Shindig!

I was 15 when Shindig came on, and I too thought it was better than Hullabaloo or any of the many Bandstand type shows of that era. Most of the performances were live, not lipped synched, the dancers were cute but did not detract from the performances, and except for their occasional missteps with a guest host format (Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hedy Lamaar,Mickey Rooney, etc) it was real rock and roll by done with energy and verve. The highlights of the shows for me were the many semi regular performers--Righteous Brothers, Donna Loren, Shindogs-- and their live covers of then current or even at that early date some classics. It was a sad day for me when ABC replaced it with Batman.

I was 11 and 12 years old when Shindig was on the air. I had many euphoric moments watching Shindig. For example, I remember sitting in front of the television with my family as I waited with breathless anticipation to see for the first time what the Supremes looked like. The Supremes had had already three #1 hits in a row and I was dying to see what they looked like. I was not disappointed. I also dug Hullabaloo, a slightly different version of Shindig but in color. I liked both Hullabaloo and Shindig. It was these two shows that allowed me to see what my favorite artists looked like. There was no Internet, no computer, not MTV, no DVD, no VHS, just these two shows and a couple of other minor knockoffs that gave me such pleasure in the dull world of the San Fernando Valley.

This show was what shows like "The Music Scene", "Solid Gold" and "American Idol" wish they could be. I was born the year the show went off the air and even I can appreciate this show for what it was. Imagine a show where every week you would get the top rock and roll acts from America and England and, for the most part, they would perform absolutely live. That was what this show was like. In fact, from what I've seen of most of the clips that I have been shown throughout the years on VH-1 and even now on You Tube, there was hardly any lip synching and that way you could separate the great bands from the not so great ones. Also, let's not forget the dancers. That was what really made the show as well as having the likes of a pre-"Here Come the Brides" Bobby Sherman as well as Donna Loren, a girl with a great voice who should have become a big star. It is too bad that it has never come out on DVD. If it did it would become one of the biggest selling DVD's ever.

I don't know what to rate this show--it was on when I was age 9-12, but I watched it regularly. This was Beatlemania time, of course, and I and all my friends were constantly glued to the radio, often a little Japanese transistor job. I remember that they had pretty good acts on Shindig, good Top 40 stuff (it was *all* Top 40 in those days), bands and singers that were hot. And, for no reason that I can remember, I always thought Shindig was better than Hullabaloo, its main competition (aside from the Sullivan show, of course). I have a vague memory that Hullabaloo wasn't quite as "hip" as Shindig, or at the least didn't have as good a line-up week for week.

Shindig! was one of the greatest music variety shows in the world. I truly miss the show. It's a classic. I was 23 when the show first aired on national TV. I remember the catchy tunes played by bands such as The Beatles, and musician Eddie Rubin and singer Johnny Rivers playing the song "Memphis" and "Maybelline" on that show. They were one of the best bands of that time.