Bandstand Boogie by Mark49

Mark49 - Bandstand Boogie

Mark49

Nov 09, 2025 06:56am

American Bandstand is an American music and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bandstand#cite_note-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[1]</a> It was hosted and produced by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Clark" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Dick Clark</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bandstand#cite_note-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[2]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bandstand#cite_note-:1-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[3]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bandstand#cite_note-:2-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[4]</a> who served as the show's primary presenter for over three decades.The program featured teenagers dancing to popular songs from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_40" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Top 40</a> charts.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bandstand#cite_note-:4-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[5]</a> It was originally broadcast from Philadelphia,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bandstand#cite_note-:4-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[5]</a> where it remained from its debut in 1952 until relocating to Los Angeles in 1963.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bandstand#cite_note-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[6]</a>During its run, a wide range of musical acts appeared on the show, generally <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip-sync" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">lip-syncing</a> to one of their latest singles.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bandstand#cite_note-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[7]</a> Artists performed for a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_audience" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">studio audience</a> while the original recordings played for viewers at home. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddy_Cannon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Freddy Cannon</a> holds the record for the most appearances, with 110.[REMEMBERING DICK CLARK: Television and music icon Dick Clark died today at age 82, but not before creating a live time of memories — from “American Bandstand” to “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”]Over such a long period of time, the show went through an array of theme songs, but most of them were variations on the ditty “Bandstand Boogie,” composed by Charles Albertine and swing orchestra leader Les Elgert. The Elgert Orchestra’s own rendition served as the version played on episodes of the show that ran in the 60s, about the time a young Barry Manilow watched the show. As a soft rock superstar in the mid 70s, he wondered why “Bandstand Boogie” got replaced at the end of the 60’s by Mike Curb’s more contemporary “Bandstand Theme” (sounding much like theme song to Hawaii Five-O) and then a synthesizer-ized version of “Boogie.” So, he and lyricist partner Bruce Sussman set about adding lyrics to Elgert’s music and recorded it retro-swing style, putting it on his triple platinum selling Tryin’ to Get the Feeling album. His remake didn’t become a hit, but perhaps more satisfyingly to Manilow, it served as the new theme song for AB for a full decade, from 1977 to 1987.That’s the version I remember the most whenever I think back at watching all those episodes of American Bandstand. On the day when that show’s eternally young host finally passed away nearly sixty years since his debut on that institution of popular music, that song comes rushing back into my consciousness, leading a flood of memories with it.<img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShJh6LeBfkNXbAzODSPqJfnj5On7-07v0n8Q&s" alt="Barry Manilow - BarryNet - Feedback ...">