Murray the K shows

[Jeff Leach]

I was given a compilation disc by a friend recently which contained this clip of the Drifters performing
their classic hit "Up on the Roof " and I uploaded it to You Tube as I thought it was quite a rare clip
as their doesn't seem to be much early sixties footage of the band from this period around
- can anyone identify what show it originates from?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7qGGVbFNIQ&lc=K971nG_6ZfWpGXBr2wsOkmjzphSyrKu5YLdqH4tTpVc

It looks and sounds like a live vocal

Can anyone help ?

[Chris Barratt]

Hi Jeff. It comes from a USA TV Special called "Its Whats Happening Baby presented by Murray The K" - broadcast 15/06/65. Contains a collection of mainly artists lip-syncing to their hits and filmed outdoors.

[Jeff Leach]

Thanks for the info Chris

Murray the K looked like quite a character - would love to see the full show - just the Temptations clip seems to be on You Tube
and his other big show looks eqully interesting

Wikipedia entry :
What's Happening, Baby which was made under the auspices of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The show aired on June 28, 1965 and featured performances by many of the popular artists of the day like Jan & Dean, Mary Wells, the Dave Clark Five, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, The Drifters, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, The Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers and Little Anthony & the Imperials That show also introduced the first music video-style programming, pre-dating MTV by 15 years.

In 1967, Murray produced and wrote "Murray the K in New York"
which expanded on the music video-style approach he began in It's What's Happening, Baby and featured an eclectic line-up of stars, including The Doors, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Spanky & Our Gang, and The Four Tops with guest appearances by Ed Sullivan and Joe Namath.
Other locally broadcast shows from the period included "Murray the K at Shea" with James Brown and The Four Seasons and "Music in the Year 2000."

[Tom Alger]

The show is on YouTube in three parts:

Its Whats Happening Baby 1
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA-f7dTDuVU

Its Whats Happening Baby 2
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sakoxPLy9JQ

Its Whats Happening Baby 3
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9eS6I90p3w

I didn't view the above YouTube posts in their entirety. But I think they cut out Jan & Dean from Part 1. No telling if anything else is missing.

Here's what's on my DVD of the show (which I believe is complete):

IT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING, BABY
Airdate:
28June1965 CBS (Monday 9:30-11pm Eastern time, B&W)
Performers/songs:
Start of show with Murray the K and others backstage.
Murray the K's monologue.
Martha & The Vandellas - "Nowhere To Run" (taped at an auto assembly line in Detroit).
Jan & Dean - "One-Piece Bathingsuit" (taped at beach, with the 'Shindig' dancers).
Dionne Warwick - "Walk On By" (singing live on stage).
Herman's Hermits - "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" (taped on a city sidewalk).
Marvin Gaye - "Pride And Joy" (taped aboard a steam ship).
Cannibal & The Headhunters - "Land Of 1000 Dances" (at a beach, with the 'Shindig' dancers and others fainting at sight of Herman Munster).
Fred "Herman Munster" Gwynne talks to Murray the K about the President's Opportunity Office.
Patti LaBelle & The Blue Belles - "You'll Never Walk Alone" (live on-stage performance).
Little Anthony & The Imperials - "I'm Alright" (live on-stage performance).
Tom Jones - "It's Not Unusual" (taped at zoo, with dancers in cages).
The Ronettes - "Be My Baby" (on a city sidewalk w/Ronettes singing to man more interested in his sandwich).
Johnny Mathis - "Wild In The Wind" (taped at a seashore).
Chuck Jackson - "I Don't Want To Cry" (live on-stage performance).
Mary Wells - "My Guy" (taped at a lake).
Johnny Rivers - "Seventh Son" (taped at a seashore).
Bill Cosby (comedian) does a 'Shop Class Routine' monologue.
The Temptations - "The Way You Do The Things You Do" (live performance, taped 'backstage' at a theater).
Gary Lewis & The Playboys - "Count Me In" (taped at a beach, with the 'Shindig' dancers).
The Drifters - "Up On The Roof" (taped on a rooftop).
The Supremes - "Stop! In The Name Of Love" (taped at a park, with dancers).
The Miracles - "Ooo Baby Baby" (live on-stage performance).
The Dave Clark Five - "I Like It Like That" (taped at night, with group & dancers on CBS news trucks).
The Righteous Brothers - "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (live on-stage performance).
The Four Tops - "I Can't Help Myself" (taped at a park).
Ray Charles - "Cry" and "What'd I Say?" medley (live on-stage performance, with closing credits).

Credits include:
Produced and Directed by Barry Shear
Executive Producer: Robert Forrest
Musical Directors: Earl Warren and Onzy Matthews
Associate Producer: Rita Gillespie
Choreography: Rita D'amico

CBS produced this special in conjunction with The Office of Economic Opportunity in an attempt to address the "working needs and interests" of high school drop-outs. Sargent Shriver was the director of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity.

[Deleted]

Sadly part two is blocked on copyright grounds.

What is also interesting about these Murray The K shows is that outtakes exist...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=31BwpQNFszs

Ten minutes plus of raw footage of The Doors "performing" "People Are Strange" complete with false start, alternate takes and some curious experiments involving people wearing tights over their heads... not to mention Murray's toupee! Beware... the sound on the first ten minutes is ruined by a constant ear piercing whine.

One can't help but be amused by the "clapperboard"...

[Tom Alger]

Jun 17, 2013 9:08:40 GMT @phillipgruber said:

Sadly part two is blocked on copyright grounds.

What is also interesting about these Murray The K shows is that outtakes exist...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=31BwpQNFszs

Ten minutes plus of raw footage of The Doors "performing" "People Are Strange" complete with false start, alternate takes and some curious experiments involving people wearing tights over their heads... not to mention Murray's toupee! Beware... the sound on the first ten minutes is ruined by a constant ear piercing whine.

One can't help but be amused by the "clapperboard"...

The Doors segments come from this special:

Murray the K Special #7: MURRAY THE K IN NEW YORK
aka "Murray the K in New York, Starring the Aquarian Age" (full title, shown during opening credits)
Airdates:
22Sep1967 New York City (WPIX-11 Fri 7:30-9pm, Color)
03Oct1967 NYC Repeat (WPIX-11 Tue 7:30-9pm, Color)
04Nov1967 NYC Repeat (WPIX-11 Sat 5:00-6:30pm, Color)

Performers/songs:
Jim & Jean - "People World" (live vocals).
Aretha Franklin - "Baby I Love You" & "Respect" (live vocals).
The Doors - "People Are Strange" (live vocals).
Spanky and Our Gang - "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" (live vocals).
Jake Holmes - "She Belongs to Me"
Note: with the exception of Richie Havens, the rest of the performances are mimed.
The Association - "Requiem for the Masses" and "Windy" films.
The Doors - "Light My Fire" film
Jackie the K - "Call Me" film
Richie Havens - "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed."
Otis Redding - "Satisfaction" and "The Story of Love."
The Magnificent Men - "Show Me a Man That's Got a Good Woman"

Cameo appearances:
Ed Sullivan (following Aretha Franklin's songs)
comedian Marty Allen (before Spanky & Our Gang's performance).
Joe Namath, of the New York Jets (American Football League).
NYC Mayor John V. Lindsay is interviewed.

Murray the K and 'Jackie the K' segments:
'Jackie the K' (Murray's wife, aka Jackie Hayes) is featured in a running storyline where she and her 'Flock' (a group of models) rob the U.S. Treasury, and then try to avoid capture by 'The Karate Gods.' (At the end of the show, Murray the K only adds to the confusion by trying to explain the "symbolism" of this nonsensical plot-line.)
Jackie also appears in a music video-style film promoting her 'soon to be released' single "Call Me."

Murray the K's segments include:
Murray dancing with female partners to cover (mostly instrumental) versions of Beatles' songs.
Murray and children visiting a zoo.
B&W footage of Murray the K visiting with the Beatles in February 1964. (The dialogue between Murray and the Beatles is replaced by the Beatles record "A Day in the Life.")

The above is what's on my copy. Some of the TV listings that I checked also mention The Young Rascals, Joan Crawford(!!), and Orson Bean appearing (all missing from my copy).

--UK broadcast:
19Aug1968 - An edited version of this special aired on British TV (according to Kevin Mulrennan/"Tony Reese Pop Diaries.")

"Murray the K in New York" outtake reel (color videotape):
(1) Spanky and Our Gang perform "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" and "Making Every Minute Count" (live vocals to backing tracks, 2nd song cut from special). Includes various close-ups of band members.
(2) Murray the K taping a few intros
(3) The Doors - "People Are Strange" various takes. Includes crowd/extras looking into camera.
(4) Murray the K and blonde woman dance to instrumental version of "Yesterday."

[Deleted]

Intriguing to see it was broadcast in the UK almost a year later. Odd since Murray The K barely meant anything here but interesting because The Doors were just about to fly over to Europe so in a way acted as a taster promo for their visit.

I'm actually quite intrigued by the live vocals. There are no visible mikes yet the sound balance is rather good, with the vocals being nice and clear which given 1967 technology is impressive... one would had thought street and traffic noise might had caused problems. Any idea how they managed that?

[Tom Alger]

Jun 17, 2013 9:41:33 GMT @phillipgruber said:

I'm actually quite intrigued by the live vocals. There are no visible mikes yet the sound balance is rather good, with the vocals being nice and clear which given 1967 technology is impressive... one would had thought street and traffic noise might had caused problems. Any idea how they managed that?

I've wondered about that too. Maybe they used a really good boom microphone. I don't think they made miniature, wireless microphones at the time.

[Jeff Leach]

Following up on a post I made last year I came across more details of Murray's shows

Murray the K did at least 5 other specials (for various NYC TV stations):

"Murray the K Continues" (14 Aug 1965 WOR, channel 9)
"Murray the K's All-Star Special" (22 Feb 1966 WNEW-5)
"Murray the K's Special for the Year 2000" (17 May 1966 WNEW-5)
"Sounds of Tomorrow" (16 Jun 1966 WNEW-5)
"Murray the K at Shea, Baby" (08 Sep 1966 WOR-9)

I believe "It's What's Happening, Baby!" (28 June 1965)
and "Murray the K in New York" (22 Sept 1967) are the
only Murray the K specials currently in circulation.

Does anyone have any info on who performed on these shows ?

they must have been in colour and judging by the performers on the "It's what's Happening" show

I would expect that they would have featured a few big artists.

[Julio Fernández]

The performances for these Murray the K specials :

-> Murray the K Continues

- The Beau Brummels ("You Tell Me Why" "Down On The Farm")
- Cannibal & The Headhunters ("Land Of 1,000 Dances")
- Patti & The Blue Belles (" ?? ")
- Little Anthony ("? ?")
- Mary Wells ("? ?")

-> Murray the K at Shea, Baby

   On several local newspapers i've found that this special was also aired on WTTW Channel 11, Chicago the March 4, 1967

- Len Barry ("One, Two, Three")
- Chris Lark ("Love's Gone Bad")
- Martha & The Vandellas ("Love", "Dancing In The Streets")
- Stevie Wonder ("Blowin' In The Wind", "Uptight")
- The Four Seasons ("Let's Hang On", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Opus 17")
- Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ("Ooh Ooh Baby", "Going To A Go-Go", "Tracks Of My Tears")
- James Brown ("Man's World", "Money Won't Change You", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag")
- Johnny Ray & The Gangbusters ("Taste Of Honey", "The Midnight Song")

-> Murray All-Star Special

- Jay and The Americans ("Sunday & Me")
- The Four Tops ("Shake Me Wake Me")
- Little Anthony & The Imperials ("I Miss You So")
- Ramsey Lewis Trio ("The In Crowd")
- The Fours Seasons ("Let's Hang On")
- The Shangri-Las ("Long Live Our Love")
- Joe Tex ("Hold On To What You've Got")
- The Byrds ("Turn Turn Turn")

[Julio Fernández]

Murray the 'K' at Shea, Baby was broadcasted in Color. This is a capture from a local Pennsylvania newspaper, the Clearfield Progress (1967)

imageshack.com/a/img546/9563/8d1d.jpg

[Jeff Leach]

Thanks for the detailed info Julio - as I anticipated, some big classic names on the bills for those shows

seems strange that nothing has surfaced from those them officially - here's hoping they still exist

Thinking about it, some footage of the performances listed may be on You Tube - just not credited to the

right show - probably "Reeling in the years" have them locked away !

[Jeff Leach]

Bit of an update on this series of programmes - looks like Murray's estate have a website dedicated to the man - a few video snippets and quite a bit of info on the shows

www.murraythek.com/murray-the-k-in-new-york.html

and a full list of his shows fetailing the guests involved - Impressive list

www.murraythek.com/show-lineups.html

[John Green]

Aug 10, 2016 2:27:07 GMT Jeff Leach said:

and a full list of his shows fetailing the guests involved - Impressive list

www.murraythek.com/show-lineups.html

Interesting!

[robertreinstein]

I grew up listening to Murray The K. Jimmy Savile reminds me of Murray. They were both characters.

I posted a video about Murray on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mcpdvd/videos/653239194814941/