Video Cabinet in Limbo

Ouch! It's The Snuz Brothers!

2010-05-03T16:01:00.015-06:00

'The Snuz Brothers' are a series of "Alternative Physical Comedy" shorts once featured on the (now defunct) Super Deluxe.Com, an adjunct of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Created by comic performers Eric Hoffman and Jay Johnston, the misadventures of the quarrelsome German brothers both perpetuate and satirize the timeless art of slapstick humor in films. See for yourself below...

- Eric Hoffman was a writer for HBO's Mr. Show & co-wrote McSweeney's Comedy by the Numbers.

- Jay Johnston was seen on Mr. Show and is most often recognized as 'Officer Jay' on The Sarah Silverman Program.
He is also a co-creator of the stop-motion animation series
Moral Orel and the upcoming Mary Shelley's Frankenhole, airing on Adult Swim.

- Click on these two 'movie posters' to watch more of The Snuz Brothers, or visit the Snuz Brothers' Channel on YouTube, and the Snuz Brothers' MySpace page.

- Follow this link to an interview with Jay Johnston regarding The Snuz Brothers and his thoughts on physical comedy.

Richard Schaal in Jim Henson's teleplay, 'The Cube' (1969)

2009-07-21T08:52:00.013-06:00

- This post continues from one posted at I'm Learning To Share, regarding some of Jim Henson's earlier muppetless productions.
Follow link to: Time out from the muppets:
Young Jim Henson's 'Tick-Tock Sick' (1960) and Time Piece (1965)

Other folks have previously blogged about 'The Cube', but as some of the links in those older posts appear to be dead, it looks like it's my turn...

The other night I did a bit of 'comfort viewing' and watched an old episode of Rhoda running on Hulu.

Among the instantly familiar '70s sitcom faces, I recognized
Richard Schaal, a character actor who was very visible on TV and in movies from the 1960s into the '80s.

I did vaguely recall that he'd once been married to Valerie Harper, which might have had a little to do with his recurring guest appearances in different roles on so many of the MTM shows.

Schaal became a member of Chicago's Second City improv comedy troupe in the early 1960s, and was one of their featured players for much of that decade.

In 1964, he joined the cast of the American TV version of
That Was the Week That Was, moved through the decade with guest shots on lots of TV sitcoms and dramas, had small roles in
'The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming', 'Slaughterhouse-Five' and other movies, and appeared with several other Second City alums on Broadway in the early '70's in Paul Sills' Story Theatre (and was on the subsequent Canadian TV series).

Also among Schaal's interesting credits is his leading role in an avant-garde existential teleplay, 'The Cube'.
It first aired in 1969 as an episode of the NBC anthology series, Experiment in Television, and was a creation of
Jim Henson, in one of his rare non-Muppet ventures.

In 'The Cube', ▼ Schall's unnamed character is suprised to find himself stuck in a small enclosed white-paneled space, apparently unable to leave as a variety of odd characters come and go as they please, adding to his confusion and anxiety.

Running time of the teleplay is about 53 minutes.

Alternate video link: The version embedded here is in color, with a relatively clear picture.
Perhaps given the look and feel of the piece, many people prefer viewing the much grainier black & white version that has been posted more often. (follow link)

- See also:
An episode guide for 'NBC Experiment in Television'(1967-71)

Nina Hagen tweaks The Tubes: 'White Punks On Dope' and 'TV-Glotzer' (1977, 1978)

2009-06-20T10:55:00.021-06:00

An anthem of excess,
'White Punks On Dope' closed out the eponymously-titled
debut album by The Tubes,
released in 1975.

The song was a featured production number for the
San Francisco-based group's live shows, legendary in the bay area and beyond for being as much outrageous and satiric burlesque revue as rock act.

Written as a tribute to a select portion of their fanbase of the era, it struck a nerve and 'WPOD' became a popular graffito for many years following.

In the persona of Glam monster 'Quay Lewd', lead singer
Fee Waybill tumbled off of
his absurd platform shoes almost as often as he fell out of his
silver lame' (or aluminum foil) costume.

The Tubes made an
appearance on British TV's
The Old Grey Whistle Test on Tuesday November 8th, 1977, coinciding with their sold-out ten-day run of concerts at
London's Hammersmith Odeon, during their first overseas tour.
Recordings from those concerts were released the following year as The Tubes' 4th album, What Do You Want from Live.

(Later dates in that concert tour were cancelled when Fee Waybill broke his leg onstage, though reportedly not while in the Quay costume.

When Nina Hagen left East Germany in 1976, her earlier singing career was derailed.
After visiting England at the height of the Punk movement, she settled in Hamburg, West Germany, and formed the Nina Hagen Band in 1977, becoming a fascinating punk diva.

Her version of 'White Punks On Dope' appeared on her first LP, but was not a true cover in the strictest sense;
She changed the lyrics and meaning completely, turning it into a song about television addiction.

- Follow link to the lyrics section of a Hagen website.

Click on the 'Nina Hagen Band' album cover at the top of the left-hand sidebar, then click on 'TV-Glotzer (White Punks on Dope)' to see both the German lyrics and an English translation.

Below, her concert
performance of 'TV-Glotzer' at the Westfalenhalle Dortmund on December 12th, 1978 was televised on an episode of German TV's Rockpalast.

- A chronological collection of other Nina Hagen video clips can be seen at POCIMAS DEL DRUIDA.

- For a collection of rare and early Tubes video clips , follow link to The Tubes Project channel on YouTube.

Mel Brooks' 'The Critic' (1963)

2009-06-16T15:21:00.011-06:00

(click on poster image to enlarge in a new window)

Prior to his career as a producer / director for TV and feature film, Ernest Pintoff received an Oscar for Best Animated Short in April of 1964 for his film 'The Critic', which had premiered in
New York the previous May.

In a gentle lampoon of the style of innovative animated films created by
Norman McLaren and other filmmakers from The National Film Board of Canada, 'The Critic' featured the voice of Mel Brooks as an outspoken senior citizen sitting in the audience.

Brooks had been writing for TV since the 1950s and
'Your Show of Shows', which led to his stand-up partnership with
Carl Reiner and their string of comedy albums that began in 1961.

In 1962 Brooks provided the book for the Broadway musical production of 'All American', but the show flopped, and it would be many years before Brooks returned to Broadway.

Brooks collaborated with Buck Henry to create TV's
'Get Smart' in 1965.
1968's 'The Producers' marked his return to movies, and his debut as a feature film director.

- For a very thorough examination of the creation of 'The Critic' and other Mel Brooks short films, follow the link to
Smarter Than The Average!

- For more about Ernest Pintoff's animation, follow link to
Cartoon Modern, where you can view 'Flebus', a cartoon he directed for Terrytoons in 1957, and Frederator has posted about Pintoff's
'The Interview', from 1961.

'Disneyland Showtime' with Kurt Russell, The Osmond Brothers and The Haunted Mansion (1970)

2009-06-12T23:43:00.010-06:00

'Disneyland Showtime' first aired March 22nd, 1970 on NBC's Sunday night family-hour staple, 'The Wonderful World of Disney'.

The hour-long program featured Kurt Russell (already a Disney star) running around the Anaheim theme park with
The Osmonds (pre jumpsuits, pre-'70s bubblegum hysteria) and actress E.J. Peaker (fresh from her supporting role in the film version of 'Hello, Dolly!').

(The embedded 'playlist' below should play the program continuously through five segments, also giving you the option to skip ahead.)

Kicky, kitschy fun, with great vintage shots of the park and its patrons, but one of the biggest high points is a fascinating look behind-the-scenes at The Haunted Mansion ride, which had just opened the previous August.

- For more about the program and its production, click over to: 'Haunted Mansion Horror: Disneyland Showtime' at Tulgey Wood.

'Posh Nosh' (2003)

2009-06-05T23:35:00.012-06:00

A brilliant parody of TV cooking shows,
'Posh Nosh' first ran in the U.K. on BBC2 in eight 9-minute episodes back in 2003, and has since shown up intermittently on various PBS stations in the U.S.

Richard E. Grant and Arabella Weir portray the hosts, restaurateurs Simon and Minty Marchmont, owners of 'The Quill & Tassel',
all too self-satisfied in their quest to "bring extraordinary food to ordinary people".

Learn to relax an avocado, bamboozle a parsnip, shave a fennel and too much more...

(follow links to view)

Episode 1: Architect's Fish and Chips ▲ (above)
Episode 2: Birthday Parties
Episode 3: Paella
Episode 4: Beautiful Food
Episode 5: Bread and Butter Pudding
Episode 6: Leftovers
Episode 7: Sauces ▼ (below)
Episode 8: Comfort Food

See also: The (archived) official BBC website, where Simon & Minty present:
- Food Philosophy
- Interviews
- Recipes
- Wallpapers and more.

Roland Kirk & John Cage in 'Sound', 1967

2009-06-05T21:04:00.007-06:00

Director Dick Fontaine's 1967 documentary features composer
John Cage and jazz icon
Roland Kirk (it was 1970 when he became Rahsaan Roland Kirk) on separate but similar paths, exploring the possibilities of sound.

25 minutes, English w/ French subtitles.

- Streaming problems?
Here's an alternate link to this film, spread over three shorter video clips at YouTube.

David Bowie performs with Klaus Nomi & Joey Arias on SNL (1979)

2009-06-02T20:51:00.022-06:00

In many ways, the fifth season of 'Saturday Night Live' was a handy portent of the lowering of expectations that would become necessary for survival in the 1980s and beyond (and not just when watching TV).

It was the first season of SNL without Belushi and Aykroyd (replaced by Harry Shearer), and the last season for what remained of the original cast. In Season 6, Charles Rocket & Gail Matthius hosted 'Weekend Update'. If there had ever been a time when SNL was fresh and new, by then it was gone.

Season 5 was not without its high points (they were just becoming fewer and further between).
A huge standout was
David Bowie's musical guest appearance on the
December 15, 1979 episode, hosted by Martin Sheen.

Bowie was in fine theatrical form, playing well to the camera in outlandish costumes, flanked by the perfectly enigmatic Joey Arias and Klaus Nomi as back-up singers.

The story goes that Bowie hired them for this one appearance soon after having heard about Klaus Nomi's performances at various hip New York clubs.

In the first musical segment, Bowie's 'The Man Who Sold the World' was given new life in an arrangement radically different from the 1970 original, one well-matched to Nomi's distinctive counter-tenor harmonies.

Dave's bulky and angular
'space-tux' costume necessitated Klaus and Joey becoming his 'bearers', and helped to inspire the variant that became a signature look for Klaus.

(Both outfits also have roots in the immobilizing cardboard costumes designed by Sonia Delaunay for Tristan Tzara's 1923 dadaist play,
'La coeur à gaz'.)

Below, ▼ 'The Man Who Sold the World'...

(That's Blondie's Jimmy Destri playing keyboards.)

Below, ▼ the second and third musical segments tacked together in one video clip.
'TVC 15' had been a hit single from 1976's 'Station To Station' album, while 'Boys Keep Swinging' was at the time still relatively recent, having been released in the Spring of '79 as a single and on the 'Lodger' LP.

While Bowie danced about during 'Boys Keep Swinging' in his VFX puppet costume, NBC censors apparently had no problem with the lyric 'Life is a pop of the cherry', though they did choose to mute out the line 'Other boys check you out'. Go figure.

The SNL appearance served as catalyst for Klaus Nomi's career, escalating his status on the
New York City club scene and leading to his (sadly brief) stint as an international recording artist.

- Follow link to
Madeline Bocchiaro's 1997 reminiscence of her friendship with Klaus, including some nice behind-the-scenes tidbits regarding the evening of the SNL appearance...

"...I asked [Klaus and Joey] who did their fabulous makeup (the meticulous details were not visible on TV). They boasted that they'd done each other's makeup; 'Joey did mine and I did his, and we did David's!' Boys will be girls."

Joey Arias is still active as a NYC-based singer, author, and performance / drag artist.

Klaus Nomi died in 1983. He was one of the first celebrities to die of complications from AIDS.

- The 2004 feature-length documentary film, 'The Nomi Song', is available on DVD and is highly recommended viewing. As of this writing, it can also be viewed online for free at SnagFilms.

Michael Palin & Terry Jones: 'The Complete & Utter History Of Britain' (1969)

2009-06-02T11:38:00.008-06:00

'The Complete & Utter History Of Britain' was a short-lived British TV series created by Michael Palin and Terry Jones,
a few months prior to the formation of
Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Six episodes aired in early 1969, between Palin & Jones' appearances in the first and second seasons of 'Do Not Adjust Your Set'.

It has long been believed that no video from the series still existed, but some has resurfaced in recent years.

Below, ▼ the first episode, from January 12th, 1969 - - sadly, missing the first 2 minutes of the program...

(the embedded video is in a 'playlist' format, and should play continually through three parts)

The premise for the series was to present events from history as if television had existed at the time.

Though the results were often uneven, many elements used here by history buffs Palin & Jones would resurface time and again in various Python projects.

Below, ▼ episode 2, from January 19th, 1969

(again, the embedded 'playlist' should play continually
through three parts)

- These clips come courtesy of You Tube user Moriarty0001.
Follow the link to other Python-related curios on the channel.

Related material at YouTube:
- The Monty Python Channel
- The Monty Python Museum

'Look Around You'

2009-01-25T19:01:00.017-07:00

Much of the world has already had plenty of time to discover 'Look Around You', British TV's inspired parody of educational programming.

I, on the other hand, am just discovering it now, so you'll have to excuse me while I take my turn to get excited about it.

It gets sillier; Looks like episodes are scheduled to begin airing here in the U.S. on Adult Swim. Looks like a perfect fit.

The first series of eight
10-minute episodes first aired in 2002...

(follow links to view)

Module #1- Maths
Module #2- Water
Module #3- Germs
Module #4- Ghosts
Module #5- Sulphur
Module #6- Music ▲ (above)
Module #7- Iron
Module #8- Brain ▼ (below)

- Plus the unaired 20-minute pilot episode:
Calcium

The second series of six
30-minute episodes premiered in 2005.

Here are some links to several video clips from series 2...

- Medibot
- Di-Tutetamine Brohohibe
- Slimby
- Computer Games
- Petticoat 5
- Toothpaste
- Synthesiser Patel
- Music 2000

- See also the BBC 'Look Around You' web page.

Rocket Robin Hood episode 'Dementia Five'! (1968)

2008-12-18T21:49:00.004-07:00

Rocket Robin Hood was an animated TV series produced in Canada from 1966 - 1969.

Remembered fondly by many who grew up in that era, it was a sci-fi adventure series that took Robin Hood and his
Merry Men and put them in an outer-space setting in the year 3000.

I recall absolutely adoring this show as a kid, and being shocked revisiting it years later years to discover how clunky the limited animation was and how simple the stories were.

Watching the show's opening theme though, ▼ I can still see now what I saw in it then...

- As a small bonus, also check out one of the 'expository vignettes' about one of Rocket Robin's men.
Follow the link this small clip of Friar Tuck, which left an indelible memory for me, and may be responsible for some of my adult eating habits...

Sometime during the second season of the show, personnel change in it's production team brought in background designer
Richard H. Thomas and director Ralph Bakshi.

Bakshi had worked his way up in the field of animation while working for Terrytoons and Famous Studios, before opening his own studio in 1968. It was in '72 that Bakshi released his adaptation of R.Crumb's 'Fritz The Cat', his first in a series of animated feature films.

By the third season of 'Rocket Robin Hood', Bakshi and Thomas had given the look and feel of the series a new, slightly darker, more psychedelic tone that often made for some curious results.

Below ▼, 'Dementia Five' - - by far the 'trippiest' episode of the series...

- As a bit of trivia, much of the 'Dementia Five' episode's storyline, script, voice talent and animation cels were re-used in a Spider-Man cartoon (produced at the same studio for American TV), for the 1970 episode 'Revolt In The Fifth Dimension', which you can currently watch at You Tube - -

- Spider-Man: 'Revolt In The Fifth Dimension', Part 1
- Spider-Man: 'Revolt In The Fifth Dimension', Part 2

(Thanks are due to animation historian Jerry Beck for re-kindling many fond memories at one of his Comic-Con 'Worst Cartoons' presentations.)

Los Bravos - Like Nobody Else (1966)

2008-12-15T22:18:00.006-07:00

This cover of an early Bee Gee's tune was recorded by Madrid's
Los Bravos roughly around the same time that their huge hit
'Black Is Black' made them the first Spanish beat group to score a top ten hit in both the U.K. and the U.S.

- You can also hear their version of the same song song in Spanish, as 'Como Nadie Mas Te Amo Yo'.

Sugar Pie DeSanto - Rock Me Baby (1964)

2008-11-30T20:55:00.004-07:00

This footage of diminutive blues-belter Sugar Pie DeSanto was captured during the American Folk Blues Festival as it toured Europe in 1964.

The backing band on this clip includes blues luminaries Willie Dixon on bass, Hubert Sumlin on guitar, and Clifton James on drums.

See also:
- A video clip of Sugar Pie performing 'Baby, What You Want Me To Do' from the same concert.

- A 1999 Sugar Pie DeSanto interview at Roctober.Com.

DEVO - Worried Man (1982)

2008-11-10T13:10:00.006-07:00

The video clip below includes the framing device from the 1983 'We're All DEVO' home video compilation, featuring Laraine Newman and Michael Swartz as The Rooters, Donut and Rod...

DEVO adapted the old traditional 'Worried Man Blues' for a sequence in Neil Young's little-seen film, 'Human Highway', a musical fantasy-comedy set on the eve of nuclear apocalypse.

Much of the filming for the movie took place in 1978.
The film received a very limited theatrical release in 1982.

The movie was co-directed by Neil Young and Dean Stockwell. The cast included Young, Stockwell, the members of DEVO, Russ Tamblyn, Dennis Hopper, and Sally Kirkland.

The film's score was the first by Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO, who has gone on to great success in that field over the years.

'Human Highway' was eventually released to VHS and Laserdisc in 1995, but other than isolated clips (like this one), there has been no commercial release for the film since then.

DEVO performed this song in concert occasionally, usually in their 'opening act' guise of 'DOVE, The Band Of Love'.

Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity - Season Of The Witch (1968)

2008-10-30T21:32:00.005-06:00

The track (first written and performed by Donovan) appeared on the 1967 LP, 'Open'

See also: A Julie Driscoll post at Another Nickel In The Machine

Hildegard Knef - Von nun an gings bergab (From Here On It Got Rough) (1968)

2008-10-24T14:06:00.011-06:00

Below, German singer / actress Hildegard Knef (1925 - 2002) with the Kurt Edelhagen Orchestra, from a 1968 performance in Berlin.

- Follow the link to hear Knef's english language version of this song, or click on this one to read the lyrics in english.

100 Movies, 100 Quotes, 100 Numbers (2007)

2008-10-23T17:58:00.007-06:00

Amazing in it's scope and detail, diabolical in it's simplicity and appeal.

Alonzo Mosley (FBI), the creator of this piece, has posted a list of all the referenced films at his blog, Acrentropy.

See also: From the same creator, his follow-up,
'The Centennial Edition', another '100' list, counting up the years from 1901 to 2000.

Saul Bass discusses his work on film titles (1977)

2008-10-18T14:10:00.006-06:00

Saul Bass (1920 - 1996) was a prolific and influential graphic designer.

Among many achievements in animation and poster and logo design, his work in the arena of title sequences for film changed the industry.

In 'Bass On Titles', a 35-minute film produced in '77, he discussed his work and showed several examples.

See also:
Saul Bass on the web

(Found via lightgreen)

Ernie Kovacs meets Esquivel - - 'Musical Office' & 'Kitchen Symphony' (1961)

2008-10-16T22:48:00.001-06:00

Two classic musical moments from The Ernie Kovacs Show, featuring Juan Garcia Esquivel's space-age pop arrangements.

Above, ▲ versions of 'Jalousie' & 'Sentimental Journey'.

Below, ▼ Esquivel's arrangement of 'Cherokee' gets similar treatment.

Very innovative video concepts for 1961.

I was too young to have caught Ernie Kovacs on TV the first time around, but was completely glued to the 'best of' show that ran on PBS in the 1970s.

I never forgot these sequences.

Orishas - 'Bruja', featuring Rossy de Palma (2008)

2008-10-11T19:20:00.009-06:00

The song comes from Cuban hip-hop trio Orishas, and can be found on their '08 album, 'Cosita Buena'.

The music video is an homage to director Russ Meyer's classic 1965 exploitation film, 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!', and features the striking Rossy de Palma (an alumna of Spanish director
Pedro Almodóvar's films) playing multiple roles.

(found via everlasting blort)

The Boban Marković Orchestra - Otpisani (2002)

2008-10-09T12:27:00.008-06:00

From a concert recorded in Belgrade, Serbian trumpet king
Boban Marković's orchestra is one of the world's greatest Balkan Brass bands, and are regular favorites at the massive annual Guča trumpet festival.

In 1967, 'American Bandstand' teens react to changes in The Beatles' sound

2008-10-05T21:30:00.002-06:00

By 1967, The Beatles were in the habit of using promotional film clips of their new songs that could stand in for them in lieu of personal appearances on TV.

The look of these musical shorts reflected the changes occurring in the sound and sensibilities of the fabs.
For better or worse, they were no longer the 'lovable moptops'.

Below, ▼ 'Strawberry Fields Forever'.

On March 11th, 1967, The Beatles won three Grammy awards, for the songs 'Eleanor Rigby', 'Michelle', and their LP 'Revolver'.

Meanwhile, they'd been in the studio recording tracks for their
'Sgt. Pepper' album that would be released later that year.

Also on March 11th, 1967, the 'Strawberry Fields' short was shown
(in black & white) on ABC's 'American Bandstand', along with their 'Penny Lane' promo.

Below, ▼ AB host Dick Clark sits in a Los Angeles TV studio and polls his teenage audience for their candid reactions to the latest from
The Beatles, and that's exactly what he gets...

Below, ▼ 'Penny Lane'.

Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan - Tennessee Bird Walk (1970)

2008-10-01T09:10:00.002-06:00

An old favorite, the biggest chart hit for Florida husband & wife duo Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan.

Hazmat Modine - Bahamut (2006)

2008-09-15T10:35:00.004-06:00

Vocalist/harmonica player Wade Schuman fronts NYC-based
Hazmat Modine, performing the title track from their brilliant first CD in footage from an April 12, 2006 appearance on Russian TV.

See also:
-Hazmat Modine official homepage
-Hazmat Modine at MySpace

Below, more from the same session...

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Tell Me (2007)

2008-09-05T15:05:00.007-06:00

Filmed on location in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

The track is from the band's '07 release, '100 Days, 100 Nights', their 3rd full-length album.

Learn more at the Daptone Records website and the Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' MySpace page.

The Bellrays - Voodoo Train (2002)

2008-09-05T14:33:00.005-06:00

Lisa Kekaula (vocals), Bob Vennum (bass), Tony Fate (guitar) and Craig Waters (drums), out of Riverside, California.

As broadcast on San Diego's 'Fox Rox' on 8/7/2002.
The track was on The Bellrays' album 'The Red, White and Black', first released in 2003.

See, hear, learn more about The Bellrays at their website and their MySpace page.

The Evolution Control Committee - I Want A Cookie

2008-09-05T13:56:00.004-06:00

The song was included on the ECC's 'Plagiarhythm Nation v2.0' CD, released in 2003 on Seeland Records.

Madeline Kahn in 'De Düva' (The Dove) (1968)

2008-08-09T11:39:00.007-06:00

'De Düva', a brilliant parody of Ingmar Bergman's films, and one of Madeline Kahn's earliest film appearances.

It stars and was co-directed by George Coe, the 'forgotten' member of 'The Not Ready For Prime Time Players' in the first season of TV's 'Saturday Night Live'.

The film was nominated for a 'short subject' Oscar in the 1969 Academy Awards.

Falling From Space

2008-04-21T02:27:00.006-06:00

Footage recorded on 9/9/06 by a fixed camera mounted to one of the twin rocket boosters on the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Watch its view of the separation from the shuttle, a tumble through space and re-entering Earth's atmosphere as it falls back to the surface.
Mesmerizing!

David Bowie performs 'Stay' live on Dinah Shore's talk show, 1976

2008-03-21T21:37:00.004-06:00

As first broadcast on 'Dinah!',
January 3rd, 1976.

(Some details of the daytime talk show appearance are available at the
Bowie Golden Years website.)

Bowie's recording of the song was first released three weeks later on his classic 'Station To Station' album.

You can also view this clip with a lengthy intro from Dinah Shore (with guests Henry Winkler and Nancy Walker) at Dailymotion.

YouTube has excerpts of the rest of this Bowie TV appearance, including:

- Sitting and chatting with Dinah immediately following his 'Stay' performance.

- Joining Nancy Walker and Henry Winkler ("The David Bowie of 'Happy Days'") on the couch for more interview.

- David takes part in a brief martial arts lesson. (No, seriously)

- A loss in video quality as Bowie performs 'Five Years'.

'Welcome To Eltingville' pilot (2002)

2008-01-12T23:43:00.001-07:00

A faithful re-creation of characters created by comics artist / animation writer Evan Dorkin that have appeared in his anthology comic book, 'Dork'.

The one-and-only TV episode of 'Welcome To Eltingville' ran on the Cartoon Network's 'Adult Swim'.

It could have made a great series...

Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen (featuring Bill Kirchen) - Live in '71

2008-01-07T01:34:00.002-07:00

The Cody band performing 'Seeds And Stems (Again)', 'Hot Rod Lincoln', and
'Jailhouse Rock' in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1971, as seen in the concert film 'Ten for Two'.

Commander Cody - Everybody's Doin' It

2008-01-07T01:19:00.001-07:00

A musical interlude from the 1976 Roger Corman flick,
'Hollywood Boulevard'.

Commander Cody Band - 2 Triple Cheese (circa 1981)

2008-01-07T01:10:00.002-07:00

The music video features the now-extinct Kwik-Way Drive-In Oakland, California.
It was directed by Joe Dea, and aired several times 'back in the day' on 'VideoWest' a locally-originated show that ran on KQED,
San Francisco's PBS station.

The song was released on the Cody Band's 'Lose It Tonight' LP from 1981, released on the Peter Pan record label (yes, the kiddie record label).

Stereo Total - Wir Tanzen Im 4-Eck (2002)

2008-01-05T09:38:00.002-07:00

The song appeared originally on the Stereo Total album, 'Musique Automatique', released in 2001.

- - plus a different take on the same snappy number...

Ursula 1000 - Electrik Boogie (2006)

2008-01-05T09:32:00.002-07:00

The Muffs - Don't Pick On Me (2004)

2008-01-05T09:30:00.002-07:00

Animation by Tom Neely.

The song is off of The Muffs album 'Really Really Happy'.

The Raymond Scott Quintette - War Dance For Wooden Indians (1938)

2008-01-04T11:56:00.003-07:00

From the film 'Happy Landing'.

The Boswell Sisters - Heebie Jeebies (1932)

2008-01-04T11:51:00.002-07:00

Connee, Martha and Vet, as featured in the film 'The Big Broadcast'.

Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five - Let The Good Times Roll

2008-01-01T11:27:00.003-07:00

Louis Jordan - Saturday Night Fish Fry (1966)

2008-01-01T09:31:00.002-07:00

From the TV show 'The!!! Beat' that was taped in Dallas, Texas and broadcast out of Nashville, Tennessee. (Or was it the other way around? Reports vary.)

The host is R&B disc jockey Bill "Hoss" Allen, the house band is The Beat Boys, led by guitarist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

Jordan was 58 at the time, and kicks ass. His appearances on this show were apparently the only time his performances were captured in color.

George Formby - 'She's Got Two of Everything' (1945)

2007-12-23T00:49:00.002-07:00

British mega-star George Formby plays his ukulele-banjo in a clip from the film 'I Didn't Do It'.

See also: The George Formby Society webpage.

Apocalypse Pooh (1987)

2007-12-08T00:30:00.002-07:00

'Full' version of T. Graham's short masterpiece, w/ fakeout nature doc intro, 'Blue Peanuts' trailer, and 'AnArchie In The UK'.

Allan Sherman on the Dean Martin Show - 1965

2007-12-01T03:15:00.002-07:00

Two clips from a TV guest appearance on The Dean Martin Show that first aired on Thursday, October 7th, 1965.

'Skin' had been included on Sherman's 'Allan In Wonderland' LP, released in 1964.
'Secret Code' was from his '65 album, 'My Name Is Allan'.

Allan Sherman had been a TV game show producer in the 1950's, and often performed little song parodies for friends and family at parties.

In 1962, some of his showbiz friends made arrangements to secure Sherman a recording contract.
His first few albums were a huge success, especially 1963's 'My Son, The Nut', which contained the novelty hit, 'Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh (A Letter From Camp)'.

See also:
- The extensive Allan Sherman Discography at POV Online.

- Allan Sherman: The Internet Site

William Shatner - 'Taxi' (1973)

2007-11-28T13:13:00.002-07:00

Big Bill 'sings', from a 1973 appearance on 'Dinah's Place',
Dinah Shore's mid-morning NBC talk show.

In case you're not familiar with Harry Chapin's original 1972 chart hit, Click here.

William Shatner - Rocket Man (1978)

2007-11-28T13:09:00.004-07:00

William Shatner was co-host of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films' 5th annual Saturn Awards, held in
Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida.

1978 marked the first year that the ceremony was televised.

Celebrity presenters and performers for the telecast included
Charlton Heston, Christopher Lee, Mark Hamill, Quincy Jones, Wayland Flowers and Madame, Ray Bradbury, Buster Crabbe,
Stan Freberg, Buzz Aldrin, Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss and Wolfman Jack.

In the video clip, co-host Karen Black welcomes Bernie Taupin, giving the song's composer the honor of introducing Mr. Shatner. Ouch.

The Osmonds - Crazy Horses (x7)

2007-11-28T13:03:00.002-07:00

Because no one demanded it; several clips of the uncharacteristically hard rockin' title track to the Osbro's 1972 LP (second only in
heavy-osity to 1973's 'The Plan', their ambitious Mormon doctrine freakout concept album).

Check the fashions, the moves, the delivery, the 'message' lyrics - - and good luck forgetting Donny's whinnying keyboard riff...

Below: ▼ perhaps the best of the bunch, dating from either '72 or '74, depending on who you believe.

Below: ▼ from a '73 German appearance, Jay gets out from behind the drum kit to strut in earnest throughout his lead vocal performance...

Below: ▼ lip-synching but spirited,,,

Below: ▼ hot and sweaty at Ohio's State Fair in '72...

Below: ▼ screaming fans and full-tilt Osmania at a '73 UK concert...

Below: ▼ funky flair and a slower tempo as part of a 'Donny & Marie' tour, later in the '70s...

Below: ▼ further changes by 1980, in concert in Provo, Utah...

Renaldo and the Loaf - Songs For Swinging Larvae (1981)

2007-11-27T22:18:00.003-07:00

Videographer Graeme Whifler directed several music videos for some of the Ralph Records stable of artists in the late 1970s and early '80s, including The Residents, Snakefinger, MX-80 Sound and Tuxedomoon, and then a few for some other musical acts beyond Ralph, before eventually working as a screenwriter and director in film and TV.

'Songs For Swinging Larvae' is perhaps the most striking of his Ralph works.
The video actually incorporates three tracks from the first Ralph album by the mysterious English duo, Renaldo and the Loaf;
'Spratts Medium', 'Lime Jelly Grass' and 'Melvyn's Repose' (which was only included on later CD editions of the 'Songs For Swinging Larvae' album - - though recorded in the period of the other tracks, it appeared originally on a Ralph Records rarity and B-side compilation LP, 'Frank Johnson's Favorites').

- For a trove of info regarding the production of the video, the cast and the basis of the story behind it, click over to an entry at
Pop Musicology.

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - 'Canyons Of Your Mind' from Colour Me Pop, 1968

2007-11-27T01:10:00.003-07:00

Klaus Nomi performs 'The Cold Song' live

2007-11-27T00:30:00.006-07:00

Nomi's final public performance, circa 1982.

He sings 'The Cold Song' from Henry Purcell's 1691 opera 'King Arthur'. Filmed in Munich for broadcast on German TV.

Klaus would succumb to AIDS in August of 1983.

- See also: The Klaus Nomi Website

- The film documentary, 'The Nomi Song: The Klaus Nomi Odyssey' is also highly recommended. As of this writing, it can also be viewed online for free at SnagFilms.

Pee Wee Herman Anti-Crack PSA

2007-11-27T00:16:00.001-07:00

Part of the community service agreement Paul Reubens arranged with the Sarasota County court following his 1991 arrest.

Korla Pandit

2007-11-27T00:04:00.002-07:00

One of the godfathers of exotica, organist Korla Pandit gained fame on his 15-minute daily TV show that was broadcast out of Los Angeles in the 1950's.

- See also: KorlaPandit.Com

Tom Waits appearance on Fernwood 2 Night, 1977

2007-11-26T23:01:00.001-07:00

Tom Waits performs 'The Piano Has Been Drinking', and sits down for an interview with Barth Gimble and Jerry Hubbard.

Original airdate: 8/1/77

Bad Brains meets Leonard Nimoy

2007-11-26T21:43:00.002-07:00

In 1979, 'Pay To Cum' was the earliest single released by
Washington, D.C. hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains.

'The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins' was a song included on Leonard Nimoy's second LP, 'The Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy', in 1968.

His lip-synching performance of the song was broadcast well in advance of its commercial release on the July 28, 1967 episode of 'Malibu U', a short-lived TV variety series.

- Click here to see a black & white version of the full 'Bilbo Baggins' video, with introduction by Rick Nelson.