Selection of some of the greatest rock and pop music performances of the 1960s from "The Ed Sullivan Show".Selection of some of the greatest rock and pop music performances of the 1960s from "The Ed Sullivan Show".Selection of some of the greatest rock and pop music performances of the 1960s from "The Ed Sullivan Show".
Photos
The Animals
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
The Beach Boys
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
The Beatles
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
Petula Clark
- Self
- (archive footage)
The Doors
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
The Four Seasons
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
Herman's Hermits
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
The Mamas and the Papas
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
Gerry Marsden
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
The Rascals
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
The Rolling Stones
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
Sly and the Family Stone
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
The Supremes
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
Tommy James & The Shondells
- Self
- (archive footage)
- (as The Shondells)
The Turtles
- Themselves
- (archive footage)
Storyline
Featured review
"And now, right here on our stage..."
For old timers like myself, the great thing about this program was taking a trip back in time and catching a lot of the acts I saw as a kid watching the Ed Sullivan show with my parents. I managed to catch the debut TV performances of many groups like the Beatles, the Stones, The Animals and Jerry and the Pacemakers when they first hit America and showed up at the old Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.
Actually, this is one of those shows extracted from a PBS special that was put together to sell a package of Sixties music by the network. I recorded the two hour program and with the benefit of fast forward, was able to breeze past the commercial pitch and enjoy the acts as originally presented. Interspersed with the musical acts is some background narrated by Jay Thomas, talking in general about events of the Sixties that shaped and was shaped by the music. One of the message board posts for this compilation lists the acts and their songs, so I won't belabor that point; check it out for the lineup as presented.
The one thing I would have done however if I was putting this together, would have been to follow a chronological flow to the introduction of the bands. Instead, the first group introduced by Ed Sullivan is The Beatles singing 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' (2/9/64), and then the format skips around back and forth throughout the Sixties. Had the show followed a linear path through the decade, one would have noted a clear transition in the shows from black and white to color. Instead, we have a psychedelically inspired Tommy James and the Shondells singing 'Crimson and Clover' followed by 'She Loves You' by the Beatles again in black and white.
Most of the film features bands from the British Invasion of the mid-Sixties, though there are American groups in the mix as well, like The Mamas and The Papas, The Beach Boys and The Supremes. Clearly, the limited format doesn't allow for inclusion of every band or singer of the era; notable ones who aren't seen are The Dave Clark Five and Steppenwolf for example. Still, you can have some fun with this little gem if it comes your way, catching all those Good Vibrations from the Sixties.
Actually, this is one of those shows extracted from a PBS special that was put together to sell a package of Sixties music by the network. I recorded the two hour program and with the benefit of fast forward, was able to breeze past the commercial pitch and enjoy the acts as originally presented. Interspersed with the musical acts is some background narrated by Jay Thomas, talking in general about events of the Sixties that shaped and was shaped by the music. One of the message board posts for this compilation lists the acts and their songs, so I won't belabor that point; check it out for the lineup as presented.
The one thing I would have done however if I was putting this together, would have been to follow a chronological flow to the introduction of the bands. Instead, the first group introduced by Ed Sullivan is The Beatles singing 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' (2/9/64), and then the format skips around back and forth throughout the Sixties. Had the show followed a linear path through the decade, one would have noted a clear transition in the shows from black and white to color. Instead, we have a psychedelically inspired Tommy James and the Shondells singing 'Crimson and Clover' followed by 'She Loves You' by the Beatles again in black and white.
Most of the film features bands from the British Invasion of the mid-Sixties, though there are American groups in the mix as well, like The Mamas and The Papas, The Beach Boys and The Supremes. Clearly, the limited format doesn't allow for inclusion of every band or singer of the era; notable ones who aren't seen are The Dave Clark Five and Steppenwolf for example. Still, you can have some fun with this little gem if it comes your way, catching all those Good Vibrations from the Sixties.
helpful•20
- classicsoncall
- Feb 28, 2016
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Top Gap
By what name was Ed Sullivan's Rock and Roll Classics: The 60s (2009) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer