FAREWELL SHA NA NA! - Dandy Fun House episode 30

In this episode of the DANDY FUN HOUSE, we bring you the full history of SHA NA NA! Let's step into the Fun House!
www.dandyfunhou...

[@GuerinBarry]

Nice work. Thank you. Best history of the group I've seen. I had the pleasure of being in the group from '84-'88, singing bass and playing bass and guitar. They named me Tito Mambo. We did about 250 nights/year and played in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bermuda and every State Fair in the states. Thanks for the memories.

[@dandyfunhouse]

Thank you for your kindness. My apologies that history of the band post - tv show was very hard to come by so I just did the best I could with what I could find.

[@derekllewellyn6663]

​@@dandyfunhousegaslight theater by owner of view of the same place looks like 70s show's Woodstock and 70s 50s music made it back in the past back to the future movie with children child support center spot on their power lines in side effects

[@calvinbealer7264]

Definitely deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame LEGENDS CANDIDATE FOR SURE 2024.

[@jeffgee6319]

I remember watching this show, as a kid. Whole family would sit and watch. I was born in ‘74. So, I was very young. But, still remember parts of that show. Sha-Na-Na, Solid Gold, The Monkees, Fame, etc. If the show had a lot of music to it, I watched it. Loved the Muppets, too.

[@dandyfunhouse]

I used to sit in front of the TV with my tape recorder

[@slate49]

I was born in 75..and I loved Bowser. I’d flex like him at the young age of 3-5 yrs old 🤣

[@xerxestelevision6666]

Born in 76, every show you said filled my head as a kid.

[@squirefld]

At the height of their popularity, my wife, two kids and myself went to their concert in Pittsburgh, PA. After the concert two of the Sha Na Na members, Jon "Bowser" Bauman was one and I don't remember the other were at the doors while people were leaving the theater, thanking everyone for coming. My children couldn't believe "Bowser" talked to them.

[@dandyfunhouse]

So cool!

[@tinathomure]

Excellent video!! Love Sha Na Na!!!!

[@dandyfunhouse]

They are the best!

[@MH-yx1pv]

Thank you! Sha na na was a happy memory of my childhood

[@dandyfunhouse]

Absolutely the best!

[@greezzyman]

Saw Sha Na Na and Dr Hook together at Pine Knob In mid 70s awesome

[@dandyfunhouse]

I saw that tour in Indianapolis. One of the guys in Dr. Hook did a shirtless sexy dance in front of all the kids. It was bizarre.

[@greezzyman]

That was Ray Sawyer (eye patch) lol RIP

[@dandyfunhouse]

@@greezzyman yeah I was like 8 years old and slightly disturbed by it haha!

[@EricSmith-fp4gq]

Great band! Great memories!

[@dandyfunhouse]

@@EricSmith-fp4gq rip screaming scott

[@KillrMillr7]

I fricken loved these guys, watched them every week, always had great guests like Del Shannon et al. Remember when?

[@tinathomure]

I met Lennie Baker too. Growing up as a young saxophonist, he was my hero. I switched to Bari sax in high school largely due to his influence. I was in college and playing professionally in a Big Band at the time. He couldn’t have been any nicer to me and I had a great time discussing Bari sax parts with him. Still one of my best memories in my life!!! His recollection of specific Big Band charts was amazing.

[@dandyfunhouse]

Lennie was the reason I started playing sax in school. Dirty Dan was the reason I took up guitar and ultimately made my living as a guitarist for many years.

[@cdsnow-dr1gk]

My opinion that johnny contardo owns the song "Those magic changes "!!! Love it !! Watched most shanana shows !! Got autograph from Bowser .seen in person few times !! Doowopforever 8/2/2023

[@joannelewis9439]

@@dandyfunhouse😊

[@lisajlandone1913]

The Best the first the only The first actual Punk band!

[@IsmJism]

BTW: Henry Gross (Sha Na Na guitarist) had a HUGE hit in 1976 - 'Shannon'

[@derekllewellyn6663]

Yes me too I just love 60s after before 70s show's Woodstock and 70s 50s music show dianr the best part of the day away from my parents and make it happen again this year contact info conjuring same thing as being back in time more information My favorite

[@derekllewellyn6663]

1969 and 1976 50s music show dianr in movie part in class starts in ROK and roll out side effects

[@ikemachamer7904]

The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame has become such a joke cuz these guys should have been in there years ago. Thanks for posting this.

[@jessicaallen901]

I used to watch their tv show religiously every time they were on tv. And went to their love shows. And later on in 2008 I've became close friends with Lennie Baker from the group. He was so nice. A heart of gold. 💛

[@dandyfunhouse]

I used to plop a tape recorder in front of the tv every week!

[@frankireland2524]

Great job! I had a drink at the bar with Lennie Baker after their concert at a place called "The Hop" in Lakewood, CA. Another band member who went by " Tune" was there with us as well (I later found out that Tune was someone who toured them occasionally-either Donny York or Scott Simon told me that on one of the Sha Na Na Facebook groups). Also had a nice conversation with Scott before that show and again when I saw the band in Largo Fl in 2009.

[@dandyfunhouse]

That's so cool!

[@frankireland2524]

My favorite Sha Na Na song is "Chills In My Spine" a SNN original. After the show in Largo Fl in 2009, Jocko told me that he wrote and sang that song.

[@dandyfunhouse]

Ok I'm going to go look that up. My favorite record of theirs that I own is in the still of the night because that one has several originals.

[@frankireland2524]

It is on the "Sha Na Now" album.

[@dandyfunhouse]

@@frankireland2524 yes. Jocko sings it

[@michpackfan]

It is one of my favorites. I think it could have charted. I have the album

[@rickhodges1731]

Excellent presentation! Sad it hasn't been seen as much as it should have been! Well done - Thank-you

[@dandyfunhouse]

Thank you. I'm only two-and-a-half years into this adventure and I have spent the first two of those figuring out exactly what I want to be and how I want to do things. I think I have a pretty good handle on what I'm trying to do now so I'm just starting the push for followers and Views and things like that. I'm happy that it's been viewed as many times as it has at this point. I'm seeing slow but steady growth

[@Michaela1942]

Loved that show!

[@dandyfunhouse]

It was my favorite!

[@SpenceCurry]

Bowser was the real fonz and Robert gordon simultaneously

[@SteveBrant55]

I really enjoyed watching this! Found your video after watching a video of one of the TV show episodes (there are a bunch of them on KZbin). The episode's special guest was Barbie Benton (Hugh Hefner's girlfriend!). So much fun! Thank you for teaching me their history and where they are today. I've also seen an interview with "Bowser" from around 2017... he was about to do a show at a big place in Connecticut. Happy to see him doing so well then. I will share this video with my friends on Facebook!

[@dandyfunhouse]

I am so glad you enjoyed this! It was a lot of work to put it together but I'm glad that people are liking it

[@jbramblett]

I have the good fortune to see these guys live in the '80s... They were a little bit older but they still performed at the same level they always did

[@dandyfunhouse]

They've always been awesome

[@donnyyork2149]

"...if you wanta make a livin' you've gotta put on a good show" sang the great Johnny Lee!

[@frankireland2524]

I saw SNN in 1978 in Kansas City (TV show lineup). Next was a small venue in Lakewood CA (I believe it was 1989 but not 100%) certain), then 2009 in Largo Fl. I also went to Bowzer's Christmas show in 2018, where Bowzer was joined by Johnny Contardo and Henry Gross.

[@user-hp7mm3pp6d]

Fabulous info. Thank you

[@dandyfunhouse]

This was a labor of love. Wish I could have found more history from after the tv show.

[@dennisswaim8210]

Thank for the great video Neil. I watched some of Sha Na Na's performances on You Tube just before this video. Wow they were so good, better than i remembered. The range and versatility of this group was phenomenal. They definitely deserve to be in the rock and roll hall of fame. A very underrated group.

[@dandyfunhouse]

I totally agree. I think the big thing holding them back is the fact that they were a cover band. But there are many people in the Hall of Fame that never wrote a single one of their own songs so there's that

[@jerryleeelvisberryrichard6247]

It’s a dumb criteria since nobody cared who wrote what until the beatless came around and figured out writing credits were huge money. Some original rockers wrote some songs but ALL did covers.

[@IsmJism]

2 words: THANK YOU! I met Bowzer when I was 14 at Central Park , NYC show - Lotsa stories to tell - Have MANY pix of them (even in a car w/Lenny drivin leaving a show!) - Yes - I also own Sha Na Now album - Damn, those were the good ole daze - Now I am going to subscribe to your channel !!!

[@dandyfunhouse]

Lenny was so nice when I met him.

[@jazzquebec2847]

Thanks you, this makes me so pleasure!

[@dandyfunhouse]

They were the best!

[@hatednyc]

I thought they were the only do wop cover group left.

[@ladyblindwolf1490]

You know I was at their 1979 concert with Dr Hook we got backstage passes and I got to meet Santini and Bozer now that they're tearing down the blind school I'm trying to find the newspaper article

[@dandyfunhouse]

Awesome!

[@dianacallicott4092]

I was wanting to see them sing. Sad. Loved this show

[@dandyfunhouse]

Music tends to draw copyright issues.

[@Bopper1959]

Corrections: Alan Freed did not record two intros for Sha Na Na 's first album that came out in 1969. Freed died in 1965. The Freed voice intros were lifted off oldies albums that he came out with back in the day Also. no mention that Denny Greene died in 2015 and that David' Chico' Ryan died having choked on a piece of meat in a restaurant in Las Vegas in 1998.

[@pukivuki45]

Was it Jimi Hendrix Who got them to Woodstock ?

[@jerryleeelvisberryrichard6247]

That’s what I’ve always understood.

[@Pashasmom1]

Do any CD's exist with the lineup from their TV show? Scott, Lenny, Jocko, Dan, Chico, Bowser, Denny, Johnny, Donny, and "Tony Santini"???? They were my absolute favorites.

[@dandyfunhouse]

@@Pashasmom1 I have no idea I just owned vinyl albums of the band.

[@Pashasmom1]

@@dandyfunhouse Ok, thanks. Their work should have been put on CD's. Oh BTW, some sad trivia. Chico passed on 6/26/1998 from heart failure. Dirty Dan passed on 7/23/2009 in his sleep. Denny passed on 9/5/2015 from esophageal cancer. And Lenny passed on 2/24/2016 from an 'infection'.

[@tarecahubbard-holt1630]

That was dandy and fun.

[@dandyfunhouse]

Thank you I had fun making it!

[@jsizemo]

This is an interesting study on ‘retro’ in general, and how it contributes to the birth of new genres

[@dandyfunhouse]

I never really thought of it like that but they did influence a whole lot of people sort of under the radar

[@jsizemo]

@@dandyfunhouse They have a sort of “proto punk” vibe in their Woodstock performance

[@jsizemo]

Also think of the Rockabilly revival in the late 70s and early 80s

[@lyndonbarsten393]

Interesting and well done...one point though, Alan Freed was dead in 1969. The piece of him speaking on "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay" is from a Freed oldies album. I used to have it.

[@dandyfunhouse]

I guess I should have known that! I've learned more since releasing this video than I ever did researching it!

[@madogblue]

Great job

[@dandyfunhouse]

Thank you!

[@beckyneufeld5531]

There greatlive

[@dandyfunhouse]

I got to see them three times!

[@theycallhimwoods]

you neglected to mention the two biggest reasons that Sha Na Na belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Reason # 1) the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was thee idea: one of the Sha Na Na original songs featured on their television shaow was a song called "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame" written by Donny York and Reason # 2) "The Truth In Music Act" which was championed by Jon "Bowzer" Bauman, although not enacted by Congress was enacted Federally, by Congress, was enacted in Pennsylvania, Conneticut, Illinois, North Dakota, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, New Jersey, Nevada, Wisconsin, Maine, New York, Indianna, Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Utah, Rhode Island, Delaware, New Mexico, North Carolina, Washington, New Hampshire, Oregon, Maryland, Kansas, Mississippi, Georgia & Hawaii, it ensures that when you pay money to see a performance by a musical act that you are seeing that musical act and not a counterfeit band. It came about due to conversations original members Denny Greene and Richard Joffee had with various oldies acts that toured with Sha Na Na and hearing their tales about how they had been cheated out of royalties and performance fees over the year. Greene & Joffee worked to collect some of those fees for various original artists, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers the Drifters, the Platters & the Coasters.

[@dandyfunhouse]

Good points. Based on the plethora of knockoff bands touring these days (foreigner, GFR, Skynrd) I'm going to assume that legislation didn't actually do very much.

[@theycallhimwoods]

@@dandyfunhouse I am not familiar with the contractual situations with Foriegner or Grand Funk but I am very familiar with the situation with Skynyrd. The surviving members of the Van Zant, Rossington, Collins, Black, King and Junstrom families receive 10% of all proceeds collected under the name Lynyrd Skynyrd. Billy Powell and Leon Wilkeson sold their shares to Gary Rossington while they were still alive. Sadly Artemus Pyle, Leslie Hawkins and the surviving members of the Gaines and Billingsley families were never part of the deal as Pyle, Gaines & the Honkettes were considerd employees by the time they came into the band, it can certianly be argued that 2/3's of the reason that the band is legendary is because of Steve & Cassie Gaines. So the Truth in Music bill helped a large portion of the surviving families 6 out of the 11 families involved, as far as Skynyrd is concerned.

[@theycallhimwoods]

@@dandyfunhouse 6 out of 10 - because Steve & Cassie Gaines were the same family

[@dandyfunhouse]

I totally accept the current Skynrd as authentic. Pretty much everyone on the band was part of their circle and slowly folded in over decades. The same could be said for the final version of SHA NA NA. Only 2 originals remained at the end. Yet there's no way I would ever not consider Screamin Scott an authentic member.

[@theycallhimwoods]

@@dandyfunhouse ok, but what about the Donny York song? Sha Na Na came up with idea of rhe HoF in the first place - they even name drop 1986 inductees Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and 1987 inductees Bill Haley & the Comets

[@donnyyork2149]

Do you always exit with "Grease for Peace" ? 👍

[@dandyfunhouse]

No. This was special. I Did go as you for Halloween once in the 70s though! I think I was about 8 years old!

[@donnyyork2149]

My question would be, did many who responded to your trick or treating recognize the character you portrayed.

[@dandyfunhouse]

@@donnyyork2149 Pretty much nobody.

[@dandyfunhouse]

I saw you guys at Market square arena with dr. Hook opening up. One of the guys in dr. Hook did a shirtless sexy dance in front of all the children. I just remember how bizarre it was. By the way you guys totally killed it that night

[@frankireland2524]

Dr. Hook was the opening act when I saw SNN in Kansas City in 1978.

[@greggabel7238]

1960, Doo Wop music was still in style, 1969 Sha Nah Nah formed. I do understand '50's throw back sound

[@merriemisfit8406]

You ended this by showing the opening to the Sha Na Na episode that featured Jan & Dean. That is the first Sha Na Na episode I remember seeing. I may have seen some or parts before that, but the Jan & Dean episode is the earliest one I remember.

[@dandyfunhouse]

Great episode. I used to record them with my tape recorder.

[@merriemisfit8406]

@@dandyfunhouse I have about maybe four, maybe five episodes on audio cassette -- an audio cassette eventually autographed (1992) by Chico, Jocko, Lennie, and Screamin'. When I handed the tape to Screamin', he asked "What's this?" and tried to read my pencilled micro-print. Then he exclaimed:"'I Enjoy Being A Girl' -- I remember that bit!" . That, from the very guy who, in that "bit", delivered the classic line: "You always were a leader, Trench Mouth.".

[@dandyfunhouse]

@@merriemisfit8406 awesome! I used to just set my tape recorder in front of the tv

[@timmcgoldrick5037]

How come no mention of Henry Gross, who was 18 years old and performed with Sha Na Na At Woodstock and had a hit song “Shannon”

[@dandyfunhouse]

I decided not to get into individual members until the tv show era for practicality's sake due to the sheer size of the band.

[@GODEED]

Shannon. Thank you for the reminder. What the heck I remember the backstory was that Shannon is his dog that was on a or in a raft that was swept out to sea!! 😭😢 Do you know any background to the Shannon song, tim?

[@GODEED]

Dandyfunhouse, my friend just sent me this! I look forward to watching it!

[@dandyfunhouse]

@@GODEED I hope you enjoy!

[@pukivuki45]

Who wrote Vote Song ?

[@dandyfunhouse]

If you're referring to the song Vote For Me, I believe it was sung by Johnny. I'd have to look at the album to find the writing credit though.

[@pukivuki45]

@@dandyfunhouse I found the credits it is by Scott Simon thank you

[@dandyfunhouse]

@@pukivuki45 We may be referring to different songs.

[@raymondgill9796]

@@dandyfunhouse "We dig up the oldies, but Nixon is president, With his nifty policies, its gettin' hard to pay the rent." What Lyrics.

[@jerryleeelvisberryrichard6247]

Best band at Woodstock. Sha Na Ana’s reputation has grown as people look back and decide for themselves. They were the non conformers among a sea of crap hippie dippie bs.

[@dandyfunhouse]

@@jerryleeelvisberryrichard6247 they were probably the most fun that's for sure.

[@jerryleeelvisberryrichard6247]

Better said is they were my favorite. I feel like every time younger people look back Sha’s reputation will continue to rise. They WERE fun amongst over serious joykills. 1970-74 was best live act. Golden Age of Rock n Roll lp was the Ramones Live Alive several years earlier. (Minus the doo wop songs). I was laughed at 20 years ago but 20 years from now it will be conventional wisdom- started high velocity punk rock sound.