The Big T.N.T. Show (1966)

A motley assortment of music acts encompassing various genres such as folk, pop, and R&B perform live in concert at a Hollywood club in 1966. Ray Charles gets things off to a rip-roaring start with a spirited performance of "What'd I Say." Petula Clark impresses with a lovely and classy rendition of her big hit "Downtown." Bo Diddley lays down some thunderous earth-shaking beats as well as busts a few funky dance moves. The Lovin' Spoonful are quite charming with their one two punch of "Do You Believe in Magic?" -- the group hilariously flubs the intro to this song! -- and "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice." Joan Baez holds her own with a solid set; her inspired cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" stands out as a highlight (and, yep, that's none other than Phil Spector on piano). The Ronettes are a ball of infectious happy fire as they bring the house down with "Be My Baby" and a particularly dynamic version of "Shout." The Byrds score a bull's eye with their three songs, with "Mr. Tanbourine Man" proving to be the best and most memorable of the bunch. Country singer/songwriter Roger Miller makes an amiable impression as he performs a pleasing medley of "Dang Me," "Engine Engine #9," "King of the Road," and "England Swings." Things go a tad off track and get a bit too sober for comfort with Donovan's performance of four folk tunes, which to be charitable are pleasant enough. Fortunately, Ike and Tina Turner end the festivities on a rousing note with their ferociously thrilling closing act. Director Larry Peerce maintains a quick pace and astutely captures the vibrancy and excitement of the event. David McCallum makes for an acceptable host. Bob Boatman's sharp black and white cinematography provides a neat crisp look. The go-go dancers strut and shake their stuff with spirited abandon. A real blast from the past.

i have only seen the trailers to this movie and the T.A.M.I. show movie since i was about twelve yrs old--i remember that these were excellent concert films, with some all time world-class performances, especially by James brown, Ike and Tina, the stones, the beach boys, the byrds, Marvin Gaye, the supremes-and, as far as i can tell, all live performances, no lip-synchs!---try pulling that off w/ the divas of today-one of the reasons tom hanks' movie 'that thing you do' is so good, is that it perfectly portrays not only the look, but the feel and emotion of that era-a time when your peers wouldn't let you get away with lip-synching even if you had the nerve to try---everyone gave the best performance they could because they were inspired by, and wanted to impress, their fellow entertainers---these movies evidently are not available on video or disc---why not, and who has the rights to these movies so tied up that i cant even discover who actually owns them, much less if they will ever be released-someone is withholding on a gold mine ---could it be that legendary genius-wacko Phil spector? if anyone has any idea who or what owns these movies, please let me know, i will do what i can to get them to release these classics to video and DVD--i can be quite persuasive

So you've suffered through all those lousy rock movies from the 1950's through the beach party flicks of the 60's and you wonder, why couldn't anybody make a good movie about rock and roll? Well, here it is. The idea was straightforward--get rid of the clueless Hollywood producers and hire someone like Phil Spector to do the job. Junk those silly screenplays and actors from another generation and let the performers do what they do best--perform their music.The well-staged concert film features a wide variety of artists, all in fine form, performing in the exciting and fast-moving days between the Beatles' explosion onto the American scene and the full flowering of psychedelia. One highlight is Joan Baez stepping out of the folk music milieu and belting out a version of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" with Spector on piano. A favorite of mine is the Lovin' Spoonful romping through a couple of their hits. And if you aren't sure why Ike and Tina Turner are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, watch them here.The camera work and editing are surprisingly good considering the bulky equipment used back then and the scarcity of other rock concert films that had come before. This is a great nostalgic trip for those who remember those days For those who don't. it gives you an idea of what all the excitement was about.

Great performances to remind us that even Donovan, and Petula Clark, could send teenagers into hysterical screaming frenzies with their music. Nice sharp black-and-white photography by Larry Peerce. (And check out the knee-high white socks worn by Tina Turner's backup singers!)