Levi and the Rockats first national tv appearance 1979 - full clip

Levi and the Rockats performing "Note From The South" and "All Through The Night" on national TV. You get a nice intro of the band, and there's also an entertaining interview with the lads between songs.
This show aired for the first time in April 1979 and must be the first national exposure of the new (at that time) Rockabilly craze. As a frame of reference, The Stray Cats appeared on "Fridays" two and half years later in October 1981!
The interview with band starts about 3:00 mark.
Band:
Levi Dexter: Lead Vocals
Smutty Smiff" Bass / Vocals
Dibbs Preston (Eddie Dibbles): Lead Guitar / Vocals
Guy Hemmer: Rhythm Guitar / Vocals
Dean Thomas: Drums / Vocals

[@christopherbaranet2388]

I picked these guys up hitch hiking on Sunset Blvd,LA. Smitty sat upfront we all went to see David Johansen at the Whiskey.

[@nuwavedave]

One night in April 1979, around the time of this Merv Griffin appearance, a friend of mine, Tom Ayers brought Levi Dexter down to Bomp! in North Hollywood, to meet me. Tom was the Rockats record producer, and also produced Gene Vincent's later recordings. There's a lot of Gene Vincent's and Johnny Burnette's energy in Levi's rockabilly madness. Another group that came from the same school of rock was The Cramps with their "Psychobilly". Those were great times to be in the Hollywood music scene..

[@stevendphoto]

Yeah, fun times, I recall hanging out at Cathey De Grande a lot, especially when Levi DJ'd....

[@ClueSign]

Just read they found Smutty's bass. Rock on.

[@juliusseizure324]

That's what just brought me here.

[@samueltaylor4989]

It brought me here too!

[@danielwehagen9120]

Just saw that too

[@danielwehagen9120]

Did not know they were from ohio

[@ClueSign]

@@danielwehagen9120 Only some of them!

[@georgefeist8190]

I taped it on my VHS RECORDER...STILL HAVE THE VHS.

[@rodrigocruz3483]

Awesome band! 50´s Rock´n Roll will never die !!

[@lechanneldemysterieuxmante1807]

This just rocks. Has that rockabilly twang and that Punk Rock Fury combined to make an exploding Rock n Roll furnace forest fire unmerciless!

[@jimmyrazor6202]

I saw this when it first aired. I was a 14-year-old straight-A nerd and was totally blown away. I had no idea that a rockabilly revival was happening, but I was on board right away. I'm still riding that rockat train.

[@govinda102000]

Same here. Merv had some great acts including new wave and he really tried to connect with them.

[@guynelson2341]

I saw them in London when they were a support act to Wayne County and the Electric Chairs on the Eddie and Sheena tour.

[@gerrymorbin9328]

That's right. Marquee Club.

[@guynelson2341]

Actually i saw the double bill at a pub in Stoke Newington

[@RockinRedRover]

Good ol Levi & lads, Saarfend n London's finest. Talk about "selling coals to Newcastle", or in this case American rockabilly back to America. Great stuff.

[@charliereussner1513]

Saw these guys open up for KISS 1980 in NYC!!

[@gogoyubari366]

Very energetic performance!

[@Sergey_Naumov]

Это нереально крутое рокабилли! По стилю выступления. Вот кому подражали The Stray Cats...

[@aochannel6106]

貴重な動画ありがとう！

[@user-fo4ry9wf2n]

カッコいい👍

[@5thgeneration449]

This is a very valuable video! Thank you for showing me from Japan

[@grepthis2000]

Went looking for more on Smutty Smiff after reading the New York Times article. Did not expect to see the group anywhere near Merv Griffin. Merv was genial and appreciative but was thrown by Smutty's ink. If Merv's ghost could see him now? That was one rocking, energetic group, I'm sure they've slowed down a little 40+ years later.

[@susanmurray7654]

Enlightening!

[@govinda102000]

Merv was the best. He also had Gary Neuman near this time doing their song Cars.

[@summerthyme71]

Awesome performance

[@rockabilly375]

Awesome

[@davidellis5141]

I think Cosmo is referring to David White. My mate Ron and I went to the audition with him. The band lived just below Sunset in a beat up ratty apt. It was Rock n Roll. They were cool and had an image to protect. Good times in LA. New Dimensions. All right!! All Night!!

[@LoveJonesTelevision]

This is their original American drummer, Dean Thomas, who performed on all recordings, the Merv Griffin Show and a few weeks later, The Midnight Special. He quit soon after that and replacements were sought. Jerry Nolan was the first choice and played a few gigs. Not sure another drummer was ever used for Levi & the Rockats...before they split up.

[@devildoll9929]

Merv was cool with the youngins

[@revenger700]

He apparently was a total chicken hawk.

[@sherri419]

I remember Cyndi Lauper had a Rockabilly band called "Blue Angel" at about this time, their album was released in 1980, unfortunately MTV didn't exist yet so there was no place to show their music videos (they made 3 music videos), Rockabilly didn't get really popular until MTV started (that's when the Stray Cats had their big hits).

[@christopherbaranet2388]

My friend David Wolfe discovered Cindy.

[@sherri419]

@@christopherbaranet2388 I know he was Cyndi's boyfriend and manager when she got Famous in 1984, there's a Cyndi Lauper interview I'm looking for on MTV in the Summer of 1987 Alan Hunter interviewed her in LA I wonder if David Wolff has a copy of that interview?, if so tell him to put it up on KZbin, Thanks.

[@sherri419]

​@@christopherbaranet2388 Does David Wolff have the video of Cyndi Lauper on The Dr Ruth Good Sex show in 1985?, I'm looking for the full show not just the part of it that is on KZbin, Thanks.

[@hollywoodjoe123]

hello from hollywood joe

[@OhhKikka]

Waay back then, I named my boy kitten, Levi, after this cat.

[@lawrencescott2824]

Moving it with Merv

[@devildoll9929]

Merv was so cool he had everybody on

[@Sergey_Naumov]

This is unrealistically cool rockabilly! According to the style of performance. Now it is clear who The Stray Cats imitated...

[@SLRTD]

rare & based

[@llorensl]

Cool.

[@drstevie]

Truly BRILLIANT.

[@kurobow]

Good! 何故か翻訳するとリーヴァイではなくレヴィ？

[@MrRick6007]

See Smutt ride that bass

[@t4texastomjohnnycat978]

Wasn't bad, as far as Rockabilly music goes. But what I absolutely love is the Confederate flag.🎸

[@Ausomedays]

Fuck your racism

[@stevem1208]

@@Ausomedays Levi comes from England and the conferate flag was not connected to racism. It was all about being a rebel and southern music. Just to let you know the band were far from racist

[@Ausomedays]

@@stevem1208 Keep Whitesplaining.

[@stevem1208]

You don't know what you are talking about. You don't know Levi and I do, so do a bit of research. Levi is mixed race and you should not comment on things you have no clue about.

[@dgw3650]

@@Ausomedays I'm also mixed white and black and live in the south. This flag is not as offensive to me as it is to northerners, esp northern whites and it means a shit load more than "racism". It is nothing remotely that simple to anyone except said northerners

[@dadtakahashi5027]

アメリカ発のネオロカ原点だよね。カッケー

[@artoshnoro2271]

HIENOA...

[@revenger700]

That flag back drop wouldn't fly now!

[@billiee835]

Would in my house

[@jordigaliana2532]

Levi looked rather like Gene Vincent, didn’t he?

[@TheDagdean]

top billy.

[@johnrduartesgv]

Why is this host even involved with music. He's so disconnected he just sounds like a from another world. The host was disrespectful with a lot of judemental remarks. Levi and the Rockats kept it professional.

[@christophervaldez8746]

I bet Merv was pretty excited that night......😉

[@clubugly]

wow martijn van spankeren kept on turning thanx

[@frankcavestani]

They'd be nothing, at least not on Merv's Show without me. But the do look good, and sound good thanks to Russ Gary.

[@danielwehagen9120]

Did not know these guys were from ohio which is where im from

[@madaleine0n864]

eventual lead singer.....on drums

[@LoveJonesTelevision]

TryingHardNotToScream not drums. Dibbs is on lead guitar.

[@tubetoprocker]

I couldn’t tell but he sang their big hit Make that Move..

[@davedarpinian1890]

Danny B Harvey on guitar

[@mitchgawlik1175]

Look more like a novelty act. These guys had nothing on Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent or even Robert Gordon.

[@Tiwaz81]

They were young. And not dead.

[@mitchgawlik1175]

@@Tiwaz81 Being young has nothing do do with it. The dead comment is in bad taste. Cochran was only 21 when he bought it but had a load of really good rock & roll under his belt. Levi was 21 or 22 when this was recorded. Maybe was looking to be the first punk rockabilly.

[@Tiwaz81]

@@mitchgawlik1175 Being young (then) has a lot to do with it. As does being alive …. People can’t go to your gigs if your dead. You said they had NOTHING on some guys who were old or dead. They may have been inferior to the legends… but they were young and playing… that’s something they had over Eddie.

[@kevind7422]

Aww, jeez. They were great. Looked great, played better. They absolutely knew their way around the music and renewed it w originals. Great blokes. Saw 'em dozen times at least. Dibbs n Smutty were the best frontmen. Never a dry anything in the house when they finished up. Ab Fab!