EPISODE # 21
BROOK BENTON - "HOTEL HAPPINESS"
AIRING DATE: May 15, 1965
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D1 - DeANN MOLLNER
D2 - MIMI MACHU
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BB - BROOK BENTON
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Brook Benton makes an appearance to perform his Top-Twenty hit from December 1962. The choreography is limited to DeANN and MIMI swaying and clapping in unison while seated in front of Brook.
DeANN and MIMI are the only dancers to appear on both the first and the last episodes of HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO.
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EPISODE # 21
APRIL STEVENS & NINO TEMPO - "ONE DOZEN ROSES"
TAPING DATE: May 8, 1965
AIRING DATE: May 15, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D2 - ROBERTA TENNES
D3 - MIMI MACHU
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d - RINDY MARTIN
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AS - APRIL STEVENS
NT - NINO TEMPO
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Many people just assume April and Nino are a married couple, but in fact they are siblings born fifteen months apart. They were born Carol and Antonio Lo Tempio in Niagara Falls, NY and are mostly known for their eclectic selections of recordings, one of which became a monster hit in October 1963. That tune, "Deep Purple", won the 1963 Grammy as "best rock and roll record of the year". Sandwiched in an era between doo-wop and the soon to be British Invasion, the song oddly neither rocks nor rolls.
For this performance however April and Nino pick up the pace and give the GAZZARRI ladies something to go-go to. JUNE, who is positioned just to the right of them, appears to be having a wild time during this number. We only get long distance views on MIMI and ROBERTA who are on the main stage.
Of additional interest to this video is the audience dancer who we see dancing on a platform at the 1:58 to 2:02 mark. She is on the very far right of our view. Dancers in the audience were not allowed on the stage or any of the platforms that the GAZZARRI DANCERS utilized unless they were placed there on purpose. It appears that this girl had permission. Since we see her as a GAZZARRI in later episodes it appears that this was an audition of some sort. After years of wondering who she was, in November 2023 we have finally identified her as RINDY MARTIN, who was Miss Gazzarri 1965 at Bill's club. You can get an excellent look at her on the Pair Extraordinaire "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" performance at the 1:06 mark. And then again on the next episode during Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" performance. She appears on further episodes up to and including ep # 32. She was previously on our "Mystery Dancers" page as "blonde # 3". She remains the only GAZZARRI DANCER who we can document dancing both on the TV show and the club.
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EPISODE # 21
SINNERS - "GLORIA"
TAPING DATE: May 8, 1965
AIRING DATE: May 15, 1965
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D1 - MIMI MACHU
D2 - LUCILLE WILLS
D3 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D4 - ROBERTA TENNES
D5 - DALE VANN
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S1 - TONY MINICHIELLO
S2 - VIC DIAZ
S3 - MANUEL SANCHEZ
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The SINNERS have the record for the most appearances on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO because they were the official house band. They appear to have left the show after episode # 46. This was around the same time that AL BURTON was replaced by MILT HOFFMAN. Most of the songs they performed were covers of other artists' hits from the era, but they also mixed in a few tunes from their sole album on Reprise Records. "Gloria" was a hit first for Van Morrison and Them, and then for the Chicago based group, the Shadows of Knight. Eventually it became one of the iconic garage band tunes from the mid-1960s.
This video is of particular interest because it is the first time we see the GAZZARRI DANCERS performing an "in the round" floor routine. Unlike their Del Shannon "Runaway" performance from three months later which circled counterclockwise around Del we get to see them going clockwise while taking turns at being the featured dancer in the center of their circle. The order in which they go-go in the center of the circle is LUCILLE first, followed by DALE, ROBERTA, JUNE, and then MIMI. DALE turns in one of her most memorable performances and it's interesting to note that after being on the show for only a few episodes JUNE had already perfected her hair tossing !
The clothing worn by our dancing quintet would soon give way for much hipper and tighter fitting apparel.
In order to make room on the dance floor for the GAZZARRI DANCERS we see several audience couples relegated to sitting on ladders normally occupied by our go-go girls.
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EPISODE # 22
CHUCK BERRY - "MAYBELLENE"
TAPING DATE: May 15, 1965
AIRING DATE: May 22, 1965
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D1 - LUCILLE WILLS
D2 - DeANN MOLLNER
D3 - RINDY MARTIN
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CB - CHUCK BERRY
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On paper this is one of the great HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO episodes. Both the Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry appeared and we have the videos. They are all great performances.
Chuck was a rock and roll hero of Keith Richards and we have heard a story that Keith actually tuned Chuck's Gibson guitar for him backstage.
It appears that KHJ realized that they had scored a major coup by getting these two acts on the same show. The audience dancers seem to be among the best culled from previous episodes.
From a GAZZARRI DANCER standpoint this performance is noteworthy because we get to see a dancer interacting closely with the performer. LUCILLE was the lucky girl who got to dance on stage while Chuck performed. She follows him, her finger on his shoulder, as he duckwalks from one end to the other.
We only get to see two other dancers during this performance. DeANN is featured directly in front of the stage, and we also see RINDY MARTIN for a few seconds to the right of the stage.
"Maybellene" was on the charts during August, September, and October of 1955. By the time this episode was filmed a decade later it was already considered a classic from the early days of rock and roll.
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EPISODE # 22
CHUCK BERRY - "JOHNNY B. GOODE"
TAPING DATE: May 15, 1965
AIRING DATE: May 22, 1965
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D1 - DALE VANN
D2 - MIMI MACHU
D3 - LUCILLE WILLS
D4 - ROBERTA TENNES
D5 - DeANN MOLLNER
D6 - RINDY MARTIN
D7 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
_____________________
CB - CHUCK BERRY
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It had already been ten years between when Chuck burst on to the charts with "Maybellene" in 1955 and his first performance on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO. Obviously his star power and ability to energize any audience had not waned. This performance rates right up there with the most dynamic in the show's run. And when you add in the fact that the Rolling Stones also appeared, this episode ranks up there with the best.
The dance floor was Chuck's stage for this performance. This was a situation unique to HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO, where performing artists and audience members mingled, and we see it utilized at various times on several episodes. Audience dancers were given strict rules to not touch or interfere with the performers or GAZZARRI DANCERS.
It appears that the best audience dancers were chosen to appear within camera range during this performance and positioned in the area near Chuck. We see several "regulars", most notably the girl in the large polka dot skirt and her partner. This pair were on many episodes and always managed to position themselves to be in camera range. If you know who they are we would love to talk to them.
Also evident in this performance is the fact that guest artists simply lip synched or sang along without a microphone to their vinyl tracks. Guitars were not plugged in and there were no amplifiers. What you heard on every episode was the same track you could buy at your local record shop and hear on the radio.
The GAZZARRI DANCERS are relagated to the background in this performance with the focus on Chuck. He would return three months later on episode # 35 to perform three more rocking tunes.
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EPISODE # 22
ROLLING STONES - "THE LAST TIME"
TAPING DATE: May 15, 1965
AIRING DATE: May 22, 1965
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D1 - ROBERTA TENNES
D2 - DeANN MOLLNER
D3 - MIMI MACHU
D4 - LUCILLE WILLS
D5 - RINDY MARTIN
___________________
MJ - MICK JAGGER
BJ - BRIAN JONES
KR - KEITH RICHARDS
BW - BILL WYMAN
CW - CHARLIE WATTS
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The Rolling Stones didn't disappoint on any of their three performances on this episode. It would be their only appearance on the show and arguably the highest profile artists to appear in the history of the show. The timing was also superb because this song was riding the charts in America at the time of the taping and the following week when the episode first aired.
GAZZARRI footage is minimal in this performace. We do get a fine but brief look at lovely MIMI during the introduction. There is also some footage of ROBERTA because she was placed just to the right of the band. The cameras focus mainly on the Stones with close up looks of all except Charlie Watts. We have the Stones appearance covered on a separate page on this site. There was a reason why the cameras were placed so close to the band, and associate producer DONALIE FITZGERALD'S account on the Stones' page will explain it all !
At the 0:21 and 1:39 mark you can see fellow guest Bruce Scott seated high up on a ladder perhaps pondering how he was going to top this performance ?
On this website's "audience participation" page you will find a few photos of the highest profile audience couple on the show. They were usually found as close to the stage as they could get. They succeeded again in this performance and it is almost humorous to see Mick brush off the guy in the pair as he gets a bit too close. One has to wonder what ever became of them ?
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EPISODE # 22
ROLLING STONES - "PLAY WITH FIRE"
TAPING DATE: May 15, 1965
AIRING DATE: May 22, 1965
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D1 - DALE VANN
D2 - DeANN MOLLNER
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MJ - MICK JAGGER
BJ - BRIAN JONES
KR - KEITH RICHARDS
BW - BILL WYMAN
CW - CHARLIE WATTS
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"Play With Fire" was the B side to "The Last Time" single. It is probably one of their best known B sides even though it never charted.
GAZZARRI DANCER coverage is minimal in this video. We do get to see DALE throughout because she is positioned just to the right of the Stones in the same spot that was occupied by ROBERTA during "The Last Time". We also get to see DeANN during SAM'S outro after the performance. Because of the last minute instructions to the three cameramen to film the Stones from the waist up there was not much in the way of panned shots in the studio.
An interesting sideline story to this performance is told by the Challengers bass player Randy Nauert. The Stones found themselves without a tambourine for the taping. Challengers drummer Richard Delvy came to the rescue and loaned Charlie Watts his. And as luck would have it there is a photograph of the actual tambourine transfer from Richard to Charlie. Randy was kind enough to lend it to this website. Randy also has this tambourine still in his possession.
"Play With Fire" and "The Last Time" had both been recorded only a few months earlier (January 1965) in L.A. at RCA Studios. Mick played the tambourine during the recording session which might explain why Charlie looks a bit lost with it at times during this performance. Both Charlie and Bill Wyman are absent on the official recording of this song.
The KHJ-TV studio prop department almost certainly didn't have a harpsichord so it appears that for the taping the station had to bring one in for Brian Jones.
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EPISODE # 22
ROLLING STONES - "OH BABY (WE GOT A GOOD THING GOIN')"
TAPING DATE: May 15, 1965
AIRING DATE: May 22, 1965
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D1 - ROBERTA TENNES
D2 - DeANN MOLLNER
D3 - LUCILLE WILLS
D4 - MIMI MACHU
D5 - RINDY MARTIN
D6 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D7 - DALE VANN
___________________
MJ - MICK JAGGER
BJ - BRIAN JONES
KR - KEITH RICHARDS
BW - BILL WYMAN
CW - CHARLIE WATTS
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Although it was not common, there are several instances of a musical guest performing three songs on an episode. This was one of them and perhaps it should come as no surprise considering what high profile artists the Rolling Stones were.
For this number the Stones have been moved further forward and away from the main platform to perform. They appear to be in the middle of the dance floor. Once again most of the footage shows the band from the waist up. All three cameramen had been warned at the last minute prior to the first song. This arrangement does leave us with some very good close ups of Mick, Brian, Keith, Bill, and Charlie.
As in the other two performances by the Stones, GAZZARRI coverage is minimal. On the back platform we can make out LUCILLE, DeANN, and ROBERTA (left to right). At the very end we can see JUNE, who was still very new to the show, on a ladder.
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EPISODE # 24
JACKIE DeSHANNON - "TILL YOU SAY YOU'LL BE MINE"
TAPING DATE: May 29, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 5, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D2 - LUCILLE WILLS
D3 - DeANN MOLLNER
D4 - MIMI MACHU
_____________________
JDS - JACKIE DeSHANNON
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This performance starts with JUNE, LUCILLE, DeANN, and MIMI lined up left to right on the main stage. A few seconds into the video JUNE takes off her hat and moves to the platform to the right of Jackie DeShannon. JUNE is the only dancer we see for the rest of the performance.
The real star here is Jackie herself. Her gestures, body language, and dancing ability make her a real joy to watch on all of her HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO appearances. She makes maximum use of her swaying dress to hold the viewer's attention.
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EPISODE # 24
JUNIOR WALKER & THE ALL STARS - "SHOTGUN"
TAPING DATE: May 29, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 5, 1965
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D1 - MIMI MACHU
D2 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D3 - LUCILLE WILLS
D4 - DeANN MOLLNER
D5 - DALE VANN
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A1 - VIC THOMAS
A2 - JUNIOR WALKER
A3 - JAMES JAMERSON
A4 - JAMES GRAVES
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This performance features five GAZZARRI DANCERS. JUNE, LUCILLE, DeANN, and DALE are on the main stage left to right. MIMI is on a seperate platform by herself. They are all wearing hats and go through a routine where they mime holding and aimimg rifles (shotguns we would assume). Could this act have been a precursor, and planted the idea, for the later Bobby Fuller 4 and Glen Campbell performances where they actually did handle firearms?
Junior Walker does a great rendition of his smash hit which was on the charts only a few weeks earlier in April and May.
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EPISODE # 24
JUNIOR WALKER & THE ALL STARS - "BOOMERANG"
TAPING DATE: May 29, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 5, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D2 - DALE VANN
D3 - MIMI MACHU
D4 - DeANN MOLLNER
D5 - LUCILLE WILLS
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A1 - VIC THOMAS
A2 - JUNIOR WALKER
A3 - JAMES JAMERSON
A4 - JAMES GRAVES
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This performance features the same five GAZZARRI DANCERS who appeared on "Shotgun". On this particular clip we get to see extended views of JUNE. The song itself is musically a clone of "Shotgun".
The video features extensive use of camera special effects, namely multiple and fractured images of both JUNE and the All Stars. We believe that there may have been a camera malfunction during this taping leaving the editing department with the task of filling in empty seconds with the effects.
Another mystery from this performance, as well as "Shotgun" , is the curtain seen behind the band. These are the only tapes on which it appears. Why was it there and what was behind it? It does however add to the club atmosphere that AL BURTON was trying to create. You can almost see the cigarette smoke!
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EPISODE # 24
MELINDA MARX - "CATCH THE WIND"
TAPING DATE: May 29, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 5, 1965
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D1 - DALE VANN
D2 - DeANN MOLLNER
D3 - MIMI MACHU
D4 - LUCILLE WILLS
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MM - MELINDA MARX
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During this performance we get to see Melinda Marx (Groucho's daughter) singing her take on the Donovan tune "Catch The Wind". Melinda stands on one of the smallest platforms ever seen on the show and wisely doesn't move her feet.
Although we do have GAZZARRI DANCERS, their performance is limited to sitting on the edge of the main stage and swaying in rhythm to the song. DALE is on a seperate platform to the left and likewise sways.
Of interest here is the audience dancing couple directly in front of Melinda. They are seen in many episodes and are mostly positioned very close to the artist for maximum exposure. Both are trendy (note the guy's Bob Dylan haircut) and excellent dancers. Does anyone know their names?
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EPISODE # 24
SAM RIDDLE - "LONG TALL TEXAN"
TAPING DATE: May 29, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 5, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D2 - LUCILLE WILLS
D3 - DeANN MOLLNER
D4 - MIMI MACHU
____________________
SR - SAM RIDDLE
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S1 - TONY MINICHIELLO
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This is a fun clip with SAM lip-synching his way through what could be considered a novelty song. Why SAM you might ask ? Because he hails from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and really is a Texan ! The mid-1960s was still fertile ground for TV westerns, so this song is hardly unusual for the times. One has to wonder why the KHJ studio prop shop didn't produce a ten gallon hat for SAM to work into his routine ?
Clearly everyone is having fun with this song. The four dancers that we see on the main stage, JUNE, LUCILLE, DeANN, and MIMI do some go-go galloping while Tony from the Sinners provides the other lip-synched voice.
We can find no record of SAM'S version of this song existing anywhere but on this episode. Although SAM did release a later single, it appears that this tune never made it into vinyl.
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EPISODE # 24
SINNERS - "SLOW DOWN"
AIRING DATE: June 5, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D2 - DALE VANN
D3 - DeANN MOLLNER
D4 - MIMI MACHU
D5 - LUCILLE WILLS
OW - OSCAR WILLIAMS
SR - SAM RIDDLE
____________________
S1 - TONY MINICHIELLO
S2 - MANUEL SANCHEZ
S3 - VIC DIAZ
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JDS - JACKIE DeSHANNON
MM - MELINDA MARX
JB - JIMMY BOYD
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This is the last performance from episode # 24. Most shows were now ending with a very up tempo tune that would get everyone dancing. In this case, besides the GAZZARRI DANCERS and the kids in the audience, we get to see SAM along with guests Jackie DeShannon, Melinda Marx, and Jimmy Boyd, added to the mix. And if that was not enough, we see a rare appearance by dance coordinator OSCAR WILLIAMS.
The Sinners do a nice job with this cover of the classic tune, in fact they covered it again on episode # 34. The five GAZZARRI ladies in this performance go-go at record speed from start to finish. OSCAR, not to be outdone, dances at nearly double time. We then get to see SAM teaming up with the lovely Jackie DeShannon on the dance floor for some fancy footwork. And we also get some great looks at guests Melinda Marx and Jimmy Boyd dancing as a pair from the 1:58 - 2:09 mark. It would be very interesting to get either of their memories about this episode. During Jimmy's "Reelin' and Rockin' " performance from earlier in the episode Melinda voices her admiration of Jimmy and the two exchange smiling glances throughout the song.
The video ends with part of the episode's outro featuring Jackie joining SAM for his standard closing comment, "So long music lovers".
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EPISODE # 24
SINNERS - "HERE COMES THE NIGHT"
AIRING DATE: June 5, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D2 - MIMI MACHU
D3 - LUCILLE WILLS
D4 - DeANN MOLLNER
D5 - DALE VANN
d - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
____________________
S1- TONY MINICHIELLO
S2 - MANUEL SANCHEZ
S3 - VIC DIAZ
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The Sinners, as the HOLLYWOODA GO-GO house band, made more appearances than any other musical guest. Consequently we have videos of 41 of their performances on this website. The majority of them are covers of the hits of the day such as this one. "Here Comes The Night" was a hit for Van Morrison and Them only three months prior to this taping.
On the go-go front we get some particularly good looks at an energized JUNE who had only been on the show for two months and was clearly enjoying herself. Go-go-ing up on the main stage are MIMI, DeANN, and LUCILLE.
Of particular interest during this performance is the dancer we have marked as "d" on the stage set diagram. She was soon to be a GAZZARRI DANCER on episodes # 27 through 37, and this appears to be some sort of attempt by her to show her moves while she danced with her audience partner. We see her in audition mode again on the next episode in the audience. She remains unidentified and appears on our "mystery dancers" page.
Of note is that Jill Jackson performed this same tune on her appearance only two episodes later.
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EPISODE # 25
JACKIE & GAYLE - "THAT'S HOW IT GOES"
TAPING DATE: June 5, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 12, 1965
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D1 - MIMI MACHU
D2 - DeANN MOLLNER
D3 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D4 - DALE VANN
D5 - LUCILLE WILLS
___________________
JM - JACKIE MILLER
GC - GAYLE CALDWELL
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Jackie Miller and Gayle Caldwell were both members of the highly successful New Christy Minstrels. In early 1964 they left the group to perform as the duo Jackie & Gayle. They were frequent performers on all of the music/dance and variety shows of the era. One source had them making 173 television appearances in the few short years that they were together ! In spite of all the publicity and their lovely harmonies they never had a charting record. This tune, "That's How It Goes", seems to be their most well known.
They were the only female duo to appear on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO and were on five episodes (the premier episode, plus #12, #14, #25, #44). They were also one of the few acts invited to go to Hawaii for ALOHA A GO-GO. Someone at KHJ liked them. And what was there not to like ? They were very pretty, by all accounts wholesome, had a great stage presence, and they sang well. All of these qualities are very evident in this appearance from episode #25 where they perform seated side by side on one of the ladders usually used by the dancers.
Most of the camera time is spent on Jackie & Gayle, but we do get to see some nice footage of MIMI. The remaining dancers, JUNE, DALE, and LUCILLE, are on the main stage, with DeANN up front on the runway. Note the short tops exposing their midriffs worn by the dancers. AL BURTON incrimentally pushed the envelope with the GAZZARRI DANCER outfits as time passed. The days of the dancers wearing dresses, that we sometimes saw on the earliest episodes, was over.
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EPISODE # 26
DON GRADY - "LITTLE PEOPLE"
TAPING DATE: June 12, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 19, 1965
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D1 - DeANN MOLLNER
D2 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D3 - MIMI MACHU
D4 - LUCILLE WILLS
D5 - DALE VANN
______________________
SR - SAM RIDDLE
______________________
DG - DON GRADY
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Don Grady was a child actor who was a Disney Mouseketeer at one point and also the eldest son (Robbie) on the TV series "My Three Sons". He simultaneously tried his hand at a musical career in the mid-1960s. His 1965 appearance on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO was a portent of better things to come. "Little People" and "Summertime Game" went nowhere on the charts, but in 1967, as the drummer in the group Yellow Balloon, he finally had a hit.
Early in this performance we see DeANN receiving a cue from someone in the production crew to move her position. JUNE, MIMI, and LUCILLE do their by now patented GAZZARRI butt-wiggle move to our delight.
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EPISODE # 26
DON GRADY - "SUMMERTIME GAME"
TAPING DATE: June 12, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 19, 1965
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D1 - DeANN MOLLNER
D2 - MIMI MACHU
D3 - LUCILLE WILLS
D4 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
____________________
DG - DON GRADY
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This performance is found as the second half of Don's "Little People" video link. There are only four GAZZARRI DANCERS visible, and all at long range except for JUNE. But she is well worth waiting for because of the great up close views we get for 27 seconds (3:44 - 4:11).
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EPISODE # 26
ASTRONAUTS - "REELIN' AND ROCKIN' "
TAPING DATE: June 12, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 19, 1965
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D1 - MIMI MACHU
D2 - DALE VANN
D3 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D4 - DeANN MOLLNER
D5 - LUCILLE WILLS
_____________________
A1 - DENNIS LINDSEY
A2 - RICHIE FIFIELD
A3 - JIM GALLAGHER
A4 - JON PATTERSON
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The Astronauts left a legacy of mainly being known as an instrumental and surf group. However on their two HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO appearances (ep # 26 and ep # 43) we get to see another side that showcases a very pronounced Beatle-esque sound. They never had a big hit and just barely managed to crack the Top-100 once, however they remain one of the mid-60s best lesser known groups. By 1968 they had disbanded, with group leader and superb guitarist Richie Fifield joining the Electric Prunes.
This performance truly is reelin' and rockin' from start to finish with the Astronauts, the GAZZARRI DANCERS, and the audience dancers all in the groove. MIMI, DALE, JUNE, DeANN, and LUCILLE keep up a torrid pace throughout. Due to her proximity to the band we get some excellent looks at MIMI.
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EPISODE # 26
ASTRONAUTS - "TOMORROW'S GONNA BE ANOTHER DAY"
TAPING DATE: June 12, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 19, 1965
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D2 - LUCILLE WILLS
D3 - DALE VANN
D4 - RINDY MARTIN
D5 - DeANN MOLLNER
D6 - MIMI MACHU
D7 - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
SR - SAM RIDDLE
OW - OSCAR WILLIAMS
____________________
A1 - DENNIS LINDSEY
A2 - RICHIE FIFIELD
A3 - JIM GALLAGHER
A4 - JON PATTERSON
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Ladies and gentlemen: introducing our latest GAZZARRI DANCER, SAM RIDDLE ! Hey, wait a minute, SAM is the host. Except for this priceless moment. Often seen on the sidelines or background dancing to the beat, SAM ups his game for this performance and gets up on the main platform between DeANN and MIMI to give us his best moves. And he doesn't disappoint. We also get to see OSCAR WILLIAMS dancing in a rare appearance.
The rest of the dancers, LUCILLE, JUNE, RINDY and one of our still unidentified mystery dancers, keep up the torrid pace throughout this performance. DALE, who starts out very energized, appears to have a go-go meltdown starting at the 1:10 mark and looks lost. The following month she was no longer a GAZZARRI.
The Astronauts performed three tunes on this episode which was a rarity usually reserved for better known acts. This song, "Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Better Day", was covered by the Monkees the following year. And although they have been pigeonholed as primarily an instrumental surf group some of their best songs were when they ventured outside of this box. For instance, their third tune from this episode, "I'll Stay With You", could easily be mistaken for a Beatles song.
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EPISODE # 26
JILL JACKSON - "HERE COMES THE NIGHT"
TAPING DATE: June 12, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 19, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D2 - RINDY MARTIN
D3 - DALE VANN
D4 - LUCILLE WILLS
D5 - DeANN MOLLNER
D6 - MIMI MACHU
D7 - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
___________________
d - unknown Gazzarri ?
___________________
JJ - JILL JACKSON
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Unbeknownst to most modern day viewers is that Jill Jackson was Paula from the hit making duo, Paul and Paula. SAM makes note of this in his introduction to this performance but the video does not include it. Paul (Ray Hildebrand) and Paula (Jill Jackson) had the # 1 hit in the country in February 1963 and followed it up with another Top-Ten hit ("Young Lovers") a few months later. Fast forward two years and we find Jill performing as a solo artist. In spite of her vocal talent she never had a hit on her own.
"Here Comes The Night" was first recorded by Lulu in 1964. It charted in the U.K. but not the States. Jill's tepid cover sounds very much like Lulu's from the previous year. Meanwhile Them (with Van Morrison) recorded an up tempo version of the song and had a # 24 hit with it in America. It should come as no surprise that Jill's cover flopped considering that it was recorded only a few weeks after the Them hit was on the charts. Her version is nonetheless a pleasant ballad.
The GAZZARRI DANCERS were a bit out of their element in dancing to Jill's ballad. Their half speed moves were appropriate for this performance and they appear animated in contrast to Jill's stoic position on stage.
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EPISODE # 27
SONNY & CHER - "I GOT YOU BABE"
TAPING DATE: June 19, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 26, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D2 - LUCILLE WILLS
D3 - MIMI MACHU
D4 - DeANN MOLLNER
D5 - DALE VANN
SR - SAM RIDDLE
d - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
____________________________
S - SONNY
C - CHER
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We get some nice looks at JUNE during the intro to this classic tune. Cher looks exotic and hip with her long straight hair and striped bell bottoms. Sonny has on his best caveman attire. The GAZZARRI DANCERS stay mostly in the background as the cameras focus on the singing duo and the audience dancers.
Several things of note are going on in this video. One is that there might have been an audition for a dancer during this episode. The mystery dancer who we have dubbed "blonde # 4" appears throughout this episode alternating between dancing with a partner on the dance floor and dancing solo on a platform as if she were a GAZZARRI. After this episode she actually does perform as a GAZZARRI DANCER for approximately two months. One could logically conclude that her dancing time on this episode was a tryout and that she obviously passed her audition.
A contributor to this website's audience participation page mentioned that all the kids on the dance floor were informed prior to the taping that the musical guests and GAZZARRI DANCERS were off limits. No bouncers required; everyone behaved accordingly. That explains how we see artists such as Sonny & Cher performing amongst the audience dancers almost as if they weren't there. An exception to this situation happened on episode # 53 when there were lighting problems which extended the taping by several hours. During the down time the kids in the audience actually did mingle with the musical guests.
During this performance we also get to see and hear a very rare event for HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO. For the actual TV broadcast seen in homes across America and internationally we got to hear the musical guests lip synching along to their tunes. The music you heard was the same album recording you could buy. The artists themselves could either mime along with the record or sing along in the studio to their record. We would not get to hear them actually singing. Except in very rare instances such as this one.
And these rare instances always appear to have been production errors. There was always a studio microphone on the set which allowed the mixing of clapping at the end of a song or shouting and hollering during exuberant moments to the audio mix. This mic was either on all of the time, and certain moments from the audio tape were added to the broadcast audio mix, or it was simply turned on at times like the end of a song to tape clapping. That's what happened during this song. The studio mic was turned on at the 2:50 mark by someone in the crew who seemingly thought that the song was over. But when the song continued after the very short pause the mic stayed on and we got to hear clapping and talk on the dance floor. But we also got to hear Sonny & Cher belting out "I got you babe" a few times as the song wound down for the final 25 seconds. A rare and entertaining moment.
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EPISODE # 27
SONNY & CHER - "JUST YOU"
TAPING DATE: June 19, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 26, 1965
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D1 - GAY SCHICKLER
D2 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D3 - (CARLIE CLARK) - tentative
D4 - DALE VANN
D5 - DeANN MOLLNER
D6 - MIMI MACHU
_______________
S - SONNY
C - CHER
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Sonny & Cher had a very good breakout year in 1965. They were busy in the recording studio and released seven singles. And they were on numerous television shows and appeared on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO four times, including the 9TH STREET A GO-GO initial episode (December 1964). "Just You" was released in April 1965, three months before "I Got You Babe". It was actually their second single, with "Baby Don't Go" being released in September 1964 to modest regional success, and then rereleased in September 1965. All three of these tunes were high charters with "I Got You Babe" a #1 smash hit, "Just You" peaking at #20, and "Baby Don't Go" at # 8.
We don't know what songs they performed on episodes # 1 and # 4, but "Baby Don't Go" would be the likliest candidate. In April they performed it again on episode # 15 along with "Just You" which had just been released. For their next appearance on episode # 27, which was also their last, they rolled out "Just You" again, along with the soon to be # 1 "I Got You Babe". Once they had the # 1 record in the country the demand for the charismatic duo soared and they never made it back to the HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO stage.
There are six GAZZARRI DANCERS in this performance that we can see, but all are relegated to distant looks as the cameras stay focused on Sonny & Cher. Up on the main platform we have DALE, DeANN, and MIMI. JUNE and GAY SCHICKLER are visible dancing together on a riser to the left front of the main platform. The dancer in the white dress located in the far left corner could be short-term dancer CARLIE CLARK and we are working on trying to verify that.
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EPISODE # 27
ARETHA FRANKLIN - "MOCKINGBIRD"
AIRING DATE: June 26, 1965
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D1 - LUCILLE WILLS
D2 - DeANN MOLLNER
D3 - DALE VANN
d - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
____________________________
AF - ARETHA FRANKLIN
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This video features a stellar performance by a young 23 year old Aretha Franklin. She was still a few years away from becoming a chart topper.
GAZZARRI coverage is also minimal in this performance, with only DeANN, LUCILLE, and DALE visible. We do get a few glimpses of "blonde # 4" (mystery dancer) again on the dance floor. It was her dancing on this episode that apparantly got her a job as a GAZZARRI DANCER.
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EPISODE # 27
ARETHA FRANKLIN - "(NO, NO) I'M LOSING YOU"
TAPING DATE: June 19, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 26, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
d - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
___________________________
AF - ARETHA FRANKLIN
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Episode # 27 was Aretha's first and only appearance on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO. Although her talent was already undeniable she was not a major star yet. She had signed with Columbia Records and this was her 22nd single. There were no big hits to date. This tune charted at # 114. That would all change in 1967 when she switched over to Atlantic Records and she churned out a series of major hits.
Associate Producer DONALIE FITZGERALD was the person responsible for booking the acts on the show. She obviously had a sixth sense for recognizing up and coming talented artists like Aretha and Tina Turner. Cher, also a relative newcomer, was on this episode with Sonny. And if that wasn't enough we also see the Chambers Brothers in what was only their second television appearance.
GAZZARRI DANCERS appearing in this performance are limited to JUNE and one of our unknown "mystery dancers". There were probably several others but since the cameras were focused on Aretha we just don't see them
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EPISODE # 27
KIMBERLEYS - "FOUR LONG SEASONS"
TAPING DATE: June 19, 1965
AIRING DATE: June 26, 1965
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D1 - MIMI MACHU
D2 - DeANN MOLLNER
D3 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D4 - LUCILLE WILLS
d - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
______________________
K1 - CARL GAY
K2 - HAROLD GAY
K3 - JACK CLARK
K4 - VERNA (EDWARDS) GAY
K5 - VERA (EDWARDS) GAY
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This performance is further proof of the completely eclectic choice of performers who were booked to appear on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO. The Kimberleys were certainly off the rock and pop music radar screen in the mid 1960s. They were primarily folk singers who went on to greater popularity later in the decade as backups to Waylon Jennings. They were twin sisters, Vera and Verna Edwards, who married two brothers, Harold and Carl Gay, with their cousin Jack Clark on bass guitar. Verna is the lead vocalist on this fine composition.
The slow pace of the song takes the GAZZARRI DANCERS out of their normal high tempo element. OSCAR WILLIAMS was still the dance coordinator at this time, but it appears that MIMI, DeANN, LUCILLE, and JUNE were just left to improvise their simple half-speed movements. The kids in the audience slow danced throughout the performance, a scarce sight on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO.
Of note is the dancer designated as "d" on the stage set diagram (our "blonde #4" mystery dancer). For this episode she was a "quasi-GAZZARRI", possibly on a try out basis, and we see her in several performances. By the next episode she graduated into performing on stage with the dancers. Of further note is the audience dancer seen dancing on a ladder towards the end of the performance (right side, directly behind the Sinners from 2:03-2:09). She appears to be dancing as if she was a GAZZARRI. This is the girl whom we have profiled on our "Audience Participation" page. It was pretty much taboo for kids in the audience to interact with the performers and the dancers, let alone seemingly impersonate one. She is seen doing this on more than one episode leading us to believe that she might have known someone on the production crew or the set. We would love to hear from her or anyone who knew her to help solve this mystery.
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EPISODE # 28
JOEY PAIGE - "ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN"
TAPING DATE: unknown (conflict with AaGG trip dates)
AIRING DATE: July 3, 1965
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D1 - DeANN MOLLNER
D2 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D3 - LUCILLE WILLS
D4 - MIMI MACHU
D5 - DALE VANN
D6 - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
d7 - unknown
D8 - GAY SCHICKLER
_________________
SR - SAM RIDDLE
_______________________
JP - JOEY PAIGE
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Joey Paige holds the distinction of the most appearances by a solo artist on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO. He was on seven episodes (# 4, 11, 18, 28, 31, 38, 54). He was equally good at either rocking down the house or singing a sugary ballad. On this particular performance he rocks with the classic tune "Roll Over Beethoven".
A line up of GAZZARRI core dancers and a few short-termers combine to give us a non-stop high tempo workout. It also appears that this episode may have been used as a tryout for recruiting dancers. GAY SCHICKLER, the girl with the auburn hair in the ALOHA A GO-GO show, is on the main stage as D8 in her second episode. Dancer d7 appears sporadically between episodes # 21 -32. She is missing from some episodes (including ALOHA), and featured on others. We have not been able to identify her.
The performance starts with Joey displacing JUNE on the small platform. The stage set diagram shows dancers D1 - D4 in their initial positions. Throughout the performance they do several position changes while continuing to dance. DALE is hidden in shadows in the rear left of the studio, and would soon be leaving the show.
Joey must have been well liked by producer AL BURTON. When AL put together the plans for his pilot TV show "Way Out" he tabbed Joey to be the host, and episode # 38 musical guests, the Bees, to be the house band. The pilot was filmed but the networks never picked it up. The show's concept later morphed into the classic "Laugh In".
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EPISODE # 28
DICK DALE & THE DEL-TONES - "BONY MORONIE"
TAPING DATE: unknown (conflict with AaGG trip dates)
AIRING DATE: July 3, 1965
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D1 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D2 - GAY SCHICKLER
D3 - RINDY MARTIN
D4 - LUCILLE WILLS
D5 - MIMI MACHU
D6 - DALE VANN
D7 - DeANN MOLLNER
D8 - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
_____________________
DD - DICK DALE
DT1 - (pending identification)
DT2 - (pending identification)
DT3 - (pending identification)
DT4 - (pending identification)
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Amongst the things that you can count on in this life are that listening to a Dick Dale tune will leave you tapping your feet. "Bony Moronie" is a prime example. From the opening to the closing note the song rocks. And Dick puts on quite a show. The still reigning king of surf rock had his showmanship already established by the time of this performance in the summer of 1965.
Also well established by this point in time were the GAZZARRI DANCERS who are running on a full eight cylinders for this rocker. From the core group we have JUNE, MIMI, DeANN, LUCILLE, and DALE. Joining them are two of our still unidentified mystery dancers. We get some nice looks at a very energetic and happy JUNE. Perhaps she was thinking about being in Hawaii in a few days ?
DALE'S time on the show was fast approaching its end. The circumstances surrounding her departure are not known. It is not clear whether she left voluntarily or was let go. Although we do see her again during Brian Hyland's and Cannibal and the Headhunters' appearances on the next episode , and again on several episode # 30 performances, we believe that the episode # 29 performances were taped prior to episode # 28. It is also very likely that DALE was originally scheduled to travel to Hawaii for the ALOHA A GO-GO show with the rest of the core dancers. Her untimely leaving so close to the Hawaii trip left a prepaid seat on the United Airlines flight open. Her spot was then taken by lucky GAY SCHICKLER.
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EPISODE # 28
FREDDIE CANNON - "BUZZ-BUZZ-A-DIDDLE-IT"
TAPING DATE: unknown (conflict with AaGG trip dates)
AIRING DATE: July 3, 1965
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d1 - RINDY MARTIN
d2 - GAY SCHICKLER
D3 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D4 - LUCILLE WILLS
D5 - DeANN MOLLNER
D6 - MIMI MACHU
d7 - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
D8 - DALE VANN
____________________
FC - FREDDIE CANNON
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Few performers could match the fun factor like Freddie Cannon (Frederick Picariello). He was a natural born comedian and performer on stage and this performance fits well into his long resume of having good fun on and off camera. JUNE FAIRCHILD confided that all of the GAZZARRI DANCERS loved working with him. Freddie has the distinction of being the final performer on the last episode of HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO in February 1966. He was a regular guest on most of the mid-1960s music / dance shows. He racked up an amazing record 110 performances on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. He appeared on at least six HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO episodes. Simply put, the guy was incredible, and in demand.
This is one of those electric performances where the audience dancers and the artist keep up with the eight GAZZARRI DANCERS. The entire set is in high gear from start to finish. We get a good feel for the excitement from the floor microphone on the set which has been mixed in with the audio vinyl cut of the record. Freddie can clearly be heard and seen whooping it up with a few other audience members. It is also the only known performance where a male performer dances with a male audience member ! The entire sequence (@1:20-1:32) between an energized Freddie and the unsuspecting male half of a dancing couple is hilarious. The girl dancing partner is left standing there presumably speechless as she watches this unfold.
There are several interesting GAZZARRI related developments in this performance. We get to see GAY SCHICKLER who was only on the show for three episodes and the ALOHA A GO-GO show. We also have one of our still unidentified "mystery dancers" in this performance.
The song reached # 51 on the American charts in 1961. It is an absolute barn burner with its distinctive Bo Diddley beat. Freddie states that his style of music was inspired by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, both of whom were HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO guests. Some reports state that Bo was a backup vocalist on this recording.
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EPISODE # 28
JEWEL AKENS - "THE BIRDS AND THE BEES"
TAPING DATE: unknown (conflict with AaGG trip dates)
AIRING DATE: July 3, 1965
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D1 - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
D2 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D3 - GAY SCHICKLER
D4 - LUCILLE WILLS
D5 - DeANN MOLLNER
D6 - RINDY MARTIN
D7 - MIMI MACHU
__________________
JA - JEWEL AKENS
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Jewel had a monster hit with this tune which climbed to # 3 on the Billboard charts. He also performed it on episode # 14 which aired in late March 1965 when the song was at its peak.
From the GAZZARRI DANCER standpoint this video is important because it provides us with our best look at GAY SCHICKLER. It was only her second episode. On episode # 27 we get brief and distant looks at her. For this performance she was thrown up on the main platform with LUCILLE and DeANN with minimal rehearsal time. You can sense that she is watching LUCILLE to pick up some of the moves. On the "Boney Moronie" performance from this episode GAY dances by herself on a riser and does an amazing job.
Our still unidentified mystery dancer #4 also appear in the video. We can briefly RINDY MARTIN dancing in the audience @ 1:09-1:12. She also appeared in the 1966 filmed movie "Nightmare In Wax" in which she plays (wait for it) ... a go-go dancer. The scene she appears in was filmed at Bill Gazzarri's nightclub, and she was one of a troupe of dancers comprised of nightclub Gazzarri Dancers and actress Victoria Carroll. She is the only GAZZARRI we can document as having danced in the club as well as on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO.
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EPISODE # 29
BRIAN HYLAND - "SEALED WITH A KISS"
TAPING DATE: unknown (conflict with AaGG trip dates)
AIRING DATE: July 10, 1965
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D1 - DALE VANN
D2 - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
D3 - MIMI MACHU
D4 - LUCILLE WILLS
D5 - DeANN MOLLNER
D6 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
_____________________
BH - Brian Hyland
_____________________
X - audience dancing couple
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Brian had a huge hit with this song in the summer of 1962. For the slow tempo dance routine we see LUCILLE, DeANN, and JUNE lined up on the main stage.
The most interesting aspect of this performance is the audience dancing couple (marked X on floor plan) who get some serious attention from the cameramen during the middle of the song. They dance on an elevated platform - a place normally reserved for musical guests and GAZZARRI DANCERS. The girl's attire is completely out of character to what we have seen on the show up to this point. Her matching print pants and top leave a very exposed mid-riff and navel. This is the first case that we can document on the show of some serious skin exposure amongst either GAZZARRI DANCERS or audience dancers. The fact that they were given a platform and camera time indicates that they were meant to be seen by TV viewers. This must have been a calculated move by AL BURTON to pave the way for similar bare mid-riff exposure soon to be seen on the GAZZARRI ladies.
The taping date of this episode is in question. The normal Saturday taping date a week prior to the airing date is in conflict with the ALOHA A GO-GO trip. We suspect that this episode may be a collection of single performances by guests cobbled together in the KHJ editing room to make a show.
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EPISODE # 29
CANNIBAL AND THE HEADHUNTERS - "LAND OF 1000 DANCES"
TAPING DATE: unknown (conflict with AaGG trip dates)
AIRING DATE: July 10, 1965
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D1 - MIMI MACHU
D2 - JUNE FAIRCHILD
D3 - "blonde #4" (mystery dancer)
D4 - DeANN MOLLNER
D5 - DALE VANN
D6 - LUCILLE WILLS
______________________
C - FRANKIE GARCIA (CANNIBAL)
H1 - JOE JARAMILLO
H2 - RICHARD LOPEZ
H3 - ROBERT JARAMILLO
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This tune rates as one of tne most infectious hits from 1965 even though it only reached the # 30 position on the Billboard charts. Frankie Garcia (Cannibal) and his Headhunters came primed and ready for the taping of this number in the KHJ studio. The GAZZARRI DANCERS and the studio audience rock out. Outside of some Motown acts few performers could dance as well on stage as this group. When they returned on episode # 48 they even performed a choreographed number with the GAZZARRI DANCERS ("Follow The Music").
There are three Headhunters, in addition to Cannibal, in this episode. The group lost one member ( Richard Lopez) between now and their next appearance on the show four months later. Frankie Garcia and the Jaramillo brothers carried on as a threesome until the group disbanded the following year.
The GAZZARRI DANCERS never disappoint on rocking up tempo tunes like this one. In the rear left hand corner of the studio one of our "mystery dancers" (unknown blonde # 4) keeps up a frantic pace throughout. She was on the show for three months and we have yet to find any info as to whom she might be. Although we do lots of research on these unknown dancers, sometimes we rely on leads and tips from website readers to help us out. If you know who she is, or recognize seeing her on some other show, please write in and let us know.
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EPISODE # 29
CHAD & JEREMY - "A SUMMER SONG"
TAPING DATE: unknown (conflict with AaGG trip dates)
AIRING DATE: July 10, 1965
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D1 - DALE VANN
D2 - LUCILLE WILLS
D3 - DeANN MOLLNER
D4 - MIMI MACHU
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CS - CHAD STUART
JC - JEREMY CLYDE
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Still instantly recognizable as one of the iconic tunes from the first wave of the British Invasion, "A Summer Song" was released in July 1964, exactly one year prior to Chad & Jeremy's appearance on HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO. The show had a poor track record of signing much in demand British acts as compared to the competing network produced shows. After DONALIE FITZGERALD scored big with signing the Rolling Stones to episode # 22 Chad & Jeremy would be the next act from across the pond seven episodes later. The major network shows had much larger budgets to work with and record labels would be looking for large audience TV appearances for their artists. Syndicated shows like HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO did not fit into that category. In its entire run the only British acts to appear other than the Rolling Stones and Chad & Jeremy were Donovan, Ian Whitcomb, Peter & Gordon, the Fortunes, Adam Faith, and possibly the Moody Blues and Wayne Fontana.
Unlike many of the surviving video tapes from the show this one has perhaps the best video quality. This is pretty much what it must have looked like on the old living room black & white back in 1965. Chad & Jeremy put on an excellent performance and the cameras spend much of the time on them. We do however have four dancers complimenting the scene, namely DALE, directly behind C&J, along with LUCILLE, DeANN, and MIMI.
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