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Sing Along with Mitch
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Sing Along with Mitch
Sing Along with Mitch was a music television show, led by choral director Mitch Miller, that ran from 1961 to 1964. Each episode consisted of Miller's male chorus singing old, familiar standards, along with famous songs from movies and Broadway shows. Certain episodes had a theme (holidays, vaudeville, romance, the circus, etc.) and the hour's musical selections would be staged according to the theme. The emphasis was on the men's voices, usually accompanied by only an accordion and a rhythm section.
At the start and end of each episode, lyrics to songs were shown at the bottom of the television screen, hence the Sing Along title, but no bouncing ball on television. (There was a bouncing ball going over the words in the theatrically-released Screen Songs and Song Cartunes cartoons.)
Three of the singers were given comedy segments in the series, as of September 1961. Ken Schoen, Hubert Hendrie, and Stan Carlson were known as The Vocalamities.
Bob McGrath, a tenor who later played Bob Johnson on Sesame Street from 1969 to 2016, made his television debut on this show as one of the soloists.
Miller also gave solo singing spots to baritone Keith Booth as well as female singers Diana Trask, Mary Lou Ryhal, and Leslie Uggams among others. Musical specialties were played by pianist Dick Hyman or accordionist Dominic Cortese.
Later shows also benefited from occasional guest stars like Shirley Temple, George Burns, and Milton Berle. They would perform songs they had popularized over the years, joined by the sing-along gang.
In later seasons, the male chorus was supplemented by unannounced mystery guests in the sing-along finales. Celebrities were paid $500 for participating: among them Ray Bolger, Red Buttons, Johnny Carson, Wally Cox, Buddy Hackett, Jerry Lewis, and Joe E. Ross (in his police uniform from the Car 54, Where Are You? series). Only former United States President Harry Truman turned down the offer in the first season. Frank Lovejoy appeared in one finale, but died before the episode aired. A new finale was recorded and aired.
The series was inspired by the popular Sing Along with Mitch album series. During one week in 1958, the top three albums were Sing Along with Mitch, More Sing Along with Mitch, and Christmas Sing Along with Mitch. A May 1961 test broadcast received more than 20,000 positive letters and telegrams, billed as "one of the largest totals in TV history."
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Sing Along with Mitch
Sing Along with Mitch was a music television show, led by choral director Mitch Miller, that ran from 1961 to 1964. Each episode consisted of Miller's male chorus singing old, familiar standards, along with famous songs from movies and Broadway shows. Certain episodes had a theme (holidays, vaudeville, romance, the circus, etc.) and the hour's musical selections would be staged according to the theme. The emphasis was on the men's voices, usually accompanied by only an accordion and a rhythm section.
At the start and end of each episode, lyrics to songs were shown at the bottom of the television screen, hence the Sing Along title, but no bouncing ball on television. (There was a bouncing ball going over the words in the theatrically-released Screen Songs and Song Cartunes cartoons.)
Three of the singers were given comedy segments in the series, as of September 1961. Ken Schoen, Hubert Hendrie, and Stan Carlson were known as The Vocalamities.
Bob McGrath, a tenor who later played Bob Johnson on Sesame Street from 1969 to 2016, made his television debut on this show as one of the soloists.
Miller also gave solo singing spots to baritone Keith Booth as well as female singers Diana Trask, Mary Lou Ryhal, and Leslie Uggams among others. Musical specialties were played by pianist Dick Hyman or accordionist Dominic Cortese.
Later shows also benefited from occasional guest stars like Shirley Temple, George Burns, and Milton Berle. They would perform songs they had popularized over the years, joined by the sing-along gang.
In later seasons, the male chorus was supplemented by unannounced mystery guests in the sing-along finales. Celebrities were paid $500 for participating: among them Ray Bolger, Red Buttons, Johnny Carson, Wally Cox, Buddy Hackett, Jerry Lewis, and Joe E. Ross (in his police uniform from the Car 54, Where Are You? series). Only former United States President Harry Truman turned down the offer in the first season. Frank Lovejoy appeared in one finale, but died before the episode aired. A new finale was recorded and aired.
The series was inspired by the popular Sing Along with Mitch album series. During one week in 1958, the top three albums were Sing Along with Mitch, More Sing Along with Mitch, and Christmas Sing Along with Mitch. A May 1961 test broadcast received more than 20,000 positive letters and telegrams, billed as "one of the largest totals in TV history."