American Bandstand 1974- Interview The DeFranco Family

[@scotabot7826]

Someone please transport me back to my 9 year old self in 1974!!!!!

[@sleepingwithcats5121]

I was 10, yes! I wish....

[@jademusic1211]

I was 9, too, till the very end of the year. I miss those times so bad.😩💔

[@madham7684]

Me, too. I was 10 years old.

[@Robert-qm5so]

I was 11 at the time ❤

[@iloveschicken6527]

I was 6.

[@briantimko6647]

Such a humble, nice adorable cute, lovely but most of all sweet family. Such nice people.

[@chrismoses722]

Impossible not to fall in love with those sisters. They’re still stunning looking today.

[@DinoDiLabio]

Hands Off Paisan.

[@kat35lulu88]

They were pretty!!!!

[@randyszymkowski882]

They're sweethearts. They were on par with Marcia Brady

[@musicalmelodies3595]

Better than Marcia Brady So gorgeous 😍 💖 💗

[@iVenge]

I wanted the pig-tailed one when I was a kid.

[@ravenbranb]

Growing up with them as neighbours was the best. Tony was my biggest crush for years This brings back alot of memories

[@waynejohanson1083]

Did you know back then they had the talent to make it big.

[@kennygismo6315]

Very talented and very well raised young teens. Their parents did a good job!

[@merrylynnallison6922]

when I was a child in 1974 I went to both of the Defranco family concerts at the PNE here in Vancouver BC. My very first live concert. Tony Defracno pictures were plastered all over my bedroom walls.

[@aaron.0303]

Glad to see this. There are so few Bandstand clips from 1971-74. I'd like to see some people dancing clips from 71-74.

[@johnpinegar8027]

Loved being a kid during this time. Great memories.

[@sonjakahlemarkle3085]

Aww such wonderful memories ! Miss DIck Clark. No one can ever replace him.. like the DeFrancos too. Wish I was young again. LOL

[@catherineerwin8269]

Love, love, loved The Defranco Family. Tony was sooo adorable!!!

[@SecondEvilEx]

Merlina is also cute

[@ilovecoryxkenshinsm]

@@SecondEvilEx eh.

[@chrissullivan4496]

How do you get all that grease out of your hair

[@TheStockwell]

0:38 "You are legitimate brothers and sisters?" "No, Dick. We're illegitimate. Bastard offspring, each and every one of us, born out of wedlock to the same woman who had relations with a string of anonymous partners. Can we do the song, now? That's a nice jacket you're wearing, by the way."

[@SusanLynn656]

😂😂😂

[@classrockin]

Always loved Merlina in her cute pigtails :)

[@robertmasina4610]

They were a family musical act like the Jacksons and Osmonds, their contemporaries at that time.

[@MsTexas73]

And the Sylvers

[@brendalg4]

Glad you just mentioned them and didn't make it a competition.

[@ViaticalTree]

@@brendalg4I’ll compare them. They weren’t even on the same stratosphere as the Osmonds and Jacksons.

[@sickagain7541]

8YRS OLD IN 1974, AND CRUSHING ON MARISA!!!!. YOU WERE MY FIRST CHILDHOOD CRUSH MARISA. 45YRS LATER,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, STILL CRUSHING FOR YOU!!!.

[@WARDMAN3]

Despite the 70s attire lol They were a real good looking family and they still look good today!

[@ceilconstante7813]

I really miss '70's fashion and long hair.?

[@brannonevans3685]

I think that because they are wearing 70s attire, is because it was the 70s.

[@WARDMAN3]

@@brannonevans3685 Yes I lived though it as a young lad!!

[@brannonevans3685]

Yes I did also. Great times

[@jademusic1211]

Yeah, that was just the fashion for that era then.🙂 It wasn't the most flattering, but I'd give anything to go back to that time. I really miss it.😞💔

[@gatedancer17]

What a nice family.

[@69kellygreen]

Suzy, the Oriental. LOL, I LOVE IT!!!

[@swami1]

69kellygreen The good old days, when people wouldn’t get “offended” by mere words.

[@randybarnett2308]

@@RobertJackson-sl1mk Dick Clark would've been chewed out big time if he said Oriental today

[@TheMaxKids]

Hi! I’m Suzy the Oriental! Hee hee hee!!!

[@JENDALL714]

@@RobertJackson-sl1mk Only white liberals get upset, because they think they are standing up for us Orientals. Us Orientals don't care, we are too busy working and raising the bar in everything we do, to worry about such trivial nonsense!

[@dantefloressq]

@@swami1 I could call you a racist piece of sh*t but you don't have a right to be offended because it's just words.

[@Exotic3000]

Wow! What a lovely family! 🇨🇦

[@raymondrochajr9621]

Lovely ladies!

[@cls6055]

The 70's were so awesome!! I saw 11 yrs when this done came out. Still my favorite!

[@kellybarrientos9718]

Wow, Tony's brothers and sisters look so much older than they say

[@neilgibbons2532]

Watch it Kelly 👨‍💻 she only.......

[@kellybarrientos9718]

@@neilgibbons2532 she only what?, finish your sentence Neil.

[@timothyturner1056]

Kinda .

[@AnitaD28]

Right they look 20 something

[@michaelhayes1340]

Beautiful family

[@bettymcgillivary5249]

I loved when my older sister would buy the Tiger Beat magazines and give me the kissing posters of Tony. I was so infatuated at the tender age of 7.

[@lauraswihart8018]

Near Niagara Falls! Blessings!🤷‍♀️

[@maryshroat4185]

Of all the family bands around then, these were definitely the cutest. This was the very early seventies.They are all still good looking to this day.

[@tonypastor705]

Me and the other Tony are almost same age😜, We’re old now, where does the time go!

[@audvion]

It's cool to see the 69-74 set, in color.

[@good03boy]

Wish that we could see the rest of the set.

[@gsnman]

IKR??? I'm anxious to see full episodes of what that particular set looked like in color. I've seen it in black and white, in full, from 1969 and 1970.

[@pogwo1968]

I do not see that ever happening. The closest we got to see a color episode of AB was on VH1's Best of American Bandstand. Why that was taken off the air I 'll never know.

[@marcdavis82280]

pogwo1968 To put on todays junk. The only problem I had with that was they truncated (shortened) those episodes to 30 minutes.

[@MrRemark21]

"American Bandstand" had two black & white episodes on Saturdays, September 13 & 20, 1969.

[@wmpetroff2307]

They are an adorable family. Canadians are always so polite. Hope they are all doing wonderfully.

[@affema1]

I was sooooo incredibly in love with Merlina when I was young

[@groofoot]

Same!!

[@maryannwaters339]

She was a beauty!😊❤

[@Lightner445555555555]

Italians are some of the most gorgeous creatures ever

[@Nadeshiroo]

I'm still in love with tony to this day never meet him but sure did won't to he was my idol I was 8 yrs old when this song came out sure wish I could go back and no then what I thought I knew

[@FalconLair09]

he's a real estate agent for Sotheby's in Westlake Village now if you're ever in the neighborhood :)

[@melissag3919]

He's on Facebook.. you should send him a friend request. He's very nice.

[@Davai007]

Ah. Tiger beat & 16 magazines had their posters on my walls

[@jweider007]

Why did it seem like Dick Clark was hoping that the older sister was 18?

[@juangarza4593]

J Weider right!!!!!???,,,i caught on quickly!!!!!😉

[@mrbpis]

he asks both of the girls if either one is 18 lol

[@zeusalexander5502]

@@juangarza4593 TRUTH!!

[@zeusalexander5502]

@Big Bill O'Reilly MORON

[@prankgirl9112]

@Big Bill O'Reilly You think people waited until girls were 18 in the 70's??? Come on now. 15 was an "appropriate" dating age for grown men in the 70's. He wouldn't have felt it necessary to wait until she was 18 if he wanted to date her, especially if he was a perv. Nowadays yes, 70's nope.

[@narcovice]

such beautiful sisters

[@jayanderli3277]

I believe they were Cubans Americans from where else -- Miami

[@Lambykin]

Unsure if you're just being funny, but they are all Canadian. Sources claim they are from Welland or Port Colborne, Ontario. Likely why Dick asked where Welland was. Their parents were Italian. Wiki claims they are from Port Colborne, but that's just splitting hairs. Port Colborne is a neighbour to Welland, and is much smaller.

[@SecondEvilEx]

Gorgeous really.

[@arobinson1362]

@@Lambykin They are from Port Colborne, and moved to Welland before moving to California.

[@fenway1740]

Man the Defranco's were a handsome bunch ! Those sisters are old school foxes .

[@JENDALL714]

Have a seat over there Mr. Clark, she's 17!

[@mdgraystone]

What an amazing interviewer!

[@kenmorgan6641]

Chill folks, oriental was what people said back then.People responded and corrected.

[@groofoot]

LMAO

[@Me112233]

Yep. Oriental was the common term for people of Asian descent back in the day. Nobody gave it a second thought, and that goes for the Orientals, too. The nation was transitioning from colored to black as the common (and acceptable) term for African Americans (I still can't get used to that one). Can't call folks colored anymore, yet the colored folks still have an organization for the advancement of colored people. I just don't get all the political correctness.

[@jeffyjohn5673]

LOL, the Oriental lady with the chair and whip.

[@classiclistener01]

@Ken Morgan - 'Oriental' simply means 'east;' just as 'occidental' means 'west'...yet, no one cares about that!?!? Screw people with delicate sensibilities.

[@Hawken54]

@@classiclistener01 And Negro is a spanish word for Black.

[@GunCollector007]

Hope they all are well

[@JerseyToTheBone]

Respectful well carried and spoken. Truly a generation gone by! They worked their asses off and still made time to make education a priority. Now you just need a laptop, autotune and pricktools! What a fcking joke.... These acts were the real deal not shtass garbage spewed around today.

[@dantefloressq]

Okay boomer

[@brendalg4]

​@@dantefloressq instead of saying that, why don't you say something intelligent? List someone from today who is good.. no autotune etc

[@wombatwilly1002]

I could not have said that any better.Today's society is an absolute,laughable joke.

[@RUDYNATACHA]

I used to think Merlina was good looking. Love the plats the guys are wearing! I had a couple of pairs of those myself!

[@carlahubbs4347]

Interesting interview with them

[@markmccrudden9642]

What a rabbit whole I looked up this song because of Resevoir Dogs and liked it.. now I learn their from Ontario just like me.. life is good

[@myfairlahey5738]

omg Welland Ontario - rock and roll!!

[@9284vr]

Actually they were raised next door in Port Colborne and only lived in Welland (both near Niagara Falls and about an hour drive from Toronto) for about a year before the move to California.

[@Khultan]

Great group.

[@robinparr88]

Beautiful siblings!

[@markkelly6996]

Nino, Just saying "Hello," Wishing everything is FINE with You and your family. Mk

[@duffbaker9554]

"No, no, no, Mr. Clark-please don't confuse Suzy with the Jackson 5's father, Joe. Suzy would never do that to us."

[@dantefloressq]

Yeah i was thinking, imagine if he had made that joke to the J5 lol. Sad.

[@briantimko6647]

Adorable is the word.

[@williamsmith920]

Hashoo, the "Oriental" lady. You can sure tell it was the 1970's.

[@wombatwilly1002]

Why,because nobody got offended or cried in the corner with Kleenex because of WORDS?😂

[@pedro3dynamite]

I remember my parents having the Save the last Dance For Me album. I had no idea they had other songs, a previous album. But songs like Baby Blue and Write Me a Letter were great! Along with the self titled hit ❤

[@BillDerBerg]

I wanted both of the sisters even when I was 10 years old😍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@timothycole5266]

Wikipedia must have the birth dates wrong...says Marisa was born in 1954 - that would make her 20 in this video, she says she's 13. Bennie, says he's 18 - Wiki says birth year 1953 which would make him 21 here. Merlina says she's 15 but Wiki's got her born 1957, makes her 17 - younger than Marisa. I'm confused.

[@hoagie1978]

A lot of managers fudge their clients ages (tell a pack of lies). They may have de-aged them to appear as teens to appeal to young audiences. There was a guy on one of the soaps back in the 70's that was not allowed to tell the magazines he was married with a child so he would appeal to single female viewers at home.

[@timothycole5266]

@@hoagie1978 Oh yeah, that was very common.

[@diannecava2139]

And Tony would be 15 here, born in 1959, same as me. But marisa is only 13 and that much taller than Tony? Possible but unlikely.

[@chickorysong]

I went to middle school with Tony in Welland in 7'th grade the same year that they appeared on the Jack Benny show. Tony was born in 1959. My sister went to the same high school as the older siblings at that time. The eight months later when they were on American Band Stand here, they all would have gone up to the next grade. Marisa said she was 17 here. You can figure out their approximate birth year by subtracting their ages from 1974.

[@mkimmick61]

No , you misheard her. She said she is seventeen, not thirteen. Try again.

[@yossarian6799]

I was only 7 years old but I was struggling to pick which DeFranco sister I wanted to marry when I grew up.

[@brendalg4]

Where is the rest of it? Usually there was an interview and one or two songs

[@oldiesgeek454]

True, I'm sure they had just finished performing a song before this interview. Then after the interview was over, they performed another song. I have no idea why they didn't save the song performance part of the video... Very puzzleing. 😊

[@SimirJohnson]

Dick Clark was always kinda dorky with his interviews.

[@j5muscle]

Horrid

[@Jack21Spades]

Why not be?

He always flirted passively with the girls

[@raymondramos3427]

THIS BOY GAD THE TIME OF HIS LIFE

[@rogertemple7193]

When Dick Clark did the interviews he could be rather rude and clueless.

[@retroguyretail1976]

lol that suit so 70's lmfaoooo

[@teeembeee]

Why is the word "Oriental" now considered slander?

[@JozeeWalz]

The backing vocals - obviously there was lipsyncing going on with them on these types of shows, but that's not to say all these kids did not sing on the original cuts. But those background vocals on the recorded tracks sound suspiciously like the same in a Partridge Family song. I wonder if....

[@shyman99]

Where are you seeing lipsyncing and hearing background vocals? This is an interview video.

[@JozeeWalz]

@@shyman99 watch one of their performances.

[@shyman99]

@@JozeeWalz - I would recommend posting your comment in a performance video. Your post has no relevance to the video at all.

[@drummingdanny84]

Thirty-five years before another Canadian teen idol dominated the pop music scene. Some dude named Justin Bieber.

[@bmxultra2333]

Did Dick Clark actually ask them if they were legitimate brothers and sisters??? LOL Wow.

[@mrsTraveller64]

nice family😍

[@louistenore2185]

this must had been before the set changed

[@zeusalexander5502]

What is it about those 70s girls that makes them so appealing n attractive?

[@SecondEvilEx]

They're natural beauties

[@michaelinhouston9086]

No weird piercings, no tattoos, appropriate weight, normal hair, etc

[@johnkeith2450]

I had such a crush on Marisa

[@shuroom57]

Someone referred to me as "occidental" once. I whimpered testily and said, "It's North American. Duh."Thanks for tuning into another episode of SARCASM THEATRE.

[@hife2thekife]

Lol. Marisa says: "I'm 17" , Dick Clark says: "Oh, I thought you were 18" and he's really thinking: 'dammit, I was hoping you were 18' .... creepy

[@tophatguy6664]

And you know what he was thinking? How?

[@teal_panda_8434]

I noticed that weird comment too 😖

[@lizjahairarivera1964]

feliz navidad

[@salvagemonster3612]

I think they were all in BILLY JACK

[@carlahubbs4347]

Well Merlina could say I'm doing fine when Dick Clark ask her how she's doing.

[@JerseyToTheBone]

They were probably nervous or just caught up in the moment. I mean you can tell by the nervous laughter. lol I mean for them it was a big deal being on Dick Clark, So I am pretty sure their minds were blown.

[@good03boy]

Do you have the performance?

[@lgrrobert7325]

Wish the DeFrancos could have had better direction with their career. They could have reached great heights

[@syngensmyth4587]

These were two really hot girls, but they did not headline the group, nor did the older guys. I think Tony was the only vocalist. People comment below about their soft voices I think that explains all the gang bar Tony where there for looks and show.

[@estabanb55]

I'm surprised the girls didn't have a album of their own, like Marie Osmond did

[@tedmccarron]

The title of this video says that this interview was in 1974 but it had to have actually been two years earlier, on July 20, 21 or 22 of 1972, assuming that Wikipedia has their dates of birth correct and the kids were telling the truth. There are only three days every year where Marisa's age is two years older than Merlina's age. The rest of the year Marisa's age is three years older than Merlina's. In fact this was very probably on July 21 or 22 of 1972 because if it had been July 20 then when Dick Clark asked Merlina her age she probably wouldn't have just given her age but would have said something like "15, it's my birthday" or "15 today." The oldest one, Benny, would've recently turned 19.

[@shyman99]

No, it wasn't two years earlier. To better connect with their target audience of 12 and 13 year old kids, the agents of these groups would shave a year or two off their ages.

[@tedmccarron]

@@shyman99 I'm not buying that. No way is every kid lying.

[@shyman99]

@@tedmccarron - Your alternate theory is that the interview was in 1972. I have the complete listings & dates of AB guests. This appearance was 1974. They never appeared in 1972 and why would they because they didn't have a record at that time. You can't refute facts.

[@tedmccarron]

@@shyman99 well you're accusing everyone of them of lying. I would like to see these records of your saying that they were not there in 1972.

[@shyman99]

@@tedmccarron - It was YOU who brought up the allegation of possible lying in your original post. Then your next post states you don't believe that theory. Hello? So let me spell it out for you: If you believe Wiki's birth dates are accurate and you believe Wiki's TV appearances section is accurate (apparently you didn't scroll down to where it shows the dates of their Bandstand appearances), then YOUR theory about the kids lying is all that remains. Got it genius?

[@frank61ism]

The Italian Osmonds. Too bad they couldn't keep up.

[@sanangelo1983]

Back when you could call someone from Asia an oriental without offense

[@tylerthompson1842]

Good looks family

[@mollkatless]

Anyone else creeped out by clark asking the girls if they were 18?

[@williebowen2965]

Marissa Defranco is my crush

[@datmeme8967]

Needs more plaid.

[@paulbradley705]

16 and seven foot ?

[@victorkreitner754]

It's a shame women don't look like Merlina and Marissa anymore. Maybe not looks wise, but just that down to earth, sweet, and simple girl next door demeanor. What you see is what you actually get, nothing fake or phony.

[@101snapper]

Canadian - didn't know that

[@4NINETYSIX]

Marisa ~ I'm 17 ....LEGAL !!

[@The1066BMJ]

Marisa is sooooo cute.

[@jacobtennyson9213]

The 12 year old go the Michael Jackson voice.

[@smscamp3016]

Sorry folks, but Aboot is not a Canadian thing as anyone who quickly says About, it will come up sounding like Aboot, which I have heard in Americans, Australians, the British etc - just some attempt by a few Canadians to try an be distinct from Americans

[@TriKyTriXx]

@1:40 “she’s the oriental lady”

[@Hawken54]

A time when people didn't get their panties in a twist.

[@Hawken54]

@@TriKyTriXx - Milk, Math, Obesity, Grammar, OK/CircleGame sign. All now racist. Can't wait until Polar Bears are Racist. LMAO

[@TriKyTriXx]

@@Hawken54 "LMAO" when you're actually triggered

[@gatedancer17]

You can see all the PC conditioned conformists here who are aghast at the use of 'oriental'. It was a perfectly good description. Then PC activists came along and said you have to say 'Asian'', and that somehow it is evil to say 'oriental', all the thought controlled saps fell in line.

[@Hawken54]

@@gatedancer17 The word, Oriental means East. Which is where most of those people originate. And Negro is a Spanish word for Black. Obviously people don't do their research and look for racism around every corner.

[@mikeyjl54]

I was in love with Nina

[@mjpk6269]

Marisa and Merlina DeFranco- HOOOOT!

[@cherrygarcia1]

The oriental lady...where..

[@ibrohiem]

Man they're like only one year apart from oldest to youngest. Parents sure didn't believe in condoms.

[@johnnyhatesjazz1878]

If your parents had been "believers" in condoms, there is a high probability that you would have never posted this comment. ; ) Kind of like that old saying, "If your parents never had kids, chances are you won't either."

[@ibrohiem]

@@johnnyhatesjazz1878 Zzzzzzzz

[@nassauguy48]

THE ITALIAN OSMONDS!

[@groofoot]

lol every one of 'em lied about their age .... (check wikipedia, if ya don't believe me) .....

[@6400az]

Doesn't look a day pas sixTEE 0:13

[@hankaustin7091]

Why do the two older guys sound like girls? They're tall and clearly packing some heat downstairs... not sure why they don't have deeper voices, but, in any case they're all adorable and the girl in ponytails looks a lot like a young Liza Minnelli, at least impo that is

[@69kellygreen]

they are tenors

[@hankaustin7091]

I know plenty of tenors who don't talk like girls....

[@romanopaso]

They have had their balls removed....it was in back then.

[@hankaustin7091]

LOL Benedict!! well, you could be right!

[@Jay-vr9ir]

Of Italian born Mom and Dad, Dean Martin , Frank Sinatra same high pitched voices. It is an Italian thing.They are from 172 SCHOLFIELD AVE, PORT COLBORNE , they moved to the city next door ,Welland for a few years, then California.

[@standupandbecounted972]

Healthy and happy looking kids. See what adulterated, over processed foods have done to our miserable, overweight, depressed kids of today.