Dick Clark – Motor City Radio Flashbacks

THE SATURDAY NIGHT BEECH-NUT SHOW . . . WITH DICK CLARK!

THE DICK CLARK BEECH-NUT SHOW

— THE LITTLE THEATER NYC —

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**The Dick Clark Beech-Nut Show** debuts on ABC-TV, February 15, 1958

The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show was Dick Clark’s second attempt at a prime time show. His first, a prime-time version of American Bandstand, ran only 13 weeks. The Beechnut Show was much more successful lasting almost 3 years.

The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show was broadcast live, on ABC-TV, Saturday nights from the Little Theatre in New York City. Every weekend, Dick Clark commuted from Philadelphia to NYC to do the “Beechnut” show.

There was actually two shows done each Saturday. The first was a rehearsal show where the artists could sketch out their performances and Clark could line everything up. This would have a different audience then the second show which was the one that was televised.

Beechnut Gum was actually picked up as a sponsor for the third episode to the conclusion of the show’s run. The artists that appeared usually “lip-synched” to their records. Very few actually performed live.

This is the only show to be able to make the claim of having Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper as guests (though on different episodes). All three were killed together in a plane crash on February 3, 1959.

Amazingly, Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson, two of the biggest stars of the period, never appeared on the show. The first show aired on February 2, 1958 with guests Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Willis, Johnny Ray and the Royal Teens. The final show aired on September 10, 1960. MORE . . . .

**Beech Nut Chewing Gum was the sponsor** of this short-lived Dick Clark production three-years on ABC-TV from February, 1958 through September, 1960 *(Click image for larger view)*

FLAVOR-I-F-I-C!

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For our previous fourth installment four-video posting of ‘Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show with Dick Clark,’ published on MCRFB on November 4, 2015 GO HERE.

Above information provided by TV.com. For the complete 1958-1960 Dick Clark Beech Nut Show summary and artist-appearance listing for every show go over here to TVdb.com.

About the IFIC button seen worn by attendees in the Beech-Nut show audience? Well, it stands for ‘FLAVOR-I-F-I-C.’ As in Beech-Nut chewing gum! Special thanks to Edward Bowman for sharing that ‘trivia’ bit of information with Motor City Radio Flashbacks.

Motor City Radio Flashbacks will be showcasing these rare Dick Clark video presentations here on this website from time to time.

In this fifth installment, we present four video classics (below) from the Dick Clark Beech-Nut show as was first broadcast on national television during that memorable late-’50s rock and roll era, featured below.

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FEATURING

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THE CHAMPS (May 3, 1958) SAM COOKE (March 14, 1959) JACKIE WILSON (March 21, 1959) SANTO & JOHNNY (August 1, 1959)

**Beech-Nut Chewing Gum**: sole sponsor for Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show over ABC Television 1958-1960

PRESS PHOTO: A DICK CLARK ‘ROCKIN’ EVE’ MEMORY!

DICK CLARK Rockin' New Year's Eve, 1988 — **DICK CLARK** ‘Rockin’ New Year’s Eve,’ 1988

‘NEW YEAR’S ROCKIN’ EVE’: DICK CLARK REMEMBERED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3A8QsSQHL0

DICK CLARK'S 'Rockin' New Year's Eve,' with Ryan Seacrest , 2011, would be his last on ABC. Clark passed away on April 12, 2012. — **DICK CLARK’S** ‘Rockin’ New Year’s Eve,’ with co-host Ryan Seacrest, would be his last on ABC television, December 31, 2011. Dick Clark passed away on April 18, 2012.

CLOSE OF CLARK’S DAILY SHOW TO MARK END OF ERA . . . JUNE 22, 1963

From the MCRFB news archive: 1963

ABC Moves ‘Bandstand’ to Saturdays

PHILADELPHIA — An era draws to a close on August 30 when Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand,” which has been the focal point for record promotion and artists for more than a decade, goes off a weekday schedule. The show will be aired from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays only on the ABC-TV net.

DICK CLARK 1963. (Getty Images) Click on image for largest view. — **DICK CLARK** 1963. *(Getty Images) Click on image for largest view.*

Two years ago the 90-minute “Bandstand” was whittled down to 50 minutes and in the fall of 1962 cut back further to 30 minutes with a public service show, “Discovery,” capturing the time slot.

Although there have been numerous official pronouncements to the contrary about government influence on programming, a case in point may be the Clark show.

Clark emerged from the House committee hearing on payola practices in the industry untainted, of course, but the far-reaching results of the over-all investigation, apart from Clark, more than likely provided the impetus for the web’s decision to up its public service programming by airing “Discovery’ in the afternoons.

Once a major hole had been punched in “American Bandstand,” the local station (at a time when daytime TV was beginning to enjoy increasing importance) took advantage of the non-option time to schedule their own programs and delay-broadcast the Clark stanza on Saturdays, thus keeping the revenue from the net and their own local shows, too.

After the local stations began to encroach on this time, it was impossible for ABC to regain sufficient station clearance to again expand the show. It has also been reported that ABC has a firm commitment to rerun “Wagon Train” during the daytime, the coup de gras for the weekday “American Bandstand.”

Clark, the only TV deejay ever to make it real big on a national scale, started on the local WFIL-TV Bandstand in July 1956 succeeding Bob Horn, host of the show since its inception on the Philadelphia outlet in October of 1952.

ABC moguls invited Clark to come up and see them sometime after viewing a kinescope of the local show on WFIL-TV, the ABC affiliate in the Quaker City. The meet resulted in the show going on a 64-station net in August of 1957.

Little more than a year later the stations carrying the “Bandstand” show numbered 130 and the Dick Clark disarming poise coupled with the effervescent teen-age studio dancers soon gave the show the highest ratings of any daytime program on television.

“The show today still enjoys the highest ratings and is the most lucrative on ABC television,” Clark said.

“Last week, going into the tight summer months there were only two availabilities on the show and most of the time it’s standing room only for sponsor,” Clark also commented.

Clark, whose financial arrangement with the network will give him the same income for the one-hour Saturday stanza as for five shows a week, has obtained release from the net to pursue other enterprises and appearances on rival webs.

ABC intends to place most of the advertising carried on the weekday show into the Saturday program. During its heyday, $10 million was brought into the net through “American Bandstand.”

Just about every current pop record artist and group, save Elvis Presley and Rick Nelson, made appearances on the 1,000 or more Clark “Bandstand” shows. Many, such as Connie Francis, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, Frankie Avalon and Bobby Darin, to name a few, got their first national exposure on “Bandstand” and was instrumental in launching them on lucrative show business careers. END

DICK CLARK with Philadelphia Bandstand proteges Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon circa 1963 — **DICK CLARK** with Philadelphia Bandstand proteges *Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon* circa 1963 *(click on image for larger view).*

(Information and news source: Billboard; June 22, 1963)

SATURDAY NIGHT BEECH-NUT SHOW WITH DICK CLARK

**DICK CLARK’S SATURDAY NIGHT BEECH-NUT SHOW, THE LITTLE THEATER, NEW YORK CITY 1958**

**Dick Clark’s Beech Nut Show debuts on ABC-TV, February 2, 1958** *(click image for larger view).*

The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show was Dick Clark’s second attempt at a prime time show. His first, a prime-time version of American Bandstand, ran only 13 weeks. The Beechnut Show was much more successful lasting almost 3 years.

The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show was broadcast live, on ABC-TV, Saturday nights from the Little Theatre in New York City. Every weekend, Dick Clark commuted from Philadelphia to NYC to do the “Beechnut” show. There was actually two shows done each Saturday. The first was a rehearsal show where the artists could sketch out their performances and Clark could line everything up. This would have a different audience then the second show which was the one that was televised.

Beechnut Gum was actually picked up as a sponsor for the third episode to the conclusion of the show’s run. The artists that appeared usually “lip-synched” to their records. Very few actually performed live.

This is the only show to be able to make the claim of having Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper as guests (though on different episodes). All three were killed together in a plane crash on February 3, 1959.

Amazingly, Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson, two of the biggest stars of the period, never appeared on the show. The first show aired on February 2, 1958 with guests Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Willis, Johnny Ray and the Royal Teens. The final show aired on September 10, 1960. MORE . . . .

Dick Clark has a word with his Beech-Nut audience prior televised broadcast, 1959 — **Dick Clark has a word with his NYC Beech-Nut audience, prior a television broadcast, 1959**

A MCRFB Note: For our previous third installment four video posting of ‘Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show with Dick Clark,’ on MCRFB (March 28, 2014), go here.

Above information provided by TV.com. For the complete 1958-1960 Dick Clark Beech Nut Show summary and artist-appearance listing for every show, go here to TV.com.

Motor City Radio Flashbacks will be showcasing many of these *rare* Dick Clark video presentations here on this website from time to time. In this fourth installment, we present four video classics (below) from the Dick Clark Beech-Nut show as was first broadcast on national television during that memorable late-’50s into the ’60s rock and roll era:

Chuck Berry (July 18, 1959). Bobby Darin (March 19, 1960). Little Anthony & The Imperials (January 02, 1960). The Coasters (March 7, 1959).

ABC! WEEKDAY AFTERNOON, AMERICAN BANDSTAND!

ABC-TV DICK CLARK AMERICAN BANDSTAND PROMO * Dick Clark * 1960

THE LES ELGART ORCHESTRA! BANDSTAND BOOGIE, ’54

LES ELGART * “Bandstand Boogie” * Columbia Records (1954)

Theme to Dick Clark's American Bandstand, "Bandstand Boogie," was by the Les Elgart Orchestra, Columbia Records, 1954. — Theme to Dick Clark‘s American Bandstand, “Bandstand Boogie,” was previously released as a single, Columbia Records, 1954. As performed by the Les Elgart Orchestra. *Photo: Dick Clark, as seen through large TV camera monitor, 1958.*

SATURDAY NIGHT BEECH-NUT SHOW WITH DICK CLARK

Dick Clark's Beech Nut Show debuts on ABC-TV, February 15, 1958 — Dick Clark’s Beech Nut Show debuts on ABC-TV, February 2, 1958

The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show was broadcast live Saturday nights from the Little Theatre in New York City. Every weekend, Dick Clark commuted from Philadelphia to NYC to do the “Beechnut” show. There was actually two shows done each Saturday. The first was a rehearsal show where the artists could sketch out their performances and Clark could line everything up. This would have a different audience then the second show which was the one that was televised.

Beechnut Gum was actually picked up as a sponsor for the third episode to the conclusion of the show’s run. The artists that appeared usually “lip-synched” to their records. Very few actually performed live.

This is the only show to be able to make the claim of having Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper as guests (though on different episodes). All three were killed together in a plane crash on February 3, 1959.

Amazingly, Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson, two of the biggest stars of the period, never appeared on the show. The first show aired on February 2, 1958 with guests Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Willis, Johnny Ray and the Royal Teens. The final show aired on September 10, 1960. MORE . . . .

Jan and Dean makes an appearance on ABC-TV's Beechnut Show, June 25,1960 — Jan and Dean makes an appearance on the ABC-TV Beechnut Show, June 25, 1960.

Addendum: For our second installment four video posting of ‘Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show with Dick Clark,’ on MCRFB (August 6, 2013), go here.

Above information provided by TV.com. For the complete 1958-1960 Dick Clark Beech Nut Show summary and artist-appearance listing for every show, go here to TV.com.

Motor City Radio Flashbacks will be showcasing many of these *rare* Dick Clark video presentations here on this website from time to time. In this third installment, we present four video classics (below) from the Dick Clark Beech-Nut show as was first broadcast on national television during that memorable late-’50s rock and roll era:

Big Bopper (September 20, 1958). Paul Anka (September 12, 1959). Sam Cooke (March 14, 1959). Jackie Wilson (March 21, 1959).

DICK CLARK SEE ROAD SUCCESS WITH TOUR ACTS . . . DECEMBER 14, 1963

From the MCRFB news files: 1963

DETROIT’S MOTOWN ACTS ROLLING

NEW YORK — Big touring pop record acts appear to be in for a sustained period of success, according to all current indications. At the time of peak interest in rock and roll in the late 1950s, such packages as Irvin Feld’s ‘Biggest Show Of Stars were terrific grossers.

Irvin Feld's "Biggest Show Of Stars" 1958 — Irvin Feld’s “Biggest Show Of Stars” 1958 *(click image for larger view)*

Later, as the character of the pop scene begin to undergo several refinements, the pop tour seemed to suffer. The grosses dwindled as too many tried their hand in booking the shows, thus overcrowding the field, with poor promotion behind most of them. The payola inquiry at various governmental levels also played its role in de-popularizing the rock and roll package at the time.

Now, however, three big touring troupes have just been completed or are about to complete lengthy sessions on the road in all cases. Bigger plans are in the making for next year, and in at least one case, the troupe will undertake a similar type of tour in the European Continent.

Captain Clark

Deejay Dick Clark has been at the helm of two highly successful tours this fall under the banner “Caravan Of Stars,” a joint project of Clark and the William Morris Office of Music department, which is headed up by Rosalind Ross.

The current 31-day Clark tour embarked early in November and concluded Sunday night, December 8 in Norfolk, Virginia. The Clark package grossed over $35,000 in its first three dates on the most recent swing and featured Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland, Jimmy Clanton, Linda Scott, The Essex, The Jaynettes, The Ronettes, Little Eva, The Dixie Belles, Dale and Grace, Joe Perkins, Donald Jenkins and the Delighters, The Dovells, Paul and Paula, The Tymes and Jeff Condon.

Clark took a similar entourage out last July and in 19 dates the package grossed nearly $500,000. Plans have already been set in motion for a third Clark package tour to hit the road for a month starting next March 28 for the Easter season.

Feld himself remains a kingpin in the rock tour picture, just as he was some years back, having closed one of his most successful big-money tours of all. His “Biggest Show Of Stars,” fall edition, has just closed a 28-day run playing big auditoriums in numerous major markets, featuring James Brown and the Famous Flames, as the leading headliner. The all-Negro package, which included such acts as Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas, Doris Troy and the Drifters, among others, played major showcases like the Muninciple Auditorium, Norfolk; The Mosque Theater, Richmond; Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, and the Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston. The show “did very well,” according to Feld.

At the New Civic Center, a 13,000-seater in Baltimore, the show sold out at a ticket scale of $1.75 to $3.75, with, in Feld’s words, “several thousands were turned away.” Feld has already blueprinted a spring edition to hit the road for the Easter season next April and may for 45 days. Again headlining the indomitable James Brown and the Famous Flames. Brown’s “James Brown Show” album on King Records has been a best-seller on the album charts for a number of months.

Motown Rolling

Meanwhile, Motown – Tamla Records in Detroit, has just closed a highly lucrative tour for its Motor Town Revue, headlining a flock of stars on the two labels. The six-week tour played to capacity houses on close to half its dates. According to Esther Edwards of Motown, the tour concluded November 16 and 17 at the Fox Theater in Detroit, with standing room only audiences for eight shows over the two days. The total $42,000 gross represented the largest box office gross for two days in the past five years for the theater. The package featured The Miracles, Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, Kim Weston, The Contours, the Temptations, and on some dates, Little Stevie Wonder and Martha and the Vandellas, and included on stage Choker Campbell and his Orchestra Band. “We plan to send a tour out at least once a year,” Miss Edwards said.

In addition, Motown Records will send out a similar tour package of its own acts to Europe next spring, probably during April and May, 1964. END.

A Motor Town Revue poster from 1963 — A ‘Motor Town Revue’ billing from May 1963

(Information and news source, Billboard; December 14, 1963).

‘THE REFLECTIONS’ * GOLDEN WORLD RECORDS * 1964

"(Just Like) Romeo And Juliet," The Reflections, Golden World;1964 — **A 1964 MOTOR CITY RADIO 45 RPM FLASHBACK! Made in Detroit —** Release label: Golden World Records; Peaked highest, date: May 30, 1964. Peaked: No. 6. Weeks on charts: 12. Ranked overall entire year: No. 71 (1964). *“(Just Like) Romeo And Juliet,”* The Reflections, Golden World; *(An Ed Wingate Production)* 1964

The 'Reflections,' circa 1964 — **The ‘Reflections,’** *circa 1964*

The Reflections was the name of a number of musical groups.

Perhaps the best known were a blue-eyed soul/doo-wop group from Detroit, Michigan. They had one hit single in 1964 called “(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet”, written by Bob Hamilton and “Please Mr. Postman” songwriter Freddie Gorman. The song was produced by Rob Reeco on Golden World Records. The disc reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #9 on the Cash Box magazine chart. The record was even more popular in rhythm and blues locations, reaching #3 on that Cashbox chart. After a few more records that were moderate successes on the national charts, Ray Steinberg left the group for other interests. As a foursome, The Reflections continued recording and making TV appearances. In 1965, they made their one-and-only movie appearance in Winter-A-Go-Go, performing “I’m Sweet On You”.

They were signed to the same Detroit R&B label, Golden World Records, as their blue-eyed soul peers, The Flaming Ember and The Shades Of Blue.

Today, The Reflections are one of many popular groups touring various oldies venues throughout their home state of Michigan and all over the States. Original members Tony Micale and John Dean are now augmented by three other members from various regional doo-wop groups: first tenor Joey Finazzo, baritone Gary Benovetz, and first tenor Sal Prado.

(Source information: — WiKipedia).

American Bandstand teens dance to “Romeo & Juliet” by The Reflections. (You Tube). American Bandstand. May 30, 1964.