Mitch Miller memories

[therealjm12]

OK back on subject. I was a mere lad when Sing Along With Mitch was on Friday nights on NBC. It was of two hours a week that my parents ruled the TV. The other was Saturday for Lawrence Welk - what a nightmare. As I remember, Sing Along With Mitch was in color and on tape. Seems like all the scenes we've seen lately have been scratchy looking B&W Kinescopes. Probably the same NBC exec that erased Johnny Carson's Tonight Show struck there, too. As I remember the show it had very little production value. Very simply done. Just mostly A Capalla singing, sometimes accompanied by what sounded like a Kazoo.
Since there weren't character generators (computer) back in those days I suppose the biggest expense was making the camera art cards for the wording of the sing-a longs. NBC must have loved the show. No expense. That's all I remember about the show because usually when it was on I was in my bedroom with my head under a pillow.

 

[TheBigA]

The interesting irony about Mitch's NBC show is that he was an executive for the competition. One must wonder what the folks at CBS thought when they saw a VP of CBS Records hosting a TV show for NBC.

 

[chas108]

I always just assumed CBS didn't want the show and NBC did.

 

[TheBigA]

I don't know about that. There was a lot of jealousy between Pailey and Sarnoff. They battled over talent in the 1940s. I think Bing Crosby was a Columbia artist who had shows on NBC and CBS. Then he switched to Decca.

I can only imagine that the Mitch thing slipped through the corporate cracks. But why would NBC want to help Mitch sell records for CBS?

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I don't know about that. There was a lot of jealousy between Pailey and Sarnoff. They battled over talent in the 1940s. I think Bing Crosby was a Columbia artist who had shows on NBC and CBS. Then he switched to Decca.

I can only imagine that the Mitch thing slipped through the corporate cracks. But why would NBC want to help Mitch sell records for CBS?

Actually Crosby ended up with a show on ABC because they were the only radio network that would allow him to record his show in advance. Crosby was on Columbia but it was only for a short time.


I always wondered about Mitch working for Columbia and being on NBC too.

 

[cyberdad]

A quick correction ... The Raiders were the first rock act signed by Columbia.

http://blogs.wbee.com/bigdaddywbee/2010/08/03/mitch-miller-dead-at-last/

What about "Ruby Baby" and "Drip Drop".....hits for Dion on Columbia circa 1963?

 

[chas108]

A quick correction ... The Raiders were the first rock act signed by Columbia.

http://blogs.wbee.com/bigdaddywbee/2010/08/03/mitch-miller-dead-at-last/

What about "Ruby Baby" and "Drip Drop".....hits for Dion on Columbia circa 1963?

I'm guessing Dion was considered more pop...just a guess. Whatever the case there's no doubt the floodgates opened at Columbia in 1965. Dylan went electric, Simon & Garfunkel got remixed, and The Byrds, Raiders and Cyrkle are got signed.

 

[cyberdad]

Agree that '65 is when the floodgates opened for rock artists on Columbia.

Perhaps Miller & Co. thought that Dion might morph into a more pop vein along the lines Bobby Darin in the early '60s. Whatever, Dion's two biggest Columbia hits were rockers. Ironically enough his last big hit was "Abraham, Martin, & John" in early '69 when he was back on Laurie. While that song was pure social commentary, it had more of a pop sound to it that most of this other stuff.

 

[TheBigA]

Perhaps Miller & Co. thought that Dion might morph into a more pop vein along the lines Bobby Darin in the early '60s.

I read a quote that Mitch said he thought Dion could be the next Sinatra. A teen star who then became a pop crooner. Except Dion didn't want to go that way. Reminds me of Rick Nelson, who didn't want the career others wanted for him.