T.A.M.I. and Smokey on the Finally Friday Freakout

Let me set the scene for you. You are in a movie theater on a Saturday afternoon. After a couple of cartoons and a movie short feature and just before the main attraction you get to watch a recording of The T.A.M.I. Show.

It just so happens that every time I couldn't scrounge up fifty cents was the very time the movie house would show the flick.

Yeah, I've never seen it. I had to listen to people tell me about second hand. No VHS of it that I know of, not even bootleg.

Not that I condone that kinda thing. I don't. Really.

Just saying. No bootleg action. The real reason it took so long was to work out the rights and ownership issues. Um, this translates into who was gonna get paid and how much if anything at all. Not just the on-screen performers but the producers, backers and anybody else that had a piece of paper saying "pay me."

It took them 40+ years but they finally worked it out. This is a glorious time. The DVD is out and if you have any affection for James Brown singing Night Train or Please, Please, Please you might want to check it out.

If your bones find themselves twitching to Chuck Berry's Maybellene or even some dudes from across the creek singing Time is On My Side then you might want to pick-up on this until now impossible recording of the T.A.M.I. Show.

If you check out the Wikipedia page you can get the full line up of pop, rock, R&B and Soul acts. One of those is performers is Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.



In this particular clip folks get a chance to see Claudette Robinson match the fellas step by step in heels. It is a great example of what these performers did on the road and in theaters across the country. (Update: This clip is not from The T.A.M.I Show but an example of what people experienced when they went to places like The Apollo.)

The photo links to the Turner Movie Classics store but Amazon has it as well. On the Amazon page there is a video clip of the Beach Boys, for those of that persuasion. I don't judge, live and let live I say.

I don't get a flat nickle for plugging it either way. This is more of a public service announcement that this is a memory we want to pass along.

TGIF and pass the popcorn.