For many fans coming of age in the ’60s, The T.A.M.I. Show was their first rock concert film. Filmed in front of an audience of shrieking teens at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on October 28 and 29, 1964, and released two months later in theaters, the black-and-white film featured many of the biggest American music stars of the day, as well as several newcomers from England. One of the great moments in rock cinema is the look on Mick Jagger’s face when he realizes that his band, then new to American audiences, was about to follow James Brown, who had just lived up to his nickname of Mr. Dynamite big time.
The film also included—all performing live—Chuck Berry, Motown stars Marvin Gaye, the Supremes and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, plus the Beach Boys, then at the height of their popularity. (The Beach Boys’ set was deleted from commercial releases of the film for many years.)
Related: The day The T.A.M.I. Show was filmed
A year later, The Big T.N.T. Show followed, featuring such new stars as the Byrds, Donovan and the Lovin’ Spoonful, established R&B greats Ray Charles and Ike & Tina Turner, country star Roger Miller, folk great Joan Baez and others. The T.A.M.I. Show made its DVD debut on Shout! Factory in 2009 and is now being released on Blu-ray, along with The Big TNT Show, on December 2, as part of the two-disc Blu-ray set T.A.M.I. Show/The Big T.N.T. Show Collector’s Edition, from Shout! Factory. (The Big T.N.T. Show will also be released as a standalone DVD on the same day.)
The set will contain all of the bonus features from the T.A.M.I. Show DVD, plus new interviews with The Big T.N.T. Show performers Petula Clark, Henry Diltz and John Sebastian, and a 36-page booklet featuring detailed essays by Don Waller, rare photos and memorabilia. Pre-order is available here.
Aside from the self-contained rock groups, all of the performers were backed by a band now known as the Wrecking Crew, famed for playing on the Phil Spector-produced hits, Beach Boys albums and much more, with future stars Glen Campbell and Leon Russell, among others. Fanita James, Jean King and future solo star Darlene Love, billed as the Blossoms, provided backing vocals.
Watch James Brown’s heart-stopping performance on The T.A.M.I. Show
The T.A.M.I. Show Performances
Jan and Dean
(Here They Come) From All Over The World
Chuck Berry
Johnny B. Goode
Maybellene
Gerry and the Pacemakers
Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying
It’s Gonna Be Alright
Chuck Berry
Nadine
Gerry and the Pacemakers
I Like It
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
That’s What Love Is Made Of
You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me
Mickey’s Monkey
Marvin Gaye
Stubborn Kind of Fellow
Pride and joy
Can I Get a Witness
Hitch Hike
Lesley Gore
Maybe I Know
You Don’t Own me
You Didn’t Look Around
Hey Now
It’s My Party
Judy’s Turn to Cry
Jan and Dean
The Little Old Lady From Pasadena
Sidewalk Surfin’
The Beach Boys
Surfin’ USA
I Get Around
Surfer Girl
Dance, Dance, Dance
Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas
Little Children
Bad to Me
I’ll Keep You Satisfied
From a Window
The Supremes
When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes
Run, Run, Run
Baby Love|
Where Did Our Love Go
The Barbarians
Hey Little Bird
James Brown and the Flames
Out of Sight
Prisoner of Love
Please, Please, Please
Night Train
The Rolling Stones
Around and Around
Off the Hook
Time Is On My Side
It’s All Over Now
I’m Alright
The Big T.N.T. Show Performances
David McCallum, emcee, conducting the orchestra
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (instrumental)
Ray Charles
What’d I Say
Petula Clark
Downtown
The Lovin’ Spoonful
Do You Believe In Magic
You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice
Bo Diddley
Hey Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Joan Baez
500 Miles
There But For Fortune
Ray Charles
Georgia On My Mind
Let The Good Times Roll
Joan Baez with Phil Spector
You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
The Ronettes
Be My Baby
Shout
Roger Miller
Dang Me
Engine Engine #9
King of the Road
England Swings
The Byrds
Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)
The Bells Of Rhymney
Mr. Tambourine Man
Petula Clark
You’re The One
My Love
Donovan
Universal Soldier
Summer Day Reflection Songs
Bert’s Blues
Sweet Joy
The Ike & Tina Turner Revue
Shake
A Fool In Love
It’s Gonna Work Out Fine
Please, Please, Please
Goodbye So Long
David McCallum, conducting the orchestra
1-2-3
1 Comment
I saw the TAMI show as a 13 year old in a downtown Los Angeles theatre back 1964. We were given big glossy 25 page booklet with photos of all the performers in the concert.
It was aired as a Saturday matinee showing for a very short time and then it was gone. I always had the impression that it was beamed in live with the concert
being shown across the country.
Electronivision gave it a sense of immediacy and realism that together with the shows’ pacing felt like authentic performances were taking place.
The electronivision technique gave it a vivid realism that made the performers seem to pop out from the screen. I went there because I was interested in the Stones but at the end felt that James Brown was by far the best performer.
All the performances were enjoyable especially to a 13 y.o., and I left the theatre dazzled by it all.
I wish I were able to keep the program booklet but lost it along the way. All the music was heard on the popular AM stations of the day so boredom never set in except for the appearances of the Barbarians and Jan and Dean (too square).
At the time it was one of the highlights
of my life.