Home The 60's Scene Articles Greatest Liverpool Bands Blogs News Live Shows Rare Video Memories Contact Us The Beatles Artists On Tour
The Greatest Rock Movie Never Seen
Although a few bootleg versions have been available over the years, the great news is that the concert dubbed "The Greatest Rock Movie Never Seen" has been released on DVD. The concert recorded on Oct. 29, 1964, took place in front of an audience of 3,000 in Santa Monica, California, before the more famous gigs at Monterey and Woodstock and shows a pop music industry in transition. The old stars like Chuck Berry mixed in with the new American bands and for the first time bands from Liverpool and London. Known as "The T.A.M.I. Show," the two-hour live concert film of the occasion, presented the whole nine yards that was pop music in 1964. "The T.A.M.I. Show" (Teenage Awards Music International) is now available on an official DVD restored and in high-definition. It includes a 20-page commemorative booklet written by music historian Don Waller, an audio commentary from Don and Steve Binder the show's director. Also included are the original trailer and some radio ads for the movie. What's really interesting about the movie, is it records the moment of transition from the bland pop music of the early sixties into the loud, heavy crazy sounds of the MerseyBeat. At that time the original fathers of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, were still making hits, although in the case of Chuck Berry, much less frequently, but suddenly new sounds were emerging in the form of the Beach Boys who were paying lots of royalties to Chuck Berry for pinching his riffs and adding surf words. The word Pop was slowly being replaced with the word Rock as heavy sounds started appearing from artists like the great James Brown and of course our own Beatles. For the first time black music was not just for black people, thanks mainly to the British bands who opened up the doors of racial integration via their love of negro blues and soul music. No expense was spared with show Executive producer Bill Sargent hired the famous LA based producer Jack Nitzsche and the show was taped live with no lip-syncing, no over dubs or retakes. What was also amazing was the inclusion for the first time of dancers from mixed races, the beginning of the end of Apartheid in the USA. There were so many stars on the show, its hard to imaging how such a show could be staged today, unless it was for a charity appeal. With the sound of Motown emerging Sargent booked the top three acts from the Motown label - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Supremes and Marvin Gaye. Two of our greatest bands Gerry and the Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. who had already scored five Number One hits in the United Kingdom during 1963 and early '64. were booked. The Surf rock scene was represented by fabulous Beach Boys, with their original lineup Brian Wilson playing bass and sharing lead vocals, and Jan and Dean, who also acted as introducers for the other acts. Chuck Berry, had had two hits that year "Nadine (Is It You)?" and "No Particular Place to Go" Lesley Gore, who at 18 already a seasoned hit maker. was probably the first feminist pop star with her statement records "Its My Party" and "You Don't Own Me" Strangely The Barbarians, a unknown band from Massachusetts, got into the act performing just one number("Hey Little Bird") They must have been related to the producer. The Rolling Stones were booked to go on last and rumour has it they tried to change the order as they were forced to follow James Brown, who gave what many consider to be the best performance of his career. Some of the classic songs featured on the DVD include " the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go" and Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got a Hold On Me,". Chuck Berry, who had a reputation for playing lousy live, gave a great rendition of his anthem "Johnny B. Goode" along with three other songs. The Beach Boys seamlessly transferred their studio sound to the stage with great versions of "Dance, Dance, Dance" and "Surfer Girl". As for the final two acts, James Brown, accompanied by his band the Flames , stunned the audience with his gyrations and moves. performing hits including "Out of Sight" and "Please, Please, Please." Brown later wrote in his autobiography, "I don't think I ever danced so hard in my life, and I don't think they had ever seen a man move that fast." Asked to follow James Brown for the finale , the Stones, according to Waller's DVD notes asked to switch places with him in the lineup. But after Sargent refused to make the change, the band, struggled in the early part of their set according to Billy J Kramer, but eventually they won the crowd over with a five-song set "Around and Around," ''Time Is On My Side", "It's All Over Now", Off the Hook" and "I'm All Right" "The T.A.M.I. Show" is probably one of the greatest rock 'n' roll movies ever made. It was originally aired in 1964, which was the same year that the Civil Rights Act banned racial segregation in schools, work places and in public places. Truly a pivotal moment in the popular music industry.
Director: Steve Binder
You can buy the DVD on Amazon by clicking the link.
|
The 1964 feature film The T.A.M.I. Show, filmed a mere seven
months after The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, introduced the Swinging ’60s to
America, is the first concert movie of the rock era, capturing such superstars as the Rolling Stones, James
Brown, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, and many other Motown and British Invasion acts in their
early prime.