| Author | Message | ||
  bee soul (bsoul) 1-Arriviste Username: bsoul Post Number: 10 Registered: 8-2004 Posted From: 152.163.100.74 |
Does anyone remember this show from the 1980's. I used to watch it almost every Saturday afternoon. In fact, some of the artist we discuss on this forum even appeared on it. This may blow some of you guys mind, I want to see if anyone of you remeber this. Sometime between 1980-1982 The Temptations(one of our favorite groups) appeared on the show with Dennis Edwards on lead. I remember seeing them singing Power on this show. However there were six Temptations lip syncing to the song. Can anyone guess who the sixth Temptation was. It was David Ruffin. I can't seem to find any info about this show being available on vhs or dvd. David Ruffin did not sing lead on this show (I don't even think he was acknowledge) He just dance and sing along with Melvin, Otis, Richard, Glenn, and Dennis. Can anyone recall this episode or any other episodes of Solid Gold that have featured some of our favorite soul artists? | ||
Dave Alan WQSR Baltimore (mediawatch) 1-Arriviste Username: mediawatch Post Number: 3 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 69.136.234.254 |
For a rundown of Solid Gold from 1980 to 1989 try http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/EpisodeGuideSummary/showid-2476/season-1  | ||
Dinelle (dinelle_watson) 5-Doyen Username: dinelle_watson Post Number: 302 Registered: 3-2004 Posted From: 65.6.72.218 |
I've heard of that TV show before. Andy Gibb was the host at one point before his death. But I haven't seen it before. It debuted a few years before I was born. | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 2399 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Solid Gold started off pretty well. After a few years though, it got too Pop heavy & somewhat derivative, IMO. It got to the point where I couldn't watch it anymore. | ||
Kevin Goins - KevGo (kevgo) 5-Doyen Username: kevgo Post Number: 178 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 64.33.151.219 |
The SOLID GOLD series originally started as a yearly TV special in 1979 and 1980 respectively. When both specials did very well in the ratings, Paramount Television went ahead and made the program a weekly series. Dionne Warwick was the show's host from 1980-81. She was replaced by Marilyn McCoo and Andy Gibb a year later. When Andy left the show in 1982 (his drug dependency forced Paramount to let him go) Rex Smith became the co-host. Except for one year when Dionne returned to the show (1985-86) Marilyn was the program's host. What I loved about SOLID GOLD was that the program had almost every hot recording artist on the show every week from Prince to Whitney Houston, ABC (performing "The Look Of Love" in '82 and "How To Be A Millionaire" in '86) to Vanity 6. What I HATED was that almost every act lip-synched on the show although there were some nice live moments (the Commodores' 1980 appearance promoting the "Heroes" album and singing live with Dionne). As for the Temptations' appearance on the show it was during the release of the "Reunion" album. They lip-synched "Just My Imagination" with David Ruffin mouthing Paul Williams' classic line "...every night, on my knees I pray..." Kevin Goins - KevGo | ||
Morgan (leeway) 3-Pundit Username: leeway Post Number: 58 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 209.104.139.161 |
Kevin, I can't believe you brought up ABC!! Did you happen to see them on Bands Reunited?? they really were one of my favorite bands from the eighties.... "When Smokey Sings" was the bomb!!! | ||
Shawn1 (shawn1b) 5-Doyen Username: shawn1b Post Number: 171 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.30.13.211 |
Solid Gold was a very good show while Dionne was it's host .To me Marilyn just couldn't replace Dionne and I hated to hear Marilyn to try to sing others songs .That must have been one of the shows I missed with The Temps .Shawn | ||
Vickie (vickie) 4-Laureate Username: vickie Post Number: 105 Registered: 3-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
That was a great show, I have a bunch of video tapes from that show around here somewhere....my fave Oliva Newton John was on often as she was great friends with Andy...I have the tapes of those episodes and some of my other faves from that era..Madonna, Culture Club, Cindy Lauper... gotta love the 80's bad make up and hair.... | ||
Don (don) 6-Zenith Username: don Post Number: 896 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.75.188.166 |
The show got boring when I started seeing the same artist over& over again. Then it seemed that they couldn't find anyone. I think the last 5-6 yrs (maybe more) of the show got to be tired and really lame. | ||
Kevin Goins - KevGo (kevgo) 5-Doyen Username: kevgo Post Number: 181 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 64.33.204.21 |
Morgan: As Don mentioned, SOLID GOLD seemed to have the same guests on the show throughout its run. The UK's ABC was one of those acts and like you I was (and still am) a fan of their work, especially their early years (when they were emulating the Motown acts with their wardrobe!). The group appeared on the show performing the following tunes: "The Look Of Love" (1982) "Poison Arrow" (1982) "That Was Then, This Is Now" (1983) "How To Be A Millionaire" (late 1985) Kevin Goins - KevGo | ||
Don (don) 6-Zenith Username: don Post Number: 897 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.75.185.165 |
Hello to KevGo from Don.... | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 5-Doyen Username: dvdmike Post Number: 383 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.208.234.85 |
When Dionne left the show and Marilyn became host, Dionne stated that she was very disappointed that Marilyn allowed herself to become a subserviant. Dionne has always been a very strong willed person and Bacharach and David always asked for her input whenever they presented songs to her. She was supposed to record a duet album with Marvin Gaye, but during the selecting of songs process, Marvin backed out saying that Dionne was "too strong." | ||
Reese (reese) 5-Doyen Username: reese Post Number: 190 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 204.152.12.209 |
I used to watch SOLID GOLD every week. It was that show that really converted me into a Dionne fan. Seeing her on a tv week after week is a pleasant memory for me. Plus she ws on of those artists that didn't seem to have trouble duetting with anyone. When she was replaced in 1981, I didn't like the show as much. And even though I was glad to see her return in 1984, it still wasn't quite the same. | ||
soulseeker (soulseeker) 4-Laureate Username: soulseeker Post Number: 139 Registered: 7-2004 Posted From: 192.94.3.10 |
Yeah it was great in the beginning with Dionne. I actually liked Marilyn McCoo too. But somewhere along the line it got corny. | ||
Gil (gil) 4-Laureate Username: gil Post Number: 138 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 68.223.16.3 |
Yep, everyone watched Solid Gold on the weekends when I was a kid. I remember the episode that Debbie Harry hosted. She actually SANG "The Tide is High" to a backing track. I always enjoyed the weekend music shows most when someone would sing live. It was a rarity then. Nowadays, I wish most acts would lip-synch! | ||
Lady Mystique (ladymystique) 6-Zenith Username: ladymystique Post Number: 694 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 216.37.254.198 |
LOVED Solid Gold...I think most of the acts on this show lip-synched. Dionne, Marilyn, and Andy Gibb are three hosts I remember. I used to wish that I could be a dancer on this show. By the time I was old enough, it was off the air! LOL American Bandstand, Soul Train, and this show I would watch every weekend. THEN I went out to play!  | ||
DavidS91 (davids91) 1-Arriviste Username: davids91 Post Number: 9 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 205.188.116.138 |
I got my first job out of college on Solid Gold. During the first 2 seasons I was a production assistant. For the first year I ran errands (working 80-hour weeks at $ 175/week with no overtime) and the second year I worked on the scripts as a typist (this was before computers). In the later years of the series I was promoted to musical coordinator for a season (this was the season that Rick Dees was the host, so there was no conducting of musicians), and supervised some of the recording dates. Some memories... During a recording session I was supervising Barry Manilow turned to me and asked me how I was going to mix the song he had just recorded (when they sang live, they pre-recorded the instruments). I'm standing there at the recording console and I swear, my first thought was to turn and see who he was talking to... it was a little beyond my comprehension that he was actually talking to me in the capacity of music supervisor... (I may have had a little confidence when editing music for the dancers to dance to, but supervising Barry Manilow's session was another story)! Most of the artists lipsynched on the show, but it sure was a thrill to meet them. When Smokey Robinson came on the show, his personal hair stylist was also the hairdresser on the show and told Smokey how much I was looking forward to meeting him (I'd say I was a huge Smokey Robinson fan, but that's an understatement). Anyway, the day Smokey came on Solid Gold he came looking for me to meet me! I was 23 years old and nearly S**t in my pants when I see Smokey coming up to me saying, "You're the guy I've got to meet." It is one of my absolute favorite memories. I spent about 20 minutes in Smokey's dressing room talking about things and he truly made me feel like I was special and he felt good to meet me! Damn, that was something. He and Claudette autographed my "Hi, We're the Miracles album." I have a picture of me taken with Chuck Berry during this period. He said he'd take a picture with me if I took one of him with Helene (who was one of the dancers). Of course, I blinked during the picture (figures), but I still have the shot in my album somewhere... Rick James yelled at me once. As I said, my job on the show the second year was to type the song lyrics into a script. Came the time for Rick James and his band to lipsynch their song, I got an urgent summons to go to Rick James' dressing room. He was having cue cards made and he said the lyrics I typed up were wrong. So I go into his dressing room and he is pretty steamed. He tells me the lyrics are wrong and I'd better fix it. I ask him which lyrics I messed up and he says that's my job and I'd better just fix it! So, I'm kind of freaked out since they're about to perform, I'm holding up production, and I don't know what I did wrong in my lyrics. Luckily one of his band members took pity on me and went up to our offices to try and figure out the problem. Turns out my lyrics were right, but that Rick had been singing different lyrics to the song in concert. Since he was lipsynching, his band member agreed that he's have to sing them like the record, and he went out and performed... Dionne loved a certain chicken place (I forget the name) in Los Angeles. When she wanted chicken, that was the only place she'd be happy with. I remember making a lot of trips to that place for chicken for Dionne. Speaking of Dionne, she was extraordinary. Everytime she sang any song she made it her own and it sounded like she was the person who had made it a hit. It was pretty incredible to listen to her sing. She never lip-synched on the show her solos and she sang them live and they were just incredible. I remember one time she sang "Do You Know The Way to San Jose" and she forgot the lyrics. She cracked herself up that she messed up the lyrics. That same show (the one where the Commodores hosted) I can remember one of the Commodores getting friendly with a Solid Gold Dancer and Lionel Richie grabbing his arm and saying, "Come on back to the Commodores..." Anyway, it was a great experience working on the show, and it's great to be able to share some of the memories... | ||
DavidS91 (davids91) 1-Arriviste Username: davids91 Post Number: 10 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 205.188.116.138 |
One more thing... Darlene Love was one of Dionne's backup singers during the first season! | ||
1wicked (1wicked) 5-Doyen Username: 1wicked Post Number: 294 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.126.64.72 |
The only reason to watch Solid Gold was...Darcel Wynne !! | ||
Morgan (leeway) 3-Pundit Username: leeway Post Number: 60 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.41.236.206 |
Great | ||
Gil (gil) 4-Laureate Username: gil Post Number: 140 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 68.223.16.3 |
Great stories, DavidS!! I wish I could have lived them! | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 5-Doyen Username: dvdmike Post Number: 384 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.208.234.85 |
Darcel Wynne was and still is married to ex-Tempt Glenn Leonard. | ||
DavidS91 (davids91) 2-Debutant Username: davids91 Post Number: 11 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 205.188.116.138 |
Darcel was terrific. She's a very friendly and extremely nice person. I haven't seen her in over 15 years but have nothing but fond memories of her. | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 5-Doyen Username: dvdmike Post Number: 386 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.208.234.85 |
She and Glenn both became evangelists | ||
soulseeker (soulseeker) 4-Laureate Username: soulseeker Post Number: 144 Registered: 7-2004 Posted From: 192.94.3.10 |
Davids91 that was great. Did Dionne send you to Golden Bird, LOL! | ||
DavidS91 (davids91) 2-Debutant Username: davids91 Post Number: 13 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 205.188.116.138 |
I don't remember the name of the place, although it might have been... the place was not a fancy chicken place, it was a take-out place that she really liked. This brings to mind another story... one day I was brought into Dionne's dressing room to take her lunch order. She said she wanted chicken soup, so I turned to her and said, "Campbells?" Mainly because it was the only chicken soup I had ever had and that was the only choice that came to mind. Dionne looked at me a bit confused and said, "Sure..." When I left the room I was told by our talent assistant that we should get her a more home-made style chicken soup (I believe I wound up going to Cantors on Fairfax). I'll just always remember her slightly confused face when I asked her that question! I know it's not that interesting a story, but it's the kind of memory that sticks with you... | ||
SDF (handsome) 6-Zenith Username: handsome Post Number: 527 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 170.118.158.14 |
Hi All. I remember this show well. I liked how Dionne always talked briefly & sang (dueted) with one of the musical guests (of her choice, I assume). 2 artists that stick out in my mind are: Aretha Franklin-I Say A Little Prayer For You Angela Winbush-You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My heart) They sounded good! Handsome | ||
Lady Mystique (ladymystique) 6-Zenith Username: ladymystique Post Number: 710 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 216.37.254.198 |
Great stoies David! Man, I wish I was in your shoes for a moment...the good and the bad! | ||
DavidS91 (davids91) 2-Debutant Username: davids91 Post Number: 14 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
Thanks Lady Mystique. It was quite an experience working on Solid Gold. I worked so hard on that show the first season (upwards of 80 hours a week), that at the end of the season I got sick for three weeks! But the contacts and friends I made on that show have lasted for over 20 years. One of my best friends to this day was the guy who had the same job as I did as a production assistant the first year of the show (there were two of us who ran the errands). And some of the people I met on that show are still business contacts who I sometimes work with. | ||
Stranger56 (stranger56) 3-Pundit Username: stranger56 Post Number: 38 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.186.184.6 |
David, Do you have any memories of when Frank Sinatra was on Solid Gold, with Dionne? I have that show on tape and I remember Frank and Dionne doing a duet of You and Me (We Wanted It All). Just wonderful!! I also remember Frank introducing Joe Piscopo, and Joe coming out as Frank, and doing his "Frank sings Rock & Roll" shtick. I'd love to hear any memories you have of that show. Jim | ||
DavidS91 (davids91) 2-Debutant Username: davids91 Post Number: 16 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
Are you sure that Frank Sinatra was on the show with Dionne? I know that Frank Sinatra, Jr. was on the show, but I don't remember Frank Sinatra being on the show. If he was, it must have been when Dionne came back later in the run of the show and I was no longer working there. | ||
bigdaddyg2k4 (bigdaddyg2k4) 4-Laureate Username: bigdaddyg2k4 Post Number: 89 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 205.138.55.124 |
Great story David! You sharing us your experiences at Solid Gold gave us a behind-the-scenes perspective up close and personal is amazing and priceless. Me and my big sis made it a ritual watching the show every weekend since it debuted as "Solid Gold '79" (if I'm not mistaken, Dionne and Glen Campbell hosted those episodes together, didn't they?) and it was the original "MUST SEE TV". We appreciate you telling us your stories in your years of being in the presence of our favorite stars. That story of you being yelled at by Rick James (R.I.P.) cracked me up for real! It's just another example I guess of egos being in full effect as a major star in Hollywood. Some things never change with the stars doesn't it? It would be a treat if all episodes of Solid Gold were on DVD! All of the classic shows (such as Sanford & Son and Good Times to name a few) are available on DVD, why not Solid Gold? Add to that, throw in also American Bandstand and Soul Train, and we got ourselves a collection for the ages (besides the just-released Star Wars trilogy on disc, of course); but I guess due to publishing/royalty limitations and the hundreds of stars that appeared on the show needing permission for their performances to be released along with negotiations/compromises up the wazoo, that will probably never happen, or will it? Also, thanx 2 our resident music hound KevGo for the lowdown on the classic show. Your expanded musical knowledge and experience always seems to amaze us every time, bro. | ||
Stranger56 (stranger56) 3-Pundit Username: stranger56 Post Number: 39 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.186.184.6 |
Yes, Sinatra was definitely on the show. I will get the air date for you. It had to be mid 80's sometime. I have a tape of the show. Jim | ||
DavidS91 (davids91) 2-Debutant Username: davids91 Post Number: 18 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
Dionne came back to the show later in its run, and I wasn't working there during that time. That must have been when Frank Sinatra was on the show! That sounds like some duet to me! |
