Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Audiophilander (A) on February 22, 2020 at 14:03:23

In Reply to: RE: the T.A.M.I show, a 60's rock show on DVD, a big winner posted by dean_martin on February 22, 2020 at 04:35:05

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