This is coming from a big Sonny and Cher fan. This Nitty Gritty thing was obviously edited, but the parts that remain are just horrendous.
The only thing watchable was S & C belting out "I Got You Babe" while holding hands seated in mod chairs. Prior to IGYB they talk about how they met, etc., which is set to a series of fake (obviously set-up because they look exactly as they do in 1970) photos....why they didn't use REAL photos of their past is beyond me, god knows there are plenty of them.
They start the show with "We've Only Just Begun"...which as far as I'm concerned should never be sung by anyone but The Carpenters or Paul Williams in that old Crocker Bank commercial. Obviously, it was a huge hit for the Carps at that particular time, but S & C slaughter it.
The topic of this show states Sonny "Is the battle of the sexes". WEIRD. They do some comedy improvisation w/Sonny narrating scenarios, while Cher, Billy Van, two women and a man I've never seen complete the comedic scenarios. STUPID.
The dumbest part of this whole thing *Even More grotesque than Donny/Marie and Sonny/Cher singing "Silly Love Songs" on the Sonny and Cher Show* was a little musical/dance number which began with Cher singing "Alfie" and went into a dance segment, as Sonny dictates the dance scenario "Women battling with their puritan side vs. the new sexually liberated style". The two previously mentioned women who did the comedy routines perform the obnoxious dances and to top it all off--CHER suddenly rips off her skirt, revealing hot pants w/go go boots (and halter top--I'm surprised MR. Svengali himself didn't put the kibosh on that outfit), and launches into some bizarre/freak dance which goes on WAY TOO LONG.....then back again into "What's it all about....ALFIE"! Don't EVEN get me started on Cher singing "Oh Danny Boy", an old Irish standard.
They wind it up with "The Beat Goes On", but I was happy when the beat finally went off. Give me their CBS series or the prototype (also done around '69 or '70) featured on the Barbara McNair show (an extra bonus on the S & C DVD set). The McNair show stuff is sweet...they both look good and they seem to be at the top of their game without the stupid gimmicks (I think Cher had just had Chastity and she looks fabulous, despite her crooked teeth--but, much to my surprise we had to put up with those for a long time).
The only thing watchable was S & C belting out "I Got You Babe" while holding hands seated in mod chairs. Prior to IGYB they talk about how they met, etc., which is set to a series of fake (obviously set-up because they look exactly as they do in 1970) photos....why they didn't use REAL photos of their past is beyond me, god knows there are plenty of them.
They start the show with "We've Only Just Begun"...which as far as I'm concerned should never be sung by anyone but The Carpenters or Paul Williams in that old Crocker Bank commercial. Obviously, it was a huge hit for the Carps at that particular time, but S & C slaughter it.
The topic of this show states Sonny "Is the battle of the sexes". WEIRD. They do some comedy improvisation w/Sonny narrating scenarios, while Cher, Billy Van, two women and a man I've never seen complete the comedic scenarios. STUPID.
The dumbest part of this whole thing *Even More grotesque than Donny/Marie and Sonny/Cher singing "Silly Love Songs" on the Sonny and Cher Show* was a little musical/dance number which began with Cher singing "Alfie" and went into a dance segment, as Sonny dictates the dance scenario "Women battling with their puritan side vs. the new sexually liberated style". The two previously mentioned women who did the comedy routines perform the obnoxious dances and to top it all off--CHER suddenly rips off her skirt, revealing hot pants w/go go boots (and halter top--I'm surprised MR. Svengali himself didn't put the kibosh on that outfit), and launches into some bizarre/freak dance which goes on WAY TOO LONG.....then back again into "What's it all about....ALFIE"! Don't EVEN get me started on Cher singing "Oh Danny Boy", an old Irish standard.
They wind it up with "The Beat Goes On", but I was happy when the beat finally went off. Give me their CBS series or the prototype (also done around '69 or '70) featured on the Barbara McNair show (an extra bonus on the S & C DVD set). The McNair show stuff is sweet...they both look good and they seem to be at the top of their game without the stupid gimmicks (I think Cher had just had Chastity and she looks fabulous, despite her crooked teeth--but, much to my surprise we had to put up with those for a long time).
