When I was in junior high school in the mid-1970s, there were a few absolute truths known and accepted by me and my gang, and one of these truths was that if you wanted to make out, you'd better be able to dance, and the better you could dance, the better chance you had of making out.
When I was 13/14 years old, all I wanted was to have my tongue in some girl's mouth while I fondled her breasts. We had some notion that there was something beyond this, but just making out was our goal.

To that end, I watched American Bandstand and Soul Train every Saturday, assuming I was home. It's funny, I never thought it before today, but Dick Clark and Don Cornelius both have the initials DC.

One thing I could tell you back then, even though I was naive to the world, is that black people had dance style that I couldn't ever hope to possess. I grew up in the deep south. I guess the assumption is that we all walked around decrying "niggers". My mother forbade such language in our home and I never heard my father say any such things, either. I knew that black people in my town felt separate from us and I could see that there were actual differences in the way they were treated- and in their attutudes towards us- but I am grateful to my parents for allowing me to form my own opinions on these things.

I had a close friend in my neighborhood, who happened to be black. He walked into my house one Saturday and saw me watching Soul Train.
"Whatcha doin??", he asked. I'll never forget. He sounded half amused, half shocked. "Watchin' Soul Train" I said, and that was that. He sat down and watched with me and nothing else was said about it, but it surprised me that it surprised him.

At any rate, these are clips- it looks like- from about that same time period. Both are mixes- clips from various episodes- with the second one being superbly edited. Take a look and see if you can catch the groove. This was part of my youth.

And you can bet your last money that it's always gonna be a stone gas, honey!

Watched Soul Train for years......Loved it to death.....Zebulon

I enjoyed Soul Train also. I was also impressed by the Jackson Five dancing, I remember Cher dancing with them on her show.

quote:

Originally posted by rizzle:
I enjoyed Soul Train also. I was also impressed by the Jackson Five dancing, I remember Cher dancing with them on her show.

Man, does that bring back memories!!



I guess I'm feeling nostalgic today.

I had an older cousin who came to Atlanta for nursing school (from a little town in south alabama) and she would come to our home on the weekends to do laundry and chill out. We would always watch soul train together on Saturday afternoons. Loved that show. Much more than bandstand really...

I agree that white folks can't dance. Even the ones who can (like Travolta for example), it always looks rehearsed and overly practiced. Whereas the black folks just seem to be naturals at it.

I never could understand why there was that difference, but it's there. They got the rhythm and we don't.

If I remember this correctly:

....and you can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey! I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!

Don was a former Marine and a Chicago Cop before he went on to Radio & TV stardom.

Soooooooouuuulll Train!

I never tried to dance like the people on tv but watched it often in the early 80s. It came on after a show I watched.

Back in the '70s, I watched it often right after "American Bandstand" especially if they had some righteous performers on. I was a teen back then....

Para,

If you recall the movie, Footloose, well I was after that.

I was a kid that moved into a very, very small town in SW Nebraska, about the time the break dancing craze hit.

If you can imagine a bunch of farm boys wearing parachute pants, and doing their best to break dance, I'll admit to being part of that crowd.

I could MoonWalk like nobody's business. I still possess that skill. Use to drive my parents crazy, every time I walked in the kitchen, I'd moonwalk to the fridge.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
Soooooooouuuulll Train!

You beat me to it!

Have you watched the show American Dreams?
About a family in Philly during the American Bandstand Era. With the main characters dream is to be a dancer on Bandstand.
Sounds a bit like your family upbringing.
I missed it when it originally aired on CBS I believe. I have only seen the 1st season as it is on DVD and I highly enjoyed it. I believe there are 3 total seasons but supposedly all the musical rights are crazy expensive which is why they won’t put the subsequent seasons on disc and likely will never see syndication.
The DVD set for season 1 was nearly $200 upon release. Down substantially now that it has been 10+ years since its release.
American Dreams - Season One (Extended Music Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000..._api_i_ZT1.Ab5905BWG

I was a child of the 80's and I watched plenty of Soul Train. Watched it after my Saturday cartoons.

Found this video, pretty cool. Intros throughout the years.




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/TuGiQHqQCxE

I grew up when both we're on, but to the tail end. My Jr high dance era was either people standing around or moshing to grunge or doing whatever to the awkward slow dance. I don't think any male I knew got any action due to their dance skills. The girl I liked and took to Jr high dances had a black belt in tae kwon do and her dad was the HS asst. principal. I didn't get too fresh.

I was born a poor black child...

I watched both Bandstand and Soul Train and the latter was way cooler, I loved it. It was a sexier show, the music was better, the girls were hot.

A white guest:


and Joe Tex:

Wow, if I ever forget the memories of slow dancing under the disco ball to How Deep Is Your Love..the BeeGees had us all dancin' in the 70s

https://youtu.be/c9u4Su0J4Zg

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

Funny bit on white folks dancing starting at 5:45. The direct link will take you straight to it.




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/dCIOVDgwfRs?t=5m46s