Sing Along With Mitch

A dark period in music

 

Depending on the year, you may have been watching

1960-61 Friday
77 Sunset Strip ABC
Route 66 CBS

1961-62 Thursday
The Untouchables ABC
CBS Reports

1962-63 Friday
The Flintstones/ I'm Dickens He's Fenster ABC
Route 66 CBS

In the final 1963-64 season now moved to Mondays, Mitch went up against Breaking Point (ABC) and East Side, West Side (CBS), 2 shows that only ran that season.

Why was Sing Along not on CBS, did Mitch not get along with Paley?

 

Mitch Miller was also a peacenik. He, along with Peter Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger and others lent there voices to the November 15, 1969 Moratorium To End the War in Vietnam, in Washington DC. Attracting an estimated 500,000 demonstrators, the event is recognized as the largest single anti-war protest in US history. Here's a 14 minute video clip (no sound). I think that's him at 1:22, exorting the crowd to Give Peace a Chance.

 

sure looks like him...thanks for posting that! as I said it's not the Holidays without his Sing Along With Mitch Holiday Christmas album!

 

Yeah, he was responsible for about 70% of the unloved LPs now collecting dust in Goodwills from coast to coast, but I guess those same LPs made Columbia lots of dough back in the day.

 

So what?

 

As head of A&R, he was looking at the bottom line and choosing royalty-free material to record, that's what.

 

Was the Christmas album the one with Mitch wearing a red sport coat? If so we had it.

 

And making Rosemary Clooney do country songs with harpsichord, and have Frank Sinatra record garbage

 

I'm no apologist for Mitch Miller's artistic decisions, but "Come On-A My House" is pretty darn cool, if ya ask me.

 

I agree. But then he tried to make it her gimmick.

 

Ray Manzarek liked it too.

 

I was always more of a "Hum Along With Herman" guy.

But seriously - I have vague memories of watching the show, but I remember the LPs pretty well. We had at least a half-dozen. Good clean fun!

 

Why does that not surprise me?

 

He's ok as a harmless beatnik who made harmless muzak but man I wish he'd have never been near Tony Bennett's records. He really did a number on those.

also don't forget:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Miller

In addition, Miller was also just as responsible for not pursuing certain artists and tunes. He disapproved of rock 'n' roll[5] - one of his contemporaries described his denunciation of it as "The Gettysburg Address of Music" - and passed not only on Elvis and Buddy Holly, who became stars on RCA and Decca respectively, but on The Beatles as well, creating a fortune in revenue for rival Capitol.[citation needed] Previously, Miller had offered Presley a contract, but balked at the amount Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was asking.

Good moves, Mitch!

 

I remember Mitch well, and the bouncing ball. He got plenty of airplay at our house, and I remember an album or two laying around as well. We also saw a lot of Perry Como and Andy Williams, and of course Lawrence Welk (loved those Lennon sisters, lol). Good, simple times.

 

here it is...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/listi...ooglePLA-_-Music-_-Q000000633-_-2688331584666

 

From the "Charlie Parker with Strings" sessions. The man was also a world-class Oboe and French Horn player.

 

Yes, 'The Flintstones', wasn't the tag line 'for those who don't know the words?'

 

No Mitch Miller in my house that I can remember, but then again I was only 3 when the show ended.