Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve

0:03 Calarogus Shark Media. Hello everyone, and welcome to a special edition of TV in the Basement as we step into the world of glitz, glamour and countdowns. I'm Journey Joe Mitchell, and today we're diving into the sparkling history of Dick Clark's New Year's Rock and Eve, a show that's been the centerpiece of America's New Year's Eve celebration since nineteen seventy two. Let's rewind to the early seventies. Dick Clark, already a household name from American Bandstand, decided it was time for a change in how America celebrated the new year. He envisioned a show that combined live music with the iconic times square ball Drop, a concept that was revolutionary at the time, and so New Year's Rock and Eve was born, offering a youthful and vibrant alternative to the more traditional New Year's broadcasts. In nineteen seventy two, American Irish rock band Three Dog Night kicked off the first ever New Year's Rock and Eve. This inaugural bash, then broadcasted by NBC, paved the way for a new era of holiday entertainment.

1:03 In its second year, New Year's Rock and Eve seventy four continued on NBC with the iconic comedian George Carlin at the helm. This edition kept the audience grooving with pre recorded musical acts such as The Pointer Sisters, Billy Preston, Linda Ronstadt, and Tower of Power, all performing from the elegant Queen Mary Ballroom. A significant shift occurred in nineteen seventy four when the show transitioned to ABC. Here Dick Clark took over as the host, marking the beginning of an era. The first ABC broadcast, known as Chicago's New Year's Rock and Eve nineteen seventy five, was part of the network's wide World of Entertainment late night lineup. This inaugural ABC edition featured the rock band Chicago as the headliner, and they were joined by a star studded lineup including The Beach Boys, The Doobie Brothers, Herbie Hancock, and Olivia Newton John With these vibrant segments all pre record at the famed MGM Studios in Hollywood. Soon the show had found its forever home on ABC, with Dick Clark taking the reins as host.

2:08 His vision to meld the excitement of live music with the spectacular ball drop in Times Square, Clark, a master showman from his American bandstand days, knew just how to capture the nation's heart. Throughout the years, New Year's Rock and Eve grew into a star studded extravaganza featuring a who's who of music from the Begs to Mariah Carey. After the passing of Guy Lombardo in nineteen seventy seven, CBS and the Royal Canadians tried to maintain their New Year's Eve broadcast tradition from the Waldorf Astoria for the nineteen seventy seven to seventy eight celebration. However, the absence of Lombardo's charismatic presence led to dwindling viewership numbers.

2:52 This shift in audience preferences was a boon for New Year's Rock and Eve, which, in just its sixth year, began to eclipse the Royal Canadians in popularity. Sensing the changing tides, CBS eventually decided in nineteen seventy nine to replace the Royal Canadians with a fresh program, Happy New Year America, debuting on New Year's Eve of nineteen seventy nine to eighty as New Year's Rock and Eve continued to rise in popularity. Dick Clark envisioned his creation becoming a new tradition in its own right, one that could rival the long established Waldorf Astoria festivities. His vision soon materialized, with New Year's Rock and Eve surpassing Guy Lombardo's show to become the most celebrated and widely viewed New Year's Eve special across the United States. Sadly, in two thousand and four, Dick Clark suffered a stroke, leading to Regis Philbin stepping in as guest host. It was a poignant reminder of Clark's enduring legacy. Starting in two thousand and six, Seacrest became a co host and eventually the main host, infusing the show with his own style while maintaining the legacy that Dick Clark had built. It was a passing of the baton from one television legend to another, ensuring that New Year's Rock and Eve would continue to be a staple of American celebration. On October twenty third, twenty thirteen, Dick Clark Productions officially announced the continuation of New Year's Rock and Eve for the twenty thirteen fourteen season. And revealed that Ryan Seacrest had committed to a multi year agreement to remain as the host and

4:23 executive producer for an unspecified duration. Seacrest expressed his deep connection to the show, saying I will forever be both sentimental and grateful about my involvement in the special, and shared his enthusiasm, I'm excited to work together to create new traditions and fun moments on the show that only live television can deliver. Mariah Carey, a marquee performer at Times Square for the twenty seventeen show, encountered notable technical difficulties during her act. Kicking off with her hit Emotions, Carrie was visibly troubled, expressing throughout the performance her inability to hear the backing track. The situation escalated during her rendition of We Belong Together, where she attempted to sing along with the backing track, but ultimately ceased singing abruptly. A spokesperson for Carrie later claimed that despite notifying the production team about the malfunctioning in ear monitors, no action was taken, insinuating a setup for her performance to fail. Dick Clark Productions, however, refuted these allegations, firmly denying any role in the mishap and labeling the accusations from Carrie's team as defamatory and baseless.

5:32 Today, as we look back on the decades of New Year's Rock and Eve, we see more than just a television show. We see a cultural phenomenon, a part of our collective history. It's where we've laughed, danced, and stepped into the new year with hope and joy. It's where memories are made, where stars are born, and where America comes together to count down the final seconds of the year. Now, with over fifty episodes under its belt, the show has become a multilocation spe featuring celebrations from across the US and dazzling performances. Despite challenges and changes, Dick Clark's New Year's Rock and Eve remains a testament to the timeless allure of ringing in the new year with music, excitement, and a sense of unity. So as we count down to midnight and reminisce about the show's storied past, let's raise a toast to New Year's Rock and Eve, a show that's not just about the start of a new year, but about the celebration of time music and collective joy.

6:30 I'm Journey Joe Mitchell, wishing you a rock in New Year. Right here from TV in the Basement