I've long been a closet fan of Perry Como, although not of everything he recorded. "Round & Round" was the 1st of 3 big 1957 hits and some of my personal faves. Written by 2 Brill Building guys, Shapiro & Stallman, "R & R" was followed by a double-sided monster 45 of "Catch a Falling Star" -- and then, the B-side, "Magic Moments," from new songwriters Bacharach & David. P.S. Another musical icon, Richard Tandy, longtime keyboards player for ELO, has died at age 76. Pinder, Tandy...
Thanks for the good words, Bill, and thanks, too, for the info on Stan Freberg having the last network radio show. (Is there a term for the opposite of "pioneer"?) I certainly know Stan Freberg, but didn't know about the show. Very interesting! I feel pretty much the same about Perry Como. I don't, personally, care for all his hits but there are some that I really, really enjoy and "Round and Round" is chief among them. (I know there's a TV commercial that's using the song right now too, but I can't remember, at the moment, what it's for. I know it'll come to me later!) Thanks for the reminder that "Magic Moments" was the first time we heard music from Bacharach and David, which, based on that alone, certainly makes it a landmark in pop music history! Thanks, again, as always, for the great feedback, Bill!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 After listening to the subject Perry Como record , I conclude that its appeal stems from the fact that “ Round and Round “ is indeed a “ round “ . That old English musical form that we all learned in classrooms and summer camps seems to have a universal appeal . Perry and his very professional background singers create the multiple musical lines .
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 One of my small thrills was when some of Perry's more "energetic" hits were part of (for my wife & I) the classic 1999 movie, "Blast From the Past."
Oh yeah! Now that you've mentioned it, I remember seeing that somewhere; I don't remember if it was an older clip I saw somewhere or if I saw his ukulele playing when I was a kid in the 60s. In any case, I wish I'd mentioned it here! Thanks for the reminder, Bill!
Great stuff Steve! Love the Jan And Dean Meet Batman album in the background. It's a shame One Way Records didn't get permission to use the original album cover. It seems to me Jan And Dean had a song called My Dragstrip Girl. It's cool how many Beach Boys cover songs came from 1957. Of course, I love Ray Harryhausen and stop motion in general. Gunfight At The O.K. Corral is on 4k, but I haven't got it yet. Anyway, awesome as always. P.S. My brother told me yesterday that Richard Tandy passed away.
Thanks for reminding me about Jan and Dean’s “Drag Strip Girl.” I’ve always thought it seems that drag racing gained some “respectability” during the early 60s…becoming seen more as a legitimate “sport” and more associated with the “pioneering spirit” of Craig Breedlove than the kind of thing seen in “Rebel Without A Cause.” (It’s something I’d like to research more.) I love Ray Harryhausen’s work too and I think “20 Million Miles To Earth” had one of the coolest “monsters” in all of 50s sci-fi. I don’t think I’ve seen “Gunfight At The OK Corral.” (I know John Ford’s version of the story from “My Darling Clementine” and always picture Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp and Victor Mature as Doc Holiday. I suppose it’s hard to say which cast was LEAST like the actual historical figures: Fonda and Mature or Lancaster and Douglas.) Anyway, I should check out “Gunfight” some time! Sorry to hear the news about Richard Tandy. Very sad indeed. Over the last few days, viewer comments have also let me know about the passing of Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues and Duane Eddy. I don’t believe the old saying about these things “coming in threes.” In this case, I hope it’s true. We could use a break from the sad news. Always great to hear from you, Michael!
It's too late for this one, but there's footage of a very young Jimmy Page, from April 6, 1957, and he's playing in a skiffle group, singing and playing a song called " Mama don't allow no skiffle", a fascinating look at what the British bands sounded like before they bought their electric guitars, probably what John Lennon's group the Quarrymen sounded like the day they played the church fete and met Paul McCartney....
I didn't know about that footage. Amazing that it exists and I will see if I can check it out. You've probably heard the recording of Lennon performing with the Quarrymen on the day he met McCartney. They're doing "Putting On The Style" and another one, which escapes me at the moment. Even with the rough quality of the performance and the recording, the amazing thing is that the vocal is still, unmistakably, John Lennon. Thanks for letting me know about the Jimmy Page footage, Doc!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444yeah Steve, I heard it, don't know if it's really from that particular day, but yeah that's definitely John singing, even with the most primitive technology, the magic comes through....
Nice Pop! So many great nuggets & reminders here, Steve. I need to see "A Face In the Crowd," especially in light of current events. I forgot to ask you - are you a Harryhausen fan?
That is a pretty nice Pop, isn't it? (Wonder where you'd get something like that!) I am definitely and Harryhausen fan. (I may be in the minority here, but I'd say my favorite "Harryhausen" is "Mysterious Island." I like the simplicity of the story and, what may be key, I have great memories of watching it as a kid.) Thanks for the feedback, Chris!
Steve - Did you ever meet RH during the 80's when you lived in L.A. at any of the monster model shops or Horror conventions? He was pretty accessible back then, I had a bunch of Harryhausen creature garage kits created at the time where I had Ray autograph the bases (I had him autograph 2 posters as well, which was an artists rendition of Ray along with dozens of his creatures.) My favorites are probably Jason and the Argonauts and Valley of Gwangi.
@@bchnwgn I never met him. Cool that you did! He always seemed to be an extremely nice guy. Great that you have the autographs. "Jason" is great too and I love "Gwangi," which seems strangely overlooked. My mom took us to see "Gwangi" at the drive in when it came out. It'll definitely be included when I get to "1969" (hopefully, early in the summer.)
Great video Steve but there is one mistake. I Love Lucy started in October of 1951, so in the spring of 1957, it would've wrapped up its 6th season, not its 5th. It was also the end of the final season, the one you always see in syndication. The series would continue for the next few years in a format of 13 specials per year, titled the Lucille Ball Desi Arnez show , then the Lucy Desi comedy hour, finally ending in the spring of 1960...
You're right, of course! I'm not sure what I was looking at that carved off that first season. Thanks for catching it and for the additional information, Doc!
@@DoctorInsomnia-qw7us I happened upon that factoid accidentally while researching "GE Theater." I never know what I might find working on these things! Thanks, Doc!
Meanwhile here in UK the pop chart was dominated by American records with Elvis at the top and as i said last week, we did have our own stars, but they were mostly recording covers of American music and were pretty tame. And in Liverpool, the teenagers were enjoying music that up to now, wasnt available to the rest of us as sailors would provide American records , which will help to explain the Liverpool Explosion of the 90s as future stars were able to learn from these records, giving them the edge over the rest and it goes without saying that Gerry, Billy J, members of the Searchers, 4 Pennies etc, all benefitted from learning these record and it goes without saying this would include the Beatles. And as for TV, BBC had just been joined by rival ITV which was our first commercial TV channel and we did have a popular music show Six-Five Special . Also comedian Tony Hancock successfully transfered from radio to TV with Sid James., Blue Peter began, though that might have been 1958 , Billy Bunter, Picture Book, Andy Pandy , Bill and Ben the FlowerpoT Men, The Woodentops were all part of Watch with Mother shown every lunchtime on BBC. I gather Whats My Line , This is Your Life and Candid Camera were also doing very well with Dixon of Dock Green topping the ratings. Now you may remember that last week i mentioned about a story involving Elvis and the UK and this story has been widely available here on TV and in the papers and as i have already said our music was dominated by America but we did have our own stars and one of them was Tommy Steele who has since become a much loved all round entertainer , dancer, actor, painter who is hardly in the media, but has a huge following even today , well in his 80s and he has always been well respected by all and a few years ago, he published a book and in that book, he mentioned his long standing friendship with Elvis Presley and as you may know, Elvis wanted to visit London but had been prevented from doing so by the Colonal. But, Elvis DID come to London and DID do the tour and he stayed with Tommy Steele and Tommy claims that he showed Elvis all the sights and for obvious reasons Elvis would have been in some sort of disguise and nothing has ever been revealed of this story until now, following the death of the Colonal and i have no reason to disbelieve this story as Tommy is one of those rare, Honest performers that steers clear of the limelight and would have nothing to gain from making this up.
Even after Tom Hanks' portrayal of The Colonel, I still can't help feeling Elvis would have been a bigger star if he could have broken ties with the parasitic Colonel. As his career progressed, Elvis only appeared in B movies and struggled to break out of the mold that the Colonel seemingly kept him in. But I'm hardly an Elvis expert, so could be wrong. Thanks for the UK side of things!
Thanks for the UK info...Rarely, in all the "across the Atlantic" perspective you've so generously provided over the years have there been so many shows and personalities that I'm not at all familiar with. Great to get the information and I realize I definitely need to learn more about England during this period! AMAZING story about Elvis! I don't know Elvis' history as well as, I'm sure, many viewers here, but it certainly seems like such a low-key visit would have been possible. I don't doubt it and I hope it's true...if, for no other reason, than I'd be pleased that Elvis had that experience. Great stuff, Chris! Thanks so much for passing it along!
@@chrisrainbow2393 One other thing I meant to thank you for was that expansion on the idea of Liverpool as a lively generator of rock musicians and why! "Fascinating," as Mr. Spock would say...
@@burlingtonbill1 Yes, the story goes that many of these records found their way into Brian Epsteins Record Shop which had mostly been full of classical discs, but he had decided to investigate Rock n Roll and became something of an expert long before the rest of the UK ending with him managing the artists we now know as household names.
Julie London will always be Dixie McCall to me! 1957 was before my time
Fantastic episodes Steve on 1957!
I know what you mean, Drew! It probably wasn't until the 90s that I realized "Dixie" had ever had a career before "Emergency!" Thanks, Drew!
but oh, WHAT a sultry voice !
Steve. Great Job! You really taxed my old memory here. I remember sitting on my dad's lap watching Gunsmoke and What''s My Line. Thanks.
That is SO cool! Happy to have stirred the memories and thanks for sharing them, Lamont!
The film 12 Angry men I had to watch in class at school when learning about legal studies. I saw it in 1996 and was surprised to find out in this video it was released in 1957!!! Great video Steve!
I first saw "12 Angry Men" in a college film course. It's considered such a classic now, I feel like I should have said a little more about it in the episode. Thanks for the comments, Usualmike!
1. I really love the credit on Old Cape Cod: Vocal by Patti Page accompanied by The Voices of Patti Page. The stereo version, which sounds great, was very rare for a long time. I'm surprised overdub pioneer Les Paul wasn't involved. 2. Cinderella was one of the very few color programs on CBS in the 1950s. Seems Bill Paley's anti-color policy was quite inconsistent. 3. Dean Martin was supposed to be in The Delicate Delinquent, but before their break-up, Dean told Jerry Lewis he did not want to play a police officer.
Thanks for the additional info, Joel! (and I hadn't noticed the credit on the Patti Page record.) Coincidentally, since I recorded this, I learned that "Cinderella" was the only musical written by Rogers & Hammerstein specficially for television. I found out because it happened to be the answer to "28 across" in last Sunday's New York Times crossword puzzle. I wish the puzzle had come a week earlier...I'd have mentioned that in the episode! Thanks again for the great info, Joel!
Great stuff Steve, strange how a lot of songs mentioned will be covered by The Beach Boys. No tv at this time for me , had to make do with a very poor reception of “Radio Luxembourg”, with Pinky and Perky’s “Going to the zoo” as my favourite song.
I had to look up Pinky & Perky. I couldn't find "Going To The Zoo," but the clips I found paint a great picture of "where you were" in '57. I'm sure I'd have loved Pinky & Perky just a few years later if I'd seen them! Thanks for the great feedback, John!
Nice rundown of the Pop records and movies for 1957's second quarter, Steve! Elvis, in his final years, started performing the Diamonds' song "Little Darlin" in his concerts. Some of these live performances were recorded. Interesting story about a young Dennis Wilson and friends lip-syncing to a song at school. Like how you connect the Beach Boys to whatever time period you're talking about, like mentioning albums by the Four Freshmen and the Hi-Lo's. Think the movie 12 Angry Men was another strong performance for Henry Fonda. Have always enjoyed the Sci-Fi films The Incredible Shrinking Man (With outstanding special effects for the time) and The Invasion Of The Saucer Men (Which I find very funny!).
Thanks, Robert! As you might have guessed, I owe Jim Murphy and his great "Becoming The Beach Boys" book for the Dennis Wilson story. (Just another piece of early Beach Boys history that might have been lost forever if not for Jim's impeccable research.) "12 Angry Men" is such an important film (especially with Henry Fonda's performance) that I kind of feel I should have said more about it here. "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and "Invasion of The Saucermen" are two of the first movies I remember ever seeing (on TV.) I was so young, I remember my mom explaining what was going on in "Shrinking Man" and my dad explaining "Saucermen" to me. (Some of it was that I was too young to follow the plots. Some of it, probably, was the poor quality of the picture on our black and white set.) I love both movies. "Saucermen," in particular, is a movie I can happily watch over and over again. It's certainly no "classic" but I find it a lot of fun and, speaking of good performances, I think Frank Gorshin really raised the level of the material. In the early diner scene, and in the scene where he's describing the saucer to his roommate, he brings a level of humor to it that I don't think was there on the written page. (If you've seen the ultra-low budget remake "Attack of The Eye Creatures," you'll have seen what I mean!)
Great to hear from you, as always, Robert, and thanks for the great feedback!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I was going to ask how you found out about the Dennis Wilson story, but you answered it in your reply back! Thanks for that info. Steve!
When you mentioned Old Cape Cod by Patti Page, I then realized why The Beach Boys' "Disney Girls" has "(1957)" as part of its title.
That's great! I do wonder about the next line in "Disney Girls"...Was Bruce really making wine in the garage in 1957, when he was a freshman in high school? Thanks for the feedback, Paul!
Great job , Steve ! Your review of the popular singles sent me searching through a box of old 45 ‘s . I had begun accumulating them in 1957 and hadn’t realized what a slave I was to the top ten .
There were all the hits you mentioned by The Everly Bros. , Buddy Knox , The Del Vikings , Chuck Berry , and ( inexplicably) , Perry Como’s “ Round and Round “ . ( I must have liked the song …? ) There was also a copy of Tommy Sand’s , “Teenage Crush “ . He had been elevated to idol status at Capitol Records thanks to his relationship with Frank Sinatra’s daughter , Nancy .
There’s a curious story about The Diamond’s “ Little Darlin’ “ . The Canadian group intended the recording to be a parody of rock & roll . When one saw a performance, the parody became clearer with one singer holding a scarf over his head during the “ La La la’s “ as he used falsetto to pretend to be the girl in the relationship. America embraced the parody as a completely straight performance and sent it to the top of the charts .
On TV , I clearly remember watching Elvis’ first Ed Sullivan appearance while we were visiting my Aunt Ruth’s house in a nearby town . Being rather strait-laced , my Aunt found the singer’s gyrations scandalous .
Thanks for sharing the great memories and info, beanie! Sounds like a nice collection of 45s! (“Round and Round” is a Perry Como song that I really like, along with all the rock ‘n roll records. Since it’s in your collection too, maybe its appeal was slightly broader, or different, from most of Perry Como’s records.)
Thanks for the info on Tommy Sands. I did kind of wonder where his huge appeal came from. (Not that I find him particularly “bad” or anything. I just couldn’t see how he became SO popular.) You’ve explained it for me!
I’d never heard the back story on “Little Darlin’” before either. Now that you’ve told the story, it completely makes sense. Actually, I think, it makes the recording even more “historic” for wildly expanding the kind of falsetto acceptable on a rock ‘n’ roll record.
Again for sharing the great info, and for the memory of seeing Elvis for the first time and your Aunt Ruth’s reaction. Of course, I’ve always heard in general terms that some people found the performance scandalous. I think this is the first I’ve heard from someone who saw that reaction first-hand! Thanks again for sharing! Have a great week, beanie!
Some great shows back then as we were limited to so many channels. Am I wrong your vocals seem to be getting more versatile. Sadly as you posting this video we lost Duane Eddy and his one and only guitar sound. R I P
You know, I think I actually am getting a little better on the vocals. (Of course, "better" is a relative term!) On a very different note, thanks for passing along the sad news about Duane Eddy. I hadn't heard. He will be missed. Good to hear from you, Don!
Fascinating insight. You can see a teenage culture coming to the fore through a mist of adult music. Elvis, The Everly's, Del Vikings, The Diamonds, Buddy Knox, Charlie Gracie, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino all timeless classics. I really enjoy these insightful videos. I notice not a greaser in sight. I read an article years ago that argued Sha Na Na (then "Lords of Flatbush" and "Happy Days") brought the memory of greaser culture to the fore as mainstream imagery seemed to overlook it almost completely.
Excellent points, Raymond! When I was in high school in the mid/late 70s, we used to have “50s Day” at school and every guy would turn up dressed as a “greaser.” My mom used to point out that, back in the “actual” 50s, “greasers” were few and were considered highly sketchy characters, and that nobody would have ever come to school dressed like that. I think you’re absolutely right that “50s nostalgia” in music, movies and TV in the 70s really distorted the concept of “the 50s” for those who weren’t there. I hope these episodes are capturing a little more of what it was really like “back in the day.” (I’m trying my best, anyway!) Thanks for the comments and insights, Raymond!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I grew up in Northern NJ … about 20 miles from NYC . Trust me , greasers weren’t THAT rare … especially if one visited the sketchier towns for which the garden state is famous .
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 In my day, greasers became "hoods." You know, guys that took Auto Shop, hung out in the alley smoking cigarettes, and pushing the envelope on long hair & cutting class. (how's that for the later 60s stereotype?) Yet the chicks LOVED these "bad boys" !
@@beanie226 I guess it's the old realty adage: "Location, location, location." Thanks for the great follow-up, Beanie!
@@burlingtonbill1 Yes! I'd forgotten that my mom always said they called them "hoods" too and gave me the same general description. Thanks for that, Bill!
A comprehensive look at records & TV of the period! Good on ya, Steve!
Stan Freberg took over from Jack Benny the CBS radio show Benny left behind when he moved to TV. Freberg was fond of reminding his fans later on that he had the last network radio show before that once-popular entertaiment staple imploded. Nice to see the moment Rick Nelson broke out as the teen heartthrob singer! I've long been a closet fan of Perry Como, although not of everything he recorded. "Round & Round" was the 1st of 3 big 1957 hits and some of my personal faves. Written by 2 Brill Building guys, Shapiro & Stallman, "R & R" was followed by a double-sided monster 45 of "Catch a Falling Star" -- and then, the B-side, "Magic Moments," from new songwriters Bacharach & David.
P.S. Another musical icon, Richard Tandy, longtime keyboards player for ELO, has died at age 76. Pinder, Tandy...
Thanks for the good words, Bill, and thanks, too, for the info on Stan Freberg having the last network radio show. (Is there a term for the opposite of "pioneer"?) I certainly know Stan Freberg, but didn't know about the show. Very interesting!
I feel pretty much the same about Perry Como. I don't, personally, care for all his hits but there are some that I really, really enjoy and "Round and Round" is chief among them. (I know there's a TV commercial that's using the song right now too, but I can't remember, at the moment, what it's for. I know it'll come to me later!) Thanks for the reminder that "Magic Moments" was the first time we heard music from Bacharach and David, which, based on that alone, certainly makes it a landmark in pop music history!
Thanks, again, as always, for the great feedback, Bill!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 After listening to the subject Perry Como record , I conclude that its appeal stems from the fact that “ Round and Round “ is indeed a “ round “ . That old English musical form that we all learned in classrooms and summer camps seems to have a universal appeal . Perry and his very professional background singers create the multiple musical lines .
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 One of my small thrills was when some of Perry's more "energetic" hits were part of (for my wife & I) the classic 1999 movie, "Blast From the Past."
@@beanie226 Yes, exactly. There's a lot more info on that and "all things Como" in Malcolm Macfarlane's biography. Thanks!
@@beanie226 Good points! I think that explains the appeal...and also explains why it's so much fun to sing. Thanks, Beanie!
Lots of great info here, I'm gonna need to watch this again and take notes for things to look up on CZcams. 57 seems to have snowballed in all media.
It was a pretty amazing year. I definitely could have made this an "eight parter" or more! Hope this leads you to some stuff you enjoy!
Arthur Godfrey played an ukulele that he played at his desk.
Oh yeah! Now that you've mentioned it, I remember seeing that somewhere; I don't remember if it was an older clip I saw somewhere or if I saw his ukulele playing when I was a kid in the 60s. In any case, I wish I'd mentioned it here! Thanks for the reminder, Bill!
Good stuff… I recall a big controversy with the “Quiz Show” the made a movie about some time ago .
Thanks, Mike! I mainly recognized Charles Van Doren's name from "Quiz Show." Great film!
Great stuff Steve! Love the Jan And Dean Meet Batman album in the background. It's a shame One Way Records didn't get permission to use the original album cover. It seems to me Jan And Dean had a song called My Dragstrip Girl. It's cool how many Beach Boys cover songs came from 1957. Of course, I love Ray Harryhausen and stop motion in general. Gunfight At The O.K. Corral is on 4k, but I haven't got it yet. Anyway, awesome as always.
P.S. My brother told me yesterday that Richard Tandy passed away.
Thanks for reminding me about Jan and Dean’s “Drag Strip Girl.” I’ve always thought it seems that drag racing gained some “respectability” during the early 60s…becoming seen more as a legitimate “sport” and more associated with the “pioneering spirit” of Craig Breedlove than the kind of thing seen in “Rebel Without A Cause.” (It’s something I’d like to research more.)
I love Ray Harryhausen’s work too and I think “20 Million Miles To Earth” had one of the coolest “monsters” in all of 50s sci-fi.
I don’t think I’ve seen “Gunfight At The OK Corral.” (I know John Ford’s version of the story from “My Darling Clementine” and always picture Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp and Victor Mature as Doc Holiday. I suppose it’s hard to say which cast was LEAST like the actual historical figures: Fonda and Mature or Lancaster and Douglas.) Anyway, I should check out “Gunfight” some time!
Sorry to hear the news about Richard Tandy. Very sad indeed. Over the last few days, viewer comments have also let me know about the passing of Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues and Duane Eddy. I don’t believe the old saying about these things “coming in threes.” In this case, I hope it’s true. We could use a break from the sad news.
Always great to hear from you, Michael!
It's too late for this one, but there's footage of a very young Jimmy Page, from April 6, 1957, and he's playing in a skiffle group, singing and playing a song called " Mama don't allow no skiffle", a fascinating look at what the British bands sounded like before they bought their electric guitars, probably what John Lennon's group the Quarrymen sounded like the day they played the church fete and met Paul McCartney....
I didn't know about that footage. Amazing that it exists and I will see if I can check it out. You've probably heard the recording of Lennon performing with the Quarrymen on the day he met McCartney. They're doing "Putting On The Style" and another one, which escapes me at the moment. Even with the rough quality of the performance and the recording, the amazing thing is that the vocal is still, unmistakably, John Lennon. Thanks for letting me know about the Jimmy Page footage, Doc!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444yeah Steve, I heard it, don't know if it's really from that particular day, but yeah that's definitely John singing, even with the most primitive technology, the magic comes through....
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444almost forgot, there's also a 1959 commercial with a 16 year old Mick Jagger, still available on CZcams
@@DoctorInsomnia-qw7us Wow! I'll look for that too. Thanks for letting me know!
@@DoctorInsomnia-qw7us Just saw it. Very cool!
Nice Pop! So many great nuggets & reminders here, Steve. I need to see "A Face In the Crowd," especially in light of current events. I forgot to ask you - are you a Harryhausen fan?
That is a pretty nice Pop, isn't it? (Wonder where you'd get something like that!) I am definitely and Harryhausen fan. (I may be in the minority here, but I'd say my favorite "Harryhausen" is "Mysterious Island." I like the simplicity of the story and, what may be key, I have great memories of watching it as a kid.) Thanks for the feedback, Chris!
Steve - Did you ever meet RH during the 80's when you lived in L.A. at any of the monster model shops or Horror conventions? He was pretty accessible back then, I had a bunch of Harryhausen creature garage kits created at the time where I had Ray autograph the bases (I had him autograph 2 posters as well, which was an artists rendition of Ray along with dozens of his creatures.) My favorites are probably Jason and the Argonauts and Valley of Gwangi.
@@bchnwgn I never met him. Cool that you did! He always seemed to be an extremely nice guy. Great that you have the autographs. "Jason" is great too and I love "Gwangi," which seems strangely overlooked. My mom took us to see "Gwangi" at the drive in when it came out. It'll definitely be included when I get to "1969" (hopefully, early in the summer.)
Great video Steve but there is one mistake. I Love Lucy started in October of 1951, so in the spring of 1957, it would've wrapped up its 6th season, not its 5th. It was also the end of the final season, the one you always see in syndication. The series would continue for the next few years in a format of 13 specials per year, titled the Lucille Ball Desi Arnez show , then the Lucy Desi comedy hour, finally ending in the spring of 1960...
You're right, of course! I'm not sure what I was looking at that carved off that first season. Thanks for catching it and for the additional information, Doc!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444no problem Steve, and I didn't know Van Dyke Parks was on TV long before the Beach Boys and even the Beatles.
@@DoctorInsomnia-qw7us I happened upon that factoid accidentally while researching "GE Theater." I never know what I might find working on these things! Thanks, Doc!
Meanwhile here in UK the pop chart was dominated by American records with Elvis at the top and as i said last week, we did have our own stars, but they were mostly recording covers of American music and were pretty tame.
And in Liverpool, the teenagers were enjoying music that up to now, wasnt available to the rest of us as sailors would provide American records , which will help to explain the Liverpool Explosion of the 90s as future stars were able to learn from these records, giving them the edge over the rest and it goes without saying that Gerry, Billy J, members of the Searchers, 4 Pennies etc, all benefitted from learning these record and it goes without saying this would include the Beatles.
And as for TV, BBC had just been joined by rival ITV which was our first commercial TV channel and we did have a popular music show Six-Five Special .
Also comedian Tony Hancock successfully transfered from radio to TV with Sid James., Blue Peter began, though that might have been 1958 , Billy Bunter, Picture Book, Andy Pandy , Bill and Ben the FlowerpoT Men, The Woodentops were all part of Watch with Mother shown every lunchtime on BBC.
I gather Whats My Line , This is Your Life and Candid Camera were also doing very well with Dixon of Dock Green topping the ratings.
Now you may remember that last week i mentioned about a story involving Elvis and the UK and this story has been widely available here on TV and in the papers and as i have already said our music was dominated by America but we did have our own stars and one of them was Tommy Steele who has since become a much loved all round entertainer , dancer, actor, painter who is hardly in the media, but has a huge following even today , well in his 80s and he has always been well respected by all and a few years ago, he published a book and in that book, he mentioned his long standing friendship with Elvis Presley and as you may know, Elvis wanted to visit London but had been prevented from doing so by the Colonal.
But, Elvis DID come to London and DID do the tour and he stayed with Tommy Steele and Tommy claims that he showed Elvis all the sights and for obvious reasons Elvis would have been in some sort of disguise and nothing has ever been revealed of this story until now, following the death of the Colonal and i have no reason to disbelieve this story as Tommy is one of those rare, Honest performers that steers clear of the limelight and would have nothing to gain from making this up.
Even after Tom Hanks' portrayal of The Colonel, I still can't help feeling Elvis would have been a bigger star if he could have broken ties with the parasitic Colonel. As his career progressed, Elvis only appeared in B movies and struggled to break out of the mold that the Colonel seemingly kept him in. But I'm hardly an Elvis expert, so could be wrong. Thanks for the UK side of things!
@@burlingtonbill1 Thanks for your observations as always Bill and i agree with you.
Thanks for the UK info...Rarely, in all the "across the Atlantic" perspective you've so generously provided over the years have there been so many shows and personalities that I'm not at all familiar with. Great to get the information and I realize I definitely need to learn more about England during this period!
AMAZING story about Elvis! I don't know Elvis' history as well as, I'm sure, many viewers here, but it certainly seems like such a low-key visit would have been possible. I don't doubt it and I hope it's true...if, for no other reason, than I'd be pleased that Elvis had that experience.
Great stuff, Chris! Thanks so much for passing it along!
@@chrisrainbow2393 One other thing I meant to thank you for was that expansion on the idea of Liverpool as a lively generator of rock musicians and why! "Fascinating," as Mr. Spock would say...
@@burlingtonbill1 Yes, the story goes that many of these records found their way into Brian Epsteins Record Shop which had mostly been full of classical discs, but he had decided to investigate Rock n Roll and became something of an expert long before the rest of the UK ending with him managing the artists we now know as household names.