Discuss American Bandstand
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"It's got a good beat and is easy to dance to"
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on January 2, 2018 at 1:25 AM
Anyone who was a regular or frequent viewer of this iconic music and dance show surely remembers various young dancers saying, now or then, "It's got a good beat and is easy to dance to," or some variation on those words.
This was a really enjoyable show, and was where many first saw artists perform favourite hits that were playing on the radio.
I watched this for years and years, and was sorry when it eventually vanished from the programming line-up.
Reply by bratface
on January 2, 2018 at 6:28 PM
I watched it everyday after school. I am old enough to have watched the first episodes when it was still in Philadelphia.
Here's one from 1964:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1cUBsy7N3w
I think this one is from 1985:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1wmOLttbrI
Here's a 'roll call' from 1964:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4emsIpbhoHs
Reply by genplant29
on January 2, 2018 at 6:46 PM
That's very neat, brat!
Two of my 1st cousins, who grew up in Baltimore, were regular dancers on The Buddy Deane Show, that was very similar to the early (Philly) form of American Bandstand, and that (The BD Show) was the inspiration for John Waters' Hairspray. My older sibs, a combination of slightly before my time through when I was still too little to be paying any attention or caring, enjoyed daily rushing home from school in order to both watch live broadcasts of that music-dance show, that was very popular and that they were big fans of, and to see our cousins on t.v. My cousins have told me of how they used to sign autographs and even had fashions and hairstyles followers who would try to imitate their looks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buddy_Deane_Show
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 3, 2018 at 5:41 PM
I also remember Wolfman Jack, and Casey Kasem's countdown....
Reply by genplant29
on January 3, 2018 at 6:28 PM
Satch, I used to be crazy about the shows you mentioned. Ah, the good old days.....
Am I correct that Wolfman's show was titled The Saturday Night Special?
Reply by tmdb53400018
on January 3, 2018 at 7:53 PM
I honestly don't recall that much... it's just that name, Wolfman Jack, was very distinctive to me as a kid.
Reply by genplant29
on January 3, 2018 at 8:21 PM
I just now looked it up: The show's actual title was The Midnight Special - which I now clearly remember:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midnight_Special_(TV_series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfman_Jack
I believe it aired on Saturday nights, which was why, above, I misremembered the title. It's circa 1975 that I particularly remember watching it, during my early high school years (mainly summer vacation months thereof), though probably watched it, at least sometimes, also both earlier and later.
Reply by znexyish
on December 27, 2019 at 2:07 AM
Well I thought I would bring this up but I see that it is already here. Can't say that I was a big viewer but gotta say that I was very aware of America's oldest teenager as I believe Dick Clark was called. Also Casey Kasem...and Soul Train's Don Cornelius too 💃🕺💃🕺💃🕺
Reply by tmdb53400018
on December 27, 2019 at 2:59 AM
I always liked "Soul Train"... the female dancers were often very sexy. I was shocked and sad to hear kind of recently that Cornelius took his own life. RIP.
Reply by genplant29
on December 29, 2019 at 1:24 AM
Cell (Satch), I hadn't realized that Don Cornelius committed suicide. I just now checked out his Wikipedia article, to see what it said about that. Very sad.