Talk:American Bandstand

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Comment

I believe the Stray Cats performed live on the program as well. googuse 01:07, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

I wrote the theme?

Liner notes to a Manilow album cred him with writing "Bandstand Boogie", the show's theme. Trekphiler 03:30, 30 December 2005 (UTC)

Alphabetization effort completed.

Please let me know if any errors were introduced by the edit... Folajimi^(talk)

33 vs. 4?

Since the previous host, Bob Horn, only had the show for four years and Dick Clark for thirty-three, I would say his name has become much more recognizably and permanently attached to the phenomenon. Should we associate his name in the intro to the article?

I suggest: "American Bandstand was a long-running dance music television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and hosted for the bulk of its life by American broadcast personality Dick Clark. It is known not only for the emerging performers that it promoted (from Jerry Lee Lewis to Run DMC) but the many dance styles it featured through the decades."

David 16:45, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Syd Barrett

Syd refused to sing on the Pat Boone Show the night before... He makes an effort on bandstand and even responds to Clark's questions in the interview (as oppose to the ill-fated Boone interview the night before)... The person who wrote that trivia confused the two shows... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.175.100.89 (talk • contribs).

Bob Horn

There was a section on Bob Horn at the bottom of the page - however, it had all the same info as a pre-existing Bob Horn page so I just removed it. - AKeen 16:29, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

Please source this trivia

Please source and re-add this trivia. Thanks, Chaz ^Beckett 16:51, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

• Charlie O'Donnell, then a very young Philadelphia radio DJ, landed his very first network announcing assignment on Bandstand, a job he would hold until the late-1960s.

• The old WFIL-TV building in Philadelphia is currently being used as a business incubator program, The Enterprise Center, and the original "American Bandstand" studio is now a large meeting room.

--- http://www.theenterprisecenter.com/ David Unit (talk) 16:21, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

• The weekly ABC version did not air in the Boston market. WNAC did not air it, neither did WCVB when ABC affiliation in the Boston market switched in 1972 because WCVB's weekly airing of Candlepin Bowling at noontime where it has been since it was WHDH channel 5 which pre-empted Bandstand, although prime time specials did air. It also didn't air in the Houston market on KTRK-TV, starting in 1959, when they had their own local dance show hosted by Larry Kane from 1959-71. After which, KTRK would have local community shows in place of Bandstand. And on September 1, 1984. KTRK finally carried the last three years of American Bandstand after 25 years.

• People who lived in Boston saw American Bandstand on WTEV Channel 6 in New Bedford-Providence (now WLNE) and WMUR-TV Channel 9 in Manchester, NH. But when WTEV Channel 6 and WPRI Channel 12 switched affiliations in 1977. WPRI Channel 12 didn't carry American Bandstand.

• Bandstand was also not carried in Baltimore, Maryland. Instead ABC affiliate WJZ-TV carried the local Buddy Deane Show, the inspiration for the movie Hairspray. Reportedly, the Baltimore station "blacked out" Bandstand because Black teenagers were allowed to dance on the program (although Blacks and Whites were not allowed to dance together).

• It was customary on the show to have Clark perform a mini-interview with the guest band members. Clark says the most difficult interview he performed was with Prince, an unknown at the time of his appearance. Prince was unresponsive and would generally answer his questions with only a hand gesture or a single word. Clark in fact asked Prince how many instruments he played; Prince responded with, "A thousand."

• Another famous mini-interview Clark is famous for is one with Madonna, who, when asked what she would like to do 20 years from now, answered coyly, "To rule the world!"

• B.B. King and Jerry Lee Lewis were the only recording artists to actually sing on the program. They were uncomfortable with miming their performances and requested that they just perform the songs live on the set.

• In 1980, singer John Lydon of Public Image Limited refused to mime on the show; the musicians continued the charade for a while as though they were actually performing "Poptones", but when the time came for their second song, "Careering," the band gave their instruments to the audience, who had swarmed the stage at Lydon's urging.

• In 1961, Tony Orlando performed his then-hit song "Bless You" with his trousers zipper open.

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Tony himself has mentioned this episode several time -- he didn't do it on purpose, but the nervousness of the moment and being unable to stop the 'live' event caused it to be - ahem - exposed... David Unit (talk) 16:21, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

• The first rap/hip hop performance in the history of television occurred in 1981 when the Sugar Hill Gang performed their hit song "Rapper's Delight" on the show.

• In 1957, Simon and Garfunkel, then billing as Tom and Jerry, performed their first hit, "Hey Schoolgirl," immediately after Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls of Fire." The song hit #49 on the Billboard Charts when they were just sixteen years old.

• Pro wrestler Sylvester Ritter better known as the Junk Yard Dog appeared on the show to sing his theme song "Grab Them Cakes" from The Wrestling Album

• Dave Johnson appeared on the show numerous times with a female partner doing his famous "Peppermint Twist".

• When the show moved from ABC to syndication, the station that created it all, WPVI (formerly WFIL) didn't carry the syndicated version. KYW (channel 3) picked up the syndicated season.

DVD RELEASES?

Is there DVD releases of this show, I was not born when all of most of this happend.Iron Valley (talk) 23:18, 4 January 2008 (UTC)

Don't count on anything coming out soon as you yourself alluded to, it has been off-the-air for a generation and people don't have the same kind of interest as people my age do.

Dick Clark Productions own the kinescopes/videotapes of American Bandstand and they have proven in the past to be very niggardly about letting others see it without paying for its use.

The best ways to see these shows is that twenty years ago, dcp offered "Best of..." videotapes (note I said tape) and you might be able to get them on ebay or just watch Time-Life informercials that advertise 50's music, some of those kinescopes of the performers lip-syncing were from either American Bandstand, The Ed Sullivan Show or some of the other regional dance shows that were on-the-air at that time. David Unit (talk) 16:33, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

lack of info

This article doesn't really tell me anything about the show. What was it like? What were the segments? What were some memorable thing that happened? The whole article is really just about where and how the show was taped. Could someone help? --CastAStone/^{/₵₳$↑₳₴₮ʘ№€} 05:35, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

Rate-A-Record was where three teenagers (two 'raters' and one 'mathematician' [which is where we discovered early the state of education as some of these Einsteins couldn't figure out their way out of a paper bag]) rated a song and gave the general answer of "It had a great beat and I could dance to it". The highest number was 98 (as no record was 'perfect') and the lowest was '35' (Alvin's Christmas got this score).

It was this segment that told Swan Records not to pursue the option of signing The Beatles to the label as it only rated '64' in September 1963 (before JFK's Assassination and people wanted something 'different'...and they got it!).

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They had contests galore, which were really popularity contests as The Committee generally got the nod (The Committee was a group that basically pledged to be there hell or high water as Philadelphia was a union town (strikes) and snowbelt...the show had to go on because people in Phoenix really didn't care what ailed Philly)

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They had a Ladies' Choice segment which was like a Sadie Hawkins-type mixer.

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In a span of 37 years (1952-1989), there are a lot of 'memorable things' that have happened, Prince, Michael Jackson and Madonna were things that happened after it left Philadephia, but for me (from my television upbringing point of view) is that the show came about with circumstances that'll never again happen because Father Dollar makes all the decisions now... David Unit (talk) 17:00, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

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I'm adding this as a Philly local who was hoping to find some links about the subtle LGBTQ+ presence on the show and how it was somewhat of a haven for them. So far, all I can find is a philly.com article http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/entertainment/television/American-Bandstand-hid-that-some-teen-stars-were-gay-memoir-claims.html 2603:301D:D03:2C00:D938:1B95:5239:8475 (talk) 15:35, 20 June 2017 (UTC) JJ in S. Phil

American Bandstand regulars/Where are they Now ?

Often wonder and want to know what happened to "GARY LE VINE"  ??? Was from Allentown, PA> and frequently danced w/Justine Corelli. Can anyone find or tell me what he is doing today, update please : Thanks, Char Fiore

4charfiore@sbcglobal.net —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.49.222.192 (talk) 14:46, 2 February 2010 (UTC)

If you want to know more about the original Regulars -- both Bob Horn kids and Dick Clark's (from 1952-1964), join our FB page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1652189578376917 new info DAILY with hundreds of Photos. P.S. Gary Levine is a member of our group family, and resides in Hawaii. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.171.198.251 (talk) 01:40, 2 March 2021 (UTC)

Bunny Gibson

I've created a page on Bandstand regular Bunny Gibson who went on to become a California actress. I'd appreciate any feedback on this article which is now residing in Mainspace (whatever that means). I'm trying to make it a "live page" but am having trouble understanding how to do that. Thanks. Larry Lehmer (talk) 15:27, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

First section missing?

It looks like a section on the origin and early history is missing. Why is the first section titled "Changes"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 20.137.30.50 (talk) 19:39, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

"Rate-a-Record" scale

Does anyone know why the "Rate-a-Record" segment ranked records on a scale of 35 to 98? What accounts for that crazy range?  Mr JM  15:47, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Clark's answer in his autobiography "Rock, Roll and Remember" was that no song was 'perfect' (100) and no song was so bad to be lower than a "35".

The only song to be rated a "35" and get up to #1 was Alvin and the Chipmunk's Christmas song.

David Unit (talk) 01:28, 18 December 2010 (UTC)

How did someone get on the show?

Were the dancing teens auditioned and hired? Or did they send away for, or wait in line for, free tickets like people do to be in the audience of a TV show (e.g. Daily Show, David Letterman)? LordAmeth (talk) 06:19, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Teens stood in line outside the WFIL-TV Building every day to get in.

"The Regulars" were allowed to go in ahead of the line (sometimes only being allowed on certain days in order to give others a chance to get on the show).

Sometimes, if a school group was planning to visit the Philidelphia area, they would write to mention they were going to be in the area and management would try to accommodate them (as long as the group wasn't too large).

About 250 kids could get into the studio each day (and that was a squeeze). David Unit (talk) 20:58, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Slot machine

http://www.igt.com/company-information/news-room/news-releases?NewsID=650210