Bantams on Hollywood A Go Go

Kinda goofy seeing a kid act on HAGG but oh well.

[@Cicadelic60s]

The Bantams belong in The Rock. And Roll Hall Of Fame, much more than David Byrne twice

[@SotR59]

Came here from an article about The Beau Brummels. Never heard of these kids. They look like the same kids from the movie "Village of the damned"

[@peterkoulouris8900]

Village of the Damned. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jimgardner1569]

I remember watching this show. I was 14 at the time and heartbroken that this was the final "Hollywood A Go Go" show. The little girl dancing with the Gazarri Dancers was the Bantams' sister.

[@MKIVWWI]

They appear briefly in the 1967 motion picture "The Cool Ones" a couple times -- trying to get the attention of record executive Roddy McDowell. The movie stars Gil Peterson and Debbie Watson.

[@barrymccay4603]

The little girl is "imitating" a Gazzarri dancer, you say? It looks to me like she's holding her own. If she wasn't a Gazzarri dancer -- at least on that one day -- then maybe she should have been!

[@pentlandite]

By the time this painful novelty act appeared, the show’s management had repeatedly demonstrated a loss of focus of who their target audience was supposed to be. Nevertheless, judging by the Gazzarri Dancers’ reactions, some are totally smitten by the group, as is Sam in his Art Linkletter’ish role. Those reactions represent the actual value of this act.

[@athorpe630]

Wonder when they decided to add Little Dion? Maybe to add some spice.

[@RobRVA]

This is the grooviest.

[@lbgrob]

Mike showed me how to play Piano when I was little (in the '70s)... he turned out to be a pretty good Guitarist.... I knew him when he was in a band called the Canaligators.... my mom rented a house behind some of the bands... Anyway...didnt know he was in the Bantams.... Michael Kirchner - was looking for some videos and discovered he died last year... RIP

[@peterkoulouris8900]

They were the house band on a 1966 summer replacement game show called Chain Letter.

[@glorioskey]

I don't know why my family had this album. I played it in elementary school, it was such a pickup. I had no idea I should have been dancing like this. I just stared at the boys on the album cover.

[@KaydeyRai]

One of them sounds like he’s got a head cold, the little girl dancing with the back up dancers (and doing a good job keeping up with them) is sweet though

[@YouAreGodJstofMarch]

Quick I need a sick bag

[@joelbarrett1849]

One of the first Boy Bands if not the first Boy Band. Well at least they are actually playing instruments. My siblings and I had many good laughs when we found and played a Bantams record back in the day. VH1 should do a "Where are they now" episode of these guys.

[@yfjfujcuufif9207]

How can you not love the bantams ! What your favorite group ! Um ! Is it the Beatles ? Yes the Beatles ! So rare to see little kid band and their little sister dancing away behind them ! You got to love the 60s era ! The bantams - Gary and the hornets - Billy and the kids - No doubt they all wanted to be like the beatles ! Can you blame them ? 🌟

[@haworthhoarder]

This was indeed from the final episode of HaGG. By this time the original produced, Al Burton, was gone and replaced by Milt Hoffman who had a different slant. Kids? I thought that they were midgets !

[@aframewindkits]

Fritz is the king then and now.!!!

[@denniscozine4999]

Rest in Peace Jeff.

[@AndyAnimal]

What happened?

[@doolb666]

@@AndyAnimal He passed tragically some time ago...

[@bearhead3]

I thinks it's cool Fritz rocks!

[@brentlinton3793]

Ha awesome just snagged their record

[@thomasdudley6514]

James lars and dave yep

[@RiamCute]

😁😁😁

[@TheAerovons]

unbelievable

[@Knaeben]

Almost no information out there about this band.

[@stephenhawkingsfootballboo7885]

Because it's not really a 'band'... it's a novelty act.

[@Knaeben]

@@stephenhawkingsfootballboo7885 True, but still not much about them.

[@stephenhawkingsfootballboo7885]

@@Knaeben Ya gotta know where to look... worldsworstrecords.blogspot.com/2022/05/beware-kircher-boys.html

[@peterkoulouris8900]

House band for summer replacement game show Chain Letter. 1966.

[@MarvinJudson]

The Bantams (12-year-old Mike, Jeff (10) and Fritz Kirchner (the baby of the bunch at just nine years old) were three pre-teens from Venice, California who, in 1966, achieved a modicum of fame locally and scored a national record deal thanks to their garage band pop stylings. With Mike on guitar, Jeff on bongos, and Fritz on bass, the boys were inspired - like so many Americans - to form a group after seeing and hearing the Beatles in 1964. That was the same year that the family moved from their previous home in Milwaukee to sunny California. The move was a fortuitous one. They were spotted by a talent scout after winning a trophy in a local band contest held at Pacific Ocean Park. Before 1965 was out they had made their first film of a four-picture deal, the 1965 Mamie Van Doren vehicle Methuselah Jones. That movie was eventually released to US cinemas in 1967 under the title You've Got to Be Smart, with the boys credited as Mike, Jeff, and Fritz Bantam. They also appeared in the Roddy McDowall film The Cool Ones.

[@cartoonranch1815]

This group really cuts away the tinsel, man. They were the greatest thing since Carl Sanburg.

[@davekapulsky]

Good! Bad! You can debate I guess, but I don't think anyone would argue that it's rare video!!! I dig it!!

[@recordguy4321]

these kids were younger than Tony and the Tigers. (Tony and Hunt Sales)

[@jimgardner1569]

Tony and the Tigers were Soupy Sales' kids. I remember seeing them on "Hullabaloo."

[@recordguy4321]

Jim Gardner me too they played Day Tripper

[@jimgardner1569]

+roughtake Yup! That's what I remember. They also did something that I recall being something like "Bring On The Mets" with their dad.

[@marine4lyfe85]

​@@jimgardner1569Meet the Mets

[@stephenhawkingsfootballboo7885]

It's sad to think that The Zombies, The Kinks, The Beau Brummels, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Hollies or any other great band could have filled this slot instead of this 'novelty' act.

[@williamhenderson1521]

It's sad you can't hear the beauty in this.

[@stephenhawkingsfootballboo7885]

@@williamhenderson1521 It's sad that you got suckered by a novelty act.

[@jpcworley]

Not at all!!They are right on!!

[@hormelinc]

This can't be for real! The Gazzarri's must be so embarrassed! What's with that little girl imitating a Gazzari (Dancer)? This band is so obscure that a Google hit count is in the single digits! Or at least it should be "little" single digits (HA HA HA!). For those of you who complain that Justin is crap (i.e. "Today's Music Is Crap"), you *can't* complain that us baby boomers put just as much crap out back then! This must be the downfall of HAGG - too bad. --- NEXT! ---

[@williamhenderson1521]

What an old grouchy fuddy duddy. I guess Boomers are going to Boom. Better hurry and get back to the TV set, you're missing Fox News.

[@seltaeb9691]

It looks illegal & child abuse too me. They all should be in kindergarten.

[@denniscozine4999]

Rest in Peace Mike.