Disc-O-Teen 1967 -Halloween Show- Gimme Some Lovin‘, The Spencer Davis Group

Taped: October 31, 1967
Happy Halloween…1967!
If you were a teenager in Newark, NJ in the mid 60’s you might remember Disc-O-Teen. The show was hosted by John Zacherle, the “cool ghoul”, and was broadcast on UHF channel 47 every weekday afternoon. John worked with Dick Clark in the 50’s and is one of the few people to ever guest host American Bandstand. Disc-O-Teen had little of the production values, strict dress code, produced segments or national attention of Bandstand, but it was popular in the New Jersey area (as far the UHF signal could reach) and attracted big name guests such as The Rascals, The Box Tops, and the Doors. When The Doors visited, Zacherle recalled, "Jim Morrison looked at our weird set and mumbled, 'This is the damnedest TV show I've ever seen.' “
For Halloween, today’s guests are Count Dracula, the Wolfman, Brute Force and Every Mothers’ Son (“Come On Down To My Boat”) promoting their new single “Pony With The Golden Mane”.
“Gimme Some Lovin’” (one of my all-time favorite songs) went to #7 back in February and is played today to celebrate the hits of ’67 for the show’s 2nd anniversary.

[@MusicandDancing4Ever]

This show really depicted how the teens were in the late 60s, the wild, free dances, the clothes, the peace signs, the hippie girls, you didn’t see this in American bandstand. Dick Clark wanted to keep that show conservative, not to upset parents. So the girls dressed prim and proper, no pants, couldn’t dance too sexy, couldn’t shake and shimmy too much, no throwing up peace signs. These kids would’ve got turned away on American Bandstand. So this show is a true depiction of young life in the late 60s. I enjoy this show. There are two full episodes just added, check it out, you’ll love it, can’t stop watching it.

[@jimhall9624]

yes, nothing like looking looking back at baby boomer history and the music- it was so Good !!!

[@RandyR]

One of my favorite dance songs ever. Got to see Spencer Davis live twice. He got down

[@oldiesgeek454]

It must've been a bit frustrating dancing on the teen shows, to songs that just weren't made for dancing. But then you get a great dance song like this one, and it makes it all worth while!

[@a.b.sproductionsllc]

This was filmed 3 months after the Newark Race Riots, and yet you see blacks and white dancing on a local TV show. Beautiful! I wish there were Independent stations like this today. There’s no doubt that my mom and her brothers and sister watched this. They were from Newark.

[@backpages4910]

My band the Back pages was on this show too bad it is not on tape.

[@a.b.sproductionsllc]

@@backpages4910 Question is where in Newark was the station located at. Do you remember?

[@walterreyesproductions]

@@a.b.sproductionsllc From what I read on the Internet, the station was located at the Newark Symphony Hall around that time, I think. Obviously, the station is now part of Telemundo.

[@AdrianDeVore]

Being that Disc-O-Teen was filmed in my home state of NJ back in 60s must have been cool to watch on TV! I remembered watching channel 47 as a kid when it featured Spanish language programming and I learned how to speak Spanish.

[@nuwavedave]

John Zacherle was a TV mainstay between Philly and New York in the 1950s and '60s. The Cool Ghoul was best-known for his very eccentric, spooky kids show. New York area TV in the afternoons was very free-form and quirky. On top of that - it was all broadcast LIVE! During the mid-late '60s, we had Soupy Sales, Sandy Becker, and of course, Zacherly (John Zacherle's stage name). They each had their own personae, but were pretty-equally warped.

[@shave-a-thon3415]

Don't forget Captain Jack McCarthy, Officer Joe Bolton and Chuck McCann (all on WPIX with Zacherly) and Sonny Fox along with Paul Winchell (with Soupy and Sandy) on WNEW-TV.

[@georgeplagianos6487]

Yes I remember his showin New York especially like when he kept talking to his wife in the coffin I think it was.. heard that John zacherley is of Greek ancestry

[@catherineerwin8269]

Super love this video!!! The host, guests & Halloween fun. Jersey kids rule & the free flowing dance moves are great.. ❤❤❤❤

[@catherineerwin8269]

Have to say the unpolished non-corporate feel of this show makes it better than Bandstand for me. I wish that there were more cliips..

[@thruthealcove]

Wow, before Telemundo came along, we had the Tri-State Bandstand! This is cool stuff Aaron. I've seen clips of this show in the past, but not this one. The kids on this clip were all in & very into the song! You could also see the difference between east coast & west coast dancing & energy here, a really good example of this. Keep them coming as always!

[@philipcollins408]

In Chicago we had Kiddie-a-Go-Go, ages 8-12 - you should've seen that action !🙄🙃

[@Johnnycdrums]

I love these old finds of TV nostalgia. Being from Maine, of course I never heard of this one. By 1967 even small stations had finally woken up to the idea of archiving the tapes, rather than just recording over them.

[@shave-a-thon3415]

Did you watch this one? The description is in my longer post here: :kzbin.info/www/bejne/ap2tmHeCZpafi80

[@shave-a-thon3415]

Here's another one with the kids dancing to "Light My Fire": kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnK5pXdte9CnrZo

[@MusicandDancing4Ever]

These dancers danced better than on American bandstand. On Bandstand they were still doing the Lindy hop. These dancers were actually doing popular dances and representing the times.

[@MrWahooknows]

So much better than American Bandstand. More natural, better dancers.

[@robertleo7394]

A band from Hicksville, NY called The Nomads I think performed on Discoteen.

[@The_Klystron7]

I love Everything 60's !!!

[@redskua]

Brian G ,,,it was just fabulous Brian. To be a teen at that time...OMG

[@kurtkauffman4326]

I do too !

[@catherineerwin8269]

Jersey kids!!!!

[@johnfrank3177]

Hello. So happy to see episodes of Disc-o-teen again. My band "The Bit'a End" was on Zacherley's Disc-o Teen 3 times when he had a battle of the bands on his show. I don't suppose you have any of those episodes in your collection? Would be very interested in seeing them. Thanks, John.

[@RoisinElektra]

Thx for this upload..awesome..the black beauty is still best grooving

[@altfactor]

At the time, WNJU must have been broadcasting entirely in English. But I can understand why it eventually began broadcasting in Spanish: With six commercial TV stations and one noncommercial English-language station in the New York area, WNJU couldn't make it as an English-language outlet. And being on UHF at a time when not everyone had either UHF or cable (and with the other English-language stations being on VHF) also didn't help. Today, it's a 24/7 Spanish-language station and flagship of Telemundo.

[@vividwatch47]

Strange to see this taped in B&W when network television in the Fall of '67 was in psychedelic color!!!!

[@bobbywall172]

This is hilarious, keep them coming, Great🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻❤️ the songs, Zacherely, the great dancing teens, make me so happy and Free🤡🤪🤪

[@MusicandDancing4Ever]

The white dancers on here were better dancers then on American Bandstand.

[@Rodin99]

like looking at my peers...used to watch this after i got home from high school. the only other ch. 47 show I watched, at least I think it was 47 was Popa en New York, Cuban comedienne in Spanish, don't understand Spanish, it was broad comedy. any Latinos out there remember Popa?

[@victorlugano1424]

Teixeira25ify And the bullfights along w /winter baseball from the Puerto Rican League!! 👉👁

[@gladyshernandez2389]

Sure do remember “Popa en Nueva York”😊 Very funny comedy series.

[@Rodin99]

@@gladyshernandez2389 great!....I remember watching an episode filmed on Broadway around the corner where i lived...there was a night club there....as i said...don't speak Spanish ...still found it fun.

[@oldiesgeek454]

Michael Imperioli as Dracula. 😉

[@berwyn58]

cripes I'm back in 8th grade!!!

[@alpha-omega2362]

berwyn58: we must be the same age. I would have been in 8th grade when this aired... boy those girls were cute... and I like the skirt length... ahhh I remember that... yikes... hard to concentrate in class....

[@shave-a-thon3415]

@@alpha-omega2362 Check out this other clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ap2tmHeCZpafi80

[@shave-a-thon3415]

Here's another one with the kids dancing to "Light My Fire": kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnK5pXdte9CnrZo

[@kevingoins9858]

Dinner with Drac!!

[@richardleonard4281]

Interesting to compare this with AB , same song , same time but vastly different.

[@michaelmcgee8543]

Back then you just shake your hips and your hands and your legs to the record unchoreographed

[@dancerdon9175]

So cool!

[@ABdancers]

dancer don Thanks for posting this fun 1967 Halloween show video Aaron. Now if only one of us can track down the footage that Don would like to see of his early 1970s American Bandstand Halloween show. I haven't forgotten Mr. Sanuskar. - Jeff

[@dancerdon9175]

@@ABdancers ^5 Jeff ... someday.

[@AvektaProds]

Do you have access to the show that featured one of the first all-girl rock bands, The Untouchable? They are featured in the current documentary about Iggy Pop running on Netflix, "Gimme Danger." They played Zach's show around 1966-67.

[@CHaas-bn3xi]

The girls back than so beautiful and healthy and RESPECTED THEMSELVES

[@Paul-dz7xi]

No they didn't respect themselves, thank god.

[@CHaas-bn3xi]

@@Paul-dz7xi I get it yes to be blunt good pussy. What I was referring to there not a bunch of fat hogs with purple hair and nose rings and shit. Like the hogs today have you ever watched a McDonald's drive through fat hogs ordering 3 big Mack's 3 orders of French fries and a super size DIET COKE LOLOLO

[@redskua]

@@CHaas-bn3xi ,,,,,i hear you C. Haas

[@kurtkauffman4326]

Yes they were indeed!.

[@alpha-omega2362]

that's a young Pee Wee Herman as Dracula in the beginning.!!!

[@valerieehrlich7166]

John zacharele was on bandstand many times and wtai where the action is he is the one who inspired Jerry g bishop the original svengoolie and rich koz the son of svengoolie and the CURRENT SVENGOOLIE on www.metv.com

[@richardleonard4281]

Zacherle was smoking the wolfbane I think.

[@cynthiapickett7403]

Take away the host, what American Bandstand would've looked like had it remained in Philadelphia!

[@alpha-omega2362]

Sooo. what's with the lady at 4.04? or is that one of Zacherle's cut aways for comedic purposes? she looks like some girl's mother who is totally disgusted.....

[@alpha-omega2362]

Is there anyone out there who actually danced in this? It would be nice to hear from you....

[@shave-a-thon3415]

There was at least one daughter who replied that she saw her mom dancing in this other clip from the show: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ap2tmHeCZpafi80

[@shave-a-thon3415]

Here's another one with the kids dancing to "Light My Fire": kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnK5pXdte9CnrZo

[@richardleonard4281]

Yup , sure did.

[@richardleonard4281]

Were there no guys in New Jersey? There's a lot of girls at this teen show.

[@shave-a-thon3415]

Here's another one with the kids dancing to "Light My Fire": kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnK5pXdte9CnrZo

[@DomFalance]

Wait, John Zacherle guest hosted AB? Thought only Donna Summer did that.

[@YCDTI]

There isn’t any evidence of John guest hosting in the 50’s as they were live shows, but I’ll take him at his word. www.zacherley.com/disco.htm

[@DomFalance]

WNJU is now Telemundo.

[@YCDTI]

Que Bueno!

[@stevieg7672]

Yeah, my parents watch it all the time. Had I been alive during the 1960s, I would've seen this broadcast, as I only live one town north from Newark. This was an amazing find!

[@cardinalsfan8182]

Looks like the Republicrook convention of 2024😂😂😂

[@richardleonard4281]

Seems to be a shortage of boys in New Jersey.

[@fred3467]

I remember this show! Then the channel turn into Telemundo and I stopped watching.