‘Ed Sullivan Show’ Catalogue to be Released Via Streaming Platforms
Not many of us were lucky enough to have watched the Ed Sullivan Show, but those that did will remember a time gathering around the TV to watch the hottest rock and pop stars perform their latest hits. Rock n’ roll was new and exciting and guys and girls would dance in their living rooms while watching performances by Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and more.
Well, those who are keen on cashing in on some of that nostalgia are for a treat. The entire Ed Sullivan catalogue is soon to be available on streaming platforms.
As of now, seven performances are already available on the show’s YouTube channel. These include the Beach Boys performing ‘Good Vibrations’ (Oct. 13, 1968) and the Supremes performing ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ (Sept. 25, 1966). More will gradually be released over the next three years.
Unlike many bootleg versions of the show that have been made available over the years, these will be high quality clips. The catalogue’s digital release is the result of a deal struck between Ume and SOFA Entertainment.
The Ed Sullivan Show has had many iconic moments including the Beatles debut. The show was also a forerunner for showcasing black entertainers. The Supremes, for example, appeared on the show 16 times. Here’s what the group’s Mary Wilson had to say about that era.
“One of the most exciting times was in 1966: Me, Flo [Ballard] and Diane [Ross] sang ‘You Can’t Hurry Love.’ We wore our newly acquired ‘Blue Sequined Gowns’ that we had made on our last trip to Hong Kong. Their tailors could copy anything, dress suit or whatever in a few hours, so we had them copy our gowns. Our voices were happy and you will notice Flo’s soprano voice was loud and clear on this show.”
The Temptations are another band that often appeared on the show. Founding member Otis Williams recalls, “The Ed Sullivan Show would book us multiple times in one year. Besides the Supremes, that was unprecedented for an African American R&B group at that time.
“The Ed Sullivan Show is a classic, not to be missed by this generation or the next,” he added. “He was so instrumental in shaping American entertainment culture, the effects of which are still reverberating today. Releasing full performances is long overdue, and it’s exciting that audiences of all ages can now easily access them worldwide through digital technology.”
I think many of us will agree that now is a great time for some nostalgia and fortunately the Ed Sullivan Show’s Youtube channel will be delivering plenty of it. Tune in to relive what rock n roll was like some 50 years ago.
Here is a list of the channel’s upcoming releases.
June 12th – Marvin Gaye, “Take This Heart of Mine” (June 19th, 1966)
June 12th – The Supremes, “You Can’t Hurry Love” (September 25th, 1966)
June 12th – The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” (October 13th, 1968)
June 12th – The Temptations, “I Can’t Get Next to You” (September 28th, 1969)
June 12th – Neil Diamond, “Sweet Caroline” (November 30th, 1969)
June 12th – The Jackson 5, “Stand!” (December 14th, 1969)
June 12th – Gladys Knight and the Pips, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (March 29th, 1970)
June 13th – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “Yesterday” (March 31, 1968)
June 14th – Four Tops, “Reach Out I’ll Be There” (October 16th, 1966)
June 14th – The Jackson 5, “I Want You Back” (December 14th, 1969)
June 15th – Diana Ross and the Supremes, “Love Child” (January 5th, 1969)
June 16th – The Temptations, Medley: “Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)”/”All I Need”/”My Girl”/”(I Know) I’m Losing You” (May 28, 1967)
