The Bootleg Files: John Denver and the Ladies

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 842: “John Denver and the Ladies” (1979 television special featuring Tina Turner, Valerie Harper, Cheryl Ladd, Erma Bombeck and Cheryl Tiegs).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No perceived reissue value.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

During the 1970s, John Denver was a ubiquitous presence on television, both as a guest on variety programs, awards productions and talk shows, and as the star of an occasional TV special. By the end of the decade, Denver tried to push himself away from his folk-country-pop persona into different areas. He scored a box office hit in his first movie, working with George Burns in the 1977 “Oh, God!”, but he opted not to vigorously pursue acting and would not appear in another film for nine years. He became an increasingly vocal activist focused on conservation and humanitarian issues. And while he didn’t lose his core audience, his new music in the late 1970s (which was more complex and mature than his earlier sing-along hits) did not generate the sales as his output from the earlier part of his decade.
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The Bootleg Files: Tony and Lena

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 830: “Tony and Lena” (1973 TV special starring Tony Bennett and Lena Horne).

LAST SEEN: YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Music clearance costs.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

During the 1970s – also known as The Decade That Good Taste Forgot – most television specials were bizarre concoctions populated by dubious talents. Where else but in the 1970s would the phrase “Special Guest Star” and names such as John Davidson or Florence Henderson be united amid waves of canned applause?
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The Bootleg Files: Once Upon a Tour

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 824: “Once Upon a Tour” (1972 TV special designed to boost the career of Dora Hall).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: A brief VHS video release.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A music rights clearance issue coupled with an overwhelming degree of obscurity.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Utterly unlikely.

During the 1970s, a series of variety specials turned up on independent TV stations around the U.S. that revolved around a singing-dancing-joking septuagenarian named Dora Hall. If you born after the 1970s passed into the history books, there’s an excellent chance you never heard of Dora Hall. And if you were around during the Decade That Good Taste Forgot, there’s an equally excellent chance that Dora Hall’s name does not ring that proverbial bell.
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The Bootleg Files: Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel

Posted on January 6, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 824: “Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel” (1967 special for British television).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Rights clearance issues and a perceived lack of commercial viability.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

In March 1967, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel traveled to England for a brief concert tour that included London’s Royal Albert Hall and venues in Birmingham and Manchester. While in Manchester, they taped a television special at Granada TV where they performed their songs before a small audience.
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The Bootleg Files: John Denver and the Muppets – A Christmas Together

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 822: “John Denver and The Muppets – A Christmas Together” (1979 television special).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It was never made available on any home entertainment format.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe next Christmas?

When I was kid in yesteryear, every Christmas season would bring a surplus number of television specials tied to the holiday. Some specials became annual events, such as “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or “Frosty the Snowman,” but most seemed to be one-and-done affairs that might have been lost to obscurity had it not been for the prescience of pop culture vultures to videotape those shows and save them for future viewing.
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The Bootleg Files: All-Star Party for Lucille Ball

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 816: “All-Star Party for Lucille Ball” (1984 television special with an extraordinary A-list line-up).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

When I was watching the 1984 television special “All-Star Party for Lucille Ball,” the same thought kept rotating through my mind: they don’t make them like this anymore. Not only is today’s televised entertainment so completely devoid of the level of star power that was gathered for this one-shot offering, but the feel-good quality and genuine sincerity that permeated the production offers a reminder that there was a time (not so long ago) when broadcast television was a genuinely friendly place to visit.
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The Bootleg Files: Olivia Newton-John – Hollywood Nights

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 811: “Olivia Newton-John – Hollywood Nights” (1980 TV special).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The expense in clearing the music and performance rights.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: There is no great call for this one.

In April 1980, Olivia Newton-John was at a career peak – she ended the 1970s as one of the decade’s most popular recording stars and her first Hollywood movie, the 1978 production of “Grease,” immediately established her as a box office presence. Her star power was so strong that ABC recruited her for a one-hour variety special that would air ahead of its telecast of the Academy Awards ceremony.
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The Bootleg Files: Julie & Carol at Carnegie Hall

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 801: “Julie & Carol at Carnegie Hall” (1962 TV special starring Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Mostly likely due to music rights issues.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Probably not.

In 1962, Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett were on the cusp of superstardom. Andrews had back-to-back Broadway triumphs with “My Fair Lady” and “Camelot” while Burnett had gained fame from her standout comedy performances in the Broadway musical “Once Upon a Mattress” and on Garry Moore’s television variety show. Surprisingly, there was initial reluctance from CBS to move forward with a proposed TV special starring the two women – the network felt that Andrews was not that well known to the wider American public while simultaneously arguing that Burnett was too familiar from Moore’s weekly show.
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