This is the first time this legendary concert is available on DVD. It’s hard to imagine a concert with more great performers at the beginning of their careers. In fact, the big headliner for this concert was Leslie Gore! The Rolling Stones were still a nascent band. James Brown was still looking for his first Billboard Top 10 hit. Most listeners thought the Beach Boys were fading. Here’s the amazing lineup:
Filmed at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, October 29, 1964, performances include:
Jan & Dean- (Here They Come) From All Over The World
Chuck Berry- Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene, Sweet Little Sixteen, Nadine (Is it You?)
Gerry And The Pacemakers- Maybellene, Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying, Its Gonna Be Alright, How Do You Do It?, I Like It
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles- That’s What Love Is Made Of, You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me, Mickeys Monkey
Marvin Gaye- Stubborn Kind Of Fellow, Pride And Joy, Can I Get A Witness, Hitch Hike
Lesley Gore- Maybe I Know, You Don’t Own Me, You Didn’t Look Around, Hey Now, Its My Party, & Judy’s Turn To Cry
Jan & Dean- The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) & Sidewalk Surfin
The Beach Boys- Surfin U.S.A., I Get Around, Surfer Girl, & Dance, Dance, Dance
Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas- Little Children, Bad To Me, I’ll Keep You Satisfied, & From A Window
The Supremes- When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes, Run, Run, Run, Baby Love, & Where Did Our Love Go
The Barbarians- Hey Little Bird
James Brown & The Flames- Out Of Sight, Prisoner Of Love, Please, Please, Please, & Night Train
The Rolling Stones- Around and Around, Off The Hook, Time Is On My Side, It’s All Over Now, & I’m All Right
All Performers- Show Close: Lets Get Together
To hear Milo Miles’ take on The T.A.M.I. Show just click on PLAY below.
I have only the vaguest memory of this. Things truly were more local then than now.
This was an amazing concert, Patti. Loved The Supremes!
Leslie Gore!
Yes, Leslie looks very fetching in her performance, Bill. She was the Big Name for this concert.
My husband always maintains that Leslie Gore (or, perhaps, Quincy Jones as the producer of Leslie Gore’s records) had a greater influence on pop music than she’s given credit for–especially the use of double-tracking on “It’s My Party.”
Your husband is right about the influence of Quincy Jones, Deb. He was also the genius behind Michael Jackson.
I remember this concert very well. Being local, it was advertised to death on the Top 40 stations here, KRLA and KFWB. There were even some clips on the local news the next day. My memory of the concert is that regardless of the way it was billed, it was the Stones, Beach Boys and Supremes who were considered the ones who made this a must-see concert.
The Santa Monica Civic is, and was then, a big (at the time), old wooden, hot, tired facility and the parking was inadequate for this event. There were terrible traffic jams and people parked wherever they could after the lot filled. I had a chance to go, but passed it up since the tickets didn’t seem very good. Hindsight….
Now you can see what you missed, Rick. The DVD is crisp and the sound is good. It’s hard to believe such a collection of talent appeared on the same stage that night!
PBS used this as a pledge item this past season, and it probably will continue to be for a year or so…Patti, you might’ve missed it running in theaters since it was shot on video and Dick Clark might well have had tv special in mind from jump, but somehow it got a theatrical run instead (and they are largely excellent performances from what I’ve seen…the pledge version is missing perfomances). (Of course, PBS also patted itself on the back claiming no one has seen this film since 1964, which is nonsense.)
The most interesting trivial thing I noted was the 1964 youngish boho or surfer audience member with full beard and long hair, whom I’m sure got no end of hassle for at least the next year or so from the Right Thinking Americans.
Yes, that audience member with the full beard and long hair draws some attention, Todd. But some of the Go-Go dancers attracted my attention.
I saw this on DVD last week and really enjoyed it. I was a teenager at the time, but have absolutely no memory of this. The Stones were best, and only Billy J. Kramer was awful. Gerry and the Pacemakers did three good songs I’d forgotten but recognized when I heard them, yet they didn’t do their biggest hit, “Ferry Cross the Mersey”. Of all the performers The Barbarians were the only one I don’t remember at all. Oh, and the Beach Boys days as huge hitmakers may have been winding down, but they were far from finished.
Smoky Robinson and the Miracles were very good, too, MP. And The Supremes. Jan and Dean provided “comic relief.”
Geez, what a lineup!!
It’s hard to think of a concert with more star power, Evan. And, most of these acts were just at the beginning of their careers.
Sadly, perhaps, the dancers were softpedalled in the PBS pledge edit.
There were at least two Go-Go dancers who could have found work at HOOTERS, Todd.
My jaw is on the floor at just the line-up. As a historian, I appreciate the snapshot of musical history this concert (and DVD) affords. Now that I’ve read that PBS shows this on some pledge drives, I will be looking for the full concert.
And, you know what: it’s too bad this kind of thing doesn’t happen nowadays.
You’re right, Scott. The money promoters would have to come up with to bring this kind of Star Power together is prohibitive today. The DVD of THE T.A.M.I. SHOW is well worth adding to your collection.
Anyone remember IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE, DC5
Loved the Dave Clarke 5, Patti! And it does hurt to be in love sometimes.
You’re right, George, Smoky Robinson and the Miracles were excellent. But did you notice in the introduction that Robinson wasn’t mentioned? They were just The Miracles.
Yes, I noticed Smoky wasn’t recognized, MP. But he was the star of the act.
I’ll see your Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyonce, Shakira, and Lady GaGa, and raise you Lesley Gore.
Did the Barbarians not perform their biggest hit, “Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl,” or was it just not listed above?
I think “Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl” came out the next year, Fred.
In their early years the group was The Miracles. Smokey didn’t get separate billing until later. I saw a lot of this during the PBS pledge drive, too. Pretty good stuff, and some really great moments, too.
The sheer display of Star Power is what impresses me, Bob. What a collection of talent!
Look for PBS to dust off the sequel of sorts, THE BIG TNT SHOW, soonish, if they can get the rights.
“Are You a Boy…” was apparently indeed a 1965 release. Somehow, I don’t think I’ll add it to my 1965 stack.
I’m addicted to these classic rock documentaries, Todd. I’ll be looking for THE BIG TNT SHOW on PBS.
I know this is late because we just got back from New orleans and Jazzfest, which was great as always, as was the food.
Anyway, years ago – back in the mid-1980’s – someone put together a compilation of this and THE BIG TNT SHOW which had highlights of both concerts but cut out various things, including the Beach Boys (apparently for contractual reasons).
Recently I read Bob Greene’s WHEN WE GET TO SURF CITY, about his touring through the 90’s (and later) with Jan & Dean, in which he mentions them as the hosts of the show. Then I saw it on PBS here a month or two ago. Wow, did that bring back memories!
As for Leslie Gore, I saw her most recently three years ago as the “special guest” performing with the Rock Bottom Remainders. After Amy Tan murdered “It’s My Party” she came out and showed how it should be done.
I noticed on the current tour Amy Tan has dropped it from her erpertoire.
Other than the dominatrix outfit, Amy Tan didn’t bring much to the Rock Bottom Remainders, Jeff. Glad to have you back!
I did forget to mention the other highlight – James Brown doing “Please Please Please”!
I saw him doing that “drop to the stage/too tired to move/needs help getting up/but wait, there’s more!” routine back in the early 1960’s at one of Murray the K’s shows at the long-defunct Brooklyn Fox and it’s still amazing to watch. I think they used part of this in THE COMMITMENTS when he was showing the group what they were aspiring to.
Loved James Brown’s act, Jeff! It was the “but wait, there’s more!” part that always got me.