The !!!! Beat

The !!!! Beat
GenreMusic
Presented byBill "Hoss" Allen
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes26
Production
Camera setupMulti-camera
Original release
NetworkSyndication
Release1966 (1966) –
1966 (1966)

The !!!! Beat is an American television program that aired in syndication for 26 episodes in 1966. It was hosted by the Nashville, Tennessee based disc jockey Bill "Hoss" Allen, and featured a house band led by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown which included David "Fathead" Newman.[1] The show was recorded in color[1] at WFAA, the ABC affiliate in Dallas, which had color facilities, and recorded and syndicated episodes of the program.[2] At that time, none of the Nashville stations had color capability.[3][4]

Guests included: Otis Redding, who hosted the final episode,[3] Little Milton, Esther Phillips, Joe Tex, Etta James, Lattimore Brown, Roscoe Shelton, Carla Thomas, Freddie King, Barbara Lynn, Johnny Taylor, The Radiants, Louis Jordan,[5] The Mighty Hannibal, Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, Robert Parker, Joe Simon, Mitty Collier, Jamo Thomas, Z. Z. Hill, Lou Rawls, Bobby Hebb, Willie Mitchell, Don Bryant, The Ovations, The Bar-Kays, Percy Sledge, Garnet Mimms, and Sam & Dave all appeared.[3] Some of the artists would also chart well into the 1970s.

DVD release

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The show was rumored to have been lost but to have been discovered by Willie Nelson in his own collection.[3] In 2005, Bear Family Records released all 26 episodes of the show (on six discs) on Region 1 DVD in the United States.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "WAII-TV Debuts An R&B Show". Billboard. 78 (21). Nielsen Business Media, Inc.: 26. May 21, 1966. ISSN 0006-2510.
  2. ^ Weingarten, Marc (2000). Station to Station: The History of Rock 'n' Roll on Television. Pocket Books. p. 138. ISBN 0-671-03444-8.
  3. ^ a b c d Wilonsky, Robert (January 29, 2012). "For 26 Episodes in 1966, WFAA Played Host to the Funkiest, Most Soulful TV Show in America". Unfair Park. Dallas Observer. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  4. ^ Gilbert, Calvin (March 26, 2004). "Climbing Aboard Night Train to Nashville; Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit Chronicles Nashville's R&B Heritage". CMT News. Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  5. ^ "Historic Films Stock Footage Archive: Search - Louis Jordan Saturday Night Fish Fry". Historicfilms.com. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Various Artists, The !!!Beat; Volumes 1-6 (Bear Family Records DVD) - OffBeat Magazine". Offbeat.com. 1 December 2005. Retrieved 11 May 2023.