'OH BOY!' SHOW # 26 (Compered by Tony Hall)
ABC CATALOGUE SHOW NUMBER 1. (of 13)
RESIDENT WEEKLY BAND & PERFORMERS:
Lord Rockingham's XI,
Red Price,
The Dallas Boys,
Neville Taylor & The Cutters,
Cherry Wainer,
The Vernons Girls.
THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL GUESTS:
Cliff Richard & The Drifters
Marion Ryan
Marty Wilde
Mike Preston
Vince Eager
A crucial showcase for Jack Good - as this was the first of 13 shows to be telerecorded for broadcast on ABC in the United States later in the year. On the requests of U.S. ABC television executives back in January, Jack had attempted to secure some big American names in seven short weeks to star in this first American broadcast of 7th March, but there was insufficient due to many major artists prior commitments. Jack had more success in the latter shows, when he netted big names like The Inkspots, 'Little Miss Dynamite’ Brenda Lee and Conway Twitty for broadcasts in April and May.
Denied access to American artists, Good marshalled the cream of British talent such as Cliff Richard and the Drifters, Marion Ryan and Marty Wilde to appear in this milestone broadcast. His intention was to make a big impact on the fresh American audiences by getting the best of the English rockers to perform their major hits in a fast paced action packed show.
A number of these American telerecordings are known to survive in private hands in the United States, including "Move It" among others, to introduce them to this huge new overseas audience. Time to clinch any deals for the first few weeks his first show, in which it is believed Cliff and the Drifters performed. If ever found this will become the earliest Cliff and the Drifters performance ever discovered on celluloid. To promote the series and ensure maximum publicity and exposure in the United States many photographs from this show were taken and sent out to the media in the USA.
Jack was a keen follower of true American rock ‘n’ roll and he was quick off the draw in flying to the USA again in early May to secure some big name artists for the new series of “Oh Boy!” envisaged to begin in mid September 1959. However when the new series did return its name was changed to “Boy Meets Girl” . More noticeably and to its detriment the genuine atmosphere of excitement was lost as the cast had to move from the live Hackney Empire to the sedate and reserved setting of Manchester’s ABC studios in Didsbury. Reviews of the new series said it had lost the excitement and edge so characteristic of the live “Oh Boy!" shows!
SEE ALSO:
“Where Have The Shows Gone?” page and the NME article “JACK GOOD SEEKS AMERICAN ROCKERS” from 23RD JANUARY in the JANUARY 1959 DIARIES for more details of the American “Oh Boy!" broadcasts.