Customer Reviews

Rock N Roll's Greatest Teen Idols

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been watching a series of DVDs produced in the UK by Quantum Leap - and distributed in US by MVD which consist of live performances recorded in the late 1980s (?) at the Lil' Darlin nightclub in Orlando. Some - like Mary Wells and the Shirelles - have been pretty good. The backing band did a nice job of recreating. The DVDs are usually short and have other acts filling in.

This volume is the BEST of the lot. It not only has the most performances - over 75 minutes! - but the most obscure artists. These are guys I haven't seen perform since - in most cases - the EARLY 60s!

Here are just some:

Ray Peteresen

Buddy Knox

Jack Scott

Tommy Sands (a BLONDE!)

Lenny Welch

Joey Dee

Troy Shondell!

Frankie Ford

Tommy Roe

They supplement these Lil' Darlin performances with footage from the 50s film "Rock Pretty Baby" with Frankie Lymon

And then as a bonus they list "Paul Anka - Lonely Boy" which is the fascinating 25 minute documentary made by the CBC in about 1957! The complete film is here!

This one is really interesting. I knew many of these artists when I was doing Record Hops in Trenton in 1960-62 and it's amazing to see them recorded more than 20 years later (and watching them nearly 40 years after their hits).

Quirky but definitely a must for those who remember late-50s, early-60s rock and roll!

Steve Ramm "Anything Phonographic"

If you are expecting a vintage collection of original 50s and 60s teen idol performances as I was, then avoid this DVD. Most of the content is poorly shot in the late 80s at a live club performance featuring a collection of aging 'idols' singing well past their primes. A few vintage clips from the early rock movie 'Rock Rock Rock', the best featuring Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, provides some redemption, as does a longer early retrospective of Paul Anka. For those who enjoy listening to inferior performances by once great recording stars, this collection is for you. Avoid disappointment and seek out other collections containing the vintage material we all love.

A bit of this , a bit of that, quality not so good, songs are great but some of them are not even complete, you can see the cut when they change songs, like the Buddy Knox second song is not complete, a couple of other also,

I have mixed feelings about this dvd the live concert was good but there was some black & white taped songs I think from one of the rock & roll movies of the late 50's. The songs were mixed some hits some not with artists singing other artists songs. If your looking for the teens greatest hits you won't find alot of them here. you might be disappointed as I was.

It was good to watch my teenage idols sing and dance. The dvd brought back lots a memory. I loved every minute of the show.

Watching this dvd simply made me sad. It's soooo true that, "You Can't Go Back". One "star" even came out on stage with his cane. You're best playing this dvd with your eyes closed.

I thought that most of these stars would be old videos of them, but some I have seen on PBS with a few exceptions such as Bobby Vee. The outstanding segment of this though is Paul Anka. It shows him performing songs, being interviewed in the early days up to performing at 20 years of age at the Cococabana.

This DVD is worth it for just this footage. It will give you many interesting facts about him as well as the screaming girl fans.