The T.A.M.I. Show (1964) User Reviews

It's The Grooviest, Man!

[strong-122-478885 · 7/10 · 1 July 2015]

1964's The T.A.M.I. Show (T.A.M.I. is short for Teenage Awards Music International) was the very first live-concert movie of the rock era. And, believe me, this long-unavailable, landmark film is a real groovy treat for any ardent fan of early pop music.

Featuring a bevy of over-zealous go-go dancers and hysterically screaming fans, The T.A.M.I. Show proficiently showcased the budding talent of early-1960's pop music sensations from both sides of the Atlantic.

Filmed in b&w, at Santa Monica's Civic Auditorium (a 3000-seat venue), The T.A.M.I. Show's biggest highlights were The Beach Boys (performing "Surfer Girl"), The Supremes (performing "Baby Love"), and The Rolling Stones (performing "Time Is On My Side").

Directed by Steve Binder - This 2-hour music extravaganza also featured the singing talents of James Brown, Marvin Gaye and Lesley Gore, to name but a few of the 14+ performers.

Some Good Music

[boblipton · 7/10 · 5 September 2020]

That's Teen-Age Music International, to answer the obvious question, It's a concert movie, with Jan & Dean leading off, followed by such pre-Invasion talent as Chuck Berry, James Brown, Smokey Robinson and the Supremes. The "International" part is provided by an early appearance by the Rolling Stones; their set begins with a rockabilly song, then a straight R&B before they begin pieces that song more like them. Everyone strives to dance like James Brown.

And there are the screaming girls, a commodity of pop culture ever since Frank Sinatra played at the Paramount. When the camera pans over the audience, it looks like it's about four girls for every boy. There's some good music in there, but the screening makes it hard to enjoy. Maybe there was a scream-free recording.

There's some good camerawork by cinematographer James Kilgore. He never had many movie credits as the lighting cameraman, but he does a fine job here.

Great! Make it available

[slwhitson · 8/10 · 22 June 2009]

I was one of the lucky ones who got to see this movie at an indoor theater in Ft. Worth when it was first released. The only regret is that I just saw it once. When we came out of the theater, we felt as if we had been to a real live concert--a very rare thing for kids my age (11) at that time. The James Brown performance was the greatest, and I absolutely fell in love with the sounds of The Beach Boys, as well as Jan and Dean. I had often wondered what happened to the movie, as I was interested in seeing it again. I just ran across the title when following up on the career of the actor Marvin Gaye in an old movie, who turned out to be the one and only singer. The T.A.M.I. Show was listed among his credits. I, too, wish Dick Clark Productions would release it for all of us to enjoy, instead of having to try buying a black market copy.

A Rewrite of My Previous Review

[wiluxe-2 · 10/10 · 7 June 2002]

I started collecting 16 mm films in the 1970's--jazz films mostly. Every now and then, though, something outside my area of interest would catch my eye in the film catalogues available on the underground market to collectors.The deliriously entertaining and rockin'100 minute TAMI Show was up for grabs in this format from one collector I knew (who was making prints from a negative he'd struck from a master print in his collection) for a mere $200.

In 1978 not a whole lot of people were hip to this amazing little documentary or to many of the artists performing in it; I remember its being briefly released theatrically in the mid-1960's when I was in high school as a Rolling Stone concert film. It was much more than that.

Filmed in 1964 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in "Electronovision" (i.e., videotape later transferred to film), the TAMI Show is a record of one truly great concert hosted by the marginally talented Jan and Dean, featuring a mixture of groups and individuals and musical styles that pretty much summed up popular music of the era: American rock and roll(Chuck Berry); Motown (The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and Marvin Gaye--who was himself backed by Darlene Love and the Crystals, though the latter are credited as `The Blossoms', their SHINDIG name from television); California surf music (the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean; sadly enough, the true pioneers of surf music, such as the legendary Dick Dale, are not represented here); American garage band (the Barbarians); the uncategorizable (but described in the TAMI theme song, sung by Jan and Dean, as representing New York City) Leslie Gore; the British Invasion (Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Rolling Stones); and the incandescent James Brown and His Famous Flames.

The whole spellbinding production was masterminded by Jack Nitzsche and directed by Steve Binder (who later gave us `The Singer Special', the unforgettable 1968 Elvis Comeback Special).

Before screening The TAMI Show, though, I would clue the audience in on its background: T.A.M.I. stands for "Teenage Music International", a foundation devoted to providing music scholarships to teens. The film itself was to be shown at the TAMI Foundation's first annual awards ceremony, where the scholarship winners would receive a TAMI, an award like an Emmy or an Oscar. Evidently the foundation never made it that far. As I've said, the film was released to theaters, then quickly withdrawn and never seen again.

The Beach Boys segment was included in the theatrical release print, but no subsequent print I've ever seen includes it. In fact, except for the opening sequence--a montage of film clips of the audience members and the show's performers arriving at the auditorium (including a WONDERFUL shot of Diana Ross applying her lipstick)--and some brief shots of them and the rest of the performers massed together onstage as the Stones perform `Dipsy Doodle' (!) at the show's conclusion, you never see the Beach Boys at all.

It's true that actress Teri Garr is among the TAMI Show's SHINDIG-like dancers (wearing a sweatshirt with what looks like a target on the front); also true is that Glen Campbell and Leon Russell appear in the house band, in tuxes no less. NOT true is that Ann-Margret dances behind Chuck Berry during his performance of "Sweet Little Sixteen" and caught the eye of some Hollywood hosebag who sought her out and made a movie star out of her. The young lady in question does look like A-M, but it's not her; besides, she was already deeply involved in show biz by this time.

Everybody is just great: Chuck Berry opens and trades off with Gerry and the Pacemakers, a peripheral British Invasion band that NOBODY I knew listened to (though Gerry Marsden was a pretty decent guitarist); Smokey Robinson and the Miracles follow with some choice material, ending with Smokey singing "Mickey's Monkey" and everybody dancing. Marvin Gaye does his thing next backed by the aforementioned Crystals.

Petite Leslie Gore, whose hair has been lacquered with hairspray for the occasion--it was a different world then, y'all--sings her hits, including "You Don't Own Me", which never failed to get a cheer from the audiences to whom I showed the film. Missing was the execrable "Sunshine and Lollipops", an inexplicable hit written by the no-longer-worth-maligning Marvin Hamlisch.

Jan and Dean follow with a few of their hits; Dean Torrance's falsetto sounds absurd onstage. The Beach Boys sequence followed with 4 songs, only three of which have been released as part of various rock retrospectives: `Dance, Dance, Dance', `Surfin' USA', and `Surfer Girl'. The fourth song is, I'm told, `I Get Around'.

Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas (Kramer's friend John Lennon-who wrote `Do You Want To Know A Secret?' for him-suggested that Kramer add the `J' to his name) follow with their Lennon-McCartney-penned hits "I'll Keep You Satisfied", `From A Window', and the beloved "Bad To Me". I could never watch Billy J without someone commenting on how much he resembles Andy Kaufman.

Next in this lineup is/are the original Supremes. Now when this film was originally distributed, the sound for the Supremes sequence was out of synch with the visuals; even the trailer for the film contained this annoying flaw. The guy who sold me my print CORRECTED this flaw; the result is a totally satisfying Supremes experience. Look for Teri Garr as a dancer in this segment.

Rhode Island's The Barbarians follow. Remember `Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl'? Sure you do. Remember "Moulty", the band's drummer (aka Victor Moulton) who had lost a hand in an accident and holds a drumstick in a CLAW? They had a hit song by the same name:

Verse 1:

(spoken): I remember the days when things were real bad for me It was right after my accident, when I lost my hand It seemed like I was all alone, with nobody to help me.

You know, I almost gave up all my hopes and dreams But then - then - then something inside me kept tellin' me Way down inside of me - over and over again To keep goin' on - yeah, on!

Chorus 1:

Moulty! Don't turn away (you're gonna make it, baby) Don't turn away (ah, try to make it, baby) Don't turn away

What you probably don't know is that Moulty Moulton was backed on the song by Bob Dylan's band, listed as `Levon and the Hawks'. The Barbarians sing one song on the TAMI Show and it's a good one, characterized by more of an '80's punk sound than was typical of the 60's.

THEN--James Brown enters from stage left, skating one-legged the whole way, electrifying EVERYONE. It is IMPOSSIBLE to watch the James Brown sequence and not be transformed by it: he pulls out ALL the stops, dropping to his knees (hard too), dancing faster than God Almighty ordinarily allows, shouting, whispering, screeching, imploring, and shutting down everything that came before. To witness his performance is to have an epiphany. At the end, even the hardened studio musicians backing everybody up stand to applaud him, and he's called back from the wings at least twice to a sustained ovation.

The Stones are next; and to this day Keith Richards says that following James Brown at the TAMI Show was the biggest mistake of their lives. But they put on a pretty damn fine show nonetheless; in fact, it still stands as my own favorite Stones performance.

POSTSCRIPT: this film has been available commercially only in truncated form, paired up with THE BIG TNT SHOW on a single tape, with Chuck Berry doing the intros to SOME of the performances from both films. That tape is itself out of print; you might be able to find it for rent somewhere. Sadly, you can't watch Chuck emceeing without cringing or feeling ashamed for him.

Dick Clark currently owns the rights to this wonderful film, so good luck ever seeing it again in our lifetime, since he'll probably outlive us all. The TAMI Show deserves to see the light of day again as it was originally introduced to us--uncut, without colorizing, in theaters, and with the Beach Boys segment intact. Then let us buy our own copies.

An incredible experience, THEN and NOW!

[mconklin-4 · 10/10 · 19 March 2006]

I saw this in the theater in '64 or '65 when it was released and it pretty much changed my life. I already loved Jan & Dean, the Beach Boys, Lesley Gore (everyone PLEASE note the correct spelling of her first name: it's NOT "Leslie"!), Gerry & the Pacemakers, etc., but was completely unprepared for James Brown and the Famous Flames.

I kinda didn't know what to make of JB's dramatic finale with the cape, etc., at the time. It actually scared me a bit! (As it apparently did Mick Jagger and Keith Richards!) I thought he was having a seizure or something! It's since become sort of a cliché, down to Paul Shaffer's bit on "Late Night," but at that time no white kids I knew had ever seen anything remotely like THAT! Just blew me away completely!

It's also worth noting that the fantastic backing band for the show was led by noted producer/arranger/performer Jack Nitzsche, who worked with everybody from Bob B. Soxx and the Bluejeans to Captain Beefheart, with a few Lesley Gores, Tim Buckleys, Neil Youngs, Rolling Stones, etc., thrown in for good measure! A true unsung legend in his own right!

The Beach Boys' segment has been cut from most versions since then, if you could find the show at ALL. There was a "That Was Rock: the TAMI and TNT Music Shows" tape that was available years ago, but most of the TAMI Show was missing and the TNT Show I didn't care for much.

I recently found a pretty good copy (DVD-R)of the WHOLE THING ("TAMI Show 1964") on eBay, INCLUDING the Beach Boys' segment, and it brought back some incredible memories.

I hope that someday someone will release a "legitimate," uncut, first-generation quality version of this show, although with licensing deals, etc., I'm not too optimistic. In the meantime I've got the next best thing: a decent-quality uncut DVD-R, with much of it in widescreen format!

I was there when it was taped.

[Gabb107 · 21 January 2003]

I was just 16. I went to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium that night with a friend to collect autographs from some of the bands. I got only one, Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys. (I lost it soon after getting it.) When we found out that we could get into see the concert free we quickly called our mothers and asked permission to stay to see the show. Lucky us, our mothers said yes. We had to wait in line until all of the people with tickets went in first then they let us in. Being young and couragous we didn't stay in the seats that they first ushered us into. By the time the second act came on we were in the very front of the stage on the right (as you face the stage). We were up close and personal with all of the acts. I was even caught on tape twice. Once over the shoulder of Jan and Dean and again at the end screaming my lungs out for the Stones. Although I have been to other concerts since, this one sticks in my mind for all of the groups that I saw that night. I love to tell the people I work with that I once went to a concert where I got to see Chuck Berry, Marvin Gay, The Supremes, who sang their current hit record "Baby Love", Leslie Gore, who sang every girls anthem "You Don't Own Me" as well as "It's My Party", Jan and Dean, The Beach Boys, who sang "Surfer Girl" just to me a surfer girl, Billy J Krame r, Gerry and the Pacemakers and James Brown, who did bring down the house with everyone on their feet screaming for an encore. Oh, yeah, I forgot. And the Rolling Stones. I am the envy of anyone who knows any of the music that was represented there. To be able to see musical history in the making.

I later saw the show, once in the theater and later in the early 70's when it was shown on TV. I never expected that my face would be seen screaming for the Stones yet there I was. A night I never want to forget. A night that changed my life, or at least my voice, forever.

The T.A.M.I. Show...a statement about music in 1965

[railshot · 10/10 · 27 July 2005]

I'm going to my 40th high school reunion this year. Wouldn't it be great to have this showing on a big screen during the evening. I remember seeing it at a drive-in theater in Pensacola, Florida. Before too long we were all out of cars dancing on rooftops, hoods and on the ground. Keith Richards was so cool. Go-go dancers were dancing all around him and he was chewing gum acting as if he was oblivious to the whole thing. I had never seen James Brown before. His "Please, please, please" was unforgettable. The capes and the whole act with the band and all were more than I could asked for. And of course we were all in love with Leslie Gore. I wonder if she is the reason so many of my friends girls are named Leslie? The whole production was a statement of what music was all about in 1965. Will we ever see it again? Dick Clark, "Let us have it"

A Piece of Music History!

[snoops · 10/10 · 24 December 2005]

I was born 7 years after the T.A.M.I. Show, and became a teenager 20 years later, but I'm a HUGE fan of music, and I always know something that is good, or in this case GREAT, when I see it. I love '60s music, and just about all of the performers here are favorites of mine. This concert is absolutely AMAZING, to say the very least. Just imagine, some of the biggest musical legends of all time- Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, James Brown, the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, and the Beach Boys- in the same setting, performing on the same stage... The thought of it alone is mind-boggling... Had I been a teenager of the day, I would have been there screaming my head off! I wouldn't have missed this show. Everyone's performance is terrific. Jan and Dean hosted the show, and did a great job. They introduced each act, sang themselves, after Lesley Gore, and clowned around in between. They also sang the show's theme song. Chuck Berry starts it off, going on down to the Rolling Stones. I loved watching all of the singers and groups. Everyone sang their most famous hits. Lesley Gore sang "It's My Party," the Beach Boys performed "I Get Around," the Supremes did "Baby Love," and Chuck Berry told us about "Maybelline." In most copies of this show which exist, the Beach Boys are cut out, due to a legal dispute. It's unfortunate, because they sing 4 songs, and look and sound fantastic.

However, it was James Brown, and his marvelous Flames, who completely stole the show. His "Please, Please, Please" alone is an unforgettable experience to watch. You want to watch it over and over again. The man is simply DYNAMIC! They came on before the Rolling Stones, who held their own very well with "Time Is On My Side" and "It's All Over Now" among others.

At the end, all of the performers meet up on stage at the same time, to dance to the Stones' final song, and to dance and move with the background dancers. Btw, look for Terri Garr during the Supremes' set, wearing a shirt with a bullseye in the middle. Her dancing is quite sexy. Just seeing everyone looking so young, and being so vibrant and energetic is great. Like I said, it's definitely a piece of music history, that is a real pleasure to watch. You'll NEVER get tired of it!

High Energy

[daoldiges · 7/10 · 19 May 2018]

I had no idea what to expect when I walked into the theater to see this film. It's received some enthusiastically positive reviews and I am excited for those viewers who had such a strong and passionate reaction to this film, I really am. Unfortunately, I do not share that same level of enthusiasm. I did appreciate the film though and found it interesting. Lesley Gore was a revelation to me, I had a certain impression of her based on only her recordings but having seen here (live-ish) I realized what a strong and impressive voice she really had and also an ease about here that made her a joy to watch. I read one reviewer note that Mick Jagger and the Stones had to go one after James Brown's completely over-the-top performance and I just want to say that I enjoyed Mick and the Stones performance more than Brown's. Another thing I found fascinating were the background dancers throughout the show, they were crazy intense and fun to see. For those of you who have a genuine interest in the subject matter go ahead and see this film. For everyone else though I would say perhaps not.

Must Have Classic-Pay Attention to Lesley Gore's Set

[ideabook · 10/10 · 23 March 2013]

You can't get any better than this, for both concert films and for content. If you weren't around then the film will let you in on why so many think the period was so great. If you were then it'll reinforce you memories. Steve Binder, who did the Elvis Comeback Special (1968), produces. There are so many technical devices used in making TAMI that I'll leave it to others to explain, but they do come out in how the concert feels, the experience and the sound. Binder does a great job. You notice no detail missed as the house band is tops, another Binder trademark. Listen to them in Lesley Gore's set, especially in 'You Don't Own Me', an overlooked classic on its own, and you can see what I mean. Gore's performance anchors the wide ranging acts and gives TAMI a lot of its era feel. If you don't buy the DVD (came out in 2011) your just plain nuts. A solid classic, a must have. For all music fans.

Great Acts

[d3193 · 7/10 · 6 September 2020]

There's no doubt that this is a remarkable collection of great acts from the mid 60's, and some outstanding performances too. It's good to see it available now in it's original version. But what could have been great loses three stars for its soundtrack - an element that is perhaps more important than the visuals. Yes, it was mixed live, and not too badly under the circumstances, but whoever made the decision to keep a constant level of audience screaming throughout pretty much all the songs did the performers no favors.

Wow! The T.A.M.I. Show is a great document of the rock concert scene as it was in 1964

[tavm · 10/10 · 26 March 2010]

Just watched on my DVR this edited version of The T.A.M.I. Show that aired on my PBS station, WLPB, a few weeks ago. Whenever a pledge break interrupted the program, Dean Torrance of the host duo of Jan & Dean provided many anecdotes of working with James Brown, and especially The Beach Boys. Despite some numbers and musical acts missing, I highly enjoyed this concert document of the big Top 40 stars of the time which, besides the ones I've already mentioned, included Chuck Berry, who was awesome as he segued from his version of "Maybelline" to that of Gerry & the Pacemakers who then performed "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying". Also nice to see Marvin Gaye performing "Can I Get a Witness" and The Miracles doing "You Really Got a Hold on Me". How about The Supremes' number of "Baby Love" with a really large closeup of lead singer Diana Ross? (Or was it "Where Did Our Love Go?" My mind is a bit scrambled concerning that one.) Or Lesley Gore combining "It's My Party" with its sequel song "Judy's Turn to Cry"? How cool was it seeing the hosts singing their surf hit "Little Old Lady from Pasedena" before introducing The Beach Boys as they went from "Surfin' USA" to "Surfer Girl" to "I Get Around" to "Dance, Dance, Dance"? The final two acts, though, really stole the show with James Brown doing what would become his legendary jumps and having a cape put on him before shaking it off seconds later and then, having Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones closing out with many blues songs with "Time Is on My Side" really getting the audiences' attention as evidenced by the camera showing a mostly white teenage female audience really screaming their heads off as they did during most of the show! Oh, and Mick and James really were impressive with their jumping here. I think I've said enough though I'd also like to mention that Toni Basil, best known for her video of "Hey, Mickey", is the assistant choreographer here and many of the moves done by the mostly female dancers look like something she'd have done at the time. Anyway, watching this for the first time on the public station really makes me want to watch the rest of it on DVD so if I ever get my hands on that, I may add some comments. So on that note, The T.A.M.I Show definitely comes highly recommended.

I Was There, Too

[Pamela-5 · 7/10 · 8 March 2008]

Well, I was there for the performance, too. I was 16 1/2 or 17. I attended Santa Monica High School. All the kids from school were invited to walk down the street to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium if they were interested in seeing this show, free. I was. No, I didn't get on camera (as the other posting person did), nor did I wish to. But I have to say, it was one of the most exciting shows I had ever seen. The other posting person is correct: James Brown just blew the whole thing away. I was born and raised in Santa Monica, of white ex-farmers who came to Santa Monica from the Midwest in 1920, so it was pretty shocking to see James Brown's performance. I had never seen anything like it in my life. At that time, I thought James Brown was rather akin to some kind of wild monkey from Africa (sorry). I knew nothing about black folks then, and certainly nothing about Mr. Brown or his wonderful music. The Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, all the fabulous acts, all in one place. Phew! It was just fabulous. I do feel lucky, having been able to attend, free!

Hard to really hear the acts due to all the screaming teens!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 6 September 2020]

I was very interested in seeing and hearing "The T.A.M.I. Show", as it is essentially a filmed concert of some of the top acts of the day...such as Jan & Dean, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Leslie Gore, Marvin Gaye, Gerry & the Pacemakers and a few more. But soon after the opening credits rolled and the concert began, I noticed something that really annoyed me....the audience SCREAMED throughout the entire film. I do understand why they chose to have a live audience, as they were trying to replicate the concert experience in theaters across the world. But for me, I guess I'm an old geezer, as I hated all the screaming and found it hard to actually enjoy the acts. And, as a result, I strongly recommend you just listen to the acts at home without the film....using Spotify, your MP3 player, cassettes or whatever. But don't watch the movie unless you really want to hear this screaming. And, as far as the screaming goes, this is a huge reason the Beatles stopped doing concerts...and I can certainly understand. I know this puts me in the distinct minority on this film...I really wanted to like it more than I did.

The legendary rock concert of the '60's is FINALLY available (and restored)!

[UNOhwen · 16 September 2010]

I'm one of the few who (mercifully) did not see the mutilated PBS version earlier this (2010) year. Finally, SHOUT was able to release (and, yes - WITH the Beach Boys performances restored) this totem of a time of amazing music and performances.

I saw this WHOLE film in the early 80's, here in NYC, at the (original) Irving Plaza. It was a 16mm print, and the place was PACKED (for those who don't know - Irving Plaza was THE place to go to for REAL punk music and alternative music concerts back then. It's still around, but - as far as I'm concerned, in name only).

The pandemonium on the screen was emphasised by the crowd attending this showing (if you don't know, The TAMI Show - and The Big TNT show were held in legal limbo for many years, so to see it - in any format was a treat). Watching it in this setting, one almost felt as if we were there. It was a very special night.

I'll agree with the consensus - James Brown's performance - RIVETING! REAL showmanship! One of my favourite performances (saying one was better than another in this film is impossible)was Marvin Gaye's. I don't want to just throw out superlatives, but - this movie is a must see for anyone interested in seeing a landmark bit of rock & roll. See this, and you'll get sick, thinking about the (very sad) state of music today. There was NO: auto-tuning, misogynistic, violence-riddled garbage. This was the whole SPECTRUM of rock music - with EVERY style represented.

For many years after, I pondered the thought; to try and do a TAMI show today would be impossible. The egos. The costs being demanded. Sure - everyone performing got paid, but, it was more than for the money they did this show.

I'm a huge Teri Garr fan, and seeing her (and Toni Basil!) doing the pony, , the jerk, the frug, the swim.... and so much more is just wild. Add to this, the incomparable Blossoms (and Ms. Darlene Love!).... there are no words to describe the talent encapsulated in this film.

If you're a parent, or just curious to see what rock music was REALLY like, then I highly recommend you purchase this landmark film.

A Hot Night at the Drive-In

[dixie-18 · 10/10 · 17 January 2003]

This was a great show at the 360 Drive-In in Danville, Virginia. Back in the days of my youth, the T.A.M.I. Show packed the local drive in night after night. They also booked live bands and everyone had a great time.

I would dearly love to see this show again, and wonder if it is available for rental on VHS or DVD?

The Best of What's Still Around (The T.A.M.I. Show)

[mosoul · 10/10 · 25 January 2003]

The hosts of this massive show are the clown princes of rock n roll, Jan & Dean. We can forgive them (or rather songwriters PF Sloan and Steve Barri) their geographic slip as to The Stones hometown ("Those bad lookin' guys with the moppy long hair, The Rollin' Stones from Liverpool have gotta be there"). In '64 everyone English except Bonnie Prince Charlie seemed to be from the Merseyside.

In the early 80's I was listening to The Police sing "Turn on my VCR, same one I've had for years, James Brown The TAMI Show...When the world is runnin' down, you make the best of what's still around). I was thus inspired to follow Mr. Sumner's advice and seek electronovision illumination. How frustrated I was to discover that red tape had kept the film out of circulation for years. As a substitute "That Was Rock" hosted by Chuck Berry used some TAMI footage, but was missing most of the heart and soul of this teen classic. Director Steve Binder later directed Elvis Presley's NBC Singer Special (more commonly known as the 1968 comeback special). Find "The TAMI Show" if you can. Copies in circulation seem to omit The Beach Boys who apparently requested that they not be included in future editions in hopeful anticipation of their post-Smile non-candy stripe shirt persona.

From All Over The World

[DKosty123 · 10/10 · 21 July 2020]

First of all, if you watch this movie, go to the James Brown and the Flames set. This is the greatest performance on film of any Brown performance that you will ever see anyplace. Brown defies gravity in a routine that goes beyond even Michael Jackson's Moonwalk. The film has him come out for 2 encores and according to legend even the other performers and the orchestra gave Brown a standing ovation.

This film had it been widely released in the 1960's would have a cult following today. Rock and Roll, R&B, Surf Music from the US and UK are all represented here plus Motown. It's all great and the film makers let the music headline here. The tough part is there are times when the sounds of 16 year old girls screaming does come through but most of the time this early wide screen presentation is about the performers with some shots of the audience. There is so much classic modern music here that I'd be hard pressed to find more in less than 2 hours of film.

Jan & Dean are the hosts. Since Jan Berry had a major car accident within a year of this being filmed, this is a rare glimpse of him at his best. This duo does some humor as hosts, perform the theme song, hype a little old lady from Pasadena, and skate board their ways through the show. After the opening skateboarding credits, this gets a fast start.

From 1958 Chuck Berry leads off with Johnny B. Goode which all Back To The Future fans will recognize. Then he goes into the classic Maybellene. Surprisingly, the classic is then picked up by Gerry and the Pacemakers (From Liverpool like the them song refers too). Then they do 2 songs and Chuck Berry returns with the classic Sweet Little 16. Then they alternate with the Pacemakers doing 3 songs and Berry doing the classic Nadine.

Next, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles do a 3 set, followed by Marvin Gaye doing 4 songs. Then in a real treat, 18 year young Lesley Gore does a powerful 6 song set. This is her best performance on film and considering she is just 18 years young, the power of her voice captivates the show.

Jan and Dean follow with 2 songs and the real treat is the now restored on this you tube version original Beach Boys 4 song set. For years this was missing from the film due to legal copyright issues. It is a welcome add back. The Beach Boys set is as good as any I have ever seen on film. After them, the now often forgotten Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas from Bootle, UK do 4 of their hits.

The original Supremes with a young Diana Ross then perform 4 of their hits including the smash Where Did Our Love Go and it is great to see this, and hear it. The least know group, the Barbarians from Cape Cod, Mass. sneak in for 1 song. From here, James Brown and the Flames take over the show after a little humor intro from Jan and Dean. Brown brings it all on the last song, Night Train as he takes everything he has and puts it on stage.

Finally, it's time for 6 songs from the Rolling Stones. It amazes me how many people are confused thinking this is the group from Liverpool on this show.(As I said before it's the Pacemakers). With the Stones here, the only thing that is missing is the Beatles but they were not here. The Stones lead off with Time is on my side and It's All Over Now. Mick Jagger is more animated dancing on stage here trying to follow the show stopping James Brown. Hard as he tries, he does not equal it. They even open with Chuck Berry's Around and Around trying to follow Brown.

The Stones final song is "Let's Get Together". When they do this all the performers and dancers get on the stage. This is wonderfully symbolic of how these artists music brought them all together for this show, Records at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Oct 28 and 29th 1964 with some the audience getting free tickets, this film rolls together the best of this music. It's still incredible to see. I only wish they had taken the whole cast on stage thing and put together a medley at the end.

American International pictures did this special production at the time. While the picture is high tech for this era, the sound is not. What's great is with these artists, even though it's not stereo it's great to hear and see these artists go through these classics. I am in awe of this program even though it's been many years since it was done.

My Fondes Memory as a youth in love with music

[guard33023 · 10/10 · 15 February 2005]

First saw TAMI in a movie theater in Boston when first released. Returned to see it at least 7 times. One of the greatest concert presentations i have ever seen, my quest is to locate a copy of the film so i can return to the days of music and youthful innocence

I was thirteen years old at the time and in my first rock and roll band as a "front man". I recall sitting and signing along each lyric of each song of each performer. Of particular fond memories are the performances of James Brown and the Famous Flames, who i saw several time in concert during the early and mid 1960s. Also, the "British Invasion groups" were so cutting edge at the time. It was a real treat.

"There is nothing new except what has been forgotten."

[ulf-635-523367 · 6/10 · 26 June 2017]

Get together! The end message of the t.a.m.i. show. Rolling Stones performing this theme song with the Supremes and the rest of the cast. Amazing what we could do in the 60's. And the generation gap. Watching Lesley Gore, three years younger than Mick Jagger, but looking like something out of the Grand Ole Opry. And James Brown. Having problems with getting the vocals right because of his many other activities. And the amount of inspiration from James Brown to Mick Jagger. Chuck Berry opens the show looking confused. The Supremes are absolutely smashing! Diana Ross at twenty. All of this at the old Santa Monica Civic. Got to see the Barbarians as well. And Darlene Love. Phil Spector conducts? Terri Garr is go-go dancing. "There is nothing new except what has been forgotten."

Once In A Lifetime

[spiritof67 · 10/10 · 5 September 2020]

In times like today when "tastes" are formed like looking down a straw, it must be difficult for anyone coming to this film (or the music) to understand just how profound the T.A.M.I. show really was or is. Just take one little detail as an example: there are a couple of times when a black man dances with a white woman. To unfledged young people today, no big deal. In 1964 it was a reason why this movie didn't get shown in a lot of southern cities. Got that?

Even counting Woodstock and the Atlantic City Pop Festival there never was again as eclectic a group of performers in the same show. Want East Coast garage? Barbarians. Motown? Miracles, Supremes, Marvin Gaye. Mersey sound? The originals, Gerry and the Pacemakers. Hardcore R&B? James Brown with the original Famous Flames. Brill Building pop? Lesley Gore. Surf pop? Beach Boys.British Invasion 101? The Rolling Stones. I mean, really...and on top of it all, Chuck Berry giving one of his finest recorded performances. Top if off with the core of the Gold Star Studios house band, a/k/a The Wrecking Crew.

So whoever gave this less than ten stars didn't/doesn't understand the context here at all, and I pity them that. But I saw this at the State Theater in Harrisburg PA on the day it was shown and it was killer then and now.

Happy to relive this nice memory

[mldardar · 7/10 · 16 March 2024]

I saw this with my father, one cousin a little older than me & an older cousin, who talked Daddy into coming along, him being a guitar player & music lover. But... My father like most people his age, liked Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry etc most Rock & Rockabilly singers, but he liked everything Country & Western, Hillbilly & Bluegrass. The only black singers he liked were Nat King Cole, The Platters, The Ink Spots, etc, & growing up in the rural South, he learned to play the guitar from a old black man who played Blues. He wasn't familiar with much Soul.

My main memories of this show were Lesley Gore, who us young boys loves, Rolling Stones & James Brown. My older cousin pointed out that Bill Wyman looked like his mom. He really did, & kept saying, "Just like Momma, huh?! Just like Momma!" When James Brown sang/acted out "Prisoner of Love", that's when things really got funny, with my father's reaction to him dropping to the floor & being escorted by the band, only to throw-off the cape they put around him, & return to the microphone. I guess it was after the 3rd time, Daddy was losing his patience. And said, "If he does that one more time, I'm leaving!" But he made it the rest to see our aunt's lookalike playing guitar.

A simply sensational 60's rock concert winner

[Woodyanders · 10/10 · 23 April 2006]

That's the "Teenage Awards Music International" to you and me -- and without a doubt one of the best, grooviest, most utterly enjoyable and righteously raucous, hell, even historically relevant, mid-60's rock concert films to ever romp its way onto celluloid, a dazzling and eclectic mix of rowdy rock'n'roll bands and class act rhythm and blues groups that was performed live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and recorded on videotape and subsequently transferred to film for posterity's sake by American International Pictures.

Puckish surf-rock jokers Jan and Dean, who do "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena" and "Sidewalk Surfin'," are the goof-ball hosts of this non-stop musical extravaganza. Chuck Berry gets things off to a rip-roaring start, working his spindly wibble-wobble legs overtime as he tears the place up with roll-over-deadly renditions of "Johnny B. Goode," "Sweet Little Sixteen," and "Nadine." British Invasion band Gerry and the Peacemakers keep everything a hopping by first joining Chuck on "Maybellene,' then holding their own with such winners as the gentle, lulling "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" and the life-affirming "It's Gonna Be Alright." Lovely feminist-rock pioneer Lesley Gore mesmerizes the audience with strong, commanding performances of the "sisters stand up to your man and don't take any guff" anthems "You Don't Own Me," "It's My Party," and "Judy's Turn to Cry." Smokey Robinson and the Miracles deliver a tasty, tuneful truckload of spot-on keening tenor harmonies, highlighted by the gorgeous "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and a crazed, chest-thumping, abdomen-itching cover of the wiggy novelty dance number "Mickey's Monkey." Marvin Gaye, looking mighty spiffy in an immaculate white tux, cuts a suave figure as he belts out "Hitchhike," "Pride and Joy," and "Can I Get a Witness." Representing flavor-of-the-month generic pop slop, the hopelessly dweeby Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas nerd it up something hysterical with several remarkably doofy songs. Diana Ross and the Supremes, sexy as all hell in clinging dresses and enormous heavily lacquered hairdos, strut their sultry stuff with a scorching medley which includes the luscious "Baby Love." Token grunged-up garage rock outfit the Barbarians do the sinewy caveman stomper "Hey Little Bird," with their famous one-armed drummer Moulty (he's got a hook hand!) gleefully trashing his kit during a gloriously protracted solo. James Brown rides the "Night Train" straight to Funkytown and back with his bring the house down manic antics, complete with wild dancing feet, hips and pelvis a swinging rotation action, the groin pulling splits, crashing onto the floor and getting up for more -- we're talking some seriously smoking theatrics, people. The Rolling Stones, surly, scruffy, arrogant and punk as all get out, burn up the place with lots of sizzling lowdown dirty blues covers, with their blazing rendition of Irma Thomas' "Time Is On My Side" rating as the definite stand-out. The Beach Boys, clad in white striped shirts, end things on a suitably stirring note, doing 100% on the money honey performances of the timeless classics "Surfin' U.S.A.," "Surfer Girl" and "I Get Around."

Steve Binder's razor-sharp direction captures the concert's merry, upbeat, bubbly atmosphere with consummate unwavering acuity and expertise. The really into it audience never cease to shriek their approval. A sense of both wide-eyed innocence and carefree, frivolous, oftentimes even downright explosive gaiety pervades throughout. The excellent black and white cinematography makes terrific use of stately crane shots, slow, graceful dissolves and snazzy super-impositions. Phil Spector music arranger Jack Nitzsche served as music director. Terri Garr and Toni Basil are among the nice-looking go-go gals who energetically frug their way across the stage. A marvelously vibrant, joyous and jubilant time capsule of the swell 60's rock scene.

Saw the TAMI movie when I was a kid

[JimmieThunderLizard · 31 August 2004]

Thanks for the great background information on the TAMI show, Wiluxe2.

It was certainly a defining moment in my musical life.

I saw it as a teenager when it first came out and will confirm that the segment by James Brown was the mother of all show-stoppers. I went to the movie to see the Rolling Stones segment, but left remembering James Brown signing Please, Please, Please. He was the real deal. I've seen some versions listed on e-bay with Ike and Tina doing Please Please Please, and other ones where it's JB. Perhaps over the years the movie segments have been cut and spliced so that the original show would be hard to recognize.

By the way, Leslie Gore's 'You Don't Own Me' was also great. She really has a wonderful melodic voice.

I'd be interested in the full length version in Video or DVD if it's available. JTL

Paving The Way For Concert Films Later Down The Pipeline

[Seamus2829 · 10/10 · 3 September 2007]

I first encountered this gem sometime back in the early 80's,when it was screened as part of a rock & roll film/dance party at one of my local art galleries. I was but a mere babe in arms when this film was first released. Long before Martin Scorsce filmed 'The Last Waltz',with The Band (which for it's time was the penultimate concert film,until Jonathan Demme's 'Stop Making Sense' a few short years later), The T.A.M.I. Show was packing 'em in the local cinemas,with The Rolling Stones,James Brown, Eric Burdon & The Animals,etc. This was originally shot on video for T.V.,but was rejected,due to it's length (rock & roll was kept between thirty to sixty minutes). Fortunately,the producers of this film/video did a re-edit & aimed it for cinemas. Anybody who is interested in the history of rock & roll should seek this one out (I still wonder to this day why there isn't a soundtrack record/CD to it that is available)