Editing Shindig!

{{Short description|American musical variety series}}
{{Use American English|date = September 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = September 2019}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Shindiglogo.png
| image_size           = 230
| caption              =
| genre                = [[Variety show|Musical variety]]
| creator              = [[Jack Good (producer)|Jack Good]]
| writer               = Jimmy O'Neill
| director             = Richard Dunlap<br>Selwyn Touber<br>Dean Whitmore<br>Jørn Winther
| presenter            = Jimmy O'Neill
| theme_music_composer = 
| opentheme            = 
| composer             = 
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 2
| num_episodes         = 
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = Selig J. Seligman<br>Leon Mirell
| producer             = Phillip Browning
| camera               = [[Multi-camera setup|Multi-camera]]
| runtime              = 24&ndash;26 minutes<br>(September 1964&ndash;January 1965)<br>48&ndash;52 minutes<br>(January&ndash;Fall 1965)
| company              = American Broadcasting Company<br>Selmur Productions<br>Circle Seven Productions
| channel              = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1964|09|16}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1966|01|08}} 
}}

'''''Shindig!''''' is an American [[Variety show|musical variety series]] which aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from September 16, 1964<ref>[https://archive.today/20120917144252/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,830696,00.html Time listings: ABC completes its roster of new shows], a September 1964 article from ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''</ref> to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by [[Jimmy O'Neill (DJ)|Jimmy O'Neill]], a [[disc jockey]] in Los Angeles,<ref name=shindig>[http://www.tvparty.com/shindig.html ''Shindig!'', Rod Barken] from tvparty.com</ref> who created the show along with his wife [[Sharon Sheeley]], British producer [[Jack Good (producer)|Jack Good]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/obituaries/jack-good-who-put-rock-n-roll-on-tv-in-the-60s-dies-at-86.html|title=Jack Good, Who Put Rock 'n' Roll on TV With 'Shindig,' Dies at 86|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> and production executive Art Stolnitz.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2007/scene/news/art-stolnitz-79-executive-1117961731/|title=Art Stolnitz, 79, executive|magazine=Variety|date=March 23, 2007}}</ref> The original pilot was rejected by ABC and David Sontag, then executive producer of ABC, redeveloped and completely redesigned the show. A new pilot with a new cast of artists was shot starring [[Sam Cooke]]. That pilot aired as the premiere episode.

==Synopsis==
[[File:Jimmy O'Neill Shindig.JPG|thumb|right|[[Jimmy O'Neill (DJ)|Jimmy O'Neill]] on the set of Shindig!, 1964.]]
''Shindig!'' was conceived as a short-notice replacement for ''[[Hootenanny (US TV series)|Hootenanny]],'' a series which specialized in [[American folk music revival|folk revival]] music. The folk revival had fizzled in 1964 as the result of the [[British Invasion]], which damaged the ratings for ''Hootenanny'' and prompted that show's cancellation.

''Shindig!'' focused on a broader variety of popular music than its predecessor and first aired for a half-hour every Wednesday evening, but was expanded to an hour in January 1965. In the fall of 1965, the show split into two half-hour telecasts, on Thursday and Saturday nights.

''Shindig!'''s premiere episode was actually the second pilot, and featured [[Sam Cooke]], [[The Everly Brothers]], and [[The Righteous Brothers]]. Later shows featured performances taped in Britain - A set was used at Twickenham Film Studios, where British acts performed live for the cameras, with the resultant footage flown back to be shown on the program. The first UK episode had [[The Beatles]] as the guests. The series later featured other "British invasion" bands and performers including [[The Who]], [[The Rolling Stones]], and [[Cilla Black]]. ''Shindig!'' continued to broadcast episodes with footage shot in London throughout its run.<ref name=shindig /> This meant many acts were seen on U.S television before they actually went to America (The Who in particular, who performed a unique early version of "[[My Generation]]" live, two months before the single version was recorded).

Many other popular performers of the day played on ''Shindig!'' including [[Tina Turner]], [[Lesley Gore]], [[Bo Diddley]],<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9e01e6df113af935a25751c0a9659c8b63&pagewanted=all Pioneer of a Beat Is Still Riffing for His Due], a February 2003 article from ''[[The New York Times]]''</ref> [[Sonny and Cher]], [[The Beach Boys]], [[James Brown]], [[Jackie Wilson]], [[The Supremes]], and [[The Ronettes]].

''Shindig!'''s success prompted [[NBC]] to air the similar series ''[[Hullabaloo (TV series)|Hullabaloo]]'' starting in January 1965 and other producers to launch syndicated rock music shows like ''[[Shivaree (TV series)|Shivaree]]'' and ''[[Hollywood a Go-Go]].''

In March 1965, [[Little Eva]] performed a live but short version of her hit song "[[The Loco-Motion]]". This is the only known video clip of her singing it.

Toward the end of the program's run, [[The Mamas and the Papas]] appeared in an episode featuring [[Barry McGuire]]. Although serving as his backup singers, the group introduced "[[California Dreamin']]" on that program, which launched its career.

''Shindig!'' is one of the few rock music shows of the era to still have all episodes available to watch.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

==Final season==
In September 1965, the show was moved out of its Wednesday-night time slot (where it gave ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'' its first serious competition in its time period among younger viewers{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}), and split into two half-hours on new days and times (Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30 P.M. Eastern time). The show faced tough competition from ''[[Daniel Boone]]'' and ''[[The Munsters]]'' on Thursdays along with ''[[Flipper (1964 TV series)|Flipper]]'' and ''[[The Jackie Gleason Show]]'' on Saturdays. Additionally, the Saturday edition aired in a time period when many of its potential viewers were going out and, thus, not at home to watch television. By October 1965, the show was having ratings problems ([[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] said "early-season tide [was] running against the teen scene"),<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,941418,00.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050129071033/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,941418,00.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=January 29, 2005| title=First Down| date=October 22, 1965| publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] magazine| quote=Meanwhile ABC, which closed the gap on the competition in the overall prime-time race for the first time the previous season, momentarily dropped out of contention again, primarily for riding too long with fading favorites. The network was caught with seven of the bottom 13 [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsens]], including the eight-year-old [[The Donna Reed Show|Donna Reed Show]] and the 13-year-old [[The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet|Ozzie and Harriet]]. With the early-season tide running against the teen scene, the two segments of Shindig are being cancelled and [[Ben Casey]]'s slide to 73rd seemed to indicate that the doctor series are sickening unto death.| access-date=2009-01-31}}</ref> and in January [[1966 in television|1966]], ''Shindig!'' was cancelled and replaced in its Thursday time slots by ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]].''<ref name=shindig />

==Series regulars==
''Shindig!'' also featured a dance troupe choreographed by [[David Winters (choreographer)|David Winters]] and André Tayir, who accompanied the music acts of the week (Winters later worked on the competing NBC show ''[[Hullabaloo (TV series)|Hullabaloo]]''). One of the regular dancers was [[Teri Garr]], who went on to find success as an actress. Others included [[Anita Mann]], Maria Gahva, [[Lorene Yarnell]] (later of the mime team Shields and Yarnell), Diane Stuart, Pam Freeman, Gina Trikinis, Marianna Picora, Virginia Justus, Rini Jarmon and Carol Shelyne, who always wore glasses while she danced.  Occasionally, a small group of dancers who sang would get a featured spot; this rotating group was billed as The Shindig Girls.  The assistant choreographer was Antonia Basilotta, better known as [[Toni Basil]], who later gained fame with her 1980s hit song "[[Mickey (Toni Basil song)|Mickey]]". Both Garr and Basil were dance students of David Winters at the time and worked with him on most of his choreography projects.<ref name="latimes">{{cite news |last=Wharton |first=David |date=December 14, 1991 |title='Shindig!' Tapes Bring 1960s Rock Back to Life |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-14-ca-365-story.html |access-date=July 8, 2023}}</ref>

The series house band was supposedly known as "The Shin-diggers", but that was actually the name host Jimmy O'Neill used to refer to fans of the show.  At first, TV credits identified the musicians simply as the Shindig Band.  By early 1965, they'd been renamed Sir Rufus Marion Banks and his Band of Men, but the generic name had returned by the time "Shindig" went off the air.  The rhythm section was spun off into a featured group and named the ''Shindogs''.  It included [[Joey Cooper]] on bass, [[Chuck Blackwell]] on drums, [[James Burton]] on lead guitar, [[Delaney Bramlett]] on rhythm guitar and [[Glen D. Hardin]] on keyboards.  Cooper and Bramlett traded off lead vocal duties.  The larger band featured [[Jerry Cole]] on lead guitar, [[Russ Titelman]] on rhythm guitar, [[Larry Knechtel]] on bass, [[Leon Russell]] on piano, [[Julius Wechter]] on percussion and [[Ritchie Frost]] on drums.  Later, [[Billy Preston]] took over keyboards and performed as a singing regular.  [[Glen Campbell]] was not a regular member of this band but a frequent guest performer.  [[Ray Pohlman]] was the musical director, and he was also one - as was Campbell, Knechtel, Wechter and Russell - of the collection of first-call pop studio musicians that would later be known as "[[The Wrecking Crew (music)|The Wrecking Crew]]". In some instances when one of the guitarists was unable to work, Pohlman would bring in Bill Aken to fill in.

[[The Righteous Brothers]], [[Dick and Dee Dee]], [[Jackie and Gayle]], [[Donna Loren]], [[Willy Nelson (singer)|Willy Nelson]] (not the famous Country singer [[Willie Nelson]]) and [[Bobby Sherman]] were regular vocalists on the series.<ref name=latimes />  Up until July 1965, when he quit the show, producer Jack Good was also a regular, wearing a bowler hat and improvising comedy routines with Jimmy O'Neill at the close of each episode.

[[The Blossoms]], an all-female vocal group featuring [[Darlene Love]], backed up many of the performers and were occasionally featured in spotlight performances. [[The Wellingtons (folk group)|The Wellingtons]] were a trio of male singers who performed on their own, and as backup singers.  Another male group, The Eligibles, sometimes alternated with The Wellingtons on backup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1267383/|title=The Wellingtons|website=IMDb}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.loti.com/sixties_TV/Shindig_Hullabaloo_Action.htm|title=Rewind the Fifties}}</ref>

==Musical guests==
{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Terry Allen (artist)|Terry Allen]]
*[[The Animals]]
*[[Louis Armstrong]]
*[[Desi Arnaz Jr.]]
*[[Long John Baldry]]
*[[The Barron Knights]]
*[[Fontella Bass]]
*[[Shirley Bassey]]
*[[The Beach Boys]]
*[[The Beatles]]
*[[The Blossoms]]
*[[James Brown]]
*[[The Byrds]]
*[[The Beau Brummels]]
*[[Tony Bennett]]
*[[The Chambers Brothers]]
*[[Chuck Berry]]
*[[Cilla Black]]
*[[Booker T & the MG's]]
*[[Vashti Bunyan]]
*[[Glen Campbell]]
*[[Freddy Cannon]]
*[[Johnny Cash]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030922/familyalbum/2.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030919014023/http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030922/familyalbum/2.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=September 19, 2003| title=Johnny Cash: A Family Album| publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] magazine| date=August 4, 2003| access-date=2009-01-31| quote=1964: Cash tapes an episode of the ABC musical-variety program Shindig!}}</ref>
*[[Chad and Jeremy]]
*[[Ray Charles]]
*[[Chubby Checker]]
*[[Clara Ward|The Clara Ward Singers]]
*[[Petula Clark]]
*[[The Coasters]]
*[[Sam Cooke]]
*[[The Dave Clark Five]]
*[[Karl Denver]]
*[[Jackie DeShannon]]
*[[Dick & Dee Dee]]
*[[Dino, Desi & Billy]]
*[[Bo Diddley]]
*[[The Dixie Cups]]
*[[Donovan]]
*[[The Everly Brothers]]
*[[Shelley Fabares]]
*[[Adam Faith]]
*[[Marianne Faithfull]]<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E1D61339F932A15753C1A967948260&pagewanted=all The Pop Life], an October 21, 1981 article from ''The New York Times''</ref>
*[[The Four Tops]]
*[[Aretha Franklin]]
*[[Freddie and the Dreamers]]
*[[Billy Fury]]
*[[Gale Garnett]]
*[[Gary Lewis & the Playboys]]
*[[Marvin Gaye]]
*[[The Gentrys]]
*[[Gerry & the Pacemakers]]
*[[Stan Getz]]
*[[Dizzy Gillespie]]
*[[Dobie Gray]]
*[[Bessie Griffin]]
*[[Bobby Goldsboro]]
*[[Lesley Gore]]
*[[The Grass Roots]]
*[[Ruben and the Jets|Ruben Guevara]] (credited as "J.P. Mobey")
*[[Françoise Hardy]]
*[[Herman's Hermits]]
*[[The Hollies]]
*[[Don Ho]]
*[[Brenda Holloway]]
*[[The Honeycombs]]
*[[The Ikettes]]
*[[The Isley Brothers]]
*[[Davy Jones (actor)|Davy Jones]]
*[[Gloria Jones]]
*[[The Kingsmen]]
*[[The Kinks]]
*[[Billy J. Kramer|Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas]]
*[[Bettye LaVette]]
*[[Major Lance]]
*[[Dinah Lee]]
*[[Ketty Lester]]
*[[Jerry Lee Lewis]]
*[[Little Anthony and the Imperials]]
*[[Little Eva]]
*[[Little Richard]]
*[[The Lovin' Spoonful]]
*[[Lulu (singer)|Lulu & the Luvvers]]
*[[George Maharis]]
*[[The Mamas & the Papas]]
*[[Manfred Mann]]
*[[Martha & the Vandellas]]
*[[Melinda Marx]]
*[[Johnny Mathis]]
*[[Jody Miller]]
*[[Sal Mineo]]
*[[Matt Monro]]
*[[The Moody Blues]]
*[[The Nashville Teens]]
*[[Ricky Nelson]]
*[[The Nooney Rickett 4]]
*[[The Olympics (band)|The Olympics]]
*[[Roy Orbison]]
*[[Rita Pavone]]
*[[Peter and Gordon]]
*[[Gene Pitney]]
*[[The Poets]]
*[[The Pretty Things]]
*[[P. J. Proby]]
*[[Eddie Rambeau]]
*[[Roy Head]]<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9806E0D61439F934A35752C1A9659C8B63 Bobby Hatfield Dies at 63; Righteous Brothers Tenor], a November 2003 article from ''The New York Times''</ref>
*[[Johnny Rivers]]
*[[Smokey Robinson]] and [[The Miracles]]
*[[Jimmie Rodgers (pop singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]]
*[[The Rolling Stones]]
*[[The Ronettes]]
*[[Mickey Rooney Jr.]]
*[[Bobby Rydell]]
*[[Tommy Sands (entertainer)|Tommy Sands]]
*[[Neil Sedaka]]
*[[Del Shannon]]
*[[Dee Dee Sharp]]
*[[Sandie Shaw]]
*[[The Shangri-Las]]
*[[Sir Douglas Quintet]]<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEFDD133CF931A15752C1A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all Doug Sahm, Musical Voice of Texas, Dies at 58], a November 1999 article from ''The New York Times''</ref>
*[[Sonny & Cher]]
*[[George Soulé (musician)|George Soulé]]
*[[The Spencer Davis Group]]
*[[Rod Stewart]] (as part of [[Brian Auger and the Trinity]])
*[[The Supremes]]
*[[The Temptations]]
*[[Joe Tex]]
*[[Tommy Tucker (singer)|Tommy Tucker]]
*[[Ike & Tina Turner]]
*[[The Turtles]]
*[[Twinkle (singer)|Twinkle]]
*[[Unit 4 + 2]]
*[[Leroy Van Dyke]]
*[[Sylvie Vartan]]
*[[Bobby Vee]]
*[[The Ventures]]
*[[The Vibrations]]
*[[The Walker Brothers]]
*[[We Five]]
*[[Clara Ward Singers]]
*[[Mary Wells]]
*[[The Who]]
*[[Hank Williams Jr.]]
*[[Joe Williams (jazz singer)|Joe Williams]]
*[[Jackie Wilson]]
*[[Howlin' Wolf]]
*[[The Yardbirds]]
*[[The Zombies]]
{{Div col end}}

==Celebrity guests==
*[[Ted Cassidy]] as [[Lurch (The Addams Family)|Lurch]] in Halloween episode 
*[[Patty Duke]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080220091854/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,898304,00.html Time listings], a June 1965 article from ''Time''</ref>
*[[Douglas Fairbanks Jr.]]
*[[Rosey Grier]]
*[[Tommy Kirk]]
*[[Vincent Price]]
*[[Alan Sues]]
*[[Raquel Welch]]
*[[Orson Welles]]

==Guest hosts==
*[[George Chakiris]]
*[[Zsa Zsa Gabor]]
*[[Carolyn Jones]]
*[[Boris Karloff]] in a Halloween episode 
*[[Hedy Lamarr]]
*[[Jack E. Leonard]]
*[[Hugh O'Brian]]
*[[Mickey Rooney]]
*[[Ed Wynn]]

==VHS release==
In 1991 and 1992, [[Rhino Entertainment]] and [[Warner Music Group|WEA]] released a series of ''Shindig! Presents'' [[VHS]] videos featuring highlights from the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/series/273/ref=pd_serl_video?ie=UTF8&edition=VHStape|title=''The Shindig! Series'' VHS Release|publisher=Amazon.com}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
*''Shindig!'' was mentioned in [[The Ramones]] song "[[Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?]]" in the lyric "Do you remember ''[[Hullabaloo (TV series)|Hullabaloo]]'', ''Upbeat'', ''Shindig!'', and ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show|Ed Sullivan]]'' too...?"
*''Shindig!'' made an appearance on a December 1965 episode of ''[[The Flintstones]]'' as ''"Shinrock!"'' with host "Jimmy O'Neillstone" (O'Neill provided his own voice). The episode featured musical guests [[The Beau Brummels]], appearing as "The Beau Brummelstones", who performed their hit song "[[Laugh, Laugh]]".<ref name="flintstones">
{{cite book
| last=Childs
| first=T. Mike
| title=The Rocklopedia Fakebandica
| publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]]
| location=New York
| page=[https://archive.org/details/rocklopediafakeb00chil/page/14 14]
| year=2004
| isbn=978-0-312-32944-0
| url-access=registration
| url=https://archive.org/details/rocklopediafakeb00chil/page/14
}}</ref> Fred turns off the show, saying "Let me take care of Jimmy O'Neillstone," whereupon O'Neillstone's hand reaches out from the set and turns it back on. "Well," Barney quips, "that's one way of keeping up their ratings."

*''The Shindogs'' were a rock group parody on an episode of ''[[The Patty Duke Show]]'' ([https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0671906 "Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow"], Sept. 29, 1965), when Patty sang, "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HkUqmaYdk8 Funny Little Butterflies]."

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0149523|Shindig!}}

[[Category:1964 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1966 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company original programming]]
[[Category:1960s American music television series]]
[[Category:1960s American variety television series]]
[[Category:Black-and-white American television shows]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Pop music television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Selmur Productions]]