Product Details

• Actors: David Steinberg, Chris Bokeno, Larry Hankin, Paul Reid Roman, Christopher Ross
• Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Unknown)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Mpi Home Video
• DVD Release Date: October 17, 2000
• Run Time: 45 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0788602136
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,783 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Music Scene - The Best of 1969-70" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A ratings disaster when it premiered on the ABC network on September 22, 1969 (and lasting a mere 16 weeks before cancellation), Music Scene now stands as a sublime time capsule of the "flower power" era. Although it was smartly conceived by the hipper-than-average producers of the controversial Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the show was riskily scheduled opposite ratings juggernauts Gunsmoke and Laugh-In, and its fate was sealed. Now, with the passage of decades, these shows display a laudable effort to lure serious rock music into the pop-cultural mainstream--there were few if any opportunities for these acts to gain prime-time TV exposure, so it wasn't unusual to find Janis Joplin, Sly & the Family Stone, or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young colliding on the guest list with bubble-gum pop stars like Bobby Sherman and MOR crooners like Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.

Struggling to bridge the generation gap, host comedian David Steinberg--with a group of five regular cohosts including Lily Tomlin and occasional guest hosts--is a well-chosen mouthpiece for Hollywood's anti-Nixon liberalism, able to distinguish the important (Joe Cocker, Richie Havens) from the ridiculous (the nonexistent Archies and their #1 hit "Sugar Sugar" are duly dismissed). This Volume 1 DVD offers four complete shows, combining sociopolitical comedy with a potpourri of music (either live or lip-synched) selected each week from Billboard magazine's Top 100 pop, rock, country, and soul charts. An additional 21 bonus performances are packed onto side B, along with Music Scene promo spots featuring the Rolling Stones. All in all, this may be one of the best DVDs to showcase nostalgic TV in a meaningful and entertaining way, by rescuing a short-lived series from oblivion to remind us of the very best (and not-so-best) that American pop culture had to offer during the height of the Vietnam War. --Jeff Shannon

From the Back Cover

Music Scene is a spectacular, one-of-a-kind program that originally aired on ABC-TV from 1969-1970. The show featured the most popular contemporary performers along with many varied musical legends. Hosted by comedian David Steinberg and special guests, Music Scene was based on Billboard magazine's hit record charts and offered exclusive live performances by virtually every major star from the rock, country, soul, folk, and pop genres.

Includes full-length, hit performances by: James Brown, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joe Cocker, Merle Haggard, Isaac Hayes, Richie Havens, Janis Joplin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Lulu, Roger Miller, Buck Owens, Charley Pride, Lou Rawls, Della Reese, Bobby Sherman, B.B. King, Sly & the Family Stone, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Everly Brothers, the Grass Roots, the Rascals, the Temptations, Three Dog Night, and many, many more!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hours of fun, December 4, 2000

By 

Icepick "sir-critic" (Castroville, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music Scene - The Best of 1969-70 (DVD)

Music Scene was a show that only lasted about four months, and from this disc it's easy to see why it failed. It was far too eclectic with each show having one pop act, one progressive rock act, one C&W act, one black act, etc. For the militant pop music fan of the day, the show would have made you endure three things you weren't interested in for every one you were. That being said, if your tastes are broad, there's lots of great stuff here. The show was tuned in to what was popular at that very time. It's not a bunch of bottom top-forty material. Still, some is memorable and some deserved to stay locked in the time capsule.

The show interjected comedy routines between the musical numbers and, man, are they lame. Most of them. The bit that Tommy Smothers does before "Okie From Muskogee" is priceless. The chapters stops on the DVD are set so that if you skip ahead a chapter you hit the beginning of a musical number rather than the comedy bit. So you can easily skip past all the comedy (recommended).

Some favorite numbers, including some unexpected surprises: CSNY, "Down By the River," with a great hippie guitar freak-out; an interesting medley by the Everlys showing they were still cool in 1969; Isaac Hayes with "Walk on By" from "Hot Buttered Soul; Jerry Lee Lewis; Little Richard; Paul Anka doing *his* song, "My Way"; Ten Years After; a gospel version of The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar"!?; The Temptations; some awesome performances by Sly & the Family Stone; Janis Joplin. There are from 40-50 numbers total.

The DVD has a clean, colorful picture. The sound was decent considering that most of the music was vocal-oriented. I listen through TV speakers, so if the sound is superior I don't really know. But it did seem that the instrumentals were muted for some numbers, e.g. "Walk on By."

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Cutting Edge of Wholesome Entertainment, April 20, 2005

By 

R. Epstein "asanisimasa" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music Scene - The Best of 1969-70 (DVD)

No doubt had I watched this series 35 years ago, I would have run out of the room when guests like Bobby Sherman or Steve Lawrence came on. And like many of the reviewers here, I would have questioned the intelligence of putting so many performers of different musical background all on one show. But I remember that Ed Sullivan's show had a similar mismatching of musical talent every week (not to mention puppet shows and ballet!). That was the sign of the times. The title of this show sums it all up: Music Scene. It is a terrific time capsule of the entire music scene of that era. It's all so innocent and unsophisticated to us now, but that's why most of the show is extremely enjoyable to watch. This show was right on the cusp of the next wave of television that was soon going to splinter into specialized programming. Previous to that, as we can see in this show, there was a lot of pressure to make sure that all the programming had something for everyone. I'm glad that it did splinter into programming that offered more intelligence and sophistication, but I'm also glad that there is this record of the America of decades past. One can appreciate how "radical" the sixties was on mainstream America when they see its musical extremes back-to-back. I think this series is a wonderful kaleidoscopic portrait of one of the most amazing times in our history, musically and culturally.

FEATURED PERFORMERS: James Brown, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Oliver, Three Dog Night, Tom Jones, The Rascals, The Dells, Roger Miller, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Bobby Sherman, The Music Scene Singers, Sly and the Family Stone, Merle Haggard, Pat Williams, Steve Lawrence, The Temptations, Jerry Lee Lewis, Smith, Ten Years After, Richie Havens, Janis Joplin, Isaac Hayes, The Archies, and special gusts hosts Tommy Smothers and Michael Cole (reciting Rod McKuen - aagh!). BONUS TRACKS: Mary Hopkin, Lou Rawls, Marva Whitney, Joe Cocker, Captain Ely. Tommy Rose, Spirit, Della Reese, Gary Puckett, The Grass Roots, Lulu, Edie Gourmet, Little Richard, BB King, Paul Anka, Charley Pride, Buffy Saint Marie, The Everly Brothers, 4 very brief (non-musical) promos by The Rolling Stones, and more "Sugar Sugar" than you could ever hope for (actually, I really enjoyed the gospel rendition!).

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic and Priceless!, June 23, 2005

By 

jazmaan (Santa Monica, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Music Scene - The Best of 1969-70 (DVD)

After reading the reviews here I wasn't expecting Volume 1 to be as great as it is! Sure there's lots of filler, but the gems are incredible! High points include:

Baby It's You - by one hit wonders "SMITH" featuring Gayle McCormick who sings the HECK out of the song. Maybe its because she knew that Janis Joplin would be following her on the same night?

World - James Brown sings about tolerance and understanding to a stage full of extras giving him the cold shoulder!

I Want To Take You Higher - Sly and the Family Stone tear this song up in a medley that includes "Don't Call Me Nigger Whitey!". Probably the first time that word ever got sung in prime time!

Down By The River - Crosby Stills Nash and Young rock out! Neil Young looks like a teenager! And he's sooooo good!

Walk On By - Isaac Hayes struts his ultra cool black stuff!

Maybe - Janis Joplin picks up the gauntlet thrown down by Gayle McCormick and does her one better!

I could go on and on. And don't forget this is a DOUBLE SIDED DVD, flip it over for an incredible rocking medley by The Everly Brothers (go figure?) which includes the Beatles "The End!". Other flip side highlights include James Brown's sexy protege Marva Whitney, B.B. King, Lulu, Joe Cocker, Little Richard and more!

By the way folks, these are mostly LIVE performances ( But I think the Temptations "I Can't Get Next To You" is lip-synched.)