Getting 1964’s “The T.A.M.I. Show” finally on a Collector’s Edition DVD fully restored for the rock fans is a special occasion. If only because “The T.A.M.I. Show” has long been a concert film that has been seen mainly through bootlegs and was sabotaged for a long time. Even film buff Quentin Tarantino never had a complete bootleg, and finally the entirety of “The T.A.M.I. Show” is on DVD from Shout! with nary a single dull moment to be had. What’s so fun about “The T.A.M.I. Show” is that it’s just an unabashed celebration of diversity in rock and roll, and how various artists have shaped it in to something incredible.
There are also some brilliantly raw moments that add to the charm, including Mike Love breaking loose and dancing during “I Get Around,” and a skateboarding session during “Sidewalk Surfin” that ends with Dean Torrence almost crashing in to the camera man. “The T.A.M.I. Show” really is a celebration of rock and roll that’s built on the momentum of The Beatles singing at the Ed Sullivan Show, and there’s a slew of mesmerizing rock performances from the band, including a rock compilation between Chuck Berry and Gerry and the Pacemakers, all of whom sing their hits like “Maybellene” and “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying,” while also bouncing off of the other’s energy. If that’s not enough, there’s a fantastic performance by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles all of whom sing “Mickey’s Monkey” and “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me,” as well as Marvin Gaye, who sings four of his best, including my favorite “Stubborn Kind of Fellow.”
There’s also a great medley from Lesley Gore who sings six of her biggest songs including “It’s My Party,” while Jan and Dean continue their very prominent presence in the show with their performances of “The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena)” and “Sidewalk Surfin.” One of the biggest highlights if the performance by the Beach Boys, which will be a highlight to fans that have had the bootlegs for many years, as their performance was edited out of “The T.A.M.I. Show” for many, many years, and is now included with the group beautifully singing four of their surfing hits. Among the rest of the line up, there’s Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, The Supremes, The Barbarians, and the finale with James Brown & The Flames. It’s funny to think that Keith Richards considers following James Brown to be one of the biggest mistakes the group has ever made, considering James Brown gave a brilliant performance that was tough to top.
Despite their regret, the Rolling Stones storm the stage with their closer, singing some of their best early hits including “Time Is On My Side,” and “I’m All Right.” And you just have to love the closing number “Let’s Get Together” with all of the performers united. “The T.A.M.I. Show” is almost two hours of raucous rock and roll, and lively pop performances, and it’s nice to see a nearly lost and butchered classic finally restored for fans.
Among the extras on the DVD, there’s a small booklet explaining the history of the show, and a group of original radio ads for “The T.A.M.I. Show.” There’s an original trailer with commentary by John Landis, and finally a new commentary by director Steve Binder. His commentary is lively and very informative, especially during the Beach Boys performance where he explains the long and irritating history of the missing footage and why it was edited out of the movie originally. It’s worth watching “The T.A.M.I. Show” twice for the commentary.