If you were a red blooded American kid back then, you had no choice but to watch it! My older brother was on the show once a few times with his girlfriend but he told me that Clark had so many rules that it was not really that enjoyable. Even when they played a romantic song, there had to be about 18' between the boys and girls dancing! When I asked my brother why he went back if it was so bad and he gave me that "older brother" look and told me I was soooo stupid!
Hey Richard, this is so interesting! So, your older brother was one of the dancers on the show! I enjoyed this event as my Saturday ritual. I would have a soda and packet of potato chips as my sideline guest. Thanks Richard for the insights!
If you grew up at that time and was a teenager the only way you can not see American Band Stand was you did not have a tv. Sock hops with the wide skirts where so much fun. I go to the dances with my grand kids once in awhile it is so much fun to watch them. To bad they don't have an American Band Stand to watch and get some moves for the next dance.
On Saturday's I rarely stayed in the house long enough to watch anything. The few times I saw American Bandstand didn't really make me want to do it again, but if it was raining really hard and I didn't have a good book going I sometimes ended up in front of the television. If American Bandstand was on it was a pretty safe bet that there wasn't any real competition on either of the other two channels available back then, so American Bandstand it was. I could never get into it, though. I did like reading some of the teen magazines at the time.
American Bandstand was a staple in my home on Saturday mornings. We watched this show ever week like clock work. That show is definitely a part of pop culture and odds are great that those who grew up in the decades of the sixties and seventies have at the very least heard of the show. It was kind of strange when it ended because it had been on Saturday mornings for so long it was kind of like something was missing after it was over.
Yes I watched them all, American Band Stand, how I wanted some boots like that hahaha!! I actually also watched Soul Train, The Midnight Special oh I loved that show! and Hee Haw! When I was really young I remember watching Lawrence Welch on the PBS channel, I liked the bubbles and liked acts like the Lennon Sisters~~may you always~~~~ they sounded so angelic. I think the only rock act I remember was watching I think it was the Midnight Special or some Don Kirshener special and seeing Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show and you know I liked it, I think they were doing Sylvia's Mother, but it was on during a Saturday afternoon, and I was at my then great grandmothers watching this on TV in black and white. My cousin thought that Dr. Hook was hot. They did perform Cover of the Rolling Stone, I thought how weird that was the same band at the time. To young to know that bands sometimes did different sounds musically. I have very vague memories of watching Ed Sullivan, I recall I liked Red Buttons. I saw a ton of Elvis, my sister was so mad about him, stuff like the Beatles Yellow Submarine and that lot. How back in those days me and my girlfriends would search the TV guide and all the magazines for ANY mention of the acts we adored. I feel like I am lucky to have live those times, today's kids will never know how we waited for the next issues of our favorite rock mags, waited for those world premier songs....
Your mentioning of the Lennon Sisters brought back some funny memories of my grandmother who was not exactly the most tactful person in the world. She adored those sisters, but never failed to say how she felt bad of the youngest one (Janet?). "She is a lovely young lady, but so bad that she is homely!"