I just learned from General Slocum, whose band Baby Flamehead did this killer version of the Action News theme, that this legendary theme song WE (ie, Philadelphians) grew up with was actually the theme for the syndicated Action News crew. In other words, what we thought was OUR MUSIC was, in fact, not. And same went for those in other Action News markets when Baby Flamehead toured and played that long-considered “regional” favorite in other regions! Shocking!
This reminds me, when I was a kid I thought all those Breakfast With The Beatles-type shows were cooked up by some huge Beatles fan in my backyard. A few years later I would learn this was not the case. The same went for all those Creature Double Feature-type shows on Saturday morning UHF television stations, right? On the other hand, I always knew Dr. Demento’s show was syndicated.
What musical treasures of your past actually were regional treasures and what treasures, did you later learn, were syndicated?
Joe Carcione, the Green Grocer, also on channel 6 in Philly.
He had an east coast accent and I could swear he was broadcasting from the Italian Market. I was crushed when I found out he was from San Francisco, and to this day, I have trust issues with syndicated produce show hosts.
Yeah, the day I learned that was a sad one, indeed.
When I was a little peeper, I thought a Minneapolis band called “The Lamplighters” were a national folk act. I later found out it was “The Limelighters” that appeared on The Tonight Show.
Still have a signed poster of The Lamplighters . . . and now know why they were all smiling so hard at me when they signed it.
I didn’t know that!
In my hometown we had a local cable company that gave over channel 2 to the local State University. They would play a show called “Video Concert Hall” on friday nights, that was my first exposure to musik videos. It was from this show that I first was exposed to the likes of the Police, Tim Curry, Sniff & the Tears & many others. My friends & I all watched it, and would compare notes at school about all of our favorite videos. A live video of the Who playing “Baba O’Riely” was amongst our faves.
Well, after doing a little intranet research, it turns out that this show was put out by the USA network & was nationally syndicated & considered the major precursor to MTV. Now, I’m wondering how the University got the rights to air this show?
Anyone else remember this show?
I only recently learned that Boston channel 56’s Creature Double Feature, one of the greatest Saturday afternoon time killers of my childhood, also (subsequently) was on in Philly. Any of you Phillyeans able to confirm?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m–ayWTBWi0
Yep, misterioso, we had Creature Double Feature, too. I wonder if we had the same sccccarrrrryyy host? I think a kids’ show that I actually got kicked off of during a commercial break, Romper Room, was also syndicated and had different regional hosts. Or maybe the tv studio in Philadelphia my Mom took me to was the one and only studio?
Romper Room was also on in Boston. I always figured it was national. (Always figured: like I was thinking about this when I was 5.)