In October 1964, the place to be in case you have been a teen residing in Southern California, was the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium; in case you have been a teen from anyplace, in that heady 12 months with the British invasion of America in full swing, then it was nonetheless the place to be – if solely you would have in some way received there.
On October 28, filming started on what has turn out to be often called the T.A.M.I. Present, even the organizers couldn’t fairly agree what it meant; their publicity handouts had it as each the “Teenage Awards Music International” and “Teen Age Music International”. Regardless of, T.A.M.I. will do and for that Wednesday and Thursday within the Fall of ‘64, it was the most well liked ticket on the town – though nobody really paid for one as they have been distributed to native highschool college students, totally free.
The Beatles had appeared on the Ed Sullivan TV present 9 months earlier and the Rolling Stones had toured America, albeit to very small audiences at just some scattered reveals in June, however they have been again in America for his or her second, a lot larger, US tour, which is how come they appeared on the T.A.M.I. Present. However don’t for a second assume that this present was all in regards to the British Invasion, this was a case of American music positively on a counterinsurgency mission, even when the Stones have been joined on the invoice by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas and fellow Merseybeat stars Gerry and The Pacemakers.
With a home band underneath the route of Jack Nitzsche, it was successfully the cream of LA session musicians who labored collectively as “The Wrecking Crew.” It included drummer Hal Blaine, guitarists Tommy Tedesco, and Glen Campbell, Sony Bono on percussion, and pianist Leon Russell, They have been joined by The Seashore Boys, Chuck Berry, James Brown and The Well-known Flames, Lesley Gore, Jan & Dean, together with a trio of Motown stars, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Supremes and Marvin Gaye.
The Stones have been solely two gigs into their US tour having performed in New York and Sacramento earlier than arriving in Santa Monica on October 28 to be informed they might be closing on the present, this even if James Brown thought he needs to be high of the invoice. In keeping with Invoice Wyman in his guide Rolling With The Stones, “James Brown vowed that he was going to ‘make the Rolling Stones wish they’d never come to America.’”
After a day spent rehearsing, the primary live performance that was to be filmed in a brand new method known as Electronovision (very similar to video) occurred on Thursday. The opening act was Chuck Berry, who together with Marvin Gaye was sharing a dressing room with the Stones. They have been each encouraging in direction of The Stones, who have been considerably fazed on the prospect of following James Brown, particularly Mick. Marvin Gaye informed them, “People love you because of what you do on stage, so just go out there and do it and forget about James Brown. Go do your thing – that’s what I do.”
As soon as Gerry and The Pacemakers, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Lesley Gore had performed, it was time for Jan & Dean, adopted by The Seashore Boys. This was very a lot a house city gig for each bands and their units have been a homage to California’s nationwide sport, browsing. The Seashore Boys did “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “I Get Around,” “Surfer Girl” and closed with, “Dance, Dance, Dance.” After this, it was Billy J. Kramer after which the Supremes did a four-song set that included the beautiful, “When The Love Light Starts Shining Through His Eyes,” “Where Did Our Love Go” and “Baby Love.”
Then it was time for the Godfather himself, James Brown. His high-energy set of 4 songs was “Out of Sight,” “Prisoner of Love,” “Please, Please, Please” and “Night Train.” When the Stones received again to England Mick informed Disc and Music Echo, “James Brown was probably the best thing about our trip. He is a fantastic artist. When you’ve seen him, you’ve seen the act to end all acts. We appeared with him on the T.A.M.I. Show and we had to follow him. It was a disaster in a way because nobody can follow James Brown, it’s impossible.”
However observe him they did. The Stones four-song set was very a lot a mirrored image of what they have been enjoying on their US tour – “Around and Around,” “Off the Hook,” “Time Is on My Side,” and “It’s All Over Now.” After this, the Stones started “I’m Alright” they have been joined on stage by the remainder of the performers they usually additionally all did “Get Together,” by the use of a finale.
Because the Stones left the stage James Brown came visiting and shook all their fingers, it was the start of a friendship that was rekindled often through the years when their paths crossed whereas on tour.
The movie had its preliminary launch on December 29, 1964, and a restricted launch within the UK underneath the lower than inspiring title of Collect No Moss. Over time it has been often bootlegged till 2010 when an official DVD was reissued. And eventually, for all collectors of trivia, The Police’s 1980 track, “When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around,” consists of the lyric, “James Brown on The T.A.M.I. Show.”
He was and the counterinsurgency might have had a faltering begin, however over the following 12 months it gained tempo and by the top of 1965 many bands and singers impressed by what the Beatles and the Stones and others had achieved, started to regain America’s maintain on their very own Scorching 100.
