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Julie Andrews, 1973
One of the prettiest songs of the 1960s, here is Julie Andrews performing Once Upon A Time on her final televised show. It is from a broadway hit back then, All American, and was originally sung by "Scarecrow" Ray Bolger.
Julie had taped this song months before it actually aired; she said that there was never enough time to include it in previous shows.
However, since ABC canceled her award-winning show (typical network stupidity), she made sure the song was included in the final episode. The song seemed to have special meaning to her, judging from her body language before and after the tape was presented. The Julie Andrews Hour has never been commercially released on video or DVD.
Spanky & Our Gang: Give A Damn (1968)
Give A Damn was a late '60s pop hit that was banned on many radio stations across the United States. It was considered too profane.
The subject matter in this song (the tendency of the privileged classes to ignore the plight of those in the ghetto'd class) is as appropriate today as it was then...with one twist: Many of us are now considered to be in the health-insurance industry's ghetto'd class.
At the end of this video is my own brief, personal commentary on the sleazy cartel known as the health-insurance industry, which profits off the denial of healthcare to people.
I hope that in my lifetime, this hated industry (WellPoint/Blue Cross, CIGNA, AETNA, UniversalHealth, Kaiser-Permanente, and all the others) can be extinguished, once and for all (Ran).
Bert Lahr, Bette Davis (1968)
Unlikely but brilliant pairing of 1960s superstars, Bert "Cowardly Lion" Lahr and Bette Davis, in a hilarious video from the Hollywood Palace.
The show was originally broadcast in color, but this clip is black-and-white.
Nancy Sinatra's Boots (1966)
Nancy Sinatra's early claim-to-fame was her song, These Boots Are Made For Walkin'.
What is striking about this clip is her absolute ease performing onstage, as well as the musical accompaniment (guitar and bass) in this version. "Live" music wasn't supposed to sound better than the original recording, but it kind of does in this video.
At the end, that's the late Robert Goulet greeting Nancy.
Frank Sinatra Jr. (1970)
If this guy's singing isn't easily mistaken for that of his father, I'll eat my hat...no wait, that's from an old commercial on another creepy site somewhere...
For some reason, Jr. never quite came close to the fame of his father. Can you imagine trying to overcome a shadow that big? Here he is singing, I Concentrate on You (originally in color).
The Association (1967)
The Association had a phenomenal string of hits in the mid- to late-1960s. This one, Never My Love, made it to the number 2 slot on the pop charts.
But wait...
According to Broadcast Media Inc., Never My Love is the second most played song of the 20th century. Two was a lucky number for this song.
We'll leave it up to you to discover the first most played song (opinion: yech-h-h-h...).
Rare 5th Dimension (1967)
We can't place the exact year this aired, but it is most likely the year this song (Go Where You Wnat to Go) came out, 1967, the same year the Mamas and Papas released it.
In this clip, the group is younger than in any of their television appearances we've seen. Billy Davis Jr. (in the white shirt) seems to be rather unsure of himself, with a deer-in-headlights expression on his face.
Although there isn't much choreography in this video, the song more than makes up for the unremarkable performance of the group.
Bobby Darin's Last TV Appearance (1973)
Back in 1973, Bobby Darin starred in an NBC television concert special, singing some of his past hits. The show was a relaxed, almost intimate portrayal of Bobby at his best.
Unfortunately, the show never aired. And Bobby died later that year.
This clip is from the show, which was briefly available on DVD awhile back, but is now out-of-print and difficult to find. The song is If I Were A Carpenter.
Green Hornet Promo with Bruce Lee (1966)
The Green Hornet was a short-lived TV series that aired between the fall of 1966 and summer of 1967. It aired for just 10 months.
Bruce Lee co-starred as Kato in this series. This clip is a very brief promo that Lee did for the show, shortly before it aired for the first time on ABC.
Almost 6 years to the day of this show leaving the air, Lee died of brain swelling, at the age of 32. As most people know, his son, Brandon Bruce Lee, died on the set of The Crow, at age 28.
Father and son are buried next to each other, in a Seattle cemetary.
Intermission at the Drive-In (1960)
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, the drive-in theater was the place to go for cheap entertainment, especially for families. Mom and dad could pack a freezer-chest full of pop, bags of chips, sandwiches, candy, and, of course, the kids, and head for the drive-in to watch a double-feature (kids seldom stayed awake for the second feature).
On warm summer nights, it was important to get inside before sunset, so that you'd get the best spot in the lot. The kids could then head for the playground, directly below the gigantic screen, and play until the first cartoon came on, which was their cue to run back to the car.
Here's a medley of spots that would run during intermission, the time between the two feature movies.
Henry Mancini, 1973 (Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet)
When Franco Zeffirelli's film, Romeo and Juliet, was released in 1968, it attained such fame that high schools across the country went on field trips so that students could see it. Often, what the students remembered most about the movie was the haunting Nino Rota soundtrack, especially the love theme.
Henry Mancini released a pop version of the song in the late 1960s, and it became an instant number one hit, achieving almost cult status for the younger generation, for years.
Here is a very rare television performance of that love theme. It was shown on the short-lived Julie Andrews Hour series, the very last show (Julie and Henry were best friends). Henry was Julie's only guest on that final episode. He died of pancreatic cancer in 1994.
Carpenters, 1974 (with 56 seconds of restored footage)
Imagine the shock of seeing recently aired pristine-quality footage (on PBS) of the Carpenters at the Boston Pops, with Arthur Fiedler, 1974. For decades, Carpenters fans have been content with blobby, grainy video of this show...and then PBS tempts us with this footage from its vaults...but only for about 56 seconds.
We happened to be channel surfing when we heard the announcement that the Carpenters would be featured. Here are Karen and Richard performing Close to You; the restored footage begins 30 seconds into the video and lasts for about 56 seconds.
Note: Sadly, lead guitarist Tony Peluso (who momentarily appears in the restored footage in the lower left corner of the video) died June 5, 2010. He was 60.
The Vogues: Five O'Clock World (1966)
Another talented group from the mid-1960s, The Vogues was one of those transitional singing quartets that appeared as the Pat Boone era was falling like lead, and The Beatles rock'n-roll era was quickly rising. It was a difficult time to be talented vocalists, because competing pop groups/bands dominated the period...and they didn't have to be good to be successful.
Here is a clip from the rare television series, Where the Action Is ("Oh baby come on, let me take you where the action is").
Bob Hope's Crack-Up (1954-5)
In 1954 (repeated in 1955), Bob Hope guest-hosted the long-lived TV show, This Is Your Life.
In this brief clip, Hope is looking back on the many friends and loves of Lassie...and he loses it when Lassie's old flame, Rudolph, comes out.
Herb Alpert's Spanish Flea (1966)
Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass frequently hosted The Hollywood Palace in the 1960s. They often played live, and the group was instrumentally tight, perfectly timed and executed.
This song, Spanish Flea, is perhaps more commonly known as the introductory tune for contestants on the old game show, The Dating Game.
Lana Cantrell (1967)
One of the great disappearing acts of the 1960s, Lana Cantrell originally hailed from Australia (she is currently a lawyer in New York). She was a self-taught vocalist, and from the looks and sound of it, an admirer of Barbra Streisand.
Here she is, in a rare television appearance, singing And We Were Lovers (theme from The Sand Pebbles).
The Five Americans, Western Union (1967/8)
Very rare (and poor quality) clip of a 1967 oldie, Western Union.
The group wasn't together for very long, breaking up in 1969. They have a website, The Five Americans; it appears that one member of the group, Norman Ezell (the tallest in the video clip, on the left), died in 2010. There was some pretty cool stuff in their store, including an autographed CD, but it appears they discontinued the store, also in 2010.
This clip is from an Upbeat show, and was filmed in Flordia.
5th Dimension, Paper Cup (1968)
Paper Cup was among the first of songs to reach the top 40 by The 5th Dimension. We're not sure what the lyrics mean, but they seem to be those of an insane person (or somebody on drugs?).
Although it made it to only the #34 spot, it's a memorable song. Notice in this clip the misstep of Florence LaRue when the group starts their dance to the music. Ah, live television.
This show usually originated from Cleveland Ohio, with host, Don Webster. Webster had a knack for finding soon-to-be superstars on his show, Upbeat. But he's most famous (to Clevelanders) as the good-natured weatherman on WEWS channel 5.
Carpenters, Merv Griffin (1981)
Merv Griffin introduces this song, Want You Back In My Life Again, by guest group, Carpenters (they preferred to not use "The" in front of their group's name).
Karen had already been struggling with anorexia for quite some time, and she appears gaunt and thin as a rail in this clip. But, as was the case up to the day she died, her voice retained its richness and warmth.
Also on this particular show was Karen's buddy, Olivia Newton-John. It appears to be the first time Merv had met both Karen and Richard.
Scarecrow and Dorothy, 24 years later (1963)
The Judy Garland Show aired for only 6 months, beginning in September 1963. Each show had a "tea for two" segment, during which Judy and her guest shared conversation and a (fake) cup of tea.
In October of that year, Judy had her Wizard of Oz co-star on the show, "Scarecrow" Ray Bolger. This was indeed a rare reunion for the two stars...and in hindsight, a touching one. Ray died in 1987 at age 83; Judy died in 1969 at age 47.
Here they are, singing If I Only Had a Brain.
Super Circus Live Blooper (1954)
Super Circus was an early 1950s kids' show which aired live on one of the networks.
This is an unbelievable blooper on many levels.
Notice the actions of all the men in this clip, especially the stage-hands who rush to the scene of the accident. None of them even gave the woman a sideways glance!
I especially liked the reaction of the ringmaster...nothing to see here folks. I was half expecting him to say, "She merely floated to the ground."
Right after this act, they let a 12-year old performer do her swing-thing on the same rickety contraption. The blatant disregard for safety back in those days, especially of a minor, was jaw-dropping.
Peter Pan, from 1955 and 1960, Mary Martin
In the 1950s and 1960s, one of the fondest childhood memories of boomers was the annual presentation of Peter Pan, starring Mary Martin (1913-1990), mother to Larry Hagman (I Dream of Jeannie; Dallas).
To the best of my knowledge, there are only two surviving copies of these broadcasts: kinescopes from 1955 (black and white) and 1960 (color).I've had copies of these shows for some time, and it finally dawned on my to share them here.
The color 1960 show is from a very rare and expensive GoodTimes DVD, released around 1999. GoodTimes eventually went bankrupt and lost licensing rights of the 1960 show. Nobody seems to know who–if anybody–owns the copyright to this show.
Here are five clips from the shows, in RealPlayer format only.
Video #1, Bedtime (1955 show)
The teleplay opens with the Darling children (John and Wendy) pretending to be their parents, dancing. Michael, the little boy, Nanna, the "dog nurse", and Liza, the maid, also make their appearances. Cyril Ritchard and Margalo Gillmore play the parents.
Video #2, Neverland (1955 show)
Peter sings about his home, Neverland, to Wendy, who was the first to discover Peter in the childrens' bedroom. In a previous secret visit, Peter had lost his shadow; he had returned to the bedroom to find it.
Video #3, I'm Flying (1960 show)
Probably the most famous scene and song in the teleplay, here is the entire I'm Flying sequence, where the children are sprinkled with fairy dust and learn the secret to flying.
Video #4, Neverland Orchestral (1960 show)
A delightful, colorful song and dance by the maid, Liza (Jacqueline Mayro), who was sprinkled with fairy dust by Michael, and learned the secrets of flying to Neverland. Liza dances with Neverland's kangaroo, tiger, and of course, the dancing trees.
Video #5, I Won't Grow Up (1960 show)
Another famous song sung by Peter and the Lost Boys of Neverland. The Lost Boys were those who were lost by their nannies. Ultimately, they all came to live with the Darling family.
Dave Clark Five (1960s)
On March 12, 2008, the Dave Clark Five was deservedly inducted into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sadly, just days before, the group's lead vocalist and keyboardist, Mike Smith (pictured), died of pneumonia.
The group was second only to the Beatles in record sales and popularity during the '60s. Their music and style were polished, friendly, upbeat, and just plain slick.
Here they are, singing Over and Over (quality of clip is only fair).
The 5th Dimension (1982)
Here is an extremely rare live performance of the group performing at Caesar's World in Atlantic City.
In 1982, when this concert was filmed, there were only three of the original members in the group. This clip, Up, Up and Away, is from a tape that was released in the 1980s. That tape is next to impossible to find; I did not know it even existed until recently, when a copy surfaced.
Promo: Bewitched, Love on a Rooftop, That Girl (1966-7)
Here is a rare television promo for shows that aired in the '66-7 fall season. The shows were: Bewitched, Love on a Rooftop, and That Girl.
The three famous women in this promo are Elizabeth Montgomery, Judy Carne (of Laugh-In fame), and Marlo Thomas. Nearly the entire cast of Bewitched is deceased, which is strange, as many of the cast members were not that old. Ted Bessell ("Donald!") died in the '90s at only age 61. And Peter Deuel, who played Judy Carne's husband, unceremoniously shot himself dead one evening in 1971, right after watching his own show (likely, Alias Smith and Jones).
The Mamas and the Papas (1966)
One of the most famous groups from the mid-60s, the Mamas and the Papas—their name inspired by a Hell's Angels member—remained a group for only about 2.5 years. Their fame was relatively brief, productive...and often troubled.
Here the group is singing a brief but pretty Beatles tune, Nowhere Man. Sadly, the only surviving member of the group is the long-haired blonde in this clip, Michelle Phillips.
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Preservation and sharing are RoadOde's purposes. This is a not-for-profit website dedicated to our remarkable television heritage...warts and all. We strive to bring the best quality possible, which is attained using state-of-the-art software that enhances picture and audio quality.
Do you have it?
RoadOde is seeking rare or privately filmed footage that can be shared with the world. Most visitors to the site are interested in Outtakes and Carpenters.
Did you attend a state-fair concert back in the '70s, when Richard and Karen were touring, and did you film it (preferably, transferred to video)?
Did you capture a famous person on film, perhaps somebody no longer with us?
If you have such footage, please contact me at the e-mail address shown under the Home tab, above. If your content is used on the site, you'll receive credit, an applicable link, and reimbursement of any shipping costs.
RoadOde is designed for high-speed connections only. If you are unable to view the videos here, and the tips in the left column do not help, it is your PC's configuration that is the problem.
While the content here celebrates the past, everything else celebrates today's technology in multimedia, high-speed access, and current hardware.
The copyrights of all video and music are owned by the respective artists and/or companies. Here, they are shared for educational enjoyment only.
Unfortunately, nearly all of the videos are not available commercially. Ran
Mamas and Papas (1966)
Awhile back, I put this group's version of Nowhere Man on the site, and it was the most downloaded clip on RoadOde. Obviously, the Mamas and the Papas are still well received.
In this clip from Hullabaloo, they sing California Dreamin'. Watch the lead male singer, Denny Doherty, eying the pigtailed dancer during the instrumental part...you can almost read his (dirty little) mind.
Trivia: Did you know that the Asian male dancer in this clip (one of the favorites on Hullabaloo), Patrick Adiarte, was the young Prince Chulalongkorn in the King and I and also appeared in seven episodes of MASH as Ho-Jon?
Fred Astaire (1951)
Fascinating clip of Fred Astaire, seemingly defying gravity in The Royal Wedding, a film which made its way into the public domain.
The trick was to have the entire room rotate, along with the camera in a fixed position, while Astaire danced, always at ground level. All of the furniture and accessories had to be in firmly fixed positions.
Petula Clark, Downtown (1965)
Hullabaloo was a mid-60s show which featured all the top hits and artists of the day. Each week, a different guest host introduced the acts; Petula Clark was one such host.
Here she is singing one of the biggest hits of 1965, a song that is still well known today, Downtown.
The Hollies (1965)
Early British invasion group from the mid-60s, The Hollies consistently had some of the catchiest pop music of that era. In hindsight, it is amazing how productive this group was, cranking out hundreds of songs, many of them still well-known today.
This song, Look Through Any Window, was their first record to place in the top 40.
Herman's Hermits (1965)
Another British invasion group from the mid-60s, 17-year old Peter Noone was lead vocalist. Noone's stage name was "Herman", named after a cartoon character that he supposedly resembled ("Sherman", from Peabody's Improbable History).
The group had a string of number one hits throughout the '60s, rivaling The Beatles in popularity. Guitarist Derek Leckenby, the one wearing the horn-rimmed glasses, died of cancer in 1994; he was 51.
Here they are, singing Can't You Hear My Heartbeat.
Jessica Savitch
On October 3, 1983, Jessica Savitch, one of the public's most trusted newswomen, appeared in a live news spot...under the influence of drugs (possibly cocaine). Most viewers didn't know that Ms. Savitch had a lifelong history of emotional tragedy and drug abuse.
This particular telecast was not archived by NBC; it is famous not only because it spelled the end of Ms. Savitch's career, but also because of its elusiveness, even on the Web.
Jessica Savitch is admired to this day for carving her place in the male-dominated broadcast news world. There were reasons for what happened to her that night. None of us should experience what she experienced in her very brief life. See the video in TubeTown.
One of the prettiest songs of the 1960s, here is Julie Andrews performing Once Upon A Time on her final televised show. It is from a broadway hit back then, All American, and was originally sung by "Scarecrow" Ray Bolger.
Give A Damn was a late '60s pop hit that was banned on many radio stations across the United States. It was considered too profane.
Unlikely but brilliant pairing of 1960s superstars, Bert "Cowardly Lion" Lahr and Bette Davis, in a hilarious video from the Hollywood Palace.
Nancy Sinatra's early claim-to-fame was her song, These Boots Are Made For Walkin'.
If this guy's singing isn't easily mistaken for that of his father, I'll eat my hat...no wait, that's from an old commercial on another creepy site somewhere...
The Association had a phenomenal string of hits in the mid- to late-1960s. This one, Never My Love, made it to the number 2 slot on the pop charts.
We can't place the exact year this aired, but it is most likely the year this song (Go Where You Wnat to Go) came out, 1967, the same year the Mamas and Papas released it.
Back in 1973, Bobby Darin starred in an NBC television concert special, singing some of his past hits. The show was a relaxed, almost intimate portrayal of Bobby at his best.
The Green Hornet was a short-lived TV series that aired between the fall of 1966 and summer of 1967. It aired for just 10 months.
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, the drive-in theater was the place to go for cheap entertainment, especially for families. Mom and dad could pack a freezer-chest full of pop, bags of chips, sandwiches, candy, and, of course, the kids, and head for the drive-in to watch a double-feature (kids seldom stayed awake for the second feature).
When Franco Zeffirelli's film, Romeo and Juliet, was released in 1968, it attained such fame that high schools across the country went on field trips so that students could see it. Often, what the students remembered most about the movie was the haunting Nino Rota soundtrack, especially the love theme.
Another talented group from the mid-1960s, The Vogues was one of those transitional singing quartets that appeared as the Pat Boone era was falling like lead, and The Beatles rock'n-roll era was quickly rising. It was a difficult time to be talented vocalists, because competing pop groups/bands dominated the period...and they didn't have to be good to be successful.
In 1954 (repeated in 1955), Bob Hope guest-hosted the long-lived TV show, This Is Your Life.
Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass frequently hosted The Hollywood Palace in the 1960s. They often played live, and the group was instrumentally tight, perfectly timed and executed.
One of the great disappearing acts of the 1960s, 
Very rare (and poor quality) clip of a 1967 oldie, Western Union.
Paper Cup was among the first of songs to reach the top 40 by The 5th Dimension. We're not sure what the lyrics mean, but they seem to be those of an insane person (or somebody on drugs?).
Merv Griffin introduces this song, Want You Back In My Life Again, by guest group, Carpenters (they preferred to not use "The" in front of their group's name).
The Judy Garland Show aired for only 6 months, beginning in September 1963. Each show had a "tea for two" segment, during which Judy and her guest shared conversation and a (fake) cup of tea.
Super Circus was an early 1950s kids' show which aired live on one of the networks.
Video #1, Bedtime (1955 show) 
Video #2, Neverland (1955 show) 
Video #3, I'm Flying (1960 show) 
Video #4, Neverland Orchestral (1960 show) 
Video #5, I Won't Grow Up (1960 show) 
On March 12, 2008, the Dave Clark Five was deservedly inducted into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sadly, just days before, the group's lead vocalist and keyboardist, Mike Smith (pictured), died of pneumonia.
Here is an extremely rare live performance of the group performing at Caesar's World in Atlantic City.
Here is a rare television promo for shows that aired in the '66-7 fall season. The shows were: Bewitched, Love on a Rooftop, and That Girl.
One of the most famous groups from the mid-60s, the Mamas and the Papas—their name inspired by a Hell's Angels member—remained a group for only about 2.5 years. Their fame was relatively brief, productive...and often troubled.
RoadOde is designed for high-speed connections only. If you are unable to view the videos here, and the tips in the left column do not help, it is your PC's configuration that is the problem.
Awhile back, I put this group's version of Nowhere Man on the site, and it was the most downloaded clip on RoadOde. Obviously, the Mamas and the Papas are still well received.
Fascinating clip of Fred Astaire, seemingly defying gravity in The Royal Wedding, a film which made its way into the public domain.
Hullabaloo was a mid-60s show which featured all the top hits and artists of the day. Each week, a different guest host introduced the acts; Petula Clark was one such host.
Early British invasion group from the mid-60s, The Hollies consistently had some of the catchiest pop music of that era. In hindsight, it is amazing how productive this group was, cranking out hundreds of songs, many of them still well-known today.
Another British invasion group from the mid-60s, 17-year old Peter Noone was lead vocalist. Noone's stage name was "Herman", named after a cartoon character that he supposedly resembled ("Sherman", from Peabody's Improbable History).
On October 3, 1983, Jessica Savitch, one of the public's most trusted newswomen, appeared in a live news spot...under the influence of drugs (possibly cocaine). Most viewers didn't know that Ms. Savitch had a lifelong history of emotional tragedy and drug abuse.
This particular telecast was not archived by NBC; it is famous not only because it spelled the end of Ms. Savitch's career, but also because of its elusiveness, even on the Web.