The Big T.N.T. Show (1966)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Larry Peerce

Release Date:

28 October 1966 (Finland)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

This was the night when the all-time greats of rock 'n roll, traditional blues, country western and folk rock came together for the biggest bash in the history of show business!

Plot:

Live performances by some of the top rock-and-roll acts of the mid 60s. Includes Ray Charles, The Byrds, Joan Baez, Ike and Tina Turner, Donovan, The Lovin' Spoonful, and several more.

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Concert Film | Rock Music | Independent Film

Cast

Joan Baez	...	Herself
Gene Clark	...	Himself (as The Byrds)
Mike Clarke	...	Himself (as The Byrds)
The Byrds	...	Themselves
David Crosby	...	Himself (as The Byrds)
Chris Hillman	...	Himself (as The Byrds)
Roger McGuinn	...	Himself (as The Byrds)
Ray Charles	...	Himself
Petula Clark	...	Herself
Bo Diddley	...	Himself
Donovan	...	Himself
Steve Boone	...	Himself (as Lovin' Spoonful)
Joe Butler	...	Himself (as Lovin' Spoonful)
John Sebastian	...	Himself (as The Lovin' Spoonful)
Zal Yanovsky	...	Himself (as Lovin' Spoonful)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

A condensed version of this film and The T.A.M.I. Show (1964) was released on tape in 1984 as "Born to Rock" and hosted by Chuck Berry.

Movie Connections:

Featured in No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)

Soundtrack:

King of the Road

Mid-60's pop at its best!

If, like myself, you're a nostalgic middle-ager who wants to remember what the best in mid-60's pop was like for a couple hours, or, if you're under forty or so and want to know why it was so great, Phil Spector's "Big T.N.T. Show" is the one to watch.

Taped in concert at the Hollywood Palace and hosted by then-TV teen idol David McCallum ("The Man from U.N.C.L.E."), this show is so crammed with highlights it's hard to know where to begin. There's Ray Charles rockin' the house with the ultimate "Wha'd I Say," dynamite extended sets from the Byrds and Roger Miller; Donovan at his most pseudo-psychodelic (Check out the all-but-incomprehensible intro he gives to Joan Baez), Petula Clark taking us downtown, Baez singing "There But for Fortune" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," the latter with Phil Spector at the piano, Bo Diddley knockin' 'em out as only he could. The mind reels.

But this is a film better seen than described. Unfortunately, it's unavailable on video, so catch it the next time it's on AMC. You'll be glad you did. This film, along with "Woodstock" and "The T.A.M.I. Show," form the great film trilogy of 1960's pop/rock.