"And now, Mr. Tambourine Man with 'The Byrds'" - Ed Sullivan flubbing his introduction to a performance by The Byrds
The Ed Sullivan Show Rock & Roll Classics Box Set DVD Review
By Jude Clement
The Ed Sullivan Show was a Sunday night mainstay on CBS for twenty-three years. Chances are television will never see anything like it again. Hosted by stiff, awkward Ed Sullivan, this was a variety show like no other. Acrobats, comedians, opera singers, Broadway stars, little Italian mice - audiences never quite knew who would be performing next. Many of these entertainers - plate spinners, performing seal trainers - have been lost to the ages. During its two decades on the air, however, the series played host to a virtual who's who of music greats, from Elvis Presley to The Beatles, The Beach Boys to Diana Ross & The Supremes. Now, many of these most memorable performances have been collected in The Ed Sullivan Show Rock & Roll Classics Box Set.
The set gathers twelve episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show Rock 'n' Roll Classics, a series narrated by Jay Thomas that once ran on VH-1. Each episode centers on a theme ("R&B Greats," "Groovy Sounds," "Great Groups"), and features performances by several different acts. Several of the episodes are augmented with archival footage and new interviews with stars such as Michelle Phillips and Robbie Robertson.
The set is literally a treasure-trove of goodies for music fans. All of the usual suspects are here - a generous helping of Motown, The Rolling Stones - but some of the real treats aren't seen quite as often. Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" practically smolders. The Friends of Distinction's "Grazin' in the Grass" is an exuberant piece of bubblegum pop. We've all seen numerous performances by The Mamas & The Papas, but the episode dedicated specifically to the group will have much fan appeal (they also pop up in two other episodes). Be sure to keep an eye out for Michelle Phillips nonchalantly eating a banana while performing "California Dreamin'" on the group's final Sullivan appearance before their acrimonious breakup.
Everything isn't exactly perfect. Stevie Wonder's performance of "For Once in my Life" is a bit lackluster. Sure, performances are included from The Beatles and Elvis, but not necessarily the ones we want to hear. ("Peace in the Valley"? I guess the rights to Elvis' other performances were a bit too rich.) Putting together a boxed set of classic Ed Sullivan musical performances without including The Doors is criminal. And an entire episode dedicated to the Lennon & McCartney Songbook? Surely a more exciting show could have been substituted for this one. All of these episodes could have comfortably fit on two discs, leaving room on the third disc for much more.
The episodes are also oddly edited. The exact same footage of Sullivan introducing James Brown is used no less than three times. Several of the performances feel truncated, as if the beginning or end has been snipped off. This may be to the nature of the release - episodes of a TV show rather than a simple compilation of musical performances. The episode running times are also inconsistent. Some run seventeen minutes, while others run twenty-one.
The twelve episodes included in this collection are housed on three discs. The discs are housed in an oversized plastic keepcase - two of the discs on a swinging arm and the third on the back cover.
The full motion menus are simple to navigate. Viewers can watch all of the episodes on a disc, can watch specific episodes, or watch individual performances.
Because of the nature of this release, readers may find it helpful to have a complete listing of the performers and their songs:
Disc 1
R&B Greats
The Ike and Tina Turner Revue "Proud Mary"
Stevie Wonder "Fingertips, Part 2"
James Brown "Please, Please", "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"
The Temptations "I Can't Get Next to You"
Legends of Soul
Stevie Wonder "For Once in my Life"
Marvin Gaye "Take This Heart of Mine"
The 5th Dimension "Up, Up and Away"
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles "I Second That Emotion"
Jackie Wilson "Lonely Teardrops"
Sounds of Cities
The Ike and Tina Turner Revue "Bold Soul Sister"
James Brown "It's a Man's, Man's World"
Gladys Knight & The Pips "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"
Sam & Dave "I Thank You"
Fabulous Females
The Supremes "You Can't Hurry Love"
Dusty Springfield "Son of a Preacher Man"
Gladys Knight & The Pips "If I Were Your Woman"
Janis Joplin "Raise Your Hand"
Diana Ross & The Supremes "Love Child"
Disc 2
Folk Rock
The Band "Up on Cripple Creek"
The Byrds "Turn, Turn, Turn"
Creedence Clearwater Revival "Down on the Corner"
The Lovin' Spoonful "Daydream"
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles "Abraham, Martin & John"
Groovy Sounds
Young Rascals "Groovin'"
The Turtles "Happy Together"
Young Rascals "Good Lovin'"
Spanky & Our Gang "Sunday Will Never be the Same"
The 5th Dimension "Stoned Soul Picnic"
Oliver "Good Morning Starshine"
The Beach Boys "Good Vibrations"
West Coast Rock
The Mamas & The Papas "California Dreaming"
The 5th Dimension "California Soul"
The Turtles "She'd Rather be with Me"
The Friends of Distinction "Grazin' in the Grass"
The Beach Boys "I Get Around"
The Mamas & The Papas
"Monday, Monday"
"Dedicated to the One I Love"
"Creeque Alley"
"Twelve Thirty"
"I Call Your Name"
"California Dreamin'"
Disc 3
The Bad Boys of Rock 'n' Roll
The Rolling Stones "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
The Animals "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
James Brown "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Feel Good"
Jerry Lee Lewis "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
Bo Diddley "Bo Diddley"
The Animals "Bring it on Home to Me"
Gone Too Soon
Janis Joplin "Maybe, Maybe, Maybe"
Elvis Presley "Peace in the Valley"
Buddy Holly "Oh Boy!"
The Mamas & The Papas "Words of Love"
Bobby Darin "Mack the Knife"
The Carpenters "We've Only Just Begun"
Lennon & McCartney Songbook
The Beatles "Ticket to Ride"
Bobby Rydell "World without Love"
Peter & Gordon "I Don't Want to See You Again"
Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas "Bad to Me"
Petula Clark "Fool on the Hill"
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles "Yesterday"
Great Groups
The Beatles "Help!"
The Bee Gees "Words"
The Byrds "Mr. Tambourine Man"
Four Tops "It's All in the Game"
The Temptations "My Girl", "I Know I'm Losing You"
Please note that the songs and artists here are not necessarily listed in the correct order. The artist list on the packaging does not match the order of the song list on the DVD menus, and those sometimes conflict with what is actually found in the shows.
