Many Baby boomers who grew up in the 50s & 60s were well aware of the hit US network TV show American Bandstand hosted by Dick Clark!
Prior to the British Invasion, teenage dance music from American acts were the focus of this popular program.
Bandstand host Dick Clark helped to make this music become very popular with the younger generation of the time. Older members of the population hated rock ‘n’ roll and Dick Clark contributed enormously to making it more acceptable and less threatening to the older generation. Clark was also responsible for breaking down some of the barriers that black artists had in being able to expose their music to the masses on his show. Born in 1929 and passing away in 2012, Dick Clark’s position in popular music history is certainly assured.
Dick Clark always insisted on being in complete control especially in his business interests. He is credited with opening up opportunities for black performers on his show yet ironically, in the early years, he was also accused of restricting black teens appearances on his shows (see the last Amazon book description in this blog piece).
Here is some Wikipedia bio information about Clark:
As far as the British Invasion and Clark are concerned, I personally believe that Clark felt initially threatened by the British acts invading the US. Witness that the Beatles and the Stones never made guest appearances on his show. I believe that Clark preferred formula popular music being the standard on which music should be judged. Keep in mind that Clark always appeared to be perpetually very young on camera but he was actually born in the 1920s.
If he was more conservative than he appeared, he hid it well on his programs! Despite those perceptions, he was keenly aware of what was immensely popular and did not want to be on the sidelines during the Beatles invasion of America! Nor could he afford to ignore the many tremendous acts that came to popularity in the mid-to-late 60s!
Dick Clark was a great businessman and he owned virtually all of the businesses he was personally involved with. He had a great talent for generating publicity and image creation.
A FEW DICK CLARK ITEMS FROM THE COLLECTION
Here is an item I acquired from a 1961 show where Dick Clark appeared along with many supporting musical acts. This was a program from the live 1961 show:
The lineup for the 1961 show:
A sample page from my copy of the program:
A signed photo of the Bandstand legend. I was so happy to recently receive this signature to add to my collection of signed items from many of the figures who were ancillary contributors and/or participants to the story of the Beatles influence on popular music!
Dick Clark and the Payola Scandal:
Dick Clark survives the Payola scandal | May 2, 1960 | HISTORY
Dick Clark discusses the Payola Scandal – EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG – YouTube
A promotional package of Dick Clark’s 1979-produced Beatles movie entitled Birth of the Beatles, which I acquired on ebay. The movie however was critically panned!
Part of the promotional material from Birth of the Beatles:
My good friend, and author of the books Beatles Undercover, Beatles Deeper Undercover & Beatles Fully Uncovered, Kris Engelhardt, knew that I collect the signatures of many of the individuals that played a role in the story of the Beatles and popular music. Kris asked me if I was interested in acquiring a hand-signed letter he had received from Dick Clark back in 2004 when Kris was exploring Clark’s potential interest to have a book written about him. Kris was so gracious to allow me to print the personal reply from Dick Clark on this post. I sincerely thank him for his kindness and consideration!
The signed letter from Dick Clark follows the photos of Kris’s excellent trilogy of Beatles books:
Dick Clark’s letter to Kris Engelhardt which I acquired from KE recently:
Someone has posted the link to The Birth of the Beatles on YouTube, a 70s film that Clark cooperated with Pete Best to help create which dealt with the early years of the band. In later years Clark admitted that he had to reach a settlement with the Beatles – apparently the result of a lawsuit concerning the film – though details have not been revealed.
Dick Clark’s production company was involved in many popular culture projects over the years, including films about Elvis and a film about the early years of the Beatles.
The Birth Of The Beatles (1979 Biopic, Remastered) – YouTube
SAMPLES OF AMERICAN BANDSTAND AND THE BEATLES
A few samples that appear on YouTube with Clark interacting with his audience members discussing the Beatles!
You will find many of the audience members’ perceptions to be very amusing. Some of the audience observations seem to have both merit and foresight. Others seem to be impulsive and emotional and incredibly naive, however it does help to serve as a mirror of the times!
Dick Clark Introduces The Beatles Strawberry Fields Forever
Teenagers reacting to The Beatles on American Bandstand (March 1967) – YouTube
American Bandstand – Beatles Survey – YouTube
American Bandstand – Record Review Beatle Edition – YouTube
The American Beetles???
Dick Clark Interviews The Beatles – American Bandstand 1967 – YouTube
American Bandstand – Are the Beatles Square? – YouTube
A DISNEYLAND/BEATLES- DICK CLARK FANTASY
Dick Clark speculating what a Disneyland themed Beatles park would be like:
Disneyland Celebrates the Beatles – Dick Clark Narrates – YouTube
CLARK TALKS TO PETER AND GORDON ABOUT THE BEATLES
Dick Clark interviews Peter and Gordon about their involvement with the Beatles
Dick Clark on Peter and Gordon about Beatles songs – YouTube
BRUCE SPIZER DISCUSSES DICK CLARK’S IMPORTANCE
A Bruce Spizer piece about Dick Clark after he passed away:
THE DICK CLARK BEATLES CONNECTION – beatle.net
FINAL WORDS BELONG TO BEATLEFAN EDITOR – BILL KING
A piece from Beatlefan editor Bill King about Dick Clark after he passed away, including the revelation that Dick Clark settled with the Beatles as a result of his production of the Birth of The Beatles in which he apparently was sued by the band.
The day Dick Clark called to talk about The Beatles: billking — LiveJournal
My last personal memory of Dick Clark is when he hosted the New Year’s Eve celebration to the New Year a few years before his passing where a tradition began of using John Lennon’s song Imagine to introduce the New Year!!!
A FEW BOOKS ABOUT DICK CLARK
Dick Clark’s American Bandstand (Souvenir Collectors’ Edition) Hardcover – January 1, 1997 Harper Collins
authors Dick Clark & Fred Bronson
Rock, Roll & Remember Hardcover – January 1, 1976
by Richard Clark, Dick Robinson (Author)
Publisher : Crowell
Publication date : January 1, 1976
The co-author of this book Dick Robinson, was a prominent disc jockey at my local radio station in Hartford, Connecticut called WDRC. WDRC and another local station with the call letters of WPOP used to have a heated rivalry to see who could acquire the new Beatles recordings firs. They termed this as being exclusives when they obtained them! BIG D…EXCLUSIVELY!!! I can still hear that chant ringing in my ears when a brand new Beatles record was being premiered all those years ago!
American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock ‘n’ Roll Empire Hardcover – October 9, 1997
by John Jackson (Author) Oxford University Press
Bandstandland: How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll Paperback – April 19, 2019 by Larry Lehmer (Author) Publisher: Sunbury Press, Inc.
The book description of the above book on Amazon seems to reveal a much more calculating DIck Clark than people viewed on their TV sets or the accepted national image that people think of when they recollect memories of him:
Amazon description of Bandstandland:
How Dancing Teenagers Took Over America and Dick Clark Took Over Rock & Roll:
“American Bandstand, one of the longest-running shows in television history, spotlighted well-scrubbed, properly dressed dancing teenagers on every show. They mirrored the show’s perpetually youthful host, Dick Clark, who spun the music Clark often described as the “soundtrack to our lives.”
These are the memories Clark carefully nurtured as he crafted the alternate teen universe of Bandstandland during the formative years of American Bandstand, from 1952 to 1964. Bandstandland was a mythical creation by Clark, who saw the show as a springboard to immense wealth rather than a tribute to teen culture.
Clark was a relentless businessman who once had ownership stakes in 33 corporations, most created by him. He created rules to keep black teens off the show, promoted the teens that danced on the show when it served his purposes and banned them when it didn’t and effectively turned American Bandstand into his own personal infomercial.
Bandstandland sheds light on the little-known backstory of the TV program that was America’s top-rated daytime television show in its heyday and enjoyed a 37-year run from 1952 to 1989.”
AND IN THE END…
Question: Was myth-making in popular culture more prominent in the pop-culture of yesteryear or is it more prominent today? What are your reasons for believing the way you do?
Looking forward to your comments and opinions!
Like most public figures and/or celebrities, one’s public image may not always coincide with their real life personalities or personal beliefs. One thing that can not be disputed though is that Dick Clark will always be remembered for his significant contributions to popular culture and music!
BUZZ
OUR BOOK OF THE WEEK AT THE BEATLES BOOKSTORE
The Cutting Edge (Paperback)
The Beatles’ hair changed the world. As their increasingly wild, untamed manes grew, to the horror of parents everywhere, they set off a cultural revolution as the most tangible symbol of the Sixties’ psychedelic dream of peace, love and playful rebellion. In the midst of this epochal change was Leslie Cavendish, hairdresser to the Beatles and some of the greatest stars of the music and entertainment industry.
