Last night, at a museum opening, I saw this famous concert for the first time.

It was broadcast on WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts less than 24 hours after the assination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As violence was breaking out across America, Boston mayor Kevin White was considering canceling all public events, including the James Brown concert. Civil Rights leaders advised White that canceling the concert might trigger a riot. The mayor ordered the concert broadcast on TV and many credit James' performance with preventing riots in Boston.

I had read about this show numerous times, but had never seen it before last night. It is a great funk document. Although the quality of the footage is not the best, it is pretty incredible.

Among the songs played: “Get It Together,” “There Was A Time,” “I Got A Felling,” “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World,” “Lost Someone,” “Bewildered,” “When a Man Loves a Women,” “That’s Life,” “Kansas City,” “Soul Man,” “I Got The Feeling,” “Try Me,” “Cold Sweat,” “Maybe The Last Time,” “Please Please Please,” “I Can’t Stand It”

At one point in the show, James calls out Bobby Byrd, who sings a version of "Soulman."

There was only one credit on the footage: www.thevideobeat.com

When I got home, I checked out thevideobeat.com and they do sell a dvd of the show there, in addition to a ton of other great movies and documentaries concerning 50's & 60's music. Many of the DVD's are compilations of old 60's TV musical performances from the US and the UK. This site also sells a ton of hard to find 50's and 60's b-movies.

The site's catalog is broken up into the following genres:

Rock n Roll Movies (94 tiles)

Juvinille Delinquent, Bad Girl & Hot Rod Movies (154 titles)

Teen, Beach & Hippie Movies (77 titles)

Rock n Roll on TV (72 titles)

Documentaries & Performances (140 titles)

Miscellaneous Mod & Cool (68 titles)

Some titles:

MOTOWN & SOUL IN THE 1960s
From U.S. TV. Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Sam And Dave, the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, the Four Tops, the Temptations, the Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Jay and the Techniques, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Righteous Brothers and many others. Two-hours!

OTIS REDDING LIVE 1966
From U.K. TV Show Ready Steady Go! Sep-16-66. Otis tears the place up! Special guests: Eric Burdon and Chris Farlow. Performances include: "Satisfaction," "My Girl," "Respect," "Hold On I'm Coming," "This Is A Man's World," "Pain In my Heart," "I Can't Turn You Loose," "Shake," "Land Of 1000 Dances." Bonus Selections: "Soul performances on TV," excerpts from "Night Train," 60s newsreels.

SAM COOKE COMPILATION 1950s & 1960s
U.S. Compiled from various TV shows including: Arthur Murray Dance Party (color footage), American Bandstand, Beechnut Show, Johnny Carson, Shindig!, The Mike Douglas Show, and many others. Sam and Jackie Wilson together performing, "Everybody Likes To Cha, Cha, Cha." Very cool interviews and absolutely fabulous performance footage of all Sam's hits.

THE SOUNDS OF MOTOWN 1965
Complied from READY STEADY GO! U.K. TV show. Live performances recorded in London on March 18, 1965. Over 20 (!) great Motown hits featuring Dusty Springfield, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, and Marvin Gaye.

This is just a few of the many cool items available. At $30 per DVD, it's not cheap, but I have never seen much of what they offer. They have a good return policy if you don't like the quality of the footage.

This website could get very expensive for me.
[Edited 3/18/06 8:26am]

I used to have at least part of that performance bookmarked from the WGBH site.


Anyway, videobeat used to even carry the original uncut version of...



...The T.A.M.I. Show and that classic James Brown performance.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

They still carry it: http://www.thevideobeat.c...cts_id=637

I have a copy of that show already, although I am not sure it includes the Beach Boys footage.

A great JB performance.

had it for years..

Stax said:

They must have had a dry spell when they transitioned their stock from VHS to DVD
Well my copy will have The Beach Boys footage.

Thanks for the tip.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431