Soundstage (TV series)
American live concert TV series
Soundstage Logo
Country of origin United States Running time 60 minutes Network PBS Release
1974 (1974 ) – 1985 (1985 )
2003 (2003 ) – 2010 (2010 )
2016 (2016 ) – 2018 (2018 )
Soundstage is an American live concert television series produced by WTTW Chicago and HD Ready. The original series aired for 13 seasons between 1974 and 1985; a new series of seasons began in 2003, with the latest (Season 11) starting in April 2018, each presented in high-definition with surround sound . Some performances have been made available on DVD . The performances are taped on stage at the WTTW television studio in Chicago, as well as large venues throughout the United States.
Airing nationally on PBS , MTV Live , CMT , Rave HD, and GAC , as well as internationally in over 20 countries, the program features intimate performances by well-established as well as up-and-coming artists.
Initial series
The series originated in 1972 as Made in Chicago , and was taped and broadcast by WTTW . It presented a dramatic contrast to the way music had been televised until that point; variety shows (such as The Ed Sullivan Show ) and lip-synched cabaret shows (such as The Andy Williams Show ) were the norm. Made in Chicago (originated by Ken Ehrlich , who had previously produced The Marty Faye Show ) foregrounded the music and emphasized live performance and, at times, improvisation.
In 1974, the show's name was changed to Soundstage , and it became more widely distributed by PBS.[ 1] Artists who appeared in the early years of the show included figures from rock (Bob Dylan , Tom Waits ), pop (the Bee Gees ), blues (Bonnie Raitt and Muddy Waters ), jazz (Professor Longhair , Dizzy Gillespie , and Benny Goodman , as well as specials dedicated to the Down Beat Readers Poll Award winners), folk (Jim Croce , Janis Ian , Arlo Guthrie , and Harry Chapin ), and gospel/soul/R&B (Al Green and Aretha Franklin ). The 1980 appearance by John Prine is "the only archival concert of Prine available on DVD".[ 2] One of the most unusual episodes, broadcast in 1983, was devoted to Andy Kaufman , who hosted it in a (somewhat bizarre) variety show format; it was his last major television appearance.
Artists
Original series
Season 1: 1974
"Blues Summit in Chicago" with Muddy Waters , Willie Dixon , Koko Taylor , Junior Wells , Pinetop Perkins , Mike Bloomfield , Buddy Miles , Johnny Winter , Dr. John , and Nick Gravenites . Band members: Rollow Radford, Bob Margolin , Willie "Big Eyes" Smith , Calvin "Fuzz" Jones , Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson , Jerry Portnoy . July 1974[ 3]
José Feliciano , 1974
Randy Newman , 1974
"The Book of Chapin" with Harry Chapin , 1974
"Arlo's Gang" with Arlo Guthrie , Steve Goodman and Hoyt Axton with David P. Jackson Jr. and John Pilla . This episode is sometimes referred to as "Arlo and Friends" Nov. 11 1974 [1]
"Yes, We Can Can" with The Pointer Sisters , Dec. 1974
"Bonnie Raitt & Friends" w/ Buddy Guy and Junior Wells . Dec 14 1974
"New Jazz" with Return To Forever featuring Chick Corea ; Herbie Hancock with The Headhunters ; Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock in duet, 1974
"New Orleans Swamp" with Professor Longhair , Earl King , The Meters , and Dr. John and the Night Trippers, 1974
"Paradise Club of '58" with Jackie Wilson , Della Reese , George Kirby , and Red Saunders Orchestra, 1974
John Sebastian , David Bromberg , 1974
Tom Rush , Tom T. Hall , 1974
Seals and Crofts with England Dan & John Ford Coley and Walter Heath
Donovan , Dave Mason , 1974[ 4]
Don McLean , The Persuasions , 1974
Kris Kristofferson , Rita Coolidge , Larry Gatlin , Bill Swan , 1974
Season 2: 1975/1976
"The World of John Hammond , Part One"[ 5] with hosts Goddard Lieberson , Jerry Wexler , performers Marion Williams , Jessy Nixon , Milt Hinton , Bennie Carter , Benny Morton , Red Norvo , George Benson , Teddy Wilson , Jo Jones , Helen Humes , Benny Goodman , Dec. 13
"The World of John Hammond , Part Two" with hosts Goddard Lieberson , Jerry Wexler , performers Benny Goodman , George Benson , Teddy Wilson , Milt Hinton , Leonard Feather , Sonny Terry , Mitch Miller , John P. Hammond , Bob Dylan , Dec. 14
Barry Manilow , 1975
Blood, Sweat & Tears , Janis Ian , 1975
Tom Waits , Mose Allison Dec. 22
Three Dog Night
Waylon Jennings , Jessie Colter , Johnny Rodriguez , 1975
Bee Gees , Yvonne Elliman , 1975
"Sixty Minutes to Kill" with Martin Mull and His Fabulous Furniture and Flo & Eddie
Phil Everly and Dion DiMucci aka "Dion"
Anne Murray , Dobie Gray , 1975
"Downbeat Jazz Awards" with Chick Corea , Quincy Jones , George Benson , Stanley Clarke , Freddie Hubbard , Hubert Laws , Bill Watrous , Lenny White , Airto Moreira , Roland Kirk , Sonny Rollins , McCoy Tyner , 1975
Stan Kenton , The Four Freshmen , Anita O'Day , 1976
Judy Collins , Leonard Cohen , 1976
Asleep at the Wheel , Leon Redbone , 1976
Season 3: 1976/1977
Jean-Luc Ponty , Doug Kershaw , and Itzhak Perlman - "Fiddlers Three",[ 6] 1976
"Sing Me a Jazz Song" with Jon Hendricks , Annie Ross , Leon Thomas , Eddie Jefferson , 1976
"Woodie Guthrie's America" with host Studs Terkel , performers Arlo Guthrie , Pete Seeger , Judy Collins , Fred Hellerman , 1976
The Spinners , 1976
"Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop Reunion" with Dizzy Gillespie , Al Haig , James Moody , Milt Jackson , Kenny Clarke , Ray Brown , Sarah Vaughan , Joseph Carroll, 1976
"Downbeat Jazz Awards" with George Benson , Gary Burton , Ron Carter , Stanley Clarke , Billy Cobham , Jean-Luc Ponty , Bill Watrous , Sonny Fortune , Thad Jones , Chick Corea , 1976
Loudon Wainwright III , 1977
"An Evening with Jackson Browne ", 1977
B.B. King and Bobby Blue Bland , 1977
The Charlie Daniels Band , with special guest Leo Kottke , 1977
"A Santana Festival" with Carlos Santana , Gato Barbieri , Tower of Power , 1977
Season 4: 1977/1978
Kenny Loggins , Jesse Winchester , Michael Murphey , Live at Red Rocks , 1977
Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman , 1977
Hank Williams Jr. , Vassar Clements , Katy Moffatt , 1977
Phoebe Snow , David Bromberg , 1977
Graham Parker and The Rumour , Rick Danko , 1977
The Doobie Brothers
"Dave Brubeck and Sons", Darius Brubeck , Chris Brubeck , Dan Brubeck , The Murray Louis Dance Company, 1977
"David Amram and Friends", Dizzy Gillespie , Steve Goodman , Jethro Burns , Bonnie Koloc , Chicago Symphony Orchestra , 1978
Al Green , 1978
The Crusaders , Roy Ayers , Ubiquity Starbooty, 1978
Peter Allen , Patti LaBelle , 1978
"The World of Proctor and Bergman ", Philip Proctor , Peter Bergman , Hirth Martinez , 1978
Season 5: 1978/1979
Leo Sayer , 1978
Emmylou Harris , Buck White , The Hot Band, The Whites 1978[ 7]
Journey , with Albert King , Luther Allison , Pinetop Perkins , Jerry Portnoy , 7/9/1978
Pablo Cruise , 1978
Ry Cooder , with The Golden Gate Quartet , 1978
"Fifth Anniversary Show" with host Harry Chapin , 1978
"George Benson , Chet Atkins and Earl Klugh " 1978
Garland Jeffreys , Carmen McRae , Sonny Rollins , 1979
"Shel Silverstein and Dr. Hook "[ 8]
Freddy Fender , Doug Sahm , Huey Meaux , LeBlanc and Carr , 1979
Bruce Roberts , with guests Alice Cooper , Bernie Taupin , 1979
Eddie Rabbit , Bobby Bare , 1979
Season 6: 1979/1980
Gordon Lightfoot 1979[ 9]
The Temptations , 1979
The Doobie Brothers , 1979
"Chick Corea and Al Jarreau ", with Gary Burton , Gayle Moran , Bunny Brunel , Tom Brechtlein , 1979
Ella Fitzgerald , with Count Basie , Joe Pass , Roy Eldridge , Zoot Sims , Paul Smith , Keter Betts , Mickey Roker , 1979
Elvin Bishop , with Mighty Joe Young , Son Seals , 1979
Joan Armatrading 1979
"Sixth Anniversary Show", 1979
John Prine , 1980
Rupert Holmes , 1980
Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes , with Junior Wells , 1980
"Tom Johnston (Doobie Brother)" 1978,[ 10] 1980
Johnny Paycheck , Mickey Gilley , 1980
Season 7: 1980/1981
"An Evening with Dionne Warwick ", 1980
Victor Borge - "Comedy in Music", 1980
The Manhattan Transfer , 1980
Little River Band , 1980
Don Williams , 1981
Lacy J. Dalton and Con Hunley , 1981
"Just Folk" with Odetta , Tom Paxton , Bob Gibson , Josh White Jr. , 1981
"An Evening with Roberta Flack " with guest Dwight Watkins, 1981
The Oak Ridge Boys , 1981
Season 8: 1981/1982
Chicago Jazz Festival , with Herbie Hancock , Carmen McRae , Sun Ra and His Arkestra, 1981
Doc Severinsen and Xebron, with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, 1981
Cheap Trick at ChicagoFest , 1981
Roger Miller , 1982
The Blasters , with Carl Perkins , Willie Dixon , 1982
Ronnie Milsap , 1982
"Full Swing" with Charlotte Crosley , Lorraine Feather , Steve March , 1982
The Marshall Tucker Band , Micheal Smotherman , 1982
"Doo Wop!" with The Capris , The Harptones , The Jive Five , The Mystics , Randy & The Rainbows , 1982
Etta James , with Dr. John , Allen Toussaint , 1982
Season 9: 1983
Loverboy , 1983
The Roches , 1983
Tina Turner , 1983
Joe Cocker , 1983
V.S.O.P. , with Herbie Hancock , Wynton Marsalis , Branford Marsalis , 1983
Peabo Bryson and Angela Bofill , 1983
Marshall Crenshaw , 1983
"The Andy Kaufman Show", 1983
"The Chicago Bluegrass Festival" with John McEuen , Jimmy Ibbotson , Doc Watson , Merle Watson , Peter Rowan , David Bromberg , 1983
Greg Kihn , 1983
Season 10: 1985
Chicago Jazz Festival with The Buddy Rich Big Band, Bud Freeman Sextet, Doc Cheatham , A Tribute to Count Basie , with Clark Terry , Buddy DeFranco , Gus Johnson , Charlie Rouse , Nat Pierce , Milton Hinton , 1985
Chicago Jazz Festival , A Tribute to Charlie Parker , with Lou Donaldson , James Moody , Ira Sullivan , Duke Jordan , Mongo Santamaria , 1985
Aretha Franklin , 1985
"Tenth Anniversary Special" with host Dionne Warwick , 1985
New series
Season 1: 2003
Lyle Lovett , Randy Newman , and Mark Isham , March 2003
Chicago , live in concert, June 2003[ 11]
Michael McDonald , July 2003
Alison Krauss and Union Station , July 2003
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers , July 2003
Lucinda Williams and Kasey Chambers , July 2003
Chris Isaak and Raul Malo , August 2003
Trace Adkins and Travis Tritt , August 2003
Tori Amos , August 2003 Taped May 2, 2003
Wilco and Sonic Youth , September 2003
John Hiatt and the Goners, Dar Williams , Robinella and the CCString Band , September 2003
Peter Cetera and Amy Grant , October 2003
Farm Aid 2003 at Germain Amphitheater , Columbus, Ohio, featuring Willie Nelson , Neil Young and Crazy Horse , John Mellencamp , Dave Matthews , Sheryl Crow , Brooks & Dunn , Emmylou Harris , Los Lonely Boys , Hootie & the Blowfish , Billy Bob Thornton and Trick Pony , November 2003
Season 2: 2004
Fleetwood Mac at the FleetCenter in West End Boston, June 2004 taped September 24, 2003[ 12]
Sheryl Crow , June 2004
Ronald Isley and Burt Bacharach , July 2004
Alanis Morissette , July 2004
Lisa Marie Presley and Peter Wolf , July 2004
Cyndi Lauper , August 2004
Joan Baez , Gillian Welch , and Nickel Creek , August 2004
Counting Crows and Shelby Lynne , August 2004
Dan Fogelberg , September 2004
Steve Winwood , September 2004
30 Odd Foot of Grunts and Kris Kristofferson , September 2004
Yes at Tsongas Arena , Lowell, Massachusetts, Taped May 15, 2004. Premiered September 2004
Chris Isaak Christmas album Special, with guests Michael Bublé , Brian McKnight and Stevie Nicks , Taped September 23–24, 2004 Premiered December 2, 2004
Season 3: 2005
Michael McDonald with guests Billy Preston , Toni Braxton , Take 6 and India.Arie in Tennessee, June 2005
John Mayer with Buddy Guy , July 2005
The Wallflowers , July 2005
Heart , July 2005
America with guest Christopher Cross , August 2005
Ringo Starr & the Roundheads with guest Colin Hay at Genesee Theatre, Waukegan, Illinois , August 2005
Lindsey Buckingham with Stevie Nicks , September 2005
Chris Isaak , September 2005
Trisha Yearwood with guests Billy Currington and Sugarland , September 2005
Joss Stone with guest Mavis Staples , October 2005
Martina McBride at Genesee Theatre, Waukegan, Illinois, October 2005
Dave Matthews Band with guests Robert Randolph , Rashawn Ross and David Cast at Red Rocks Amphitheatre , November 2005
Season 4: 2006–2007
Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation, June 2006
Garbage , July 2006
Bill Laswell , AXIOM SOUND SYSTEM, and Musical Freezone featuring Tabla Beat Science , Pharoah Sanders backed by Material , and two Praxis members Buckethead and Bootsy Collins , July 2006
The All American Rejects and Fountains of Wayne , July 2006
KT Tunstall , July 2006
Train , August
Tom Petty Live from Gainesville 30th Anniversary Concert, November 2006
Peter Frampton , January 2007
New York Dolls , February 2007
Lee Ann Womack with Julie Roberts , February 2007
Jewel at Meyerson Symphony Center , Dallas, February 2007
Rickie Lee Jones , February 2007
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris at Gibson Amphitheatre , Los Angeles, March 2007
Season 5: 2007
Rob Thomas , January 2007
NY Dolls, February 2007
Rickie Lee Jones, February 2007
Mark Knoffler & EmmyLou Harris, February 2007
Rob Thomas at Red Rocks Amphitheatre , June 2007
Macy Gray , July 2007
Dashboard Confessional at Madison Square Garden , July 2007
Jewel at Rialto Square Theatre , Joliet, Illinois, July 2007 Taped November 28, 2006
George Jones 50 Years Special, with guests Alan Jackson , Kenny Chesney , Wynonna , Martina McBride , Aaron Neville , Harry Connick Jr. , Randy Travis , Lorrie Morgan , Vince Gill , Trick Pony , Amy Grant , Sammy Kershaw , Trace Adkins , Uncle Kracker , Connie Smith , Emmylou Harris , Joe Diffie , Kris Kristofferson , Shelby Lynne and Tanya Tucker , November 2007
Season 6: 2008
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers , January 2008
Lifehouse , January 2008
Daughtry , January 2008
John Fogerty , February 2008
Josh Groban at EnergySolutions Arena , Salt Lake City, June 2008 taped August 28, 2007
REO Speedwagon , July 2008
Bon Jovi , July 2008
Stevie Nicks , July 2008
Matchbox Twenty , July 2008
Kenny Chesney , August 2008
Faith Hill , Joy to the World, A Soundstage Special Event at Sears Centre Arena, November 2008 Taped September 10, 2008
Season 7: 2009
Counting Crows , Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, January 2009
Idina Menzel with special guests Josh Groban and Ravi Coltrane at Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York, January 2009
Foreigner , January 2009
B.B. King with special guests Terrence Howard , Richie Sambora , and Solange Knowles , January 2009
Umphrey's McGee , February 2009
Seal , February 2009
Jackson Browne , June 2009
OneRepublic , June 2009
Sugarland , July 2009
Death Cab for Cutie , July 2009
Billy Idol at the Congress Theater , July 2009
Fall Out Boy , July 2009
Josh Groban : An Evening in New York City, July 2009
Michael McDonald : This Christmas
Season 8: 2010
Season 9: 2016
Season 10: 2017
Season 11: 2018
References
^ personal interview with Ken Ehrlich, January 2008
^ Robert Hilburn, Los Angeles Times , March 21, 2007.
^ "Muddy Waters and Friends Soundstage: Blues Summit In Chicago, 1974 DVD" . Amazon . April 21, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2019 .
^ Billboard Magazine 11/30/1974
^ Palmer, Robert (October 23, 1975). "Bob Dylan, Jazz Stars Salute Label Pioneer John Hammond" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved November 4, 2018 .
^ 11db11 (4 June 2013). "Jean-Luc Ponty Live 1976" . Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via YouTube. {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link )
^ Larry Musicman (29 May 2017). "Emmylou Harris, The Hotband & The Whites live in concert 1978" . Archived from the original on 2020-12-06. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via YouTube.
^ Ronja´s Dr Hook Channel (20 September 2011). "Shel Silverstein - "Show It At The Beach" " . Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via YouTube.
^ "Soundstage 1978" . Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via YouTube .
^ pandoval13 (3 August 2011). "Tom Johnston" . Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via YouTube. {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link )
^ Soundstage Presents: Chicago DVD , Shoppbs.org
^ Press Release , September 10, 2005, Fleetwoodmac-uk.com
External links