"Following where my camera leads me!"

"Following where my camera leads me!"

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Let's dance at the Bandstand!

Remember?
I easily took almost two hours away from the bad things in the news this weekend by watching old episodes of American Bandstand. Back in the "old days"I watched every Saturday, was probably my favorite show back then. LOL
Remember "The Top Ten"?
How about "Rate a Record"?
The "Spotlight Dance"?
When  you watched every weekend, you got to know the "regulars" by name. I'm pretty sure that little guy below in the tie is Frank, dancing with the cute girl in the plaid skirt. Below him in the white turtleneck in Don, I think. Some of these kids danced for YEARS on the show.
 (Jo Ann Orgel danced on the show from 1971 to 1982 I think! Her dance partner was often her brother!)
These are the "california" kids. The show had been moved from Philadelphia (1950s), to the Los Angeles area, in the 1960s.
Notice all the young  men in their Hager slacks and SIDEBURNS!? LOL
The kids always looked so nice! Dick Clark did have a dress code where the boys had to wear nice slacks and a tie and the girls had to wear dresses/skirts....the dress codes did relax over the years though.
Some of the boys on the episodes in the 1960s wore silk neckerchief  type "ties". Silk scarves instead of the traditional ties---a very "cool" look!
This girl (below) was dressed up in her mini skirt with the attached shiny gold belt/coins, a popular style. She had definitely been to the beauty shop to get that pretty up-do hair-do!
 We watched for the music, we watched for the dancing. We watched for the new styles!
We got to see our favorite bands perform and hear all the new songs. There were also alot of fun dance contests, with great prizes like trips, "hi-fi" stereos, and cars.
Kids waited outside in lines to get into the studio to dance. The age limits were 14 to 18 I think. you had to bring a partner with you, but once in....you could dance with whoever you liked.
The Grass Roots performed on this 1969 episode. Fun to see as I play my Grass Roots CDs still today.....happy fun music




Strange to wonder where life took these kids.The kids dancing on this episode would be Grandmas, Grandpas, some even great grandmas and Great Grandpas today! I wonder how many of these young boys got sent to Vietnam?
One of the sponsors.....the ultimate in "groovy"!! LOL--state of the art, brand NEW CASSETTE PLAYERS!
Does anyone remember transistor radios!?
Some of the music of the 1960s----CCR, the Outsiders(Time Won't Let me),  the Yardbirds(for your Love), the Turtles, the Buckinghams (kind of a drag), the Who, the Guess Who,  Herman's Hermits, the Lovin Spoonfull(summer in the City) and the Supremes, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Mamas and the Papas, the Left Banke(dont Walk Away Renee!), the Kinks, the Animals and the Association, Lesley Gore, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Melanie, Dusty Springfield, and Lulu, The Everley Brothers and the Righteous Brothers, Cream, the Moody Blues, the Byrds, the Box Tops (the Letter), Three Dog Night, ...and of course, Elvis, the Stones the Beatles and the Beach Boys. What songs do you remember?
Who did you dance to back in the care-free days.
Did any of y'all also watch Hullabaloo and Shin-Dig?
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7 comments:

  1. LindaMarch 25, 2020 at 12:29 PM

    My sister Deanie loves all the old rock and roll songs! I remember American Bandstand but my childhood and yours were very different. I’m glad you got a reprieve from the news. I just can’t take much nes anymore! I check it morning and again in the evening. Louis Dean tends to watch it hours on end! I turn my stereo up (Sarah Brightman, David Lanz, Josh Groban) or watch something on my laptop using my headphones! Or go outside.
    Are you still able to get out and do your walks? I would love to go to the country but I’m afraid of taking Louis Dean out. It’s only a two hour drive so we could probably make it without a pit stop.....

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  2. SaimiMarch 25, 2020 at 2:20 PM

    I remember all those songs because I listen to them every day haha. i love the oldies whether its rock and roll or country. The only music I like of my era 70-80's is the rock music never liked disco or soul. But the go to music I loved and still do is Neil Diamond. I can't get enough of him.

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  3. Starting Over, Accepting Changes - MaybeMarch 25, 2020 at 10:29 PM

    I am older than you and watched the Philly show. We were so upset when it moved to CA, and an entirely different culture, that we could never watch it again. I remember walking in Philly once and seeing one of the dancers. (A guy that I had a mad crush on). It a thrill of a lifetime.

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  4. ~Lavender Dreamer~March 26, 2020 at 4:55 PM

    I remember a lot of the same songs that you do! And I love Dick Clark! We have a new local radio station that is playing just the 60s....which is when I listened to music the most. I love turning it on in my car and we can listen to it on our system in the house too! Let's DANCE! How about let's do the TWIST? heehee!

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  5. JeanieMarch 27, 2020 at 2:05 PM

    What a fun post, Debbi!

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  6. DewenaMarch 27, 2020 at 4:13 PM

    You did a fabulous job of bringing back wonderful memories of that period! So much fun! I was a young married woman during that time but loved it as much as a high school person did. I loved the Spotlight dance each week.

    The song that RH and I fell in love to was Put Your Head On My Shoulder (maybe you and I will fall in love). Our song, sigh! And funny, being that he was only 1/2 inch taller than I was. Those were the good old days--except for the nightly news telling how many soldiers had been killed in Viet Nam.

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  7. DebbieMarch 28, 2020 at 10:30 PM

    i remember all of this and the pictures are very familiar!! i think the songs i remember the most are from the 70's. billy joel, bruce springsteen, the who, queen...music from that era. bruce was my first concert!!

    i do remember cassette tapes, even my kids had those!!

    stay safe debbi and have a happy sunday!!

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