November 27, 2023

1965 - April: The T.A.M.I. Show

31 minutes

A concert was held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on October 28th and 29th, 1964 which would be released as a concert film called the T.A.M.I. Show. Free tickets were provided for local high school students to provide the audience. T.A.M.I. stands for either “Teenage Awards Music International” or “Teen Age Music International,” as both were used by the show's publicity team. The show included many of the top rock and roll and R&B musicians of the time, including the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Chuck Berry, and The Miracles. Jan and Dean were the emcees for the event.

Motown Records was represented by three of its biggest acts in the Miracles, Marvin Gay, and the Supremes. The Rolling Stones were featured as the grand finale. However, the performance by James Brown and the Famous Flames is perhaps the highlight of the show, as it features his dance moves at the height of his career.

Steve Binder and his personnel from The Steve Allen Show shot the film, and the legendary session musicians of The Wrecking Crew provided most of the instrumentation. The go-go dancers in the background were choreographed by David Winters and his assistant, a young Toni Basil.

This is a difficult film to locate due to copyright disputes on the show over the years. You'll need to go to YouTube to find the performances.

Wayne takes us through this concert footage of the early days of rock and roll.

(Here They Come) from All Over the World by Jan and Dean

The film starts with a song from Jan and Dean which is played over the credits. Jan and Dean co-hosted the concert and contributed this anthem written for the show. It has a surfing vibe and is easily confused for The Beach Boys who also participated in the concert.

Hey Little Bird by The Barbarians

The Barbarians were a precursor to the Punk movement, and their style was called garage rock in the day. The Barbarians had a one-handed drummer who utilized a drum stick in his left arm with a hook prosthetic. The group sported a pirate look with leather sandals, open necked shirts, and bloused sleeves.

Out of Sight by James Brown and the Famous Flames

Many consider the highlight of the show to be James Brown's performance, as it showcases his dance moves. The energy shown by Brown and his backing singers clearly influenced future acts like Michael Jackson and Prince.

Around and Around by The Rolling Stones

While the Rolling Stones were the final act, Keith Richards claims that choosing to follow James Brown on stages was the worst decision of their careers, because no matter how well they performed, they couldn't top him. They performed a cover of Chuck Berry's song - an interesting choice since Berry was also a performer for the concert.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Do the Clam by Elvis Presley (from the motion picture “Girl Happy”)

Elvis was making movies at the time, and would almost always be expected to sing songs in the picture.

STAFF PICKS:

Nowhere to Run by Martha & the Vandellas

Bruce leads off the staff picks with a group which would see a name change to Martha Reeves & the Vandellas later on. This Motown hit written by the legendary team called Holland-Dozier-Holland went to number 8 on the US charts. The song is about a woman trapped in a downward spiraling love affair that she just can't give up.

Land of 1000 Dances by Cannibal and the Headhunters

Rob features an iteration of a frequently covered song. Chris Kenner originally recorded it in 1962, but it was more successful as a cover by Cannibal & the Headhunters, going to number 30 on the Billboard chart. They also added the "na na na na na" hook to the original when front man Frankie Garcia forgot the lyrics. Sixteen dances are mentioned in the lyrics of the song.

Eight Days a Week by The Beatles

Lynch brings us an early hit penned by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. It would be the seventh number one single for the Fab Four in the United States, despite Lennon's feeling that it was a failed attempt at writing a single. The title is attributed to a statement Ringo Starr made regarding how busy the Beatles were at the time.

Satisfied by Lulu and the Luvvers

Wayne wraps up the staff picks with a high energy party song from a Scottish band. Lulu would go on to a successful solo career that included film songs like "To Sir With Love," and the title song for "The Man with the Golden Gun." Lulu was 17 at the time this song came out. She would go on to marry Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Cast Your Fate to the Wind by Sounds Orchestral

This week's podcast ends with an instrumental song

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By Rob Marbury, Wayne Rowan, Bruce Fricks, John Lynch

4.9

4747 ratings