The !!!! Beat
The !!!! Beat is an American television program that aired in syndication for 26 episodes in 1966. It was hosted by the Nashville, Tennessee based disc jockey Bill "Hoss" Allen, and featured a house band led by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.[1] The show was recorded in color[1] at WFAA, the ABC affiliate in Dallas, which had color facilities, and recorded and syndicated episodes of the program.[2] At that time, none of the Nashville stations had color capability.[3][4]
| The !!!! Beat | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Music |
| Presented by | Bill "Hoss" Allen |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Release | |
| Original network | Syndication |
| Picture format | Color |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | 1966 – 1966 |
Guests included: Otis Redding, Little Milton, Esther Phillips, Joe Tex, Etta James, Lattimore Brown, Roscoe Shelton, Carla Thomas, Freddie King, Barbara Lynn, Johnny Taylor, The Radiants, Louis Jordan,[5] The Mighty Hannibal, Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, Robert Parker, Joe Simon, Mitty Collier, Jamo Thomas, Z. Z. Hill, Lou Rawls, Bobby Hebb, Willie Mitchell, Don Bryant, The Ovations, The Bar-Kays, Percy Sledge, Garnet Mimms, and Sam & Dave all appeared.[3] Some of the artists would also chart well into the 1970s.
DVD release
In 2005, Bear Family Records released all 26 episodes of the show (on six discs) on Region 1 DVD in the United States.[6]
References
- "WAII-TV Debuts An R&B Show". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 78 (21): 26. May 21, 1966. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Weingarten, Marc (2000). Station to Station: The History of Rock 'n' Roll on Television. Pocket Books. p. 138. ISBN 0-671-03444-8.
- Wilonsky, Robert (January 29, 2012). "For 26 Episodes in 1966, WFAA Played Host to the Funkiest, Most Soulful TV Show in America". Unfair Park. Dallas Observer. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
- Gilbert, Calvin (March 26, 2004). "Climbing Aboard Night Train to Nashville; Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit Chronicles Nashville's R&B Heritage". CMT News. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- | Louis Jordan Fish Fry |Historic Films Stock Footage Archive
- Various Artists, The !!!Beat; Volumes 1-6 (Bear Family Records DVD) Offbeat Magazine