Bandstand Boogie

''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's producer.

The program showcased teenagers dancing to popular songs from the Top 40. Originally broadcast from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it remained there from its debut in 1952 until it relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 1963.

Throughout its run, a wide variety of musical acts appeared on the show, typically lip- syncing to one of their latest singles. Artists performed for a studio audience, while the original recording played for viewers at home. Freddy Cannon holds the record for the most appearances, with 110.

History

1950s

''American Bandstand'' premiered locally in late March 1952 as ''Bandstand'' on Philadelphia television station WFIL-TV Channel 6 (now WPVI-TV). Hosted by Bob Horn as a television adjunct to his radio show of the same name on WFIL, ''Bandstand'' featured short musical films produced by Snader Telescriptions and Official Films, with occasional studio guests. This incarnation was an early version of the music video shows that would increasingly appear in the 1980s.

Desiring a pivot, Horn wanted to change the show to a dance program featuring teenagers dancing on camera as music records played. The radio show ''The 950 Club,'' hosted by Joe Grady and Ed Hurst, inspired the format, which aired on Philadelphia's WPEN.

On October 7, 1952, this new version of ''Bandstand'' debuted from Studio B, located in their recently completed addition to the original 1947 building in West Philadelphia. It was hosted by Horn and co-host Lee Stewart from its launch in 1952 until 1955.

Stewart owned a TV and radio business in Philadelphia and had a significant advertising account with WFIL-TV. He was included on the program to maintain the advertising account. However, as WFIL-TV grew financially and the importance of his advertising account diminished, Stewart's presence on the program was no longer necessary. Tony Mammarella was the original producer with Ed Yates as director. Snader and Official music films continued in the short term to fill gaps when dancers were changed during the show because the studio could not fit more than 200 attendees.

On July 9, 1956, Horn was fired following a drunk driving arrest, and he was also reportedly involved in a prostitution ring, for which he faced morality charges.WFIL and its co-owner, Walter Annenberg's ''The Philadelphia Inquirer,'' were running a series on drunk driving at the time of Horn's arrest. Producer Tony Mammarella temporarily replaced Horn before the job went to Dick Clark permanently.

In late spring of 1957, ABC asked their owned-and-operated stations and affiliates for programming suggestions to fill their 3:30 p.m. ET time slot. In Philadelphia, WFIL was already pre-empting ABC programming with ''Bandstand''. Clark presented the show to ABC president Thomas W. Moore, and after negotiations, it was picked up for national broadcast, becoming ''American Bandstand'' on August 5, 1957, hosted by Dick Clark. One show from this first season of ''American Bandstand'' on December 18, 1957, identified as the "Second National Broadcast," is preserved in the archives of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.

One market not broadcasting ''Bandstand'' was Baltimore affiliate WAAM, now WJZ-TV, which chose to produce its own local dance show in the same afternoon time slot. 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. This led to competition between ''American Bandstand'' and ''The Buddy Deane Show''. When performers who debuted on ''Bandstand'' first appeared on Deane's program, they were asked to not mention their prior appearance with Clark during their appearance on the Baltimore show. ''The Buddy Deane Show'' aired on WJZ-TV until January 4, 1964.

"Studio 'B'" measured , but appeared smaller due to the number of props, television cameras, and risers that were used for the show. It was briefly shot in color in 1958 when WFIL-TV began experimenting with the new technology. With the larger size of the color camera compared to the black-and-white models, it was only possible to have one RCA TK-41 where three RCA TK-10s had been used before, as production needed to maintain as much dance space as possible in the studio. WFIL reverted to the TK-10s two weeks later when ABC refused to carry the color signal and management realized that the show needed multiple black-and-white cameras to capture more angles.

When ABC picked up the game show '' Do You Trust Your Wife?'' from CBS in November 1957, they renamed the program ''Who Do You Trust?'' and scheduled the program at 3:30pm ET, almost halfway through ''Bandstand'''s slot. Instead of shortening or moving ''Bandstand'', ABC opted to air ''Bandstand'' at 3:00 p.m., cut away to ''Who Do You Trust?'' at 3:30pm, then rejoin ''Bandstand'' at 4:00 p.m. However, WFIL decided to broadcast ''Bandstand'' in its entirety and air ''Who Do You Trust?'' at a later time for local Philadelphia viewers.

A half-hour evening version of ''American Bandstand'' aired on Monday nights from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, beginning on October 7, 1957, preceding '' The Guy Mitchell Show.'' Both shows received low ratings and were canceled shortly after their debut. The Monday night version aired its last program in December 1957, but ABC gave Clark a Saturday night time slot for ''The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show'', which originated from the Little Theatre in Manhattan, beginning February 15, 1958.

The program was broadcast live on weekdays afternoons, and by 1959, the show had a national audience of approximately 20 million viewers.Oldenburg, Ann
"TV legend Dick Clark dies at age 82"
''USA Today'', April 18, 2012 In the fall of 1961, ABC truncated ''American Bandstand'''s airtime from 90 to 60 minutes (4:00–5:00 p.m. ET), then even further as a daily half-hour (4:00–4:30 p.m. ET) program in September of 1962. Beginning in early 1963, all five shows for the upcoming week were videotaped the preceding Saturday. The use of videotape allowed Clark to produce and host a series of concert tours based on the success of ''American Bandstand'' and pursue other broadcast interests.

1960s

On September 7, 1963, ''American Bandstand'' shifted from a weekday schedule to a weekly broadcast format, airing every Saturday afternoon in a reinstated one-hour time slot, returning to the format used in earlier broadcasts. The move was part of a broader programming change by ABC and reflected evolving viewer habits during the early 1960s.

When WFIL-TV moved to a new facility on City Line Avenue.The new facility lacked a studio that could accommodate the show, ABC moved production of ''Bandstand'' to the ABC Television Center in Los Angeles, now known as The Prospect Studios, on February 8, 1964. Prior to the move, ''Bandstand'' featured many of its up-and-coming acts from Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway Records. The move to California coincided with a downturn in Cameo-Parkway Records’ influence, which diminished exposure many of its artists.

The program was filmed in color starting on September 9, 1967. The typical production schedule consisted of videotaping three shows on a Saturday and three shows on a Sunday, every six weeks. The shows were usually produced in either Stage 54 or Stage 55 at ABC Television Center.

In September 1964, ''Bandstand'' began using a new logo based on the ABC circle logo, reading 'ab' in the same typeface followed by a number representing the year the show aired. This started with "'65" and continued annually through '69" when each year arrived. On September 13, 1969, the ''Bandstand'' set was given a complete overhaul, and Les Elgart's big band version of "Bandstand Boogie" was replaced by a new theme composed by Mike Curb. The 'ab logo was replaced with the stylized 'AB' logo, which remained in use and was used for the remainder of the show's run. This set and theme music were used until August 31, 1974, when the show unveiled a new set and an updated version of "Bandstand Boogie".

1970s

For a brief time in 1973, ''Bandstand'' alternated its time slot with ''Soul Unlimited'', a show featuring soul music that was hosted by Buster Jones. ''Soul Unlimited'' faced criticism from some African-American viewers who questioned Clark's role as a white producer and accused the show of reinforcing racial stereotypes. Don Cornelius, the creator and host of ''Soul Train'', along with Jesse Jackson, publicly opposed Clark’s involvement in the new program, and it was canceled within weeks. Set pieces from '' Soul Unlimited'' were utilized by ''Bandstand'' for its 1974–1978 set design.

1980s

During the early 1980s, ''American Bandstand'' experienced a steady decline in ratings. This was largely due to increased competition from emerging music television formats such as MTV, as well as a growing number of music programs across other networks. Many ABC affiliates began preempting or rescheduling the show, further reducing its viewership. Additionally, the show's time slot was frequently overtaken by college football broadcasts, which had expanded significantly following a 1984 court-ordered deregulation.

1985: 33 1/3rd anniversary

On December 1, 1985, American Bandstand aired a special 33 1/3rd anniversary broadcast on ABC. The show featured performances by numerous recording artists, guest appearances, and archival footage from past screenings. Performing artists included Rod Stewart, Dionne Warwick, and Donna Summer.

On September 13, 1986, ABC reduced ''Bandstand'' from a full hour to 30 minutes at Clark's request. On September 5, 1987, the final ABC installment (with Laura Branigan performing " Shattered Glass") aired.

Two weeks later, ''Bandstand'' moved to first-run syndication. Dubbed as ''The New American Bandstand'' and distributed by LBS Communications, the series' tapings were moved from the ABC Television Center to the Hollywood studios of Los Angeles's PBS member station KCET, with a new set similar to that of ''Soul Train''. Clark continued as host of the series, which was returned to a one-hour format, and aired on KYW-TV in Philadelphia and WWOR-TV in New York City (a Superstation status that also gave the program further national exposure), KTLA in Los Angeles, WMAQ-TV in Chicago, WDIV in Detroit, WEWS in Cleveland, WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, and WCIX in Miami. The first syndicated episode aired on the weekend of September 19, 1987. The run was short-lived, lasting until June 4, 1988.

After a ten-month hiatus, ''Bandstand'' moved to cable on USA Network on April 8, 1989, with comedian David Hirsch taking over as host. In another format shift, the show was shot outdoors at Universal Studios Hollywood. Clark remained with the show, serving as its executive producer.

This itteration of the show, however, was also brief, lasting twenty-six weeks before it was canceled. Its final show, with The Cover Girls performing "My Heart Skips a Beat" and " We Can't Go Wrong", aired on October 7, 1989, ending the show's 37-year run.

2002: 50th anniversary

On May 3, 2002, Dick Clark hosted a one-off special 50th anniversary edition on ABC. Michael Jackson, a frequent ''Bandstand'' guest, performed " Dangerous". The Village People performed their signature song "YMCA" for the audience in Pasadena, California. Other performers including Brandy, members of KISS, Dennis Quaid and his band The Sharks, Cher, and Stevie Wonder performed in honor of the long-running program.

Program features

Rate-a-Record

Clark regularly asked teenagers their opinions of the songs being played through the "Rate-a-Record" segment. During the segment, two audience members each ranked two records on a scale of 35 to 98, after which their two opinions were averaged by Clark, who then asked the chosen members to justify their scores. The segment gave rise to the catchphrase "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it."

Hosts

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. From the late 1950s and most of the 1960s, Clark's on-camera sidekick was announcer Charlie O'Donnell, who later went on to announce '' Wheel of Fortune'' and other programs hosted or produced by Clark, such as ''The $100,000 Pyramid''. In occasional shows not hosted by Clark, a substitute host (among them Rick Azar) was brought in.

Theme music

''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. From 1969 to 1974, "Bandstand Theme", a synthesized rock instrumental co-written by Mike Curb, opened each show. 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. 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).

From 1977 to September 6, 1986, the show opened and closed with Barry Manilow's rendition of "Bandstand Boogie", which he originally recorded for his 1975 album '' Tryin' to Get the Feeling''. This version introduced lyrics written by Manilow and Bruce Sussman, referencing elements of the series (the previous theme was retained as bumper music). 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.

From 1974 to September 6, 1986, ''Bandstand'' featured another instrumental at its mid-show break: Billy Preston's synth hit "Space Race".

Civil rights and discrimination

Originally located in Philadelphia, ''Bandstand'' was influenced by racial segregation laws in nearby Maryland and Delaware. Although the show was never explicitly segregated and featured Black R&B performers such as The Chords, producers sought to increase marketability in segregated states and avoid alienating white viewers by effectively segregating the audience beginning in 1954. Policies to limit Black attendance included abolishing first-come, first-served ticketing for local residents, favoring repeat attendees in ticket allocation, promoting tickets in majority-white suburbs, and only responding to mail-in ticket requests from individuals with European surnames.Delmont, Matthew F. (September 30, 2014). "Observers Note a Lack of Negro Participation". http://nicestkids.com/nehvectors/nicest-kids/protesting-segregation-on-bandstand. Retrieved November 22, 2015.

In response, Black teenagers began requesting tickets under assumed names to gain admission, but often faced harassment and conflicts with white audience members. Concerned about the potential impact of these incidents on advertisers and audience participation, ''Bandstand'' producers petitioned the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations to investigate. Bob Horn and other producers testified that the show did not have any discriminatory policies, and in 1955, the Commission concluded that although admission policies and the resulting conflicts led to "the absence of Negroes from attendance," there were insufficient grounds for a discrimination lawsuit.

Dick Clark claimed in his autobiography that he was responsible for desegregating the show's audience shortly after taking over in 1957. However, review of footage of the show's audience reveals that it remained almost exclusively white until it relocated to Los Angeles in 1964.

Revival plans

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 ''Bandstand''—a national dance contest—eventually became the series ''So You Think You Can Dance''. Dick Clark Productions is credited as the show's co-producer, and longtime employee Allen Shapiro served as co-executive producer. While the American series has aired sixteen seasons, its format was also replicated worldwide, from Norway (''Dansefeber'') to Australia (''So You Think You Can Dance Australia'').

Dick Clark died on April 18, 2012, at the age of 82.

Legacy

''American Bandstand'' served as an early national television platform for artists such as Prince, Jackson 5, Sonny and Cher, Aerosmith, and John Lydon's PiL—all of whom made their American TV debuts on the show. ''American Bandstand'''s Top 40 hits were matched with routines performed by teenagers, which was designed to appeal to that demographic. It also influenced later musical television programs, including MTV and Fox's reality-competition show ''American Idol''.

References in popular culture

* The show was featured prominently in the 2002–2005 NBC-TV drama series'' American Dreams'', which, like ''Bandstand'', was executive produced by Dick Clark. In a 2005 episode, Eddie Kelly and Bunny Gibson – one of the most famous couples to appear on ''American Bandstand'' in the Philadelphia years – were the only two to make cameo appearances on the acclaimed TV series. Additionally, Kelly and Gibson were named a number of times in the script, and Kelly is referred to in the last episode. Actor Paul D. Roberts made frequent appearances as Dick Clark, while Michael Burger played announcer Charlie O'Donnell. Clark frequently provided voice-overs as his younger self.
* In the quarterfinals of season 7 of ''America's Got Talent'', contestant Ulysses performed a cover of the ''American Bandstand'' theme song.
* In episode 4,089 of ''Sesame Street'', there was a parody of ''American Bandstand'' called "American Fruit Stand" where a duck named "Duck Clark" hosted the program. It featured Miles singing songs about fruits to the tune of classic songs, such as "Johnny B. Goode", "Twist and Shout", and "I Feel Good".
* The lyric video for Sia's song " Cheap Thrills" features a show reminiscent of ''American Bandstand'' ("''Dance Stage USA''").
* In ''Jersey Boys'', Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons performed the song "Sherry" to an audience on ''American Bandstand''. Outside the show, they were asked to perform " Big Girls Don't Cry".
* Soul for Real's video for "If You Want It" shows the group performing on the ''American Bandstand'' stage, with Clark making a cameo at the beginning and end of the clip.
* In the ''Black Dynamite'' episode ''"American Band Standoff, or The Godfather of Soooul Train"'', ''American Bandstand'' and ''Soul Train'' are depicted as organized crime families, with Dick Clark and Don Cornelius as their respective bosses. They engaged in a turf war, fighting for control of the airwaves, where they kidnapped and murdered the other's dancers and musicians.

See also

* List of acts who appeared on ''American Bandstand''
* ''Bandstand'', Australian version loosely based on the American version
* ''Top of the Pops'', a similar British music program
* ''The Buddy Deane Show''
* ''Soul Train''
* '' The Midnight Special''
* ''The Clay Cole Show''
* ''Electric Circus''
* '' CD USA''

References

Further reading

* Matthew F. Delmont
''The Nicest Kids in Town'': American Bandstand, ''Rock'n'Roll, and the Struggle for Civil Rights in 1950s Philadelphia.''
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2012.
* Murray Forman, ''One Night on TV is Worth Weeks at the Paramount: Popular Music on Early Television.'' Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2012.

External links

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