Category: Television (Page 23 of 23)

S&C on Hullabaloo and The Beat Club

January 17, 2008 / Cher Scholar / 0 Comments

Whoops…I was wrong about the Sammy Davis Jr. medley last week when I was talking about Shindig. The Sammy Davis Jr. medley was from Hullabaloo and it was a Beatles medley. I blame my incomprehensible note-taking last December for the error. On Hullabaloo S&C join in the medley with "I Cant Get No Satisfaction" which just sounds silly. Later they join Sammy in singing "I’m Henry VIII I Am."

They also sing "I Got You Babe" live, Cher in one of her Good Times top and dancing with insane jerky movements.

My favorite of all of these 60s TV appearances has to be from The Beat Club. It’s so European! Cher is in a long-sleeved turtleneck. They sing "And Then He Kissed Me." The camera does a closeup of Cher’s moccasins and pans the small audience and I think kids today – err, yesterday! Sonny and Cher say something like "Danka" when they finish singing. This must be a German show. Those must be German youths. And are those bad German teeth?

Cher sings alone on "I Feel Something in the Air" – her head down like a morose teen. This is a very raw Cher performance. You know how the song (written by Sonny) turns in the middle? A sudden girl group song appears, then it’s a downer again with vague references to pregnancy, so vague as a poem it wouldn’t make it through an MFA workshop. I’m sure the kids were confused by it all but maybe not seeing as they were Germans. I like the crazy moodiness of the song and Cher is good at looking teen tragic. Sonny pops back in wearing stripes! Then the video cuts off as if Sonny’s outfit has caused apocalypse.

Sonny & Cher on Shindig

January 10, 2008 / Cher Scholar / 0 Comments

Have Sonny & Cher ever played with the Stones?

Hell yeah!

This is my second installment on the fabulous 60s TV appearance DVD I received from a stranger in the mail after an eBay purchase: this is The Shindig Episodes.

On one episode we find S&C, Bobby Sherman, The Rolling Stones and lot of other peeps I didn’t know. First of all, Cher was in a jumper. A jumper! Sonny in a suit. They do a medley, a crazy jam…with the cast and The ROLLING STONES!

Totally happening! Super groovy!

Could this host, Jimmy O’Neill, (right) be any more dapper?

S&C don new outfits where they sing “We’re Gonna Make It,” a clip that has been making the rounds of email and Cher list postings over the last two years; I reviewed this clip back in November – the highlights:

Here’s a clip of Sonny & Cher singing "We’re Gonna Make It." Wow! First of all, didn’t we associate that song with the Allman and Woman album. Sonny & Cher did it too? Just like "You Really Got a Hold on Me." Was Cher trying to recreate Sonny & Cher with Allman duets? It seems so beyond comprehension…or did Sonny & Cher cover so many friggin songs it would be impossible not to re-cover her covers? …it would be hard to top this version. Bobby Sherman, that ridiculous dance, the screaming kids, the sudden appearance and disappearance of backup singers (if it wasn’t the 60s I’d think they were CGI’d in there), Sonny going absolutely crazy at the end. Wow!

The clip has since been taken off YouTube. (sad face) Find it…it’s unlike any other S&C clip I’ve ever seen. Back in November, fellow Cher Scholar, Robrt Pela of the Arizona New Times among other things wrote to say:

I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CLIP COULD POSSIBLY EXIST.

I mean, this looks way early, circa "Look at Us," and it just doesn’t make sense that they would use crucial TV time at that point to do a song that a) they hadn’t recorded and b) therefore weren’t promoting.

How is this clip POSSIBLE?

This DVD brought me the answer to that very important and mysterious question: why indeed were Sonny & Cher wasting valuable airtime to scat? And Robrt was very astute to recognize the clip as a promotion for their first album. I look at all these 60s videos and get confused. Unless i see her bangs starting to grow out (see top pic) and only then I can identify it as late-decade.

Anyway, this was filler material for "I Got You Babe" promotion. S&C do "IGUB" later in the show…with props. Cher is in one of her Good Times outfits, the ruffle-covered bell bottom outfit from "Trust Me" where she skips around LA. Interestingly, this Shindig performance of "IGUB" is excruciatingly shortened and you don’t see Cher’s face for much of it.

Sonny then sings "Laugh At Me." At first I thought it was his usual bad lip-syncing but then I realized he was trying to sing over the record! (Cher Scholar shakes head)

In another Shindig episode, S&C star with Aretha Franklin, Marianne Faithful and The Kinks. I don’t remember any groovy American-Idol style medley but I do remember Sammy Davis Jr. making maudlin over current hits. Marianne looks completely uncomfortable and bored. S&C sing "It’s Gonna Rain" and Cher sings "Dream Baby" – both are sung live. I’m surprised how often "Dream Baby" was promoted on Shindig and Shivaree.

In the next segment Sonny dresses like Caesar and Cher like Cleo. I couldn’t place the song for the life of me but Cher looks great in her dress and they’ve got ‘a look’ even with her stringy hair and their big noses. It’s fun to see Sonny make her laugh.

Then the host, Sammy Davis Jr., introduces the pick of the week, "IGUB," calling it a masterpiece and outa sight. Cher wears her union-jack-fit. Why does Sonny shake his head like that when he sings. Cher has an epileptic moment at the end and then PDA. Eewwww!

To cleanse yourself, you may want to look for Cher in this long ABBA retrospective video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz_1g9kwBUM

Although Shindig Cher clips are not available at the moment on YouTube, here is a hilarious Rollings Stones clip from around that time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXb5UL0dwLc

And before I was mentioning Teri Garr was a dancer on Shindig and Shivaree. Here’s a pic (I think she’s on the far right).

Sonny & Cher on Shivaree

January 3, 2008 / Cher Scholar / 0 Comments

I purchased an item on eBay late last year and as a very special gift (RONCO anyone?) I received a DVD of old 60s Sonny & Cher appearances on shows like Shindig and Shivaree. Was I in heaven?! I kept looking for Teri Garr go-go dancing in the background (as she worked on these shows as a dancer between 1964-1966). I still think it is odd that Garr worked for years for Sonny & Cher in the 70s and never once mentioned running into them on those 60s shows. Because it seems like they made a ton of appearances there.

I’ll just start with the Shivaree episodes this week which were grainy on my DVD copy but wonderful to see nonetheless, amazingly raw. (The dancers are pitiful on this show, by the way.)

I watched two episodes with Sonny & Cher, one where they sat back-to-back singing “Just You” and then stood on a balcony full of dancing teens to sing “Sing C’est La Vie.” Cher wore a very conservative shirt, similar to what she wore on the album cover of Look At Us. Which is, quite frankly, a bizarre thing to see — Cher in a normal teen piece of clothing. Nothing hippie-like or scandalous about that green t-shirt.

Cher also sang “Dream Baby” solo on one show (in some funky, skin-tight paisley pants) and “All I Really Want to Do” with some equally funky Cher-style dance moves. She seems very shy and young in these clips but does fine without Sonny. At the end of the Cher-solo episode it’s fun to watch the credits where you can see Cher dancing in a crowd of guests — in what looks like the last moves of anonymous carefree-ness she would ever make. So un-self conscious.

Watch the YouTubes:

Sonny & Cher doing “Just You”

Cher doing “Dream Baby”

Cher doing “All I Really Want to Do"

I can’t find the Shivaree credit clips or the "Sing C’est La Vie" clip which is too bad because it’s ridiculous when the MC camps as a Frenchman. By the way, when I was first chatting with my bf almost three years ago on match.com, I found out he was a former Proust scholar. We hadn’t met yet mind you and he was such a effortless and enthusiastic emailer. I thought he was gay. Heterosexual men write really dull emails IMHO. Anyway, I told him Sonny & Cher were once really into the French. And he said he had, coincidentally, just borrowed a copy of Sonny & Cher’s greatest hits at the library and he was very bemused by the song "Sing C’est La Vie." I found copies of it all over the YouTubes:

Sing Cest La Vie the video!

On Barbara McNair

On Mike Douglas 1969

Sadness and How It Makes Me Soft on Elijah Blue

December 7, 2007 / Cher Scholar / 0 Comments

I’ve been steeped in sadness this last week over my move and sudden unexpected (and profoundly disappointing) interpersonal dysfunctions in relation to said move. I’ve been watching YouTube Cher videos to cheer up.

First , S&C singing Little Man – look at those hilarious earrings: are they fuzzy dice? I love how intimate S&C seem in this video, how even then Sonny is trying to fix Cher’s hair, his wacky suit and how in love and in sync they seem at this moment in time.

Cher sings Fire in Monte Carlo – I truly love how that dress moves.

Sonny & Cher Mike Douglas Interview from early 70s

Part 1; Part 2 and Part 3

Watch what a bad job Sonny does lip syncing and his follow-up comments about being a better producer/writer than a singer – which is remarkably different from the interview he did as Cher’s guest on The Mike Douglas show in late 70s where they tell him he should continue producing and he says he wants to perform. I think he must have missed all the spot-light rigmarole and hullabaloo.

Next S&C sing The Beat Goes On – oh those hilariously animated French people. I love Cher’s hair swinging around in this one and her crazy hippie dancing.

Insane Cher wig alert! Cher is such a better lip sync-er than sonny.

To prove what a sad state I’m in, I actually enjoyed this Elijah interview from earlier this year. I chalk it up to not being in my right mind. It still irks me that Elijah can’t give Cher artistic cred. I know its hard in comparison to his Dad (who has built-in-coolness) but it would be so truly antagonistic (since it’s his job to be an antagonist – which is an interesting idea) to give his mom some props beyond pop lite throw-off compliments. Undercore is an interesting term, the constantly moving edge. I’m not sure I can connect it yet to what I’ve seen from Deadsy and I’m still uncomfortable with his critiques of women’s value and intelligence as he has not yet proven himself to be brilliant.

Here he is on Howard Stern late last year. I actually like Howard’s show, exactly because it takes the piss out of celebrity interviews and inverts the power structures of those interviews. We see Elijah shares the Cher trait of abbreviating names needlessly. Paris becomes Pare. It was also interesting (in a kind of icy way) hearing Elijah describe living in a Cher house, where there could be 50 people roaming around and you wouldn’t see anyone for days. That’s so fucking depressing. (I think that’s my moving stress talking). Elijah had good words for Cher’s boyfriends: Rob, Gene and Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise? I thought that was just a rumor. I feel all like Mrs. Spencer Tracy now. “Katharine Hepburn: I thought you were just a rumor.” Snap.

TV Land Greatest TV Icons

November 29, 2007 / Cher Scholar / 2 Comments

I’m gonna be sporadic with my blog postings in December. Which sucks because I have LOTS to talk about, a veritable backlog of Cher-chat to share. People have been sending me really good Cher stuff I must say: a critical USC analysis of the Bono marriage marketing plan and a DVD full of 60s S&C performances to discuss. But life happens. My ceramics class is ending (much to do) and I just found out I’ll need to move this month (due to rehabbing that will be done to our apartment building), plus I have company in town this weekend and Christmas on the horizon. But stay tuned.

Today I just want to say how disgusted I am with Entertainment Weekly and TV Land’s list of 100 Greatest TV Icons. The list is breathtakingly disorganized and illogical and Cher is ridiculously low in its rankings. At the turn of the millennium, Cher ended up on many best-of entertainment lists. I felt her rankings were usually fair – even if they weren’t top 30. The fact that she made a music list here or there at all was a good sign of things to come. But on the television list, Cher should have been ranked much higher, in the top 50 at least. Entertainment Weekly and TV Land didn’t even bother to discuss the bottom 50 in the magazine or TV special. So annoying.

Here’s the list. I’m fine with the top ten but I’ve noted rankings that warranted extra comment.

100. Marcia Cross
99. Delta Burke
98. Meredith Baxter
97. In Living Color cast
96. Shannen Doherty – give me a break
95. Richard Dawson
94. Melissa Gilbert
93. Neil Patrick Harris – come ON
92. Judge Judy
91. Dennis Franz
90. John Stamos – why is he even on this list?
89. Robert Guillaume
88. Gavin MacLeod
87. Phil Hartman
86. Jerry Mathers
85. Rod Serling
84. Cartman from "South Park"
83. Isabel Sanford
82. Ted Knight
81. Dick Cavett
80. Adam West
79. Angela Landsbury
78. Art Carney
77. James Garner
76. Candice Bergen
75. Peter Falk
74. Joan Rivers
73. Tony Danza
72. Cher – travesty of justice
71. Rosie O’Donnell – sure she’s making a stir now but I predict she will not have such long-term impact. She is not in the league of Phil Donahue or Oprah and The View fiasco will soon be just a Hollywood footnote.
70. Bob Denver – Gilligan maybe; Bob no.
69. Barbara Eden – Genie maybe
68. Don Cornelius
67. Tom Selleck
66. Kelsey Grammer – great sitcom actor among other great sitcom actors. He shouldn’t be higher than Ted Knight.
65. Pamela Anderson – you’re kidding me with this
64. Phil Donahue
63. Ed Asner – an no Chloris Leachman??
62. Redd Foxx
61. Pee Wee Herman – should be toward the bottom of the list
60. Merv Griffin
59. Ted Danson – see Kelsy Grammer
58. Don Knotts
57. Charlie Brown
56. Betty White – and no Chloris Leachman??
55. Fred Rogers – should be way higher
54. Florence Henderson
53. Ed McMahon – if he’s here, Jerry Lewis should be here and who wants that?
52. Ron Howard – Opie maybe
51. Bob Hope
50. Larry Hagman – see Kelsey Grammer
49. Calista Flockhart – I bang my head against my keyboard on this one
48. Jimmy Smits – this list is totally un-credible now
47. Simon Cowell
46. Lassie
45. Sarah Michelle Gellar – 90s star; wont last another 10 years I predict
44. Susan Lucci
43. Flip Wilson
42. James Gandolfini – his longevity is possible but remains to be seen
41. Jon Stewart
40. Sally Field
39. Jennifer Aniston – see Kelsey Grammer
38. Bea Arthur – see Kelsey Grammer
37. George Clooney – for Facts of Life???
36. Diahann Carroll
35. Michael J. Fox
34. Bob Barker
33. Ellen DeGeneres – fascinating but no icon yet she isn’t
32. Henry Winkler
31. Sarah Jessica Parker – see Kelsey Grammer
30. Alan Alda
29. John Ritter – I always liked John Ritter but I’m amazed he made it this high…could barely get a good gig while he was alive
28. Howard Cosell
27. Regis Philbin
26. Farrah Fawcett
25. Heather Locklear
24. Michael Landon
23. Barbara Walters
22. Milton Berle
21. Kermit
20. Carroll O’Connor
19. Andy Griffith
18. William Shatner
17. Bob Newhart
16. David Letterman
15. "Not Ready for Primetime Players" – have sucked longer than they rocked
14. Ed Sullivan
13. Jackie Gleason
12. Dick Van Dyke
10. Dick Clark
9. Homer Simpson
8. Jerry Seinfeld
7. Mary Tyler Moore
6. Carol Burnett
5. Walter Cronkite
4. Bill Cosby – love and respect his comedy albums (didn’t hate the Cosby Show but shouldn’t be so high for his 2 television shows; stand-up maybe; if this list is trying to be affirmative action, he still should be higher than Flip Wilson. I’m willing to discuss this one though; did he pave the way for more African American programming? Or did he just end up sending them all to the WB?
3. Oprah Winfrey
2. Lucille Ball
1. Johnny Carson

So that’s the atrocious list. Here is a sketch of my alternate rankings

1. Johnny Carson – dork but okay – he’s Mr. Television
2. Lucy – and Desi – stupid to leave off Desi when many of the I Love Lucy conventions were his ideas
3. Oprah – has virtual control over our souls
4. Phil Donahue – father of the talk show
5. Walter Cronkite
6. Carol O’ Connor – redefined acceptable sitcom characters
7. Ed Sullivan – father of variety
8. Kermit – symbol of children’s television programming
9. Milton Berle – – hate him but he’s a TV pioneer
10. Barbara Walters – ick but you think of woman reporter on TV and there she is
11. Homer – longest running television show
12. Jackie Gleason – helped define TV sitcoms
13. Dick Clark – helped define half-hour music programming
14. Bob Barker – the face of game shows
15. Howard Cosell – the face of sports

Basically, the top 20 should be for the ultimate TV pioneers or those who symbolize a genre of television.

The 20-30 range should be for landmark shows: Roseanne, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett, Dick Van Dyke represent the classic show.

The 30-40 range can be reserved for celebrities who were iconic style figures, people who influenced fashion or TV style for a goodly time. Cher would fall toward the top of this range; Farrah to the bottom (as she was just a poster of good hair when all is said and done). I feel Cher conquered 70s television and for that she deserves to be ranked near Flip Wilson. I’d put her in the top 30 for sure. No kid in the 70s wasn’t enamored by Cher on TV at some point in the 70s: budding feminists, the toddler gay community, and aspiring baby divas.

Workhorses who excelled in more than one show should appear in the 50-75 range: Ted Danson, Heather Locklear, Ed Asner.

Odds and ends who we somehow love but really didn’t display much discernible talent should fall in the 75-90 range: Ron Howard as Opie, Bob Denver as Gilligan.

Late breaking favorites should be relegated to the bottom because they may have promise but they haven’t exhibited longevity yet: James Gandolfini, Rosie O’Donnell. Ellen DeGeneres

Please, send me your thoughts.

Thanksgiving Couture

November 21, 2007 / Cher Scholar / 1 Comment

I’m watching TV Lands Greatest TV Icons tonight to start off my very exciting Dead Turkey Day plans for the weekend. For some odd reason, my bf and I our unseasonably festive this year and have decided to decorate our digs this weekend, bake cookies and generally be cheery. This is most unusual.

To keep you busy over the weekend if your family is tormenting you with discussions of embarrassing childhood moments involving Thanksgiving leftovers of yore, retreat to your room and play with Eddie Kent’s 60s Cher paper dolls. You can play with them online!

I couldn’t find a particularly Thanksgiving Cher photo but here is a video of S&C singing in Thanksgiving colors: Just imagine them coming over to your dinner party dressed like that with some giblets and boxed wine.

Anyway, happy Thanksgiving – adopt a turkey next year: http://www.adoptaturkey.org/.

Category: Television (Page 23 of 23)

S&C on Hullabaloo and The Beat Club

Sonny & Cher on Shindig

Sonny & Cher on Shivaree

Sadness and How It Makes Me Soft on Elijah Blue

TV Land Greatest TV Icons

Thanksgiving Couture

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