Posted this vid not so much for the musical content but rather the cringeworthy intro from the show's compare, who comes across as a complete dweeb and totally loses it at one point. The band members take the piss throughout.... especially Keith. WATCH!!!
They were (supposed) comedians so not so sure if the cringeworthiness is not intentional.
The Smothers Brothers are Thomas ("Tom" – born February 2, 1937) and Richard ("Dick" – born November 20, 1938), American folk singers, musicians, and comedians. The brothers' trademark double act was performing folk songs (Tommy on acoustic guitar, Dick on double bass), which usually led to arguments between them. Tommy's signature line was "Mom always liked you best!" Tommy (the elder of the two) acted "slow" and Dick, the straight man, acted "superior".
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the brothers frequently appeared on television variety shows and issued several popular record albums of their stage performances. Their own television variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, became one of the most controversial American TV programs of the Vietnam War era. Despite popular success, the brothers' penchant for material that was critical of the political mainstream and sympathetic to the emerging counterculture led to their firing by the CBS network in 1969. One episode was left unaired.
Thanks for that.... sorta puts it into perspective. I was going off his body language but if it was all a put on he was a damn fine actor.
I've been watching a fair few 60's era show performances of late where "far out" & "groovy" bands are introduced by relatively "square" compares and they all seem a bit awkward, some even disdainful. Like they disapprove or are not sure what the hell is about to happen. There was a lot of prejudice at that time aimed at "long haired drug taking weirdoes". Although the targets may have shifted I ask myself has much changed in the last 60 years?
Ed Sullivan always appeared like that and never really seemed to know anything about the bands that appeared, but as his show was so big everybody wanted to be on it.
The Doors refused to change the lyrics for Light My Fire when they appeared and were consequently banned.