FORGOTTEN HITS REMEMBERS
THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW ...
FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE SCREEN!
Whether you were watching from home ...
Or actually had your feet firmly planted on the stage of The Ed Sullivan Theater ...
There is NO question that The Ed Sullivan Show had an impact on our lives.
For us "youngsters watching at home", it was a chance to see our favorite recording artists of the day, performing their latest hits.
And, as an artist, an invitation to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show meant that you were most surely on your way ... or had already made it!
Forgotten Hits proudly shares some of these memories ...
From both our readers AND the artists.
The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show
... I remember it as clear as day ... it had THAT big of an impact. So
many little things ... all the focus on their hair ... the insane crowd
reaction of screaming girls ... the fact that my Dad had a really good friend
named Bud Baehr ... and he looked JUST like George Harrison (only with a
crew-cut ... because that's pretty much what EVERY guy wore back then!!!) ...
and then, watching the show a week later to see if me and my brothers could
pick out "the guy who looked like Bud"!!! The "Sorry
Girls, He's Married" imprint that flashed on the screen when the camera
panned to John Lennon (a tribute that Tom Hanks would later pick up in
his excellent film "That Thing You Do".) Walking home from
school later that week with three girls who could sing ... word for word ...
EVERY song on the "Meet The Beatles" album. Going to my
Grandma's house one weekend where she presented me and my two brothers with
Beatle wigs ... and then all three of us putting the wigs on and bursting into
an impromptu performance of "She Loves You", shaking our heads so
vigorously and with such exaggeration that we ended up with headaches SO bad we
all had to lie down for awhile later that afternoon!
By the time of The Beatles' first Ed Sullivan Show appearance, February
9th, 1964, "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "I Saw Her Standing
There", "She Loves You" and "Please Please Me" had
already hit the charts ... and their first "official" US album,
"Meet The Beatles" was a week away from topping the charts, too ...
being held at bay by (of all things!) The Singing Nun!!! ("Meet The
Beatles" would hit the summit the following week ... and then stay
there for the rest of February, all of March and all of April ... only to be
knocked out of the top spot by "The Beatles' Second Album", which
kept the string going for five more weeks!!!)
We'd never seen anything like it before ... and we haven't seen anything
like it since. In hindsight it's almost impossible to believe ... just to think
that it happened at all, let alone as incredibly FAST as it did ... worldwide
Beatlemania literally exploded overnight ... but we were there and we saw it
with our very own eyes!
(And it was AMAZING!!!)
For the week ending April 4th, The Beatles held The Top Five spots on The
Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart: "Can't Buy Me Love" (which
had just jumped to #1 from a previous week debut of #27 ... both ... at the
time ... Billboard chart records), "Twist And Shout" at #2, "She
Loves You" (the previous week's #1 Record) at #3, "I Want To Hold
Your Hand" still holding on at #4 and "Please Please Me" at
#5. A week later, The Beatles had FOURTEEN songs in The Top 100, adding
"Do You Want To Know A Secret", "I Saw Her Standing There",
"You Can't Do That", "All My Loving", "From Me To
You", "Thank You Girl", "There's A Place", "Roll
Over Beethoven" and "Love Me Do" to yet another record-breaking
list! In all, The Beatles would chart an incredible 32 Titles on The Billboard
Singles Chart in 1964 alone.
When you think back about ALL the acts that Ed Sullivan brought into our
living rooms over his 23 year prime time run, it's inconceivable that he has
never been so much as nominated for The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Hopefully this series will FINALLY shed a little light on this gross
injustice. (kk)
Thanks for featuring a tribute to Ed Sullivan. I would have more money in my pocket if I had a dollar for every local, regional, or national artist that has told me that they got into music after seeing the Beatles on Sullivan. I was very young, however, I remember my mother exclaiming "look at their hair" each time they were on. Ed's friend Topo Gigio was what I liked to see at that age. I remember being excited the first time I saw the Jackson Five appear. While in high school I won the part of Mr. MacAfee in the musical Bye Bye Birdie and got to sing Hymn For A Sunday Evening (We're Gonna Be On Ed Sullivan). While we had fake television cameras and a make believe set, I remember thinking how nervous the Sullivan guests must have been to be on a show that so many people watched.
To me the Ed Sullivan show was a lot like Top 40 radio was in those days. It was a variety show. If you didn't like what you were hearing or seeing, you waited five minutes and something would come on that you liked. You were exposed to so much entertainment and styles of music that many times you grew to appreciate. It is not like today's ipod, me pod, TiVo, generation that we live in.
Ed Sullivan was often imitated but never equaled. He does deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I hope someday that happens.
Phil - WRCO
To me the two greatest memories I have was when Elvis
Presley appeared and The Beatles.
I can definitely remember watching on those nights and I'll never forget it.
I can't forget comedians Jackie Mason and Will Jordan appearing on his show.
Then, in the Bye Bye Birdie movie, they put in an excerpt of The Sullivan Show for their home town. Those were the days. Other Sunday nights I watched The Steve Allen Show.
DJ Stu Weiss
Ed Sullivan was like my window to the music world.
Each week a new discovery walked onto his stage and into our living rooms. Even
before The Beatles made their historic appearances on his show, I would watch
with anticipation, and head to my 45 RPM record player in the week ahead
reliving what I saw on Sunday night. I never appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
... but like all of us here,feel an indebtedness to him, in the same way you
would if he had something to do with our careers ... because in a way, he did
have a to do with all of our careers.
Thank you Ed Sullivan.
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords
You have to consider that Ed Sullivan meant something different to us. It was TV when TV was completely different. It was just another hour's worth of what we took for granted back then. When we began watching it was live and just a camera pointed at everything from jugglers to operatic divas. For me, nothing registered very much. It was disposable entertainment, in one eye and out the other. It was a chance to see artists that we heard on the radio and that was it. No big deal at all. I do remember The Beatles and how we all sat and laughed at those goofy looking people with the long floppy hair, wondering what the fuss was all about and that was it. Never thought they would last, least of all attain the status they hold today.
Not much of a contribution, but it's the truth of what I lived.
Mister Hil
Most memorable Sullivans were The Beatles obviously &
DC5. Also when Stones did “Paint It Black”. Honorable mention to Doors “Light
My Fire”. It was mostly a Family night of TV, and memories of My
Dad not caring one way or the other about the Rockers, and my Mother thinking
they all looked like “Creeps”! Especially after the hair got long. Pretty
Funny!
Ken
I, like many other 9 year olds, was aware of Ed Sullivan
but didn't pay all that much attention to him prior to February of 1964. As a
youngster, my family would watch him occasionally - especially in winter when
we couldn't be outside at 7 pm on Sunday (Central Time is best, btw). We also
enjoyed Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour on Sunday afternoons. I was too young
to see Elvis' early appearances on Ed's show, but enjoyed Topo Gigio and other
interesting acts from time to time. In '63 "Bye Bye Birdie" also
helped make me aware there was something special about Ed Sullivan. Everything
changed on February 9, 1964 - just as it did for millions of Boomers. I sat
spellbound in front of the TV the entire hour - and from that day forward I
always kept up with The Ed Sullivan Show. I wonder if there's ever been another
time in the history of broadcasting when the appearance of one act, or artist,
had such a profound impact on the future of one program.
David Lewis
This may be a minority response to others you will get on The Beatles debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. I definitely sat with my family each Sunday night and enjoyed the variety that his show brought to the world. But on the first night of The Beatles appearance, my dad asked me if it was ok to watch another show that he was interested in, and I replied, "Sure!" As I recall, I didn't even watch TV that night, but retired to my room to read another Nancy Drew mystery or listen to music. You see, my friends and I could not understand the hype behind four "boys" who were a singing group. "After all, Mom, they're just BOYS and I get bothered by enough of them already." HOWEVER, at school the next day EVERYONE (even the staff) were talking about THE BEATLES on the Ed Sullivan Show. So, the next week, my best friend and I decided to watch ... ONLY so we could participate in conversations in a knowing fashion. AND THE REST, as they say, IS HISTORY. Ed Sullivan had my eyes on each occasion he announced a popular singing group would be appearing. Too young to attend concerts and not having an older sibling I could tag behind, THIS was my visual introduction to not only The Beatles, but The Dave Clark Five, The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, The Animals, Freddie and the Dreamers, Petula Clark ... etc., etc., etc.
Thank you, Ed.
Shelley J. Sweet-Tufano
I was too young to watch Ed Sullivan and didn't get to see
the Beatles, but I did get to stay up to see the Cowsills. I was so in awe of
Susan. She was young ... a mere kid like me and there she was on TV
singing! My dream was to be like her. She was a HUGE inspiration and
influence in my musical journey!
Debe Welch
My family always watched
Ed Sullivan on Sunday nights at 7 PM. It was a way to catch up on the
latest in Entertainment whether it was Music, Movies, Comedy or
Broadway. I remember like yesterday the night the cast of
Hair danced down the aisles to the stage, singing and dancing to
one of the songs from the play. Everybody talks about The
Beatles and Elvis but it was so much more. If Mickey
Mantle hit three home runs that afternoon at Yankee stadium in a
doubleheader, he would be in the audience and Ed would introduce him
and say, "Right here in our audience tonight is Mickey Mantle
... take a bow, take a bow!" Great memories for
sure, but for those of us who grew up in that era let's not
forget the Dick Clark Saturday Night show that was also live and
featured the top 40 acts of the day like Fats Domino, Connie Francis, Paul
Anka, etc, etc.
Mark
What can I say about ED. He provided a product that was in demand, Rock and
Roll. We were there every Sunday to see the latest hot group for the
first song then waiting anxiously thru the comedians, jugglers, pop singers and
God KNOWS WHAT to see and heard the group sing the second song.
Yeah, who could forget the Beatles for the first time! Wow, the whole thing was
magic! It was a great time to be a teenager.
Now that I look back there will never be a show like Ed's. Just the variety of
it, like the top 40 radio stations of the past that had a little something for
everyone, it would never exist now. But let me tell you, I gained a
certain appreciation of all styles of music thru Ed and the top 40 that my kids
will never have. Of course that why I try and expose them to my music and the
music of my parents, good and bad.
Mike De Martino
Our family was glued to
the TV every Sunday night like most of those in America who had a TV set. I was
the oldest of three boys and my Dad had given me his record collection around
1950 so I was listening to the Mills Brothers and Ink Spots on 78 rpm records
regularly before we got our first TV in 1954. My father, in retrospect, had
amazing taste in music for an Irish tenor. He collected the Mills Brothers and
Ink Spots (almost all their Decca 78s), the Ravens, the Charioteers, the
Southernaires, the Orioles, the Three Blazes, Nat "King" Cole,
Billie Holiday, Joe Turner and Pete Johnson, Meade Lux Lewis and Louis Jordan
and his Tympany Five.
The Mills Brothers seemed to be on the Ed Sullivan Show at
least every other month from the time we started watching the show in September
of 1954. Another band that I remember from the mid fifties that
appeared often were the Treniers, a wild show band.
Every week there was a
different dancing act. I loved the tap dancers like the Will Mastin Trio
(with Sammy Davis Jr.), Honey Coles, "Sand Man" Simms, Hines, Hines
and Dad, Donald O'Connor, Gene Kelly and my favorite, "Peg Leg"
Bates (who also appeared every other month, it seemed). I even liked the
Ballroom type dancers like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, who was amazing, Cyd
Charise and Marge and Gower Champion.
Then there were the
comedians. So many different styles, from old timers like Myron Cohen and Henny
Youngman to nasty guys like Jack E. Leonard and Don Rickles to the ones who did
impressions like Frank Gorshen. Ethnic humor was used as well, such as Pat
Cooper (Patsy Caputo) with his Italian stories and many Jewish comedians such
as Sam Levinson and Alan King telling family stories. I remember seeing Richard
Pryor doing his first stand-up routine and it was CLEAN! Godfrey Cambridge was
another very funny black comedian who appeared often. Jack Benny, who I never
thought was very funny, had funny people with him to act as foils, such as
Dennis Day and the amazing Mel Blanc. I remember seeing Jackie Mason get yanked
and he gave the stiff arm to Ed and didn't appear again for many, many years.
In the late 50s the satirists arrived such as Shelly Berman and Mort Sahl and
later there were guys like Bill Cosby and Bob Newhart with stories that we
really could relate to.
I was front and center
for Elvis' appearances and remember my dad making fun of his dancing moves,
calling him a spastic, and then having the bottom of the screen blacked out for
his next appearance. Are you kidding me? What a joke! Imagine if he had grabbed
his crotch like Michael Jackson. Would he have been banned from TV forever?
My father used to love
Sid Caesar (as the Three Haircuts) and Stan Freberg, when they made fun
of rock and roll in their parody songs. I suffered as he laughed hysterically.
I also suffered when Jimmy Rodgers appeared to do "Honeycomb" in 1957
and he forgot when to come in and spent the next three measures trying to catch
up with the big band arrangement of his folk song. I saw Ed kind of flub up
when he was talking to Buddy Holly and I actually think he might have forgotten
his name as he referred to him as "Tex" one time.
I was still watching the
Sullivan Show, this time with my girlfriend, when on 2/9/64 the Beatles made
their first appearance in America. I realized that the audience was even more
frenzied than when Elvis first appeared and that a new era was upon America,
although my own taste remained stronger with Motown and Stax records. I
was now in my twenties and only checked in on Sunday night every once in
awhile when I knew there would be an appearance by a musical act that I didn't
want to miss.
When you think of it, it
is quite amazing that the Ed Sullivan Show was on the air for 23 straight years
as Ed had very little talent on stage. He always seemed awkward and unsure as
he did his introductions and quick interviews after some acts, but he remains a
legend today. Vaudeville finally died after he went off the air!
Danny Guilfoyle
Sunday night TV was something special always in the Besch
household. Living in Dodge City meant watching Walt Disney or Lassie or
Bonanza or Ed Sullivan, but never all of them because some came on at the same
time as others. Often Ed got left out if they did not have a big music
act on and even then, with only ONE TV, the head of the household (Dad) had to
be overridden first. That was always tough.
Ed was Topo Gigio, plate spinners, animal acts AND great rock / pop
groups. Ed was stiff and boring to hear, but the acts made him worth
it. I taped off the Sullivan show often, even tho sometimes they were lip
synchs or live vocals over pre-recorded music beds. The DC5 certainly
were that way. Yeah, Ed was boring and clumsy with his delivery, but that
was all we had! HE found and booked acts and MADE acts! His Beatles
shows made a huge impact on their careers, even if they were already on the way
to the top. He let us see the head shaking mop tops in prime time.
Looking back on the tapes now, he looks even MORE out of place, but he was
genuine too, unlike these phony hosts on American idol and the like.
Slick? NO. But genuine? YES. Ed was what we now try NOT
to have hosting a show. SO, why do we miss him and know his name and have
forgotten the ones that have come and gone since? He was an original when
there were no models to try to be like or not to be like as a host. AND
he had a really big SHOE!
Clark Besch
I was a youngster but I do remember Ed Sullivan was the first man I ever heard cuss on national television. After shaking a celebrity's hand in his audience he replied, "He damned near broke my hand" or something very similar. It was scandal for months in my little hometown.
Mickey
In my view, the main thing that killed the Ed
Sullivan Show was prosperity. When most families could afford only
one television, the Sullivan show was something that actually brought families
together ... he very astutely included, as you say, "something for the
kids" as well as something for grandma and Mom and Pop, too. My
guess is that hardly anyone liked ALL the segments of a particular show (my
friends and I were particularly scornful of Topo Gigio), but there was at least
something there, every week, for someone. You suffered through the Moscow
Ballet to be able to see the Dave Clark Five (who, I'm told, were the rock act
that performed the most times on the Sullivan show, although the exact count of
appearances varies according to the source).
Then came prosperity,
which meant that the kids and the adults could watch separate televisions, and
(later) cable, which could devote an entire channel to rock music. By the
1970s, the "omnibus" aspect of the Sullivan show was outdated.
Lots of shows featured pop and rock performances -- it is no coincidence that
Sonny & Cher's first TV show debuted in 1971, the same year that Ed
Sullivan bid farewell. The Partridge Family, which started in 1970,
offered teeny-bop girls a full half hour of David Cassidy. And so it
went. Kids no longer had to endure the lame jokes of Borscht
Belt comics to get their weekly dose of the Supremes.
I think the cultural
fracturing of America is an interesting phenomenon, abetted in part because
there eventually was no need to "all get together" to listen to a
radio program or watch a TV show. The rise of multiple-TV households (and
especially the later explosion of channels on cable) gave a boost to
the individual freedom to watch what you wanted -- but it came at the
expense of a shared cultural understanding. Our parents may not have
liked the Doors, but at least they were familiar with what they didn't like,
thanks to Ed Sullivan and other variety shows.
Henry McNulty
The reason Ed Sullivan got axed in ’71 is the same reason a lot of classic shows and others got the shaft in ’71. It’s the first year real demographics are used for television. They started screening out many shows that were geared, or popular, with older viewers and tried to replace them with shows that fit their demographic model. It’s the beginning of the end for that era of TV. The first “cleansing” was in ’66 when they gave the axe to all Black and White shows. Then in ’71, when you lose the classic comedies like “The Beverly Hillbillies” and replace them with the new style “All In The Family”. Instead of the Dad being the lovable head of the family, they turn the hard working (mostly) white WW2 veteran in to an ignorant, bumbling racist oaf. You lose “Hogan’s Heroes” & get “MASH”. So instead of making fun of Nazi’s you get them making fun of the US Army and sympathy for the Chinese Communists. Whether it was for better or worse, people can make that judgment. I personally feel we really lost what made TV great in that era. It happened to Radio too, and by the early to mid 70’s, it’s really just a shell of what it used to be. That’s what demographics and focus groups did to that part of the culture.
Ken
I remember the Ed Sullivan Show, especially when he had the rock groups on.
Everyone remembers the Beatles, but I liked when The Animals and The Doors were on. They were favorites of mine. I have some of the shows that I purchased on DVD too. What memories!
Carolyn
I am only an Oldies music fan, and just
wanted to share my Ed Sullivan Show Memories.
Some of my fondest memories
as a young 50's teen are those watching Ed's Sunday night show. I bought
my first Elvis album when it came out and until that time, only got to look at
him on the cover and in magazines. One of my biggest thrills was
when Elvis was a guest on the Sullivan Show, and I got to see him on
our small black and white TV. After Elvis was on, I don't
think I ever missed another show. To me Elvis was simply bigger
than life - when I saw him there, he became more of a 'real'
person. :-) .
My regular Sunday evenings
were to make certain I was watching TV, if not by 6:30 p.m., at least by
6:52 - I watched Ozzie and Harriet mainly to see Ricky; and if
not the entire show, at least the last few minutes when he sang! Loved
that! My Sunday evening routine was to watch Ricky then watch
the entire hour of the Sullivan Show. It was so exciting for me
to see the young, upcoming singers and other entertainers.
Ed probably had no
idea in the beginning that his hour-long Sunday evening program
would be continued so many years (1955-1971). I hope
before he died that he realized the great gift he provided
us all those years.
I think he should certainly
be in one of the Halls of Fame!
I got the Sullivan
Shows DVD Set last year as a gift- and have enjoyed it so much.
Love watching - it takes me
back to those good times.
Jennie Carpenter
We were faithful watchers of The Ed Sullivan Show. Never missed a show! I have so many memories ... it's hard to know where to begin.
The most memorable:
** Of course, the first appearance of the Beatles on February 9, 1964, is at the top of the list. I remember thinking how clever Ed was to put them at the very end thus ensuring all the other acts on the show would be watched. I also remember how annoying all the screaming was. LOL ... and I was in all of sixth grade at the time. My husband (who was 7 years old at the time) wasn't allowed to watch Ed that night in his household, and remembers having to watch Walt Disney instead. I think he still holds a grudge against his father to this day.
** The Rolling Stones performance of "Let's Spend the Night Together" and how they had to change the words to "Let's Spend Some Time Together" for the censors.
** Herman's Hermits singing Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter and falling in love with Peter Noone on the spot
** The Mama and the Papas singing California Dreaming - I remember how shocked I was at seeing Mama Cass for the first time live and in person ... (seems so silly now)
Mostly, it was the joy of seeing our teen idols live and in person. You could always count on Ed Sullivan to have it all. He truly catered to all age groups, young and old. I loved every act on his show.
"Good night Eddie ..."
Thanks Kent!
Moochas smoochas....
DJ Scarlett Hayze
Revolution Radio
You asked for it! First of all, in the summer of '69, I was going to Coast Guard Radio School (8 hours of Morse code daily) on Governor's Island in New York City and we could get off the Island on weekends only.
Well, one Saturday, I stopped in to a USO Center in downtown NYC and they said "Hey, if you'd like to go to 'the Ed Sullivan Show' let us know and we'll give you some tickets, but you MUST wear your uniform." Well, like all of us, I grew up watching Ed and jumped at the opportunity. So I was handed two tix and this was the Saturday Night before the show. Anyway, come Sunday, I'm in my uniform and went to the Ed Sullivan Theatre on Broadway (Home of David Letterman now). I had called my parents (in Denver) and told them to watch because, someway, somehow I would show up on "live" TV! To make a long story short the music guest that night was Mason Williams, doing his hit "Classical Gas" (from his Greatest HIT CD), of course.
As Ed always did, he introduced people in the audience including Sonny Liston and a number of other semi-famous people. Well, I thought when Ed said ... "And here's Sonny Liston ... stand up, Sonny", I stood up waving wildly at the crowd hoping the cameraman would be confused and put ME on national TV. I stood up every time Ed introduced anyone, but never got on TV. But what a kick in the ass being at the Ed Sullivan Show LIVE!
Wow!
Let's move forward to 1993, KWNZ in Reno Nv, I was the most listened to Morning Guy in Reno with a 27 Morning Share and one guy that listened to my insane program each morning (unbeknownst to me) was Doug Clifford (original drummer of CCR). He lived then and still to this day in Lake Tahoe. Anyway, one day Doug called the show and asked if he could come down ... I said "HELL YEAH"!
Doug was in studio the next day and related story after story about the early days of CCR, one being about their first performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. He said they had a dress rehearsal Sunday afternoon with a fill in for Ed, because Ed was across the street having a "few" cocktails ... (I guess he was a pretty heavy drinker). So CCR did "Proud Mary" and then Ed was going to introduce each band member and they would all individually come up and shake Ed's hand. Come to find out all went well at the rehearsal (with the stand in Ed), but during the LIVE Show, apparently Ed was still a little shit-faced and said "Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, here's the bass player of CCR, John Fogerty", and John walked up, shook Ed's hand and said he played lead, not fazed, Ed then said "and now the drummer, Stu Cook" ... Stu came up and said he played rhythm guitar ... Ed was not fazed, "and now lead singer and guitarist Doug Clifford" et al. Doug said it was hilarious, but what a thrill it was to be on the World Famous Ed Sullivan Show going out to everyone in America.
One more quick story (doesn't involve Ed though) ... Doug said it was their first time in New York (doing the Sullivan Show) and Frank Sinatra was a HUGE fan of CCR's and offered up his living quarters when he stays in NYC to CCR, it was apparently at the top floor of one of the best hotels and Frank had the entire floor. Well in these living quarters was an antique pool table that Frank absolutely loved. (More on that later)
Long story short, the Doors were in town to do some concerts and found out where CCR was staying and the "Lizard King" himself somehow got ahold of them and asked if he could visit. They had NEVER met Jim Morrison but jumped at the chance to do so. Well, the Saturday before the Ed Sullivan Show, Jim arrived at the hotel early in the afternoon with two bodyguards and they let him up to Frank's suite. Jim, as usual, had a big open bottle of Jack Daniels with him, but appeared to be okay. They all sat around and talked music a bit, (Jim heavily imbibing the Jack) and now grabbed a handful of "red pills" and swallowed them. About 20 minutes later, (Jim, totally out of control) wanted to play pool on Frank Sinatra's Antique Pool Table. They started playing and Jim takes a pool cue and rips the felt on the pool table big time. The guys from CCR were mortified ... what would Frank think??? By now Jim is slurring his words, has fallen down twice and is "out of it". Finally Jim passes out and his two bodyguards literally dragged him out. CCR never had any contact with Jim or the Doors ever again. TRUE STORY! Hence my memories of Ed and NYC!
"Wild" Bill Cody
HI KENT ...
I USED TO LIVE AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER IN NEW YORK AND AS I WAS WATCHING HIS SHOW ONE SUNDAY NIGHT, I SAW THE BEACH BOYS PERFORM. I JUMPED UP AND RAN AROUND THE CORNER AND MANAGED TO SNEAK IN BACKSTAGE.
AS SECURITY WAS ABOUT TO EJECT ME, MY PAL BRUCE JOHNSTON SAW ME AND WAVED ME IN. NOT ONLY DID I SEE THE REST OF THE SHOW, BUT HE ALSO INTRODUCED ME TO ED SULLIVAN, WHICH I'LL NEVER FORGET!
REGARDS,
ARTIE WAYNE
One of my fond memories of the Ed Sullivan Show is from a
Sunday in January 1965 ... I had been watching the show regularly for nearly a
year, since the Beatles' appearances the previous February. On this night, I
looked at the TV listings to see who would be on and was disappointed to see no
music artists or groups listed, only "Jerry Lewis and his drummer son
Gary." Assuming that meant some little kid was going to get a chance to
show off his drumming skills only because he was the son of a celebrity, I wasn't
planning to watch the show and was in another room (not in front of the TV)
when it started. Soon, I was amazed to hear some great-sounding music coming
from the TV, and I ran into the room just in time to hear "This Diamond
Ring" for the first time -- and of course the song was soon in heavy
rotation on the radio and became one of my favorites of that year.
-- Randy Price
I guess I was hooked early on when I watched family friends who were on the show in the fifties. Joe Bennett and The Sparkletones were on The Ed Sullivan Show two times. Sullivan was a show you could get your parents to watch because of the variety. Then us kids would get to see the latest musical groups perform. I don't think I missed many shows. This was the show of the week to watch. One of my best shows was when Vanilla Fudge did You Keep Me Hanging on! Yes, I loved The Beatles, the Stones and all the British Invasion ... but Fudge was from The USA and blew me away so much that I had to drive from South Carolina to North Carolina to see them in concert! I wish they would release all the musical groups from the show on DVD. Some have been released but there is still a ton that hasn't been.
Hail to the Greatest Show of Shows!
Mickey Cooksey
ARTIST MEMORIES ...
1957 was a VERY memorable year for me ...
I had been recording since late 1951, just shy of my 16th
birthday (on the Cadillac and 20th Century / Gotham labels) and had gained
loads of experience playing before audiences in clubs, theaters and even
"strip joints" in and around the Philadelphia region. By late
1956, I was ready for my "shot" when it came. Bernie Lowe, owner and
president of the newly formed Cameo Label (later Cameo - Parkway) in Philly,
signed me to a contract. He previously knew my work from the many
appearances I did as a kid on the Paul Whiteman tv / radio shows.
Lowe was the pianist and
arranger for the Whiteman Orchestra. I had been playing what came to be known
as rock & roll for many years -- influenced by the likes of Louis Jordan,
Joe Turner and even Bill Haley.
On December 30th, I went into the Reco-Art studio in downtown Philly to record
'BUTTERFLY' and 'NINETY-NINE WAYS.' By March of 1957, we not only had a hit
record, but a national #1 Billboard hit with 'BUTTERFLY.' The week that
'BUTTERFLY' fell to #4, the flip-side, 'NINETY-NINE WAYS' rose to #11. Remember
-- there were also two cover versions by Andy Williams (Butterfly) and Tab
Hunter (Ninety-Nine Ways), both of which became big hits that same
spring.
We had a monster of a
record.
My agent back then, Bernie Rothbard, was contacted by the Sullivan people. who arranged to have me on the show Sunday, March 10th. It was such an honor. If you appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, you knew you had "made it." I was even paid $5,000! I met Mr. Sullivan earlier in the day when we started rehearsals -- which seemed to go on forever! I found him to be warm and personable. On the same show with me that night were actor Henry Fond, comedian Ben Blue, opera singer Renata Tebaldi, ventriloquist Senor Wences, college basketball star and fellow Philadelphian Wilt Chamberlain, plus actor / comedian, Don Ameche.
Mr. Sullivan and Don Ameche took notice of my greased back
DA hairstyle, which was all the rage back then. They warmly ribbed me about it
backstage: "Would you look at the hair on that kid's head!"
I was told that I'd be
closing the show that night, which caused my agent Bernie Rothbard great
distress: "Gee Charlie ... I don't like you closing the show ... sometimes
if the telecast runs over ... they cancel the last act!"
Well, neither of us had long to worry. Shortly thereafter,
I got a knock on my dressing room door by one of the stage hands: "Mr.
Gracie, there's been a change and you are now opening the show!"
That sudden change somewhat startled me -- especially when he added:
"about 20-million people will be watching you tonight, kid!"
Well ... let me not tell you ... I seldom ever got a case of "nerves"
before or during a performance, but all of a sudden I kind of felt it that
night. As it tuned out, Mr. Sullivan gave me a very warm introduction and I
somehow got through it pretty well. Its a piece of history now!
You know its funny, but rock & roll was still far from being accepted as an
authentic art form. Many in the industry were still not so sure about this
strange new 'music.' I think my record of 'BUTTERFLY' ran 2-minutes and
20-seconds. Well, my performance was cut down to something like 1-minute and
30-seconds! I laugh when I think about it now, but those were the early
days and we paid our dues for all the artists who came after us.
'BUTTERFLY' went on to sell over 2-million discs and I was awarded GOLD
DISC on another legendary tv show that year: The Paul Winchall Circus Time
program, seen nationally every Saturday on ABC.
I've been in the business for 60 full time years now, but its hard to top
the year we had back in 1957. My follow-up record, 'FABULOUS' also made the Top
20 and I enjoyed a total of 6 Top 30 hits over in Great Britain that same
year! 1957 also marked the first of many concert tours for me in the
United Kingdom -- and I've been returning almost every year ever since! We also
did the Warner Brothers movie 'Jamboree!' that year.
Looking back, I'm just happy to have been a part of it. It amazes me how far we've come with sound equipment and technology since the late 50s. It was really like the 'stone age' for us back then. By the way, I still play that very same Guild X-350 hollow body guitar to this day.
If you go to my website: Click here: Charlie Gracie Links (www.charliegracie.com) you can watch the actual opening of the Sullivan show and see me perform 'BUTTERFLY' after Ed's introduction.
When I finished my performance, Mr. Sullivan remarked
to his tv audience: "After looking at that little fella, Don Ameche
and I were standing in the wings saying: 'Ah ... wouldn't it be nice to be that
young again!'"
Now, at 75 I can totally relate and say: YES ED, it certainly would be nice!
-- Charlie Gracie
We were on the Ed Sullivan Show twice - first, in November
of 1957, when we performed Black Slacks ... and then again in March of
1958, performing Cotton Pickin' Rocker.
The 1957 show came after a
13 week show in Vegas. The Ed Sullivan Shows were the highlight of
our career. We were greatly honored to be on them.
Our manager, Bob Cox formally a CBS Talent Agent, surprised
us with the bookings on the Ed Sullivan Shows. Ed Sullivan was a perfect
show host and treated us with great respect.
On the 1957 Show we
performed along with other great stars, Paul Anka and Jimmy Rogers.
On the 1958 show, we appeared with the Everly Brothers and Jo Stafford.
-- Joe Bennett
Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones
My first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show was without a doubt one of the most exciting times in my career, as being asked to do his show meant you had either already made it or you were about to become a major star. He was a wonderful man and he treated me with an abundance of kindness ... and each time I appeared on his show, he would bring me over to him and give information about me to the audience.
The one thing I remember vividly was he never said my name correctly until one of the cue card writers made it easy for him by spelling my name phonetically ... DE-ON ... and from that moment on, he said my name right.
His show was by far the father of variety shows and these are sorely missed.
Thank you for including my memory of Ed Sullivan and his show.
Dionne Warwick
One most telling and defining incidents setting Ed Sullivan
apart from any other presenter on TV came about when during my dress
rehearsal. A large number of the people in the audience rushed up on
stage and sat around me on the floor. (This had also happened
spontaneously at a Carnegie Hall concert of mine and continued throughout my
early career.) The stage manager ran out and tried to shush them
away, back into their seats. Ed Sullivan himself came up on the stage
and told all these “youths” -- as he called them -- that they could stay, as
they seemed to be well behaved. The stage manager left, shaking his
head.
But of course Ed
Sullivan was the ultimate showman and knew it added to the essence of what he
was introducing to the world, prompting the comment about Elvis.
And of course at that
time, one segment on his show was an introduction to the world and the only
step needed to go from obscurity to stardom.
Love
Melanie<3
I only did one show with Ed Sullivan in New York City.
I remember it was winter time and I had just stepped out of my dressing
room and was waiting for the elevator to arrive to take me down to his theater
where we would shoot the show. As I stood there, waiting for the elevator
to arrive, I started doing loud vocal exercises to loosen my throat up a bit.
There was a guard sitting there at a desk and he got really angry with
me. He told me he didn't like my long hair, and he told me if I had been
in his military company, he would have my head shaved, and he told me to knock
off all of that noise. I was trying to explain to him that I was just
warming up my voice for the show.
Right at that moment the elevator door opened and there was Ed Sullivan and a
couple of producers / directors. I stepped into the elevator and down we
went. Ed said to me, "What was that all about?" So I told
him what had transpired between me and the guard. Nothing more was said
about it.
After the shoot, I went back up to my dressing room to get my stuff and there
was a different guard on the desk. I said, "Hey, what happened to
the other fella?" The guy looked up at me and casually said,
"Oh, he got fired." I've always felt bad about that, but at the
same time I really admired the Sullivan team for quietly taking care of their
guests. That's my story.
Barry McGuire
When I did the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time, I had
just received my driver's license and I was more interested in that, like most
teenagers would have been!
It was an honor to be on the show. Mr. Sullivan was quite sympathetic because
he knew I was nervous. Thanks Mr. Ed.
~ Fabian Forte
We were scheduled to appear on Ed Sullivan but then Bobby
Kennedy was assassinated and our appearance was preempted in order to run
specials about Bobby Kennedy and we were never rescheduled.
Frank Jeckell / The 1910
Fruitgum Company
Our first TV appearance was in Boston with Johnny Mathis in
1959. It was a color broadcast. Our next TV appearance, I think, was Dick
Clark ... and then Ed Sullivan.
The producers dressed us
in Cowboy / Cowgirl outfits because we were from out west. Yes, I'm
serious. We asked them and that was the answer. Then they cut our song
short, had a choral group singing behind us off stage and placed our only
microphone up and away from us three so I'm not sure I can even hear us on the
tape / Kinescope recording. Our appearance was nothing to be proud of but
undoubtedly helped the promotion of Come Softly.
Gary Troxel / The Fleetwoods
Like most other musicians /
singers I knew in the 60's, I spent Sunday evenings riveted to our family TV
for Ed Sullivan's show, hoping the pop music magic would somehow come out
through the set and touch my life. Here are my Ed Sullivan Show Memories,
circa 1965:
In 1965 I was playing in an LA trio, doing rock and pop songs in local
nightclubs with my friends Bobby Gil and Denny Martin. Our agent,
Bob Leonard, also handled an actress / comedienne named Virginia O'Brien, who
had starred in several MGM films primarily during the 1940's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_O'Brien
Ed Sullivan invited O'Brien to appear on his show. She needed a
band and wanted to update her act, so Leonard put her together with
us twenty-somethings. After several rehearsals, we flew to New York for
the live show. I had hardly ever been outside of California. And
New York? It may as well have been the moon. I fought back my fear
of flying so as not to spoil everything for the others. I also remember
naively assuming that we might do a couple our original songs on the show as
well, haha. But we soon learned that even Virginia's one song had to be
shortened.
At the theatre, we met others scheduled for appearances that night: Among
them Bert Lahr (the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz) and The Dave Clark
Five. Young female fans hung around outside the theatre, screaming at any
glimpse of that hit group.
Finally it was air time. We made it through our rock version of O'Brien's
signature "In A Little Spanish Town" with very few mistakes. I
remember looking at the camera lens and imagining the millions of viewers
on the other side. (I think they showed our group for maybe three or four
seconds, but I've never been able to get a copy of the video. Man, I
would LOVE to have a copy of that for my own personal library!)
And then suddenly it was over. And I never would have met Ed Sullivan,
except that he was on the same elevator. Surprisingly small in
stature. I introduced myself and thanked him for the opportunity.
That night everyone partied at a nearby nightclub. The headlining group
there had not really hit it big yet, and they looked up to us for having been
on Sullivan. They were Felix Cavalieri's Young Rascals! Did we get
up on stage? Fortunately, no. Had a lot to drink. Mostly I
felt homesick. I wasn't quite ready for the big time, but now I treasure
the experience.
Alan O'Day
My band mate then, and
still close friend now, Denny Martin now owns and operates a
recording studio in Nashville, TN
http://www.dennymartinmusic.com/DennyMartinMusic/Home.html
We still often work together
& write together. He adds this to the story:
My memories of the Ed Sullivan Show in November of 1965 are
from the standpoint of just turning 21 that October. Wow, we'd made it to
the big time. Coming from the Nebraska farm to LA in 1962 and already
achieving the Show Of Shows was intensely overwhelming.
The hotel was in downtown Manhattan and we were there one week staying with all
expenses paid. I remember us all being very poor and being unable to believe
that there wasn't going to be a big bill at the end of the week. We had a lot
of time on our hands and did a lot of walking the streets of New York.
I remember discovering some Bobby Blue Bland and Sam Cooke records in a record
store on 42nd street. I asked a cab driver to take me to Harlem to hear Bobby
Blue Bland, and the driver cussing me out saying something like, "Do you
want to get us both killed?" Obviously, looking back, the ghettos
were on fire everywhere. The civil rights movement was gaining momentum and the
situation was extremely volatile and dangerous. Naive? Beyond belief.
The night of the show my dad and mom and brothers and sisters were glued to the
TV in Nebraska to catch a glimpse of our band. I believe the show was filmed in
black and white in those years. The name of the venue was the Ed Sullivan
Theatre, as I recall. The week went by slowly leading up to the show but the
Sunday show was over much too soon.
Then came the nightclub party ... Virginia was friends with Roddy McDowell and
Danny Kaye and they joined us that night. I remember we stayed out till the
early morning hours and drank an awful lot. I believe I danced with Danny Kaye
who was doing his comedian schtick ... I was just having the time of my life.
By the time we went to see the Young Rascals, we were loud, obnoxious and very
drunk. Suddenly, the drummer's cymbal came crashing down on the back of my neck
off of a very high stage. Luckily it hit my neck and not my skull ... God had
other plans for me I guess. Looking back I can't say I blame him if it was
intentional ... we were out of control at that point, having been drinking for
4 or 5 hours.
Virginia was not of the rock and roll era and we must have been strange birds
to her. But she was always professional and fun and game for our young rock and
roll hearts and silliness. It was an awakening in so many ways.
-- Denny Martin
The Ed Sullivan Show was kind of a unique experience - because what I remember was that you worked for six days to do that show ... and on Saturday night you had a full, complete dress rehearsal ... and on Sunday night you were live.
-- Felix Cavaliere / The (Young) Rascals
I did so many music and variety shows but appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and being able to sing my own song, Put A Little Love In Your Heart, was absolutely the most exciting I ever had on television.
You really felt like you had reached the top when you went on Ed's show. It was also telecast live, which kept you on the edge knowing tens of millions of people were watching. Ed could also be funny. He called out to talk to me during the start of my second song, "Brighton Hill," but the band kept playing and we made it through.
Jackie DeShannon
Here are my memories of The Fleetwoods' appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
It was a great feather in our Fleetwood caps to do the Ed Sullivan Show, as teenagers in 1959. Our self-penned song "Come Softly To Me" was the #1 Record on The Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and a hit throughout the world. Top booking agencies were vying to sign The Fleetwoods, Dolphin's debut artists. Dolphin Records President Bob Reisdorff said we would sign with MCA (a real powerhouse at the time), if they got us The Ed Sullivan Show. They did; and we did.
But the show was far different from the slick, fan-pleasing presentation we'd enjoyed making on The Dick Clark Show. On Dick Clark's BeachNut Hour, we sang along with our record (lip-synched), and what TV viewers heard was the hit recording they loved and the audience clapping and cheering, as Gary opened with his famous "Dom Dom" scat line and (left to right) Gretchen and Barbara cooed "Come Softly", while descending a staircase in high heels and gowns chosen by Record Producer Reisdorff.
Conversely, The Ed Sullivan Show, also in sophisticated New York, put us in cowboy outfits! (Why? Someone guessed, maybe because we were from the West, and they thought we were still cowboys and indians out there?) A wood rail fence to lean on, and a bass player in the middle of the corral, completed the unlikely setting for our soft pop song in street-corner counterpoint.
They had a live chorus singing (Gary's) "Dom Dom" background, and it nearly drowned us out, complete with a loping cowboy beat behind (Gretchen's) melody and lyrics, and (Barbara's) harmony.
Ed Sullivan was not there for the rehearsal, nor was Bob Reisdorff; so Gretchen, official spokesperson for The Fleetwoods, asked whoever was in charge if they could quiet the chorus and add bongos, to counter (the cowboy feel) with a latin beat. The Bongo player thought it was his big chance and "played to beat the band!"
Before the actual telecast, we Fleetwoods quietly agreed among ourselves that we never wanted to do The Ed Sullivan Show again. We much preferred Dick Clark's production.
But a half century later, we received this communication from someone who had been present at our Ed Sullivan dress rehearsal. With his permission, his note also appears on our website, www.TheFleetwoods.com/screenwork.html - where the latest of our Screen Performances ("Come Softly To Me" in the new movie, "The Green Lantern") has not yet been posted - but, at the bottom of the page, you can see a clip from our very first: The Dick Clark Show appearance, which so contrasted with our Ed Sullivan Show experience.)
1959: The Ed Sullivan Show
Memory of a fan: At one time, my father sold
advertising space for a "car" magazine. Because of his job, he was
able to get some tickets to a Sunday-afternoon dress rehearsal of "The Ed
Sullivan Show" (one of their sponsors at that time was "Lincoln"
cars).
I remember sitting in
the audience, and seeing two girls and a guy take their place onstage, before
being introduced by "Ed."
All of a sudden, I realized who it was, and I said out loud, "The
Fleetwoods!!!"
To this day, I don't
remember who else was on the show that day. Sincerely,
Eli Mallon
Thank you Eli. And
thank you Ed. Even if it wasn't our favorite way to be presented, we can
look back with humor and enjoy the sentimental honor of being part of that
history - the iconic Ed Sullivan Show.
Softly,
Gretchen Christopher
Ever since I had seen The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, I wanted to be on the Ed Sullivan Show, so when we were, it just blew my socks off. We spent three days there for seven minutes on the air. First we showed up and their set designers, makeup artists and other people had a look at us. They asked what we were going to wear that night and we showed them. Then we went back to our hotel. The next day we show up and there was more polanning and then we wen tback to the hotel. Then on Sunday, the day of the broadcast, we showed up and we went into the green room, and they had everything in the world for us. There was a bar and catered food. We put on our clothes and had our makeup done and did a dress rehearsal on the stage. Then we went back to the green room and nobody was allowed to leave. We did another dress rehearsal at 6 o'clock with an audience and then went back to the green room again, until the show started at 8 o'clock, and we were locked in there until a stage assistant knocked on the door and told us it was our time to go on. Ed Sullivan was in control, and we knew he could cut your act at any time.
Rick Coonce / The Grass Roots
The Ed Sullivan Show was the #1 prime time show of
its day.
Ed announced the birth of
our oldest daughter Jerri Paige on the show. Ed Sullivan was a unique
host and the shows I performed on are some of my most valuable
memories.
BJ Thomas
Dino, Desi & Billy appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in the summer of 1965. There were a few things that made it special and historical: (1) it was the very first color broadcast of the show (2) it emanated not from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York but rather from the CBS studios on Beverly Blvd. and Fairfax in Los Angeles - Mr. Sullivan even wore a tuxedo to mark the occasion. DD&B performed our hits "I'm a Fool" and "Not the Lovin' Kind" back-to-back before going over to chat with our host. Desi's mother, Lucille Ball, sat in the studio audience and was flanked by her mother, Dede Ball, and daughter, Lucie Arnaz.
We may not be in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, but
DD&B are proud to have been a part of the exclusive club of performers that
appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Best,
Billy Hinsche / Dino,
Desi & Billy
We were fortunate enough to have Mr. Sullivan present us with one of our gold albums in 1968. It was a great honor to meet him and be on his, “Really Big Shew”. We did his show several times and he treated us with great respect.
Gary Pike
The Lettermen / Reunion
Appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show was our vindication and laurel wreath. Several weeks before our appearance, we had done several dates with the Beach Boys, who had done the Sullivan show many times. The week before we were to go on, we stopped by their rooms at the Hyatt House in Los Angeles. They were going to walk me through all the protocols because prparations for an Ed Sullivan appearance took all week. No matter what your status in the entertainment world, it was a scary thing appearing with Ed. The Sullivan could break as well as make careers.
The Beach Boys and I were watching that Sunday and I was particularly interested because Ed always came out at the close of the show to announce who the headliner would be for the following week. Sure enough, just before the end of the show, Ed steppend in front of the camera and said, "And next week on our show, for all the youngsters ... Tony Jones and the Shondells." We looked at one another. "Great. He never heard of us and he can't read." It got worse.
Tuesday morning we went to the Sullivan Theater because you had to commit to being on the set, around the clock, for several days. They wanted us to do the show live and I begged them to let me do a lip sync. They always insisted on live performances but they would compromise as long as I could give them a four-track tape with different layers of sound so they could regulate the output and not have it sound like the record.
I went to Allegro Studio, which was just across the street. I mixed a four track of "Crimson And Clover" but instead of giving them different mixes, I gave them different levels and different ETs, which meant they couldn't fool around with the mix, but the needles on their machines would be jumping around. All they could do was change the volume. They never caught on and I got to do a lip sync, which took a lot of pressure off because there was no way these guys were going to get the fade at the end of the recording of "Crimson And Clover". That was a train wreck waiting to happen.
Each day they marched us progressively into the final show. It was literally a zoo backstage because there were always hundreds of people, animal acts, the Vienna Boys Choir, a guy practicing his spinning plates routine. Our show inlcuded John Byner, Stiller and Meara, and Sergio Franchi. They custom built a stage set just for us. The band was on platforms at different levels and they shot us against funhouse mirrors that would slightly distort our features ... and Ed Sullivan acid trip. As we were watching the dress rehearsal on Sunday, Bob Precht, who was both the producer and Ed's son-in-law, walked over to me with that week's copy of Billboard, opened to the chart page. He tossed it on my lap. "Crimson" had gone number one at that moment.
In reality, The Ed Sullivan Show was almost live. They taped a show before a live audience from 5:00 to 6:00 and then took and hour for dinner. Then they taped another show before another live audience from 7:00 to 8:00. At 8:00 PM sharp, they went on the air and the production crew ran both tapes simultaneoulsy and aired the best performance. They were incredibly skillful at split-second timing.
At the end of the show, if you were the headliner, you got to talk to Ed. It was another thing the Beach Boys warned me about. While the acts were performing, Ed would stand in a narrow alcove watching the show on a little black-and-white TV set. He would also unwind with a little nip. We finished our last song and Ed, who by this time was on his sixth scotch, called me over. "Now Tommy, I understand you were born and raised in New York City." I froze. Where the hell did he get that info? I could not let that stand because I had relatives and friends watching and the whole town of Niles, Michigan, was glued to their sets.
"Well, actually, Ed, I've lived in New York City for a couple of years, but I was born in Dayton, Ohio, and raised in Niles, Michigan, but I've lived here since I was eighteen." I gave him every opportunity to exit gracefully. He wanted none of it. "Once again, born and raised in New York ... Tommy James."
At least he got my name right.
--Tommy James
I talk about this before I introduce "Susan" at a
Buckinghams concert. Back in the 60's the epitome of success was being invited
to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was 1968 and "Susan" was our
latest hit so we performed "Susan" and what was to be our next single
at the time, "What Is Love," a James Guercio produced song. We
performed the two songs as a medley starting with "Susan". We got to
the psychedelic break in "Susan" when it cut to a video of us running
around in various fun situations, then out of the break into "What Is
Love." It was actually very cutting edge for the time.
We were very excited to
perform on Ed Sullivan, especially because Elvis, The Beatles and The Stones
had been guests on the show. I remember thinking the Ed Sullivan Theatre was a
lot smaller than I thought it would be ... on TV it seemed much larger. As
a matter of fact, I thought Ed Sullivan would be taller, because he seemed
larger than life on TV. The show was taped live, and I remember the week we
were supposed to appear and after we told all our friends and family, it didn't
happen. They pushed it a week later because of some scheduling problem, so that
was a disappointment, but it finally aired.
Like I said, appearing on
Ed Sullivan was as good as it gets back then. We didn't have MTV or VH1, so the
best you could hope for was to be invited on one of the great variety shows
like The Smothers Brothers, American Bandstand or The Jerry Lewis Show, to
name a few of the many we did. But Ed Sullivan was it! That was success!
Carl Giammarese
The Buckinghams
Ed Sullivan was a gentleman.
He invited me to meet him at DelMonico (his apartment building in New York City) to go to mass with him on Sunday. After that he introduced me as Peter (Herman) Moon, because we had become sort of close, but not so close as to remember my actual name ... so I called him Mister Sulligan and he laughed because he was a gentleman.
Herman's Hermits was the perfect Sullivan act, although we only agreed to do the show for big money because we thought we were very valuable (our agent did anyway), but when I heard that we would meet the 4 Seasons, I agreed to do the tv show for low money so I could meet them. In the dressing room they were close to a fist fight over which jacket they were going to wear (Frankie won, of course) ... and when I told this to the Hermits, we laughed because we only had one stage jacket each!
Of all the people who had shows, Ed was the only one who just introduced the act and didn't try to dance, sing or joke around with the act. Since him, they all try to get "in" on the act, which is why so few variety shows last. I have noticed that successful variety shows like American Idol are the ones where the leads of the show don't try to sing or dance with the acts.
We did Ed's show a few times (not sure of the actual number) and I am always proud to have been treated specially by this man, as I think he knew I was a gent, too?
This does not exempt me from swearing at you, kk, or threatening to box you for money, if you say anything I don't like.
Hope you get lots of good input on this lovely man who was there when he was needed.
Can we get someone like Ed on the tv again soon? Someone who presents the acts doing what they do best without any interference?
-- Peter Noone
The Ed Sullivan Show was Mecca for all of us who wanted to
be the Beatles back in the sixties.
The other big shows were
wonderful - no disputing that. The Hollywood Palace and the Smothers Brothers,
Mike Douglas and even Johnny Carson never meant what it did to get the
invitation to perform in New York City on live television, 8 pm on Sunday nights.
That was instant
validation. My parents, who hated the idea of my leaving college
to pursue a career in the risky world of rock and roll, were at last legitimized
in the eyes of their peers. The trip to Hawaii and the color tv meant nothing
compared to this kind of success.
We were all nervous
beyond belief before our first Sullivan show. But it sounded great and it was
the most fun ever! Rehearsals all week: no other show did that. Staying at the
Plaza Hotel to the surprise of other legitimate guests, who quickly changed their
attitudes when they learned that we were there to appear with Ed.
Mr. Sullivan himself only
saw us during the actual show and we handed him a huge paper flower as he
thanked us for Happy Together on that first program. Now we had made it. We
were elite now. All the big bands did the Sullivan Show and our performances
are still to be seen on DVD and during those ubiquitous PBS pledge drives, so
our times with Ed have been immortalized and will outlive us. And that's all
any of us wanted to do - Ed helped us live the dream and now, we're alive
forever. Thanks, Mr. Sullivan.
Howard Kaylan / The
Turtles
Thelma Camacho was this hot little lady with the pixie haircut. Everyone who met her fell in love with her. That probably explains what happened to us during an appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show". Our manager, Ken Kragen, had been trying to make The First Edition into a house-hold name and we were all excited to be doing "Sullivan", then the number one variety show on TV.
We had a rehearsal in the afternoon and it went fine. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome The First Edition," Ed said, and we came out and did our song. The second go-round, for the actual nighttime show, he says, "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ..." ... and he couldn't remember the name ... so he says, "Thelma and her boys!" So much for name recognition.
-- Kenny Rogers
When "Diana" went to number one in the USA in September of 1957, a month after my sixteenth birthday, I found myself all of a sudden booked on "The Ed Sullivan Show"! Aside from "American Bandstand" all we watched back then was "The Ed Sullivan Show". Sure, there were other shows ... "Milton Berle", "I Love Lucy", "Howdy Doody" ... but "The Ed Sullivan Show" was the thing. One minute I was sitting there as a fan and then, all of a sudden, I was going to be on it. I was scared to death.
I had to fly into New York from wherever we were on tour. Pittsburgh I think it was. Originally, "The Ed Sullivan Show" had been filmed in this little sutdio where David Letterman is now, but for some reason they moved it to Madison Square Garden and I didn't find that out until I got there. So there I was, rehearsing in this HUGE space. The band is WAY the hell over on one side and I'm WAY the hell ove ron the other side ... not intimate at all. This was only my second time on national television in the US and I'm like "Shit!"
Also, I'm singing live, unlike "American Bandstand" and shows today where they play the tracks and you're lip-synching to the band. It was a very weird situation: you'd have a hit record that you'd cut in mono in a studio with simpatico musicians and then you'd have to sing it with a band that not only HATED the music, but were simulating the instruments on the record ... a sax and trumpet, a guitar ... with an orchestra. The sound had nothing to do with what was on the record. You're standing there live and you KNOW it's live so you can't stop and go back and start over again. I remember walking in there and going "Shit, I've got to just stay focused as I can, 'cause I don't know how I'm gonna get through this!"
And Ed Sullivan? Stiff, unusual-looking guy, big jaw, but stylish, always a custom-made shirt and tie, sharkskin suit, which kind of hung weirdly on his shoulders. You never felt relaxed when you talked to him. He remained a columnist at heart; they put him in the position of being an emcee but he was never at ease with it. It was a tough gig for him. He was very uptight, an odd, almost Frankenstein-like character ... big with this funny pronunciation. Head too big for his body. A truly strange guy to be an emcee. Emcees usually are "AlRIGHT, and here ... they ... are!" As if you're about to hear the greatest band on earth. Ed often sounded almost embarrassed and he never got all the names right. That was Ed. It was like one of those movies where the wrong guy gets shoved on stage and has to ad lib. But he was always a gentleman.
-- Paul Anka
The Ed Sullivan Show? Oh my God, it was like the kids, back when Dick Clark was on, everybody raced home from school to watch American Bandstand. And, of course, Ed Sullivan was one of those guys that you NEVER missed … you know, The Toast Of The Town and The Ed Sullivan Show … it was HUGE, you know, to be a guest on Ed's show … it was spectacular, of course. It was a network tv show, for cryin' out loud! And he had a HUGE audience … EVERYBODY watched The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday nights ... it was the biggest show at the time, The Ed Sullivan Show … and he had EVERYBODY on for cryin' out loud.
I didn't really spend
too much time with Ed Sullivan, you know, I would be there for rehearsal … I'd
see him and we'd chat, you know, it was very, very casual, you know … it'd be
like "Oh, hi Ed" … "Hi, Bobby, how ya doin'? Look forward
to havin' you on the show tonight" and all of that stuff. I never
really knew the man that well.
-- Bobby Rydell
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Ed Sullivan and The Ed Sullivan Show became a central character in the film version of "Bye Bye Birdie" … in fact Paul Lynde (as Ann-Margret's dad) led the chorus in singing a tribute to television's most popular (stone-faced) variety show host! -kk]
Well, everybody knew that if you got asked to do the Sullivan Show, that was going to be a high point in your career. So we went on there and debuted "This Diamond Ring" to the country and I know that had a lot to do with that going to #1 for us … and then we got asked back six different times to do it. So within the release of our first seven singles, we did six Ed Sullivan Shows … and so all seven of those tunes went to The Top Ten. And it was just great … it was really great … and then I got my draft notice!
-- Gary Lewis
Here are some of
the comments we received during the course of our very special Ed Sullivan
Series:
I am really enjoying your feature with Andrew
Solt. What a great interview! I hope you are getting a big
response from this. It is amazing to read that so many of those
shows have survived. I can't believe that Ed Sullivan had
the vision even back in 1948 to preserve them. Thanks
again.
Phil Nee - WRCO
Kent --
Wonderful post -- and
great work with Ed Sullivan Week!
Henry McNulty
I've really been enjoying reading the series and people's comments / memories!
I especially enjoyed reading the artist memories this week! Best,
Tim
Dug your FH Stones
Feature.
Love the portion of the
lyric of "Satisfaction"! ...
"When I'm watchin' my
T.V. ...
and that man comes on to
tell me how white my shirts can be ...
But he can't be a man
'cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me"
Too good!!!
:-)
John
Hi Kent,
Enjoying the Ed Sullivan
series so much ...
great job as always and a fantastic interview with Andrew
Solt.
Thanks again.
Cory Cooper / The Elvis Expert Consultant /
Technical Advisor "Fame & Fortune"
I'm reading the Solt interview at this moment!
Loving this series, Kent. Very fine job.
David Lewis
Bravo - great series!
Phil
EXCELLENT!
Rettaric
Hi Kent,
Just wanted to say thanks for the great feature the last two weeks. I
especially loved your suggestions for future releases.
I thought you did a great
interview and kudos to Andrew Solt for giving you the chance to grill him.
<grin>
I, too, watched Ed most
Sundays. It seemed to be Bonanza or Ed on Sunday nights. I think Ed won out
most of the time.
I remember also seeing the
Beatles the first time and going to school the next day and that's all we
talked about.
Another big moment was the
Young Rascals. I was a huge fan. I, too, loved the Animals. Heck, to be
honest I loved most of the R & R performers at that time.
Thanks again.
I think you've sold some
more DVD's for him.
Bill
LOL! I hope so!!!
Then it's a win / win for everybody! (Hey the guy below you ordered
some!!!) kk
I wonder how many other
folks went to the Ed Sullivan Website and ordered DVD's this week after reading
your top notch review of this material. I know I sure did!
Dan
We heard from a few people who either HAD ordered DVD's or said they were planning to ... there's a pretty remarkable selection to choose from ... but that Rock And Roll Classics line-up that we featured seems to encompass it all. That's a "Must Have" for every oldies music collection! (kk)
Kent,
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Ed Sullivan Series ... a lot of great memories, and I thank you!!!!!!!!!!!! You never cease to amaze me with all the great work that you do.
Thanks again!!!!!!!
Pete
BEST
SERIES
EVER!!!
Ron
The Ed Sullivan Show piece
is so entertaining! What an interesting interview! You should be very proud.
Thank you for doing this for us.
Steve H
This has been a FANTASTIC
SERIES! Thank you, my friend, for sharing some fantastic
memories with us all. The Ed Sullivan Show is a show we all
grew up watching ... (and Ed is one of the only impersonations I can nail!)
This is MUST READ AND SEE material and I've passed your links along to all
my friends and family ... this is something they'll all enjoy
it! (And heck, you even featured an "Ed" story or two
from me!!! :-)
"Wild" Bill Cody
It's been a very
successful run ... lots of good response ... and SO cool to have so many of the
artists who appeared on the program share their memories with our readers from
the OTHER side of the screen! This is one that we're going to permanently
post to the OTHER Forgotten Hits Website, www.forgottenhits.com ... as I think more and more people
will discover it over time. Thanks for helping to spread the word, Bill
... I appreciate it! (kk)
Hi Kent -
|
Thanks so much for the correct information on Alan Price! So glad to hear he is alive and performing. When in doubt ask the master.... Enjoying the articles on Ed Sullivan Show! Keep up the great work! Carolyn You're blowing me
away! |
Best,
Andrew
To read our exclusive interview with Andrew Solt, just click the OLDER POSTS button at the bottom of this page
© Copyright Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits, 1998 - 2025 ...
All rights reserved
(Note: This article was
first published in Forgotten Hits in 2009)
