"The Steve Allen Show" Excerpt

[TuberOnTheLoose]

The people suffering from old fogey-ism in those days loved to make fun of early rock and roll. Perhaps Steve should have quoted this classic poetry from the lyrics of one of the hits of his time:

"Abba dabba dabba dabba dabba dabba dabba" said the monkey to the chimp. "Abba dabba dabba dabba dabba dabba dabba" said the chimpee to the monk. All night long they chattered away. All day long they were happy and gay, swinging and swaying in a honky, tonky way.

[henrybird26]

I think the Steve Allen show was wonderful. Very talented

[gkprof1]

Steve Allen was brilliant. He crossed racial lines long before that was common, but that wouldn't mean anything to the ignorant young. Allen was a fine human being and an excellent comic with superb timing. He gave many artists their first shot at a national audience and he made millions of people laugh. Those who lack a sense of the joy of the English language would of course not appreciate the broad range of humor that Allen offered. I don't suppose they know what history is.

[onthegoldenline]

There's no tenor player cooler than Herb Hardesty.

[DavidMcKelway1]

ceira7: he brought on 'Fats' Domino, Jerry Lee Louis, etc, he was a great musician, and a seminal force in televison. You are the sf, reading lyrics of any early r&r song as poetry is a joke, and that's as intended. Try it yourself, do you feel emotional? Don't bother us with your sophmoric comments.

[nycwrtr]

@DavidMcKelway1 ceira is right... its a very unfunny joke... history has proved steve allen is a loser

[shsnj]

@nycwrtr Steve Allen was a loser? And I suppose the lyricists of trite 50s songs were towering creative figures of the last century. We are truly living in an era of cultural decline when people start thinking this way.

[jackoshaw]

Used to stay up and watch Steve Allen when I was a kid. Good TV Memories!

[ceira7]

This guy was a stupid fuck and all he's doing is showing how out of touch he truly was.Rock was about emotion put to music ,not prize winning poetry.What a f******g rotter!

[shsnj]

@ceira7 What a pathetic comment. It reveals that you have none of his creativity or intellect -- a complete lack of imagination.

[WSenator1]

This clip delights and surprises me - delights because I'm a great fan of both Steve Allen and Fats Domino, but surprised because I thought that SA hated rock n roll, and while FD was more R&B than R&R (note the intro Steve gave Fats), Fats being on the show was interesting.

[steevee1945]

@WSenator1 - SA, indeed, hated rock and roll, but he may not have made all the calls on who appeared on his show. His producers may have "encouraged" him to book acts that appealed to a wider/different audience in order to boost ratings.

[13loomisst]

Thanks very much for posting this. And thanks to MrC for pointing out Dave Bartholomew.

[MrCallipygous]

Also Fats' long time collaborator Dave Bartholomew on trumpet. I don't think he was normally in the band, but might have made a special appearance for national TV.

[MrCallipygous]

Sweet New Orleans sound, The great Herb Hardesty with the sax solos on Dreamboat. Also a nice job by the director getting everybody in. We even see Tenoo Coleman, the drummer, pounding away in split screen. Super clip!

[fromthesidelines]

When I said "the fall of '56', 'BigDaddy', that could mean anywhere from September through December. I didn't see the show (as I wasn't around then), so I'm not sure...it COULD be sometime in December...

[jaydee624]

Do you have any of steve allen as the sportscaster?He has one of the most hillarious laughs in show business.

[BigDaddy1968]

He could have been pressed for time, but that was an AWKWARD interaction btw Steve Allen & Fats. The handshake was even done BEHIND the Cashbox Certificate.

Wow!

Big Daddy

[comeacross9]

This segment is one of my favorite childhood memories. A truly funny and gifted man.

[fromthesidelines]

Actually, this is from one of Steve's hour-long "TONIGHT" shows in the fall of '56; because of the wear and tear of appearing on Sunday nights [beginning that June] at 8pm(et)- opposite Ed Sullivan- he began cutting back his late-night schedule to a hour, three nights a week {Ernie Kovacs filled in for him on Mondays and Tuesdays}. Steve's also seated at his familliar desk, which he rarely did on Sunday nights...

[BigDaddy1968]

How could this be in the fall of 1956? The award given to Fats Domino was for the YEAR 1956. Maybe Dec 56/Jan 57?

Big Daddy

He pays attention...

[chalomirof63]

What a great clip: Steve Allen and Fats! And gotta love that sax section! Thanks "bobbyfan64".

[Jantv81]

Does anyone know about when Steve went to Miami when Steve talked some US marines into staging a nightime landing on Miami Beach.

[VintageTechTV]

I don't believe that incident took place on The Steve Allen Show. It took place on TONIGHT!, placing it somewhere between September 1953 to January 1957.

[99thflooroi]

GREAT! Two of my fave tunes of Fats!

[muscles3929]

fats is one of the greatest ever