Even to this day, as a car rolls past the crew and me with the bass 'booming"...I always tell the crew, "It's got a good beat, easy to dance to...I'll give it a 70."
Trouble is, now there's nobody on the crew that knows what I'm talking about.
And I guess now there is one less among us that does remember those words. Save us a good seat, Dick. We'll see you when we get there.
happy new year!
American Bandstand
I grew up with American Bandstand. We had a TV early on and the choice was simple, 3, 6 or 10 out of Philadelphia. When I came home from grade school the TV would be on because the local teenage girl my mother hired as a helper would watch Channel 6 as she ironed clothes. With a skirt below her knees and bobby sox she would dance and iron. Mom had seven of us plus she helped out in dad's business and was a Cub Scout, Girl Scout and 4H leader. I never got the jitterbug down pat and within a few years was dancing to everything else one could see on Bandstand. At 13 it was Junior High School dances and the local Nazareth, PA YMCA, 25¢ on Saturday night. I also got to tag along with an older brother to another town where he would deposit me at their teenage hangout (Bangor Beehive), a dime to get in and a nickel a song on the jukebox.
When I got my license at 16, it was all out dancing on the weekends, Friday night at the Northampton Community Center, Saturday Night we might start at the Y but were soon on our way to Notre Dame High School Bandstand, Sunday afternoons at the Frolics Ballroom and Sunday night at the Castle Garden Ballroom at Dorney Park. Always local disc jockeys and a singer or a group lip synching their latest song. Usually ended the night at the Golden Arches, a couple of burgers, fries, a shake and change for a buck. Training for all that took place during the week in front of the TV. I never got to Philly for a Bandstand show, but went to several Bandstand Concerts at some ballroom remnants of the Big Band era. I think the biggest was at Hometown near Hazleton where Dick Clark brought in a dozen headliners. That night included another memorable moment, encountering my first pair of pantyhose, darn, darn, darn!
By the time I was a high school senior the Beatles showed up and Dick Clark moved West. There was also dancing in the summers, Dip and Dances at the public pools, Saylor's Lake Pavilion (Dave Clark Five, The Searchers and the Kinks in one show), Allentown Fairgrounds Ag Hall dances (the Beach Boys being the biggest) and the Allentown Fairgrounds stage (Little Richard being the biggest). Summers also include a dowzen local Fire Company Carnivals and a half dozen farmer's fairs. When your dad sells farm equipment and you spend a week at a time at each fair minding the store you best also like country. They could make those steel guitars and banjoes sing better than most rock and rollers.
But it all began with Dick and a lot of good years. It was oh so painful to see him these last few years on New Years Eve.
Dick we remenber you at your best, Rest in Peace, You've got a better band up there than you've seen in years.
Paul in PA
American Bandstand
American Bandstand was at the center of the TV show, American Dreams (2002-2005) with Gail O'Grady and Brittany Snow and Will Estes. That was a great show. Often wondered how accurately it portrayed Philadelphia in the mid-60's.
American Bandstand
> American Bandstand was at the center of the TV show, American Dreams (2002-2005) with Gail O'Grady and Brittany Snow and Will Estes. That was a great show. Often wondered how accurately it portrayed Philadelphia in the mid-60's.
If I'm not mistaken, that TV show was a Dick Clark production.
