Back in the day, before MTV there was......

[Bud Meister]

When I was a teen there was no such thing as MTV. The coolest music show on tv was Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.

Any of y'all remember smoking weed and sitting around watching Don Kirshner's Rock Concert which first showed in 1972?

 

[BadKarma]

No But I remember THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

 

[Bud Meister]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kirshner had been executive producer and "creative consultant" on ABC's "In Concert" series which debuted with two shows in November and December 1972 in the 11:30 p.m. time slot usually held by the Dick Cavett Show. The programs, taped at the Hofstra Playhouse at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., featured performances by Alice Cooper, Curtis Mayfield, Seals & Croft, Bo Diddley, the Allman Brothers, Chuck Berry, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Poco. Their rating more than doubled the average rating of the Cavett show and even topped NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in some markets.

"In Concert" became a bi-weekly series in January 1973. "Right now, we have more artists than we know what to do with," Kirshner's music director Wally Gold told the Washington Post late in 1972. "We pay them scale to appear, which is way below what they usually get for a concert, but they know that the publicity is well worth it. So everyone wants to be on. We're getting hundreds of calls. At first, we had to beg the artists to appear. Now they're begging us."

In September 1973, Kirshner left "In Concert" -- he received producing credits for three more shows -- to launch his own syndicated "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert." The premier, on September 27, 1973, featured the Rolling Stones, taped in London, in their first appearance on American TV in more than four years.

The program featured many of the popular performers of the day during its run. Other notable guests included the Eagles, Foghat,The Ramones, Kansas and The Allman Brothers Band.

The show was hosted by Kirshner up till the last season. His on-air delivery was described as flat by viewers; Paul Shaffer would often lampoon him in a convincing impersonation on Saturday Night Live. In its final season, the show was hosted by Kirshner's son and daughter.

The show was noted for featuring musical acts performing live, which was unique since most television appearances during the era showed performers lip-synching to prerecorded music. The series also occasionally aired vintage footage of older acts (such as Bill Haley & His Comets).

Partial list of performers

* The Eagles
* ABBA
* Argent
* Bad Company
* Badfinger
* Bachman-Turner Overdrive
* Black Sabbath
* Joan Baez
* Bee Gees
* Pat Benatar
* Black Oak Arkansas
* Blood, Sweat & Tears
* David Bowie
* The Byrds
* Cheap Trick
* Jim Croce
* Devo
* The Doobie Brothers
* Eagles
* Earth, Wind & Fire
* Edgar Winter Group
* Electric Light Orchestra
* Fleetwood Mac
* Foghat
* The Guess Who
* The Hollies
* James Gang
* Billy Joel
* Johnny Winter
* Kansas
* B.B. King
* Kiss
* Melissa Manchester
* Manfred Mann's Earth Band
* Don McLean
* Ted Nugent
* New York Dolls
* Billy Preston
* Prince & The Revolution
* Ramones
* Lou Rawls
* Helen Reddy
* The Rolling Stones
* Linda Ronstadt
* Todd Rundgren
* Rush
* Seals and Crofts
* Sensational Alex Harvey Band
* Sly & the Family Stone
* Sparks
* The Stampeders
* Steely Dan
* Steve Miller Band
* UFO
* Uriah Heep
* War
* Weather Report
* Marc Bolan and T.Rex

 

[resinryder]

WOLFMAN JACK

SoooooulTraain



And of course, Dick Clark's show American Bandstand

Forgot to add The Ed Sullivan show. "I'd add a smilie beside that one but there's no "damn that's an old one smilie" available"

 

[hoosierdaddy]

"Why did she ever wake up with those bullfrogs on her mind?....."

Or sumpthin like that....LOL..

I saw every one of them, Bud. Good stuff!

 

[Stoner4Life]

I watched & listened to ALL of the 'In Concert' series, and yes
they were on ABC but what is not mentioned in that wikipedia
blurb was the fact that they were simulcast on WPLJ the local
ABC rock n roll FM station in the NYC area. So not only did we
stone & watch but also put the stereo on too. I recorded most
of the In Concert series on my 8Track recorder hehehehehe.......

 

[ureapwhatusow]

i remember one of the UHF channels sporting the first music video

tim curry - i do the rock

 

[flubnutz]

smother's brothers when they had on the who ... put too many explosives in moon's drum set BOOM LOL

 

[Puffin13]

What!? No mention of Laugh In or Hullabaloo? I was really beginning to wonder about you guys until resinryder mentioned American Bandstand. lol There was also that short lived musical/variety show by Paul Revere and The Raiders. Damn! I'm gettin old. Peace.

 

[flubnutz]

paul revere and the raiders; i don't think there was a better 60's pop rock single than "kicks". "him or me"; "hungry"; they were great.

i liked "soul train" back when don cornelius had those suits with the huge plaid, the stop-sign shaped gold-rimmed glasses and the big 'fro back before the "soul train" theme song that became a hit; shit anybody got a pic of that LOL

 

[drmota]

wow yeah i remember them all but it was rock concert and midnight special i really watched like to find some old footage now