The Starliters First TV Performance - 1956

For those who like their music raw, it doesn't get much rawer than this! From August 1956, the Starliters make their first TV appearance on the program Amateur Hour. Although the blurb running across the video states that Joey Dee (that's Joey playing the sax) and The Starliters 1961 song "Peppermint Twist" made the Twist dance a national fad, that isn't entirely accurate. The Twist caught fire in 1960 after Chubby Checker released his version of Hank Ballard's earlier rendition of "The Twist." But it's certainly true that the Starliters' Peppermint Twist song kept the craze going, and also put the Peppermint Lounge on the map.

Joey Dee and the Starliters would feature different members as the band evolved over the ensuing years -- at one point even including the then unknown Jimi Hendrix as their guitarist -- but there's something about this raw early performance that I find particularly intriguing!

I've been unable to accurately identify all the members of the band shown in this clip. Aside from Dee on sax, the other members were POSSIBLY Tony Seragusa on upright bass, Tony Sciuto on drums, either John Yanick, Dave McLean or Vinnie Corrao on guitar, Ernie Cassini on trumpet and Ralph Fazio on accordion and vocals. If anyone has definitive info about the identity of the members (or the name of the song they're performing) please let me know and I'll update this.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• starliters
• starlighters
• star
• liters
• lighters
• live
• ted mack
• amateur hour
• tv
• television
• retro
• vintage
• classic
• 1956
• 1950s
• joey dee
• chubby checker
• hank ballard
• jimi hendrix
• peppermint
• twist
• lounge
• tony seragusa
• tony sciuto
• ernie cassini
• ralph fazio

[wfrdmorningguy]

Well.....I can tell you the guy singing and playing accordion is definitely Ralph Fazio.......I know this...because he's my dad. :)

[lstash]

Thank you for the info on the identity of the vocalist/accordionist, wfrdmorningguy. I've updated the info field to reflect this. When most of us think of rock 'n' roll the accordion isn't usually the first instrument to come to mind, but I must say your dad's use of the instrument lends an oddly enticing undercurrent to this song! Perhaps the best use of the accordion in rock 'n' roll to date. Well, the only use of accordion in rock 'n' roll, actually...

[harptone55]

GREAT!!!!!!!!!

[brucer12]

Stop the show and spank the monkey with good old original R&R---great clip!!THX Istash.

[MVillani1985]

Thanks for posting this, I thought the Peppermint Twist was what launched the Starliters into fame, I guess they were well established by then.

[jor99912]

Leads looks like LOUIE PRIMA. Sings like (BIG JOE TURNER). JOEY D wasn't born yet!

[daasvand]

Simply insane, in a good fashionable way, the best show I've seen in a while!!!

[thevidiotkid]

BTW-Bill haley was featuring the upright bass ride around at least as early as 1954. See the Y/T post of "Straight Jacket" .

Again, pure hokum even then.

[thevidiotkid]

If Bill Haley,Jimmy Cavello and the Houserockers and The Jodimars had a three way.THIS would be their progeny.

Typical Phila./Jersey Shore school of early RNR,high on hokum or mummery or both dooming it to oblivion compared to the R&B acts of the time and most of the post-Elvis groups.

Except for "Peppermint Twist" the recording of which was filled with the likes of NYC studio aces, NOTHING the Starliters did was even remotely listenable. Hunt down their Roulette output and judge for yourself.

[catfan]

@lstash The accordion was used by The Chuckes in the movie "The Girl Can't Help It" (1956) as well, and even in the '50s, Lawrence Welk would cover some of the rock tunes out there (and had Myron Floren on the accordion). Very cool video!!!

[thecountofbasie]

Awesome...thanks for this amazing oddity...

[SandySummers]

Loved it. I think it should have been a big hit. Loved seeing it on video. Thanks for sharing it.