Classic Sha Na Na

[jamesmanzi]

Grew up with the campy (relatively speaking), family-friendly, variety show Sha Na Na.

Fell down a youtube hole yesterday and landed on a couple of early Sha Na Na concerts: Eye-opening to see them as an absolute rockabilly force of nature...

[Yodelgoat]

I know they were at Woodstock. Not many acts can say that. I have one of their albums called "the night is still young" and I love every song on that album. They're not just old 50's covers. And they really capture the "60's drive in" kind of feeling. They seem a little corny - They wore those Gold Jackets about two decades too long.

[Lopez]

Sha Na Na was a heck of a lot of fun. Saw them a couple of times in 1971. Their first album (1970) was brilliant. Doing that 50s shtick before anyone else, except for the originals of course. And it all started as a fraternity stunt at Columbia.

[rickawakeman]

Was a big fan back in the day, saw them once (comedian Robert Klein opened) but "who can remember where or when" (sung that last line in best doo-wop voice).

[jamesmanzi]

Sha Na Na was a heck of a lot of fun.

The energy in the performances in these videos is staggering.

[jamesmanzi]

Not to mention Bauman's entrance in the Winterland video. So awesome to see Bowser as a character, before he became a caricature.

[GuitarGeek]

I too remember the variety show, just barely. Actually, the main thing I remember was they'd close each show with a version of Goodnight Sweetheart, with Bowzer doing this fist pumping action in time with his bass vocal intro.

I didn't know they were at Woodstock until much, much later, when I saw the movie, and I remember thinking "How did Sha Na Na managed to talk their way into this?!". I read an article back in the late 80's, written by a guy who was actually at Woodstock, who said there were real life, peaceful, draft card burning, make love not war, hippies near him "plotting how to dispatch Lenny, Bowzer and the rest of them (especially the three turkeys in the gold lame outfits) to kingdom come!". I think he cited Sha Na Na as one of the lowpoints of the event, sayign that one's "path to aural nirvana" (ie Jimi Hendrix's performance) was blocked both figuratively and literally by Sha Na Na.

[Digital_Man]

I remember the tv show too and not much else. I believe they were in the movie Grease briefly unless that was some other fifties kind of band.

[GuitarGeek]

I remember the tv show too and not much else. I believe they were in the movie Grease briefly unless that was some other fifties kind of band.

Yeah, that was they in Grease. They perform at the dance, or whatever the hell the deal is in the movie, it's been like 30 years since I've seen it.