Dick Clark is Dead... Long Live The Real Mr. Rock'n'Roll...

[John Battles]

... Alan Freed. 

 What did Dick Clark mean to Garage Rock fans , anyway ? For one , he did introduce the great after - school show , "Where The Action Is" , hosted by Paul Revere and The Raiders , and most of you have seen how many great "Garage " acts appeared on the program - The Standells ,Music Machine , Five Americans , Love ,? and The Mysterians , The 13th Floor Elevators......Just because a record might have sold hundreds of thousands , if not more , copies , in 1966 , The Year Punk Broke , does'nt mean it was'nt "Punk". Early performances of the likes of Eddie Cochran , Gene Vincent and Chuck Berry still exist , too. 

Clark could have released these performances many years ago to the public , on VHS , and , later , on DVD. But , the failure of his one "Best Of" video , which was one KILLER Jerry Lee Lewis , one restrained , but very live Buddy Holly and The Crickets (Which was from Arthur Murray's show , as Clark said the only footage of Holly he had was destroyed in a fire.), and a fun Big Bopper performance short of utter hogwash Teen Idol garbage. Clark , reportedly , refused to release anything else from the vaults ,  fearing a lack of demand....HA !

Clark flourished in a business, where his predecessors , Dewey Phillips , Hoss Allen and others , remained local. Alan Freed was the patsy the industry needed. Though both men accepted payola , a VERY common practice at the time (It still must be , judging from the vile spew infecting the airwaves these 30 - plus years.), Clark was washed clean by the blood of the lamb , becoming the acceptable face and spokesman of Rock'n' Roll . Freed was the one they crucified , but , it was a slow death , languishing in poverty and obscurity. He lived to see The Twist , he lived to see The Beatles , but he never lived to reclaim  his good name. He openly loved Black music , as well as White wildmen like The Johnny Burnette Trio  , and , defied segregationists and people posing as men of God by encouraging kids of all races to get down on the floor, and have some fun together for a change.

About Clark , I won't say anything too bad (Though , you're free to rant , here.) . I've been doing that for years. There are many great moments in Rock'n'Roll that were captured on his watch , but , it appears extremely unlikely that his estate will make them available to the fans. One , in particular , when a Brownsville Station performance was abruptly cut short by a streaker who made it up on to the stage , probably has'nt even been viewed privately since it happened.

 

Regarding Dick Clark and MR.ROCK AND ROLL , THE MENSCH OF STEEL , ALAN FREED .

Bo Diddley : I remember Alan Freed told me about betting bricks thrown thru his winders , because he DEFIED the system.

Chuck Berry : THEE COMMUNITY TRADITON !

Bo Diddley : Then , our good friend ,Dick Clark, came in with "American Bandstand"....

Chuck: AHHHHH, But it was'nt the same.....We could'nt dance , we could'nt mingle with the audience.

Bo: Well , I think it was that the station was owned by Caucasians , who 'd forbidden him to go that far.....

Chuck: But , he was the master of ceremonies. (To Little Richard) TELL HIM MAN , TELL HIM WHY IT WAS DONE.

Little Richard : Because you were BLACK ! You was BLACK , and they did'nt want that done.THEY DID'NT WANT THOSE WHITE KIDS TO SEE NO BIG OL' GREASY BLACK GUY OUT OF ST. LOUIS , OUT OF GEORGIA , OUT OF CHICAGO. THEY WANTED THEIR KIDS TO SEE SEE SOME SMOOTH WHITE BOY , ON DUTY AND LOOKIN'...ROOTY !

I STILL SAY IT WAS A LIL' JEWISH BOY GOT IT ACROSS THE COUNTRY , WAS ALAN FREED , HE DID A GOOD JOB !

Chuck : A - men.

Richard: I LOVE YOU , ALAN , OW ! OW! ALAN !!!!!

From "Chuck Berry , Hail ! Hail ! Rock'n'Roll.".

 

[James Porter]

On Saturday mornings, I could sleep through a cartoon here, or miss a show there, but there were TWO shows I just had to watch without question when I was a kid: Soul Train and American Bandstand. Now both Don Cornelius and Dick Clark are gone. But thanks to Youtube, the clips survive!!!

Here's Mr. Clark in 1968 exposing the world to a famed hard-rock power trio from San Francisco:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKT0Kz5VGhw

I'm sure Mr. Battles will agree, since he's one of their Top Ten fans (if not Numero Uno).

[melissa scott]

Dig that vidlink James -- awwww. THE WALL OF SOUND BEHIND 'EM.

Totally, WAKE UP, it's time for American Bandstand!

You have my attention now -- POWER TRIO, and don't they have the POWAH (B.D.J. :D).

[Rinjo Njori]

Dick Clark was a friend of Rock N Roll. He might have been associated to the "Man", but even bands like PiL got a shot at our answer to Top of the Pops! One of the good guys even if the style wasn't always related to my pallate. 

[John Battles]

That WAS a classic R'n'R TV moment , when PIL appeared on"Bandstand". Bizarro World stuff.

IF AND WHEN YOU WATCH THE GREAT BLUE CHEER CLIP ( I HAVE A DECENT COPY ON VIDEO , BUT IT'S NOT THIS GOOD.), YOU'LL NOTICE SOMEONE SAYS NOTHING EVER PHASED DICK CLARK .    NOT TRUE. DICKIE PETERSON TOLD ME THAT HE AND BLUE CHEER'S THEN -  MANAGER , GUT   (PREVIOUSLY WITH ANOTHER GROUP CALLED THE HELL'S ANGELS.) WERE BACKSTAGE DURING THIS SAME PERFORMANCE , SMOKING A BOWL OF HASH , WHEN DICK CLARK WALKED IN ON THEM. "IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT GIVE ROCK'N'ROLL A BAD NAME !!", SAID CLARK. "THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH " , REPLIED DICKIE. IT IS IRONIC THAT CORNELIUS AND CLARK DIED WITHIN SUCH A SHORT TIME OF EACH OTHER. I'LL ADMIT , THO' , I LEANED MORE TOWARD "BANDSTAND" THAN "SOUL TRAIN "WHEN I WAS A KID (I WOULD PAY TO HAVE A COPY OF THAT  INTRO MUSIC ON A 45- WA WA WA WAA WAAAA....), THO' MY GRANDMA LOVED IT.

[melissa scott]

I just had to post this link of one of my faves from Bandstand. Can't get enough of the 'relaxed' stage poses. And Grace's BOOTS (yeah, I had to go there). Ahhh. The Airplane...

[John Battles]

Thank you , James.....If only you good people could have been there with us , at this hysterical 70's dive bar/music venue , with a psychedelic lightshow and about 48 other attendees , when Blue Cheer blew the roof right off that place. I wish I had that one picture where Dickie stands towering over James.....Because James is crouched down and Dickie is standing on a chair....Maybe even a table.
 
James Porter said:

On Saturday mornings, I could sleep through a cartoon here, or miss a show there, but there were TWO shows I just had to watch without question when I was a kid: Soul Train and American Bandstand. Now both Don Cornelius and Dick Clark are gone. But thanks to Youtube, the clips survive!!!

Here's Mr. Clark in 1968 exposing the world to a famed hard-rock power trio from San Francisco:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKT0Kz5VGhw

I'm sure Mr. Battles will agree, since he's one of their Top Ten fans (if not Numero Uno).

[James Porter]

Ah, I believe Top Of The Pops was the UK's answer to Bandstand! Not the other way round...

(Dick Clark's show came first.)
 
Rinjo Njori said:

Dick Clark was a friend of Rock N Roll. He might have been associated to the "Man", but even bands like PiL got a shot at our answer to Top of the Pops! One of the good guys even if the style wasn't always related to my pallate. 

[James Porter]

Hey, I wouldn't mind "going there," myself. And staying there for a while. Grace was a hottie.

Back then.
 
melissa scott said:

I just had to post this link of one of my faves from Bandstand. Can't get enough of the 'relaxed' stage poses. And Grace's BOOTS (yeah, I had to go there).

[melissa scott]

*LOL* Yeah --- I've often wanted to access the Peabody time machine and place myself somewhere in the 60's (SF '67 would do fine, thanks) where the music and clothing suit my personal tastes. Woman out of time...

Well, prolly a tad earlier in that decade would be ideal, but still, Mr. Clark gave a lot of Americans a glimpse and a listen to music like no one else. Best part of the Airplane clip? Slick's answer to Clark's question: Why San Fran?

James Porter said:

Hey, I wouldn't mind "going there," myself. And staying there for a while. Grace was a hottie.

Back then.
 
melissa scott said:

I just had to post this link of one of my faves from Bandstand. Can't get enough of the 'relaxed' stage poses. And Grace's BOOTS (yeah, I had to go there).

[John Battles]

JUST TO CLARIFY , i MEANT THE AMERICAN BANDSTAND (70'S) THEME SONG. JAMES AND I BOTH SAW BUTCH PATRICK SING ROCK ON AB.
 
John Battles said:

That WAS a classic R'n'R TV moment , when PIL appeared on"Bandstand". Bizarro World stuff.

IF AND WHEN YOU WATCH THE GREAT BLUE CHEER CLIP ( I HAVE A DECENT COPY ON VIDEO , BUT IT'S NOT THIS GOOD.), YOU'LL NOTICE SOMEONE SAYS NOTHING EVER PHASED DICK CLARK .    NOT TRUE. DICKIE PETERSON TOLD ME THAT HE AND BLUE CHEER'S THEN -  MANAGER , GUT   (PREVIOUSLY WITH ANOTHER GROUP CALLED THE HELL'S ANGELS.) WERE BACKSTAGE DURING THIS SAME PERFORMANCE , SMOKING A BOWL OF HASH , WHEN DICK CLARK WALKED IN ON THEM. "IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT GIVE ROCK'N'ROLL A BAD NAME !!", SAID CLARK. "THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH " , REPLIED DICKIE. IT IS IRONIC THAT CORNELIUS AND CLARK DIED WITHIN SUCH A SHORT TIME OF EACH OTHER. I'LL ADMIT , THO' , I LEANED MORE TOWARD "BANDSTAND" THAN "SOUL TRAIN "WHEN I WAS A KID (I WOULD PAY TO HAVE A COPY OF THAT  INTRO MUSIC ON A 45- WA WA WA WAA WAAAA....), THO' MY GRANDMA LOVED IT.

[John Battles]

THAT'S TRUE , BUT DID'NT YOU HAVE TO BE UP THERE IN THE CHARTS TO GET ON "TOP OF THE POPS"? PIL , FR'INSTANCE , MAY HAVE CHARTED IN THE UK AND/OR ON THE CONTINENT , BUT , CERTAINLY , NOT HERE.....Another aforementioned example , did Butch Patrick's early 70's record even get out of the starting gate? I have his "Eddie and The Monsters" 45 , it's amusing.
 
James Porter said:

Ah, I believe Top Of The Pops was the UK's answer to Bandstand! Not the other way round...

(Dick Clark's show came first.)
 
Rinjo Njori said:

Dick Clark was a friend of Rock N Roll. He might have been associated to the "Man", but even bands like PiL got a shot at our answer to Top of the Pops! One of the good guys even if the style wasn't always related to my pallate. 

[John Battles]

"Go there". You do know what that means in England , now , don't you? Of course you do.

 I've only recenty gained any appreciation for The Airplane....Along with The Cheer , I was always a bigger fan of The Grape , Country Joe , and Valenti - Free Quicksilver , as the best known SF bands go....It is amazing how cool - headed Clark could be ....Who could forget The Elevators on Bandstand? 

 Dick Clark : Who's the head of the group ?

Tommy Hall: We're ALL heads.