The Big T.N.T. Show[DVD]

My apprehensions vanished when I went right through performer by performer without let up. The goldmine here is the rare live performances of original Byrd and Lovin' Spoonful groups though they are not the stand-outs. Others here, Roger Miller, for one stand out as uniquely talented who quickly shrugs off a rousing performance to delight with his professionalism. Joan Baez transcends her usual material like "500 Miles" by sharing piano with the reclusive Phil Spector to belt out "You've lost that loving feeling." Ray Charles and his orchestra dazzles with a rousing "Let the good times roll." And then Bo Diddley descends a stairwell to join his band featuring a female guitarist in a mesmeric performance topped with fancy dance moves not lost on the mostly white-bread audience. All these acts are performing on the soon to be "Hullabaloo" sound stage with some of the dancers from The TAMI Show. It was fabulous to see Ronnie (Spector( and the Ronettes in live performance. But the highlight of this show is Ike and Tiner Revue. It is hard to recognize the much later Tina Turner with her curls a-twirl and everything else she had, dance moves, vocal chops superior to even the James Brown material "Please, please, please, please.". But it is a standout performance. The TAMI Show is exhibit A that proves white audiences loved soul music and I present The Big TNT Show as exhibit B, and white kids can dance here. The only awkward moments occurred when a relatively unknown Donovan made his appearance and then he recited some of his poetry that foreshadows his future greatness. Petula Clark pops in and out doing her hits with confidence and an "I'm married, you see" air, coiffed just so throughout. She is another vocalist who in a few years resisted doing her hits. The host, David McCallum, teen idol at the time shows his arrangement flair for the opening and closing numbers and conducts accordingly. For replay, which happens a lot, I cue up Tina Turner or Bo Diddley. This has been hidden for too long.

So glad to see a legit copy of this out on DVD finally. You can find clips of this on YouTube, but the quality is terrible. This is a pretty decent and clear transfer. The Byrds and Lovin Spoonful performances are worth the price alone, but you get Bo Dudley, Tina Turner, and Ray Charles as well, (not to mention a momentary glimpse of Zappa as a not-so-incognito audience member). Great companion to the TAMI show.

"The Big T.N.T. Show" is generally dismissed in comparison with "The T.A.M.I. Show". Truth be told the latter was pretty much an average affair with two electric performances by James Brown and the Rolling Stones. I didn't count a single bad performance in the film. The two standouts are the Byrds and Ray Charles but their efforts don't transcend Brown and Jagger and the boys. Ike and Tina Turner were adequate but oddly restrained. I would like to know who dressed Tina in the unflattering burlap sack dress that made her look like a Russian peasant. The air is let out of the tires somewhat by the somber folk styling of Joan Baez and particularly Donovan. The look on the faces of the dumbfounded kids in the Hollywood audience as Donovan warbles "Universal Soldier" is worth the price of admission. In fairness to Joan her version of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" accompanied by Phil Spector on piano was intriguing. Too much criticism directed against this film is for what it isn't but not enough praise for what it is which is fine entertainment and a decent approximation of pop music in 1965.

Have been waiting years for this and delighted to have it but very disappointed it was Region 1 only ..if Ed Sullivan's can be all regions why not this?Luckily I have a portable Region 1 player here n the UK so was able to see it..excellent quality and as a Petula Clark fan so great to see her live performances of her two American number 1's "Downtown "and "My love"and also "You're the one" which she co-wrote and was a Top 5 American hit for the Vogues. Petula is also interviewed about the concert on the extras.Enjoyed all the other legendary performers too especially the Byrds ,Donovan and Ray Charles

I like the show, but it is not as raw or "teenage" as "The TAMI Show." TNT Show is very scripted, very professional, but the kids in the audience are very much less active than the audience at TAMI.

Always meant to pick this up and the price was righteous. Being a huge Spoonful fan I was real happy to get two songs from them. Byrds were a little ragged but that's the norm for them in that period. Great to see/hear Pet Clark belt a few tunes with first class backup musicians. No "Tami Show" but worthwhile none the less.

Wow. Wish I'd been in Santa Monica at that time to witness history!! Rock concerts filmed for movie theaters! What a concept at the time. Filmed record of historic music acts before everyday common videos so prolific today. A true gem. A must see. Don't miss the TAMI SHOW also a film produced at the time with equal quality and acts!!

4 rating because it's mono as it would be back then in that era. BUT, I saw this on YouTube and the DVD sounds way better then on YouTube. Not as harsh sounding. I think it's a very good DVD with regards to sound and video.

A fantastic journey of music. If you bought this dvd, make sure to also buy "Tami Show". You will not regret it.

国内プレイヤー視聴不可Region Code: 1 (US, Canada...)

I loved it it was just the way I remember when I watched in the theater back in 1961 it brought back a whole lot of memories for me

Good follow up to the Tami Show 2 years earlier - enjoyed the audience shots and wide variety of talent - a great 60's time capsule.

A great overview of artists and tunes.