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RE: the T.A.M.I show, a 60's rock show on DVD, a big winner

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dean_martin

In Reply to: RE: the T.A.M.I show, a 60's rock show on DVD, a big winner posted by beach cruiser on February 21, 2020 at 16:22:07

You really got a hold on me
Where did our love go
Outta sight
Prisoner of love
It's all over now
Surfer girl
The above selections from the TAMI Show are regulars in my recent listening sessions. The close-ups are spectacular for the times. No smearing or other effects from James Brown's checkered jacket. Diana Ross performing Where did our love go is the most feminine creature on earth.
For another music DVD from that period look for the Stax/Volt Norway tv broadcast from 1967. Booker T & the MGs, Sam & Dave and Otis Redding are highlights. The production values aren't as high as the TAMI Show, but raw intensity is palpable in Hold on, I'm coming and Try a Little Tenderness.

Edits: 02/22/20

Follow Ups:

That's another good recommendation. - Audiophilander 14:03:23 02/22/20 (3)
There are a number of filmed live music broadcasts from the era that merit greater appreciation or at least a second look. This thread would be a great place to make suggestions and critique the good, the bad and the ugly.
In the latter vein, the promise of Bill Sargent's superb T.A.M.I. production was horribly served by Phil Spector's muddled sophomore effort the Big TNT Show. This was probably due to Spector's heavy handed overproduction and mediocre performances by a questionable mix of acts who were badly filmed and clipped performances which were poorly edited.
Highlights of the Big TNT Show include Petula Clark, Donavon, Ike & Tina Turner Review, the Ronettes and the Lovin' Spoonful. That said, it's painful to watch most of this production because audience reaction shots were clearly trucked over from different acts, repeated sporadically and clearly staged to enhance weaker performances. The overall impact is one of a bored audience in a half full auditorium of folks watching acts they'd never pay to see.
Some performers were absolutely terrible. The Byrds looked stoned and lethargic. Some other star performers seemed overly staged. The go-go dancer choreography looked uninspired compared too the T.A.M.I. show. David MacCallum, as the show's perfunctory hip emcee managed to come across as totally un-hip and Roger Miller's performance was just too middle-age mainstream country for the rock 'n roll demographic.
In a couple of shots Tina Turner looked physically bruised, possibly from being in an abusive relationship with Ike Turner. This is not memory you want to come away with from any filmed performance. Folk artist Joan Baez was persuaded to perform a mainstream number with Phil Spector on piano, but that was pretty much a waste of time and talent. Bo Diddley's performance was fine, but not especially memorable.
Ray Charles, while turning in a first class performance, didn't project the kind of youthful spirit the concert needed. The absence of British rock bands and rock generally which had fueled the success of the earlier TAMI concert film made this look like potpourri of music targeting a mainstream audience. David MacCallum's smarmy opening, conducting an orchestral version of "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" set the tone for the show.
There were innovative moments where performers Petula Clark and Donovan performed songs out in the audience. Unfortunately, those moments were few and far between. The poorly edited jump cuts back and forth between different acts left the impression of a phony, badly staged production rather than a live event. Often the audience looked bored, and reliance on repeated reaction shots added to the impression that the concert performances lacked energy.
Sadly, this came across more like a safe middle of the road marketer's idea of a rock concert, ...heavy on schmaltz, low on anything risky or cutting edge... even the go-go dancers look constrained. The Big TNT Show appears cobbled together and rushed out to cash in on the earlier film's success. As a side note, this film was remastered and released with the TAMI film some years ago so back to back comparisons can be made.
The bottom line is that Phil Spector ...perhaps not surprisingly... turned Bill Sargent's visionary silk purse into a somewhat muddled sow's ear. While not recommending this wholeheartedly it does provide an interesting contrast and suggests the reason why there were no more follow-ups.
Cheers,
AuPh

Edits: 02/22/20 02/22/20
- Now, can we talk about the weird moments? - dean_martin 13:12:02 02/25/20 (2)
  It's amusing to see actress Teri Garr as a young dancer on the TAMI Show. But, have you noticed the first couple lines in that Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas song "Little Children"? Creepy! They'd be locked up today.
  
  The male dancer who comes out at the end of Marvin Gaye's Can I get a Witness looks like Jethro Bodine on coke.
  - The great moments outweigh the weird, but it was the 60's. - Audiophilander 12:06:43 02/27/20 (1)
    Teri Garr was certainly more memorable than Billy J. Kramer. And no reflection on Marvin Gaye, but I wasn't paying attention to the male dancer in his performance.
    
    As for creepy lyrics, that's an interesting point. A lot of 60's, 70's, even 80's tunes can be viewed under a different lens today. For instance, it's doubtful ZZ Top plays Francine with it's inappropriate age related lyric the same way today, and it's one of the catchiest tunes on Rio Grande Mud. Maybe we should cut vintage films and music a little slack.
    
    Hopefully this won't digress into an off topic discussion of song lyrics. Something more topical would be discussions and recommendations for filmed music performance documenting all variety, whether rock, blues, jazz, etc., as theatrical or home video releases. Filmed music events aren't as frequently discussed in those forums strictly oriented toward music listening.
    
    Cheers,
    AuPh
    - I'm a purveyor of weird ... - dean_martin 05:40:00 02/28/20 (0)
      No balancing test for me. It only enhances my interest.
      I've been adding live music performances on DVD to my listening sessions after my CD player died and I replaced it with a Arcam DVD player. The Stax/Volt Revue in Norway 1967 that I mentioned above is a relatively new addition. Can't get enough of it.
      I have a few other live performances on DVD. Beck's performance of Debra on HBO's Reverb from late 90s or early aughts is brilliant. (His interviews with Tenacious D between songs are entertaining as well.) The Strokes' Is This It UK ed. comes with a DVD of 5 live performances. They nail The Modern Age.
      I'm just getting into live performances on DVD so more recommendations and discussion is what I'm looking for.
      A couple more -
      Wilco's Ashes of American Flags. Highlights include Side with the Seeds,Handshake Drugs,Shot in the Arm.
      Anniversary ed. of Get Yer Yaya's Out on CD includes a DVD of footage that didn't make it into Gimme Shelter.
      Light in the Attic's release of Lee Hazelwood's Cowboy in Sweden LP includes DVD of made for Swedish tv movie. Although the performances aren't live, they're nonetheless interesting.
      
      Edits: 02/28/20

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