So, here is Peter's compilation of opening dates and lineups--with the exception of the 1965 shows, and the actual dates for December '64 and '66, which have yet to be confirmed.
December 29, 1960--The Clay Cole Christmas Show with Murray the K, Brooklyn Paramount: Ray Charles, Neil Sedaka, Dion, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Chubby Checker, the Drifters, the Shirelles, Bobby Vee, the Bluenotes, the Coasters, Jimmy Charles, Kathy Young, Dante and the Evergreens, Bobby Vinton.
[UPDATE 5/25/2010: Clay Cole himself (!!!--Ed.) just left a comment moments ago, noting that Brenda Lee, Johnny Burnette, Bo Diddley, and the Skyliners also performed.]
April 1, 1961--The Easter Parade of Stars with Clay Cole and Murray the K, Brooklyn Paramount: Dion, Chubby Checker, Ben E. King, the Shirelles, Bobby Rydell, Carla Thomas, Bobby Vee, Johnny Burnette, Jimmy Clanton, Maxine Brown, Freddy Cannon, the Marcels, Rosie, Del Shannon, Little Anthony & the Imperials, the Capris, the Isley Brothers, the Olympics, Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, Frank Gari, Andy Rose, Johnny Tillotson, Johnny Mathis, Chuck Jackson, the Landon Sisters, Bobby Bongard.
September 4, 1961--The Murray the K Labor Day Show of Stars, Brooklyn Paramount: Jackie Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Etta James, Clarence Henry, Brian Hyland, Ral Donner, the Cleftones, Linda Scott, the Belmonts, Bruce Bruno, the Chantels, Frank Gari, Curtis Lee, the Vibrations, the Regents, Tony Orlando.
December 28, 1961--Murray the K's Twist Party, Academy of Music: Joey Dee & the Starliters, the Vibrations, the Chantels, Bobby Vee, the Isley Brothers, Johnny Mathis, Dion, Bobby Lewis, Timi Yuro, Gary U.S. Bonds, the Belmonts, the Crystals, Jan & Dean.
September 8, 1962--Murray the K's Golden Gasser Show of Stars, Brooklyn Fox: The Shirelles, Chuck Jackson, the Four Seasons, the Ronettes, Bobby Vinton, the Capris, Mike Clifford, the Marvelettes, the Del-Satins, Tony Orlando, Little Eva, the Dovells, the Thornton Sisters, Tommy Roe, the Majors, Fabian.
December 27, 1962--Murray the K's Christmas Revue, Brooklyn Fox: Jackie Wilson, Joey Dee & the Starliters, the Shirelles, the Four Seasons, the Cookies, Mark Valentino, Sam & Bill, the Dovells, Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, the Ronettes, the Earls, Little Eva, the Crests (featuring James Ancrum on lead), Dionne Warwick, Johnny Thunder.
April 18, 1963--Murray the K's Show of Shows, Brooklyn Fox: Dion, Chuck Jackson, the Vibrations, the Dovells, the Orlons, Little Peggy March, Lou Christie, Dee Dee Sharp, the Coasters, the Harptones, Johnny Mathis, the Ronettes, Steve Alaimo.
September 4, 1963--Murray the K's Holiday Revue, Brooklyn Fox: Ben E. King, Little Stevie Wonder, the Drifters, the Miracles, the Tymes, the Chiffons, Randy & the Rainbows, the Angels, Jan & Dean, the Ronettes, Jay & the Americans, Gene Pitney, the Dovells, Dionne Warwick, Dick & Dee Dee.
December 30, 1963--Murray the K's Christmas Show, Brooklyn Fox: Lloyd Price, the Miracles, Mary Wells, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Martha & the Vandellas, the Duprees, Tommy Hunt, Jay & the Americans, Ruby & the Romantics, Tommy Roe, Dale & Grace, the Vibrations.
September 9, 1964--Murray the K's Big Holiday Show, Brooklyn Fox: Marvin Gaye, the Miracles, Martha & the Vandellas, the Supremes, the Contours, the Temptations, the Searchers, Dusty Springfield, Millie Small, Jay & the Americans, the Dovells, Little Anthony & the Imperials, the Shangri-Las, the Ronettes.
December XX, 1964--Murray the K's Christmas Show, Brooklyn Fox: Chuck Jackson, Ben E. King, the Drifters, the Shirelles, Dick & Dee Dee, the Shangri-Las, Patti LaBelle & the Bluebells, the Vibrations, Dionne Warwick, the Zombies, the Nashville Teens, the Hullabaloos.
April 11, 1966--Murray the K's Easter Show, Brooklyn Fox: Joe Tex, the Young Rascals, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Jay & the Americans, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Deon Jackson, the Shangri-Las, Patti LaBelle & the Bluebells, the Gentrys, the Royalettes.
December XX, 1966--Murray the K's Christmas Show, Brooklyn Fox: Peter & Gordon, Wilson Pickett, the Fortunes, the McCoys, the Moody Blues, the Toys, Lenny Welch, Cannibal & the Headhunters, the Vibrations, the Spinners, the O'Jays, the Bloodless Revolutionaries.
March 28, 1967--Murray the K's Music in the Fifth Dimension, RKO 58th Street Theater: Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Wilson Pickett, the Who, the Hardly-Worthit Players, Cream, the Blues Magoos, the Blues Project, Jim & Jean, the Mandala, the Chicago Loop, Phil Ochs, Simon & Garfunkel, the Young Rascals. [Smokey Robinson & the Miracles were also on the bill, but most accounts I've read said they failed to show.]
As a thank-you I sent Peter a few photos of Murray interviewing the Stones at WINS, taken by the aunt of one of my dearest friends, who was quite the Stones fan and all-around scenester back in the day--still is, actually. (She even appeared in the "they're so ugly that they're appealing" arrival newsreel, only she was the quiet girl standing beside the chick who made that statement.)
Peter returned that favor with a cool shot of Murray and the Stones at their JFK arrival press conference.
Speaking of Clay Cole...I just started reading his book, and though I've only gotten though the chapters on his very earliest years in showbiz, I can tell already it's gonna be one of the most fabulous, fascinating, and side-splittingly hilarious books on both rock & roll and TV that could ever possibly be written! Don't miss Tommy James' Me, the Mob, and the Music either--so fantastically unputdownable I finished it in about four hours, and I'm no Evelyn Wood graduate.
15 comments:
This is quite an amazing list. I had no idea that the Moody Blues made it over to "The States" so early.
An online source has a poster of the Brooklyn Fox show with the Moody Blues and The McCoys (etc) and a date of December 25, 1965 thru January 2, 1966. Since all the groups known to me existed in both 1965 and 66, I don't know how to take it (many "authentic" online posters are not authentic at all).
I do wonder who "The Bloodless Revolutionaries" might have been.
Beats the heck outta me--they certainly don't show up in the Garage Rock Database.
I hope this is not a duplicate comment. I was not sure if the other one took.
Clay Cole's book Sh-Boom! is a winner. And once you finish it, you will find yourself diving back in.
Did you know that there is an official petition to get Clay into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
http://www.jerseygirlssing.com/VoteClay.html
Go for it, everyone; he deserves the honor!
I was so happy to see a definitive list of artists, and filling in the missing blanks.
Since this will become the definitive list of artists, may I add other artists who were omitted from your Clay Cole Christmas Show rundown. Also appearing were Brenda Lee (I'm Sorry), Johnny Burnette (You're Sixteen), Bo Diddley (Say, Man) and the Skyliners (Since I Don't Have You).
Love your site, and all the memories. Keep on truckin' -- Clay Cole
It's an honor to be read by you Mr. Cole!!! Additions are duly noted.
For various reasons, I've spent today reliving my youth by researching whatever happened to my favorite DJs in NY. Murray the K was certainly one of them and I found your blog.
You don't seem to realize that "Peter A." is one of Murray the K's SONS ! I think his firstborn son. I'm glad he gave you the info about the Brooklyn Fox shows because I was trying to figure out which show(s) I attended as a pre-teen. I can't even remember HOW I got to Brooklyn (from Westchester County) but it was pilgrimage that wound up in the last row of the Fox theater and I do remember "Little" Stevie Wonder and the Temps. Thanks for helping me relive this time in my youth.
It's true, I had no idea Peter was Murray's son when he first contacted me--he was not forthcoming with that bit of info. I did later learn about his identity from another reader though.
i remember the christmas show at the academy of music. i was young and went to the first show at 11AM. it was fifty cents. dion, mathis, and b. vee were considered the headliners and only 1 would preform at each show. i remember the isley brothers singing shout with such outhful exhuberance that they all jumped into the orchestra pit and completed the song from there. a great memory
dutch henry
Thanks for the list. I remember in during Easter, 1965, I had to decide whether to go to Murray the K's Easter Show at the Brooklyn Fox or the Soupy Sales Easter Show at the NYC Paramount. I was only twelve,so I attended the Soupy Sales event. He had the Hollies, the Hullabaloos and Little Richard (with Jimmy James!!) on guitar. I have no recollection of seeing Hendrix, but Little Richard was quite a trip. Sandi Shaw was billed, but didn't make it due to visa troubles.
I went to quite a few shows starting when i was about 12 years old at the Brooklyn Fox with my older brother Sal, who was about 16. We took the bus to Jamaica and then the subway to Brooklyn. I still have the albums you received of the previous show if you got In before 12 noon. And I have 2 copies of the 45 rpm interview of the Beatles with Murry the K. Great times especially the Christmas show. I remember Little Stevie Wonder didn't want to stop singing and moved foward when he felt the curtain closing. They had to come get him because he started getting too close to the edge of the stage.
John T.
I was 17, took my girlfriend,Q5 bus to 168st. Jamaica subway in Jamaica(.10)and headed to the 1965 Murray the K's Christmas show at the Brooklyn Fox. Saw the Moody Blues (Go Now), Jerry & the Pacemakers, Chad & Jeremy and ????
I would also like to add Peter & Gordon and Kinks?& Zombies? to the '65 Brooklyn Fox Christmas Show
I went to many of these wonderful Murray the K shows at the Brooklyn Fox Theatre. I haven't seen them mentioned here but I know I saw the Who and Cream at the one of them. It was the first US gig for both of those bands in the mid '60s.
Doh! I see the Who and Cream are listed in the March 28, 1967 show.
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