In another format shift, it was shot outdoors at Universal Studios Hollywood. I was trying to hit them over their heads with my pocketbook, but they just wouldnt give up. From 1974 to 1977, there was a newer, orchestral disco version of "Bandstand Boogie", arranged and performed by Joe Porter, played during the opening and closing credits. Barbara Levick was a very popular young lady who was a Regular who danced on American Bandstand in the late 50s/very early 60s. Both were ratings disasters. I was so afraid that I started trying to talk myself into being straight. A half-hour evening version of American Bandstand aired on Monday nights from 7:30p.m. to 8:00p.m. (ET), beginning on October 7, 1957. A Midlothian-based freelance writer, Martha Steger has received national awards for her journalism, essays, short fiction and poetry. Two weeks later, Bandstand moved to first-run syndication. ABC gave Clark a choice: divest his music-related interests or step down as host of the show. Clark chose to continue withBandstand.3. Of Clarks behind-the-scenes behavior at Studio B, Ray Smith writes unsparingly: The irony about Clark is that he was not the goody-two-shoes he projected: he smoked, cursed, and for a while teetered on the edge of alcoholism. Fifty years later, Bandstand fan Sharon Sultan Cutler wondered what had become of the Regulars, the name given to the teens that showed up daily to dance. The followed the trend of solo (open) dancing started by Chubby Checker and The Twist. Some solo dances had animal names, for example, The Pony and The Monkey; others were named for motions, for example, The Mashed Potato and The Loco-Motion. Two of the biggest record hits of the early 1960s, both of which received a huge boost from airtime onAmerican Bandstand, were Dee Dee Sharps Mashed Potato Time and Freddy Cannons Palisades Park.8, YetAmerican Bandstandsseven-year stint in West Philadelphia was about to end. Local radio disc jockey Buddy Deane was chosen as the host of The Buddy Deane Show on Channel 13, and began a daily two hour broadcast on September 9, 1957. e9 = new Object(); They were real kids from Philly, and if you watched every day, you could tell who was breaking up and who was making up. ", Jennifer Coolidge Screams, Is a Queen in Netflix's 'We Have a Ghost'. The Village People performed their legendary song, "YMCA" for the audience in Pasadena, California. unsold game show pilots). . No way I will get in his way! At first, not knowing how to enter the show, she walked to the door the actors and singers used and announced to Bob the Cop, "I came here to dance." After Bandstand, Charlette became an accountant and was a business manager. From 1963 to 1987 Bandstand was on only once a week, on Saturday. "He made sure the guys wore suits and we were dressed properly. In 2014, the National Enquirer interviewed Frank Brancaccio and Eddie Kelly, other series regulars. From September 13, 1986, to September 5, 1987, Manilow's version was replaced at the close of the show by a new closing theme arranged by David Russo, who also performed an updated instrumental arrangement of "Bandstand Boogie" when Bandstand went into syndication. Give me some Thumbs UP!This is Bunny Gibson and the American Bandstand Regulars live at Sesame Park outside of Philadelphia on July 21, 1997 as recorded by OnlineTV.com and Rick Siegel.The Regulars were there to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of American Bandstand and the parties were relentless as were the memories. As she puts it, being a Regular entailed holding a WFIL-TV Bandstand Club membership card and dancing every day on the show. She never saw much of Clark outside of the studio. Cameraman Vince Gasbarro said: "Horn was old-looking. It got me out of my shell, but I learned I was a regular teenager who happened to dance on a show that unexpectedly became very popular. From 1977 to September 6, 1986, the show opened and closed with Barry Manilow's rendition of "Bandstand Boogie",[7] which he originally recorded for his 1975 album Tryin' to Get the Feeling. The program was broadcast live, weekday afternoons and, by 1959, the show had a national audience of 20 million. It featured teenagers dancing to Top 40 music introduced by Clark; at least one popular musical actover the decades, running the gamut from Jerry Lee Lewis to RunD.M.C.usually appeared in person to lip-sync one of their latest singles. Hundreds of kids lined up each day hoping to be one of the few lucky ones who got to dance alongside the Regulars and share part of the magic that was American Bandstand. https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Rock%20%27n%27%20Rock%20West%20Coast%20.jpg, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Bandstand%20historical%20marker%20%281%20of%201%29.jpg, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/National%20Register%20of%20Historic%20Places.JPG, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Bandstand%20Regulars%20Marker.jpg, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/Rock%20and%20Roll%20Hall%20of%20Fame.jpg, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, American Bandstand: West Philadelphia's Seven-Year Wonder 1957-1964, American Bandstand, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Starting Local: WFIL-TV, Bob Horn, and Philadelphia's Bandstand, Going National: Dick Clark and ABC's American Bandstand, Whose Music, Whose Dances? He was six weeks shy of his 47th birthday. "Dangerous". It was horrible.. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Another time, a dancer was thrown onto the subway tracks. By then, he was a big-time television producer. With American Bandstand being originally located in Philadelphia, segregation easily affected the concentrated area. I was SO mixed up., Today, Arlene Sullivan lives with a partner and, despite having suffered strokes, still loves to dance. This incarnation was an early version of the music video shows that became popular in the 1980s, featuring films that were the ancestors of music videos. The big teenybopper magazines of the era Sixteen and Teen plastered Bandstand dancers on their covers and wrote glowing, gossipy stories about their lives in Philadelphia, where Dick Clark produced the show. The young dancers on American Bandstand were the reality stars of the 1950s and '60skids nationwide rushed home to watch their every move and chatter about their relationships and exploits. Once a week, she goes to a hop thrown by another Bandstand original, 76-year-old Philadelphia radio and TV personality Jerry Blavat, who bills himself as The Geator with the Heater and The Boss with the Hot Sauce.. I started going out to straight clubs.. The Bop. . . The combined impact of Bandstand's move to California and the Beatles' arrival devastated Cameo-Parkway and inflicted permanent damage to the artists signed to the label.[9]. Television host Dick Clark presides over the set of his show American Bandstand in 1957. Acts debuting on Bandstand appeared on Deane's program, but were asked to not mention their previous appearance with Clark while on the Baltimore show. This site is not endorsed by or associated with dick clark productions, inc. or its family of companies. His latest book, The Kardashians: An American Drama, will be published in September. "My heart hurts," said Gibson, a regular from 1959 to 1961. Elgart's version was released as a single in March 1954 (Columbia 40180) as well as Curb's theme (by "Mike Curb & The Waterfall") in October 1969 (Forward 124). . Bandstand Diaries shares some public information and photos about Frani (page 84). The only singer to ever co-host the show with Dick Clark was Donna Summer, who joined him to present a special episode dedicated to the release of the Casablanca film Thank God It's Friday on May 27, 1978. The increase in competition hurt Bandstand and the variety of options for music on TV decreased its relevance. They accepted me. Norman and I met in January 1959 while standing outside of the studio waiting to get inside. When WFIL-TV moved to a new facility on City Line Avenue (one that did not have a studio that could accommodate the show), ABC moved production of Bandstand to the ABC Television Center (stage 5) in Los Angeles (now known as The Prospect Studios) on February 8, 1964, which coincidentally was the day before the Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. When I used to walk down the streets of Philadelphia and be recognized, Id be called a Bandstand f*****.. We each won a HI-FI, and 50 record albums. "He was the commander," Colanero said. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, referencing elements of the series. When she heard the news of Clark's death Wednesday, Gibson immediately headed to Hollywood to be with other former Bandstand regulars at Clark's star on the Walk of Fame. Carole made the world a better place," Gibson wrote on a Facebook page called America's Original Bandstand Dancers. The use of videotape allowed Clark to produce and host a series of concert tours around the success of American Bandstand and to pursue other broadcast interests. Variety Shows Very sadly, Bob passed away 2 . That really annoyed me because quite a few of the Philadelphia dancers on Bandstand died of AIDS, Smith said. Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. ", Songs she liked to dance to, Mrs. Spada wrote online in June 2010, included "Little Darlin'," "Sixteen Candles," "Tears on my Pillow," "Splish Splash," "Never on Sunday," and "Let's Do The Stroll.". Sullivan was raised in a rowhouse in a working-class neighborhood; we surmise from her writing that it was somewhere in Southwest Philly (she attended John Bartram High School), although Sullivan doesnt specify a home address. The short Snader and Official music films continued in the short term to fill gaps when dancers were changed during the showa necessity, because the studio could not fit more than 200 teenagers. And the one thing that really shocked me was that those boys who were 14 and 15 and 16 were sleeping with each other.. He practiced dancing with his niece, Robin, but when he went down to the show, they wouldnt let him in because he was over the age of 18. Later, in hindsight, I guessed that made me the first white Rosa Parks. I started going out to straight clubs.. One show from this first season (December 18, 1957, identified as the "Second National Telecast") is preserved in the archives of Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications. This site does not collect any information from you. American Bandstand started life as a Philadelphia TV show in 1952, with Bob Horn as master of ceremonies. "[40] WFIL defended these local associations in order to maintain support. When ABC picked up the game show Do You Trust Your Wife? As WFIL grew financially and the account became less important, Stewart wasn't needed and was eventually dropped from the program. ABC gave Bandstand color cameras and launched it on its network of 67 stations in August of 1957. They were hurting him. "He presented himself as such a grown-up.". In 1988, the National Park Service listed 4548 Market Street on the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Dick Clark, in full Richard Wagstaff Clark, (born November 30, 1929, Bronxville, New York, U.S.died April 18, 2012, Santa Monica, California), American television personality and businessman, best known for hosting American Bandstand. But I didnt have any crushes on any of the straight girls. This historical marker recalls Dick Clarks American Bandstand, which was broadcast from West Philadelphia from 1957 to 1964. Thats all we did dance and every part of the city had its own style. Like the rest of us, the 'Drag Race' Season 15 queen is crushing on Pedro Pascal. The Twist the first dance to come out where people danced separately and the Monkey and Jerk came out after Id left.. She was a senior.and luckily on the Honor Roll. You want to know about the guy! . Finally, we got away and jumped over the turnstile. Sullivan and the other dancers often congregated in Rittenhouse Square, the historic epicenter of what is known as the City of Brotherly Loves Gayborhood. There even was chatter and fear that Clark, who died at 82 in 2012, sent members of his production staff to spy on them and report back the names of the suspected gay regulars. Dick Clark never played either song on American Bandstand. But it was not easy on the mean streets of Philadelphia to be a Bandstand regular suspected of being gay. This investigation targeted the practice of payola, and it was most likely triggered by rumors circulating that charged Dick Clark with promoting records in which he held a financial stake onAmerican Bandstandand taking kickbacks from record companies to include their records on the shows playlist. Bandstand originally used "High Society" by Artie Shaw as its theme song, but by the time the show went national, it had been replaced by various arrangements of Charles Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie", including Les Elgart's big-band recording remembered by viewers of the daily version. Prior to the move, Bandstand had sourced many of its up-and-coming acts from Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway Records. This first national broadcast of American Bandstand was filmed in the Starlight Ballroom in Wildwood, NJ. Give me some Thumbs UP!This is Bunny Gibson and the American Bandstand Regulars live at Sesame Park outside of Philadelphia on July 21,. Clark eventually assumed ownership of the program through his Dick Clark Productions company. In 2004, Dick Clark, with the help of Ryan Seacrest, announced plans to revive the show in time for the 2005 season; although this did not occur (due in part to Clark suffering a severe stroke in late 2004), one segment of the revived Bandstanda national dance contesteventually became the series So You Think You Can Dance. The parents of one kid on the show found out that he was gay . Wed stay up all night talking about boys, said Sullivan. Browse celebrity nostalgia on our website. This more-familiar version of Bandstand debuted on October 7, 1952, in "Studio 'B'", which was located in their just-completed addition to the original 1947 building in West Philadelphia.mw-parser-output .citation{word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}^ , and was hosted by Horn, with Lee Stewart as co-host until 1955. Stewart was the owner of a TV/Radio business in Philadelphia and even though he was an older gentleman, his advertising account was a large one for WFIL-TV, so he was put on the program to appease the account. EARLY BANDSTAND VIDEOS. In the meantime, have a wonderful week or two. He promoted the couples on the show to mask the fact that so many guys were gay.5. The rest is American Bandstand history. And, for me, the kids on Bandstand were all I aspired to be. , Puppy love ", In a Time.com obituary for Dick Clark, who died April 18, 2012, a reporter wrote: "Lou DeSera, Carmen Jimenez, Carole Scaldeferri, Rosemarie 'Little Roe' DiCristo: they may sound like characters on The Sopranos, but they were just ordinary kids, with extraordinary luck of being in Philadelphia at the moment the old town lit the fuse for the rock explosion.". The typical production schedule consisted of videotaping three shows on a Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks. It was a local show Philadelphia, Jersey, the Lehigh Valley [Pennsylvania]. Where Are the American Bandstand Regulars Now? "This man had the strongest personality that I had ever seen as a young boy," he said. Making matters worse, on September 13, 1986, ABC reduced Bandstand from a full hour to 30 minutes;[13] at Clark's request, the 2,751st and final ABC installment[14] (with Laura Branigan[15] performing "Shattered Glass"[16][17]) aired on September 5, 1987. Its original host was fired after a DWI arrest and in July 1956 a young radio DJ took over. But it was obvious to the teen dancers that he was set on a trajectory that would take him far from Studio B in West Philly. "I kissed a girl, and I liked it!. . By clicking Consent you are authorizing advertisers to collect information to personalize the ads you see. This kit packs $431 worth of premium skincare and haircare into a small packageand it's only $80 with the promo code. Special Features: In addition to his other ventures, Clark maintained a virtual lock on New Years Eve television withDick ClarksNew Years Rockin Eve. Ray Smith was one of the shows secretly gay dancers. And while Smith knew he was gay, he was shocked to learn that most of the guys on Bandstand, so many of them, were gay, he told The Post. She tracked them down for the new coffee-table book, Bandstand Diaries: The Philadelphia Years, 1956-1963. From you Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images ) another time, a dancer was thrown the... Into a small packageand it 's only $ 80 with the promo code 14 and and... I started trying to talk myself into being straight easy on the show after a DWI arrest and July! Get inside the trend of solo ( open ) dancing started by Chubby and. Shows very sadly, Bob passed away 2 of videotaping three shows on a Facebook page called America Original... Then, he was a big-time television producer divest his music-related interests or step down as of. 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