The Clay Cole Show (U S T V; 1960's)

[Roburt]

Seeing as we currently have a thread going about old radio DJ's, thought I'd post this up here.

 

The Clay Cole Show (1959—1967) was a music television show based in New York that seemed to be quite innovative but didn't really garner as much praise as say 'American Bandstand'. The show had a few variations in name and when the original station that broadcast it (WNTA-TV) was sold in 1963, it moved over onto WPIX-TV.
There it lasted almost 6 years (to late December 67) and helped usher in the 'British Invasion' (I believe that the Who and Rolling Stones made their US TV debuts on the show).
BUT IN ADDITION ........ the show staged a full 1 hour long Motown Special that was said to be quite groundbreaking at the time (for US TV).

the Motown Special was screened around February 1967. Cole & his TV crew visited Detroit to film interviews with Motown execs & artists that January . The usual format of his show was to have 5 or so live acts on and break up their performances with shots of kids dancing in the studio to some of the latest records.

 

When Clay took a break from presenting the show (to have short holidays) recording artists such as Skip Cunningham were brought in as replacement hosts (August 65). 

 

Acts who featured on the show included Helena Ferguson, Chris Clark, Tammi Terrell, Chuck Jackson, Lit Anthony, Maxine Brown, Dean Parrish (at least twice), Mongo Santamaria, Ramsey Lewis, Joe Cuba, Dee Dee Sharp, Tommy Hunt, Roy Hamilton, the Exciters, Christine Cooper, Lenny Welch, Deon Jackson, Percy Sledge, the Royalettes, Robert Parker, Bobby Hebb, Five Stairsteps, Dee Dee Warwick, Bunny Sigler, Patti LaBelle, Jay & Techniques, Brenda Holloway, Marvelettes, Jackie Wilson, Duprees, Shirelles, Isley Bros & all the top Motown acts.

 

It seems that just about all the tapes were wiped many years ago, so little evidence remains today of its content (mores the pity).

[Steve G]

Where did you find this Roburt?

[Roburt]

If you do a search (under his name) on the on-line Billboard Mag site, you get 20 / 30 entries about him & his show ..... also about the records he made (he had 45's out on Roulette & Imperial  -- mainly twist related) and he starred in a 'Twist' film alongside Chubby Checker.

But exact details on who the guests were on his show do not pop up there.

Do a general Google search and you get more info on him & the show, but still not all the 'show guest' details.

The show has its own Wiki page ..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clay_Cole_Show

I was interested in his TV show, especially after I found out that Skip Cunningham (Coral, 20th Century Fox recording artist) deputised for him when he went on holiday.

 

Coz of my interest I posted a thread on SDF as that has lots of 'old' US based members (who are a great source of info for 60's Philly, NY, LA, Detroit info .... as they were there back in the day). Got responses across there from folk who used to attend the live shows he staged at Pallisaides Park (NJ) and at Coney Island PLUS a guy there posted details of just about all the guests he had on the show (in the 60's). He had 6 / 7 live guests every show, so during the 60's years when the the show was running he must have had around 2000 guests appear (some being repeat performances by previous guests rather than it being 2000 different guests). Not all were soul related, loads of UK / US pop acts were also on. But a fair number of 'lesser known NY based' singers such as Dean Parrish were among those that got to appear more than once.

 

When Clay lost interest coz the rock acts started to take over from 67, he quit the show and another guy (can't recall his name at present) took over the presenting from him and it ran for a further period under the replacement MC's name.   

 

Cole passed away a few years back but not before a book about him & his career had been published. Maybe the guest listings for his TV show are detailed in that book ('Sh-Boom; The Explosion Of Rock & Roll' -- I ain't got it so can't be certain). 

Edited March 5, 2013 by Roburt

[Roburt]

On US Amazon you can 'Look Inside' his book -- though the most interesting pages can't be viewed there (there's chapters on the various incarnations of the TV show and even a chapter on the Apollo & one on Motown) ...... the index for the book is there in its entirity though and Dean Parrish's name isn't shown. 

Seems Dean was a guest on the show at least 3 times (who was on EVERY show isn't known anymore) ...... anyway Dean was on at least once in 65 and twice in 66). Some others of interest I didn't list above .... Dobie Gray was on twice in 65, Skip Cunningham actually performed in late November 65, Barbara Mason was on in 65 and Tamiko Jones in 67.

The Motown Special went out in April 67 and featured the 4 Tops, Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Isley Brothers, Chris Clark & R Dean Taylor.

The Wiki entry for the Clay Cole Show states that its Motown edition was historic (for US TV) as it was the 1st show to feature a full hour of all-black performers --- with Chris Clark & R D Taylor on there ..... yes, I'm sure.

As Dean Parrish isn't listed in the book index, it seems the full list of guests on the show isn't included in the book.

Edited March 6, 2013 by Roburt