Ed Sullivan's Rock and Roll Classics 144 Performances

NO Resellers PLEASE!

PP, Google Checkout, Cash, Personal check, Money Order/Cashiers Check, Cash On Delivery (COD), Visa/MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Wire/Bank transfer. ALL MANNER OF PAYMENTS ACCEPTED!!

The GRANDADDY of them all! Nearly NINE Hours Of Historic Performances!

With a total of 144 songs (including repeats) and well over 500 minutes of playing time, this massive boxed set truly is, as host Ed Sullivan famously said, "a really big shEw." With some 20 songs between them, the two most important rock acts of the 20th century, Elvis Presley and the Beatles, both of whom received huge career boosts from the Sullivan show (garnering a reported 80 percent audience share and 70 million viewers, respectively), are well represented. So are other genres, like Motown and '60s rock. We see wonderful, galvanizing performances by, among others, the Jackson Five (especially "the little fella in front," as Sullivan calls Michael), the Animals, James Brown, Janis Joplin, Jackie Wilson, the Rolling Stones, and even the Association ("Along Comes Mary") are enough to counter the curious inclusion of the Brooklyn Bridge, Jay and the Techniques, and other obscure minor talents.
Still, the boxed set (whose DVD bonus features include "trivia tracks" and limited discographies) has serious flaws. Audio and video (color and black and white) are good, but far too many songs are repeated. Others are obviously truncated. There is NO excuse for programming two songs each by the likes of Dino, Desi and Billy and Freddie and the Dreamers. However, on the whole the good music saves the day. The set's drawbacks keep Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics from being an ESSENTIAL purchase. It COULD have been so much more if the creators had just taken some initiative instead of simply copying the original public domain VH1 broadcasts!

Product Description:

On Sunday nights throughout the '50s and '60s, Ed Sullivan brought pop culture into America's living rooms with th e most influential show of its kind. If you made it there, you had it made because for the first time, the entire county was at home watching. During the course of the show's run many of the early rock and roll legends were featured in career-defining p erformances. These cultural milestones have been compiled for Ed Sullivan's Rock and Roll Classics along with archival footage and narration for insight on the artists, their eras, and their classic appearances. Now seen with half a century of hindsight it's clear Ed Sullivan was right--his was a "really big shEw."

•Chart Toppers Volume 1: Top Hits of 1965, Top Hits of 1966, Top Hits of 1967
•Chart Toppers Volume 2: Top Hits of 1968, Top Hits of 1969, Top Hits of 1970
•The Soul of the Motor City: Motortown Review, Sweet Sounds of Soul, Motor City Magic
•Elvis and Other Rock Greats: Elvis Presley, Move to the Music, The Temptations & The Supremes, The Temptations, The Supremes
•Love Songs: Classic Love Songs, Rock 'n' Roll Love Songs, Teen Idols
•Rockin' the Sixties: San Francisco Scene, Smash Hits of the Sixties, Psychedelic Sixties
•Legends of Rock: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rock Legends - Vol. 1, Rock Legends - Vol. 2
•The British Invasion: The British Invasion Vol. 1, The British Invasion Vol. 2

Plus trivia tracks, selected discographies, interview with long time director John Moffit, rare footage of Ed & Sylvia Sullivan, variety acts.......

Remember:

Many of the performances have been truncated.

The credits appear on each disc three times.

Many of the performances appear twice (the most notorious is Jefferson Aiplane's "Crown of Creation" which appears twice -- on the same disc!)

The above problems with the set can be partially explained:

This originally released nine disc set... now compacted down to five discs ..... was originally put out as the "Ed Sullivan's Rock and Roll Classics" broadcast a few years ago on VH1. They are shown here AS-IS. These VH1 episodes were 30 minutes in length and are issued here thankfully WITHOUT the commercials. Unfortunatly, the episodes were not re-edited for chronological or for musical considerations.

Despite the creator's efforts, the lack of chronology on this set is disturbing. While discs including hits of 1965, 1966, etc. are chronological for the most part, the Motown disc and others lack such continuity.

On the plus side, there are several attractive features to this collection. The images are sharp and the color is vivid. There are some great performances, even though many were lip-synched. I do believe, however, that while the Rolling Stones were air guitaring to a pre-recorded soundtrack, Mick Jagger was singing live. This also appears to be the case with the Association and other acts.

A final note on the truncation of many of the songs: While some appear to have been edited by the creaators, some do appear to have been truncated for the original broadcast. We must remember that the "Ed Sullivan Show" was a variety show, not a strict music show like "Hullabaloo" or "Shindig." Variety shows were rigidly timed in rehearsal; most acts -- musical, comedic, novelty -- did not get more than 2-3 minutes of air time. Undoubtedly many of the clips on this set were the result of rehearsal cuts -- but many were also edited by the creators for broadcast on VH1.

This dvd set can be recommended because it does include some great music and performances. But be forwarned, the flaws mentioned above are major and will affect your enjoyment of the set. If you must have this collection, buy it HERE at a discounted price. The original set is now out of print and somewhat difficult to obtain.

Picture quality is considered very good to excellent. Just keep in mind that many of these old films may show some signs of deterioration over the years, so please do not expect "PERFECT" quality.

We do NOT do artwork on dvds and they are shipped in clear faced white sleeves to assure they arrive safe and with delivery confirmation on all orders.

DVDs are recorded in DVD-R format, which is compatible with most new DVD Players. DVD+R's available upon request. Please check your owner's manual or contact the manufacturer to make certain these discs will work with your system before buying.

The American copyright law known as "The Berne Act" that clearly states: films unreleased in the United States, including original versions of films altered and/or edited for release in the United States, are NOT protected by American copyright; thus, they are considered public domain. Our entire purpose is to provide otherwise available or unavailable films or television shows to the serious collector. These series are offered to other collectors ONLY! We comply with the following laws:

1. Video Home Recording Act P.L 102 - 563, 106 Stat 4237 Codified at 17 U.S.C. 1001 - 1010 in October 1992. This states that no action may be brought under this title alleging infringement of copyright based on manufacture, importation, or distribution of a digital or analog recording medium or based on the noncommercial use of such device or medium, no rights are intended, expressed, or implied.

2. Supreme Court Case: Sony Corp VS Universal Studios in 1984.

We are simply a small mom & pop operation bringing people something they cannot get commercially or afford otherwise.

The DVD's that are listed here have been thoroughly researched and found to be in the Public Domain. These films and televisions programs are from our personal collection. Our master prints originate from sources outside the U.S. or collections built over the years through trades and purchases from other Classic TV/Movie fans' private collections. It is our understanding that all material offered for sale here is in the Public Domain.

All DVD-R's are recorded on new brand name DVD-R media region free NTSC.

Because of ease of copying this media, we cannot offer refunds only replacements for defective discs.