Hullabaloo

Another good thing about "The Good Old Days" is that we were able to regularly see our favorite rock, pop and RnB acts on the TV. Variety shows were quite popular once upon a time, what with The Ed Sullivan Show, Hollywood Palace, The Smothers Brothers and more that featured a weekly offering of music, comedy and other forms of entertainment crammed into an hour of programming. This also left a niche for shows featuring pop music acts aimed at younger audiences wanting to see the artists they listen to so faithfully on the radio. Elsewhere in this blog I've disscussed such shows broadcast in the U.S. and the U.K. Hullabaloo was one such show.

Built along the lines of Shindig and American Bandstand, Hullabaloo was an American show that ran on the NBC network in prime time from January 12, 1965 to August 29, 1966. A showcase for the top pop acts of the day, it was directed by Steve Binder, who went on to direct Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special. Different celebrity hosts were used each week who introduced the acts and performed themselves. While some shows were taped in NBC's Burbank, California studios, most were done in the network's New York City location.  Some earlier segments were even taped in the U.K. and hosted by Brian Epstein. The show was in colour, but oddly enough most were copied in kinescope (black and white) which is how they are seen today. It was originally a one hour broadcast, but was later cut to 30 minutes and remained so until the end of it's run when it was replaced by... The Monkees!

to follow are some of the acts that appeared on Hullabaloo.