The New Establishment, August 1967
Fun Dad, my personal hero and fashion guru, took today's beautiful photos from the brand new "New Tomorrowland".
From the shade of the Tomorrowland Terrace, a rapt audience enjoys the rock and roll stylings of The New Establishment. They're not like that old establishment, with its fuddy-duddys and squares! The kids play the now sound for today's generation. I'd like to believe that they just finished singing their version of "The Happening" by The Supremes.
On to the another number! "Sloop John B."? Rolly Crump's wonderful Tomorrowland Terrace looks beautiful here - the gleaming white accentuates the rich colors of the acrylic panels behind the singers (who are pretty colorful themselves). I always love seeing the Skyway, even after about ten zillion views.
Of course the Carousel of Progress building can't be ignored - the attraction had debuted in Disneyland just a month earlier, after its two-year run at the New York World's Fair.
I hope you have enjoyed today's photos!
19 comments:
First of all, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, these photos. Rolly is King and his designs are totally boss. The fact that the female band member is holding a tambourine in that first pic, makes the scene even groovier.
In the second pic, I can see a couple of chocolate "sundae cups" on one of the tables. Remember the ones that had the round paper lid with the tab you would pull to remove it? Then you got to eat the ice cream with a flat wooden stick, in the shape of a spoon.
Oh, and I hope that neither one of those guys who had to share a microphone, had halitosis or pyorrhea!
The rising stage (with band prepositioned and ready to ROCK!) was the very definition of "futuristic cool!" When you saw them arise out of thin air (or ground, or...whatever...) you knew anything could happen in this place! Now, that, my friends is REAL Disney magic! (Not like the freeze-dried stuff they serve now.) Great pic!!!
MAJOR: those multicolor panels on the Tomorrowland Rising Stage are ACRYLITE brand - the company even had some industry brochures featuring the Tomorrowland 1967 bandstand in it! ACRYLITE still supplies architects and industrial designers today but sadly those bandstand color selections are no longer produced.
I’d be willing to trade a GALAXYS EDGE , a TOONTOWN , and a FANTASMIC to have the 1967 Tomorrowland back!
These are really cool; I like how the crowd is blurry, but the bandstand in the background is completely in-focus!
I guess those are people exiting the Carousel of Progress on the balcony in the second pic. I hope their minds were just completely blone by Progress City.
Great pictures that make you feel like you are there, sitting in the shade and enjoying the show!
Unfortunately I don't remember seeing The New Establishment perform but, In the mid-60's, as a small kid I remember seeing The King Family perform. They were composed of The King Sisters plus more of their family members. One was Tina Cole, who played in My Three Sons - which my mom pointed out to me at the time we were enjoying the show. She was pretty and I remember how excited I felt, being near a star. Wasn't there a 2nd, larger stage in the Tomorrowland area, at that time? I thought they performed on a bigger stage - or maybe they were on this stage and it just seemed bigger to little me, then.
Thanks, Major!
Sue
I guess what makes these pictures so great is that families are enjoying bad hamburgers, shoveling ice cream with wood sticks and pausing for a few just to listen to some of the "extra" entertainment that Disney was so good at in this era. Not much of that today in the frantic race to see everything in one day.
The boys on the left look like refugees from "The Wonders" or the "The Heardsman" or some other Playtone Records favs. The typical girl singer and Buzz Aldrin on the bass guitar. The bands always seemed kinda interchangeable. Like the group rotations of "Billy Hill and the Hillbillies" from the Golden Horseshoe. Whoever was on the schedule pick up an instrument and play these 5 songs. Just make sure the coats match before the stage pops up. Thanks for posting Major.
Buzz Aldrin on the bass! Love it!
I've played a Hofner 500/1 "Beatle" bass for almost 40 years. It's the one that looks like a violin. I can say that bass is NOT a Hofner 500/1! There were tons of copies out there, and this is one. I can't seem to find who made it...
TokyoMagic!, I’m glad you liked these. The girl holding the tambourine is great, but I think I have a slide of another band with two girls, each playing horns! I totally remember those “sundae cups”, they were a real treat when I was a kid, and remember getting one when I took a field trip. I’m sure the singers who shared a microphone used Ipana toothpaste.
stu29573, I was always amazed if I happened to be nearby when the stage either raised or lowered, it was such an unexpected sight. And the band played the whole time!
Mike Cozart, oh man, it’s a bummer that those jewel-like colors of ACRYLITE are no longer produced. I guess there just isn’t a demand for that kind of thing these days. They sure add a lot to the ambiance.
Penna. Andrew, yes, the people on the ramp are exiting the Carousel of Progress, having just viewed the large model of Progress City. The lucky bums.
Lou and Sue, I’m telling you, Fun Dad and Lou would have gotten along just fine! I remember seeing the King Sisters on TV, and might even have a photo of them performing in Palm Springs (if I didn’t sell it, that is). There was another stage in Tomorrowland, sort of where Space Mountain stands now; guests could often see the “Kids of the Kingdom” there, and in July of 1969 they could have watched a live broadcast of the moon landing.
Alonzo, you are so right, these are definitely the kind of pictures that I wish I could step into for the food, the color, the music, and the excitement of 1967 Tomorrowland. Ha ha, the bassist does look like Buzz Aldrin! I have always wondered if the various bands were unique entities, or if the members were interchangeable depending on what day it was. Does anybody out there happen to know?
stu29573, it shouldn’t be a surprise, Buzz is still the coolest!
stu29573, do you play your Hofner upside-down like Paul did? Or at least that’s the story I think I’ve read. The one in the photo definitely has a “violin” resemblance, but I have no knowledge of guitars, bass or otherwise.
Nope, I'm a righty! Paul's bass is a lefty, so he doesn't have to flip it. That being said, the only way you can tell is the controls will always be on the bottom!
By the way, I've met Buzz Aldrin. I always say he's a very nice guy that doesn't mind being the center of attention! Lol!
Stu, I didn't know you were a picker, me too. Every time I see a picture of the 67 Tomorrowland, I fall in love all over again. I think they just finished their rendition of Windy. Groovy. Paul reportedly paid 40 Quid for his Hofner, imagine what it's worth today. Fun Dad, you've done it again. Thanks Major.
Very cool! It never hurts to have a side gig for extra money (plus, it's fun!...usually...)
Yeah, I think "priceless" would sum it up now. Best buy ever!
And by the way, how cool would it be to play on a rising stage?!! Automatic great entrance!
@ stu29573 and @ JC Shannon - No way... I'm learning to play the bass. Or should I say, I'm still learning. Love that instrument. A single note can fill the entire room.
The warm colors of the ACRYLITE (Thanks @ MIKE COZART) on the bandstand against the cool blues of the Carousel of Progress is so wonderful. I always loved that Rolly Crump made the top of the band stand and speakers a planter so that it could reflect the seasons. I also am digg'n that white starburst on the speakers. Never noticed that detail before.
Have a happy and safe weekend everyone and don't forget to celebrate the 50th anniversary of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth tomorrow! All that talk of Buzz Aldrin... I wasn't going to let that slip by.
Always your pal,
Amazon Belle
PS @ Alonzo P Hawk, I love the Playtone Records cavalcade of stars... especially The Norm Wooster Singers and The Saturn 5. ;-)
Those photos sure brought back memories.
I saw several bands play on that stage as a young teen and always wished I could myself. Those pics were taken a month before I got my first bass. (Hey Stu, JC and Matthew. Another low end lunkhead here. LOL) By the time I was out gigging a few years later our long hair and 70s hard rock genre meant we could never play Disneyland.
I didn't realize it back then but looking at the photos you can see it was a sun-in-your-face gig. Those are the worst. Everyone else here who plays out knows what I mean. Pretty rough to have to dress like the Wonders on what appears to be a very warm day. ;-P
HA! Now you guys have me trying to ID the bass. For sure it's not a Hofner. It may be an Aria or possibly a Univox. Both made scroll headstock basses in the late 60s.
Yeah, we had a regular gig for years at an outdoor bar facing west. Until the sun dropped behind the building, we cooked! (and not in the "Those guys are really cooking!" way)
Major, thanks for the Fun Dad pics. I definitely remember the New Establishment band name, but the players, songs, and instruments are a blur. I was never big on rock and roll, down to this day. I would have been with the Old Establishment in Carnation Gardens listening to jazz.
It was fun to watch the stage rise with the players in place. I watched it on a recent trip when it was the backdrop for Jedi Academy, it's controlled now from a panel to stage left with a view of the dance floor. Not sure how it was done back in the day. It could be dangerous if not carefully watched while moving. There is a similar stage in the French Market in NOS, but I can't recall if it rose up with the musicians or if it was just instruments, and the musicians walked up to it. It might have been just to keep the band set-up safe from the weather and passers-by by lowering it out of sight.
@Tokyo, I hated those wooden sticks, like a tongue depressor at the doctors.
@Lou and Sue, you are right, in the photo's era there was a larger stage, between the CoP and the Character Shop where Space Mountain is today. This might be what you remember. This view from Daveland shows the stage in the background.
https://www.davelandweb.com/tomorrowland/images/70s/EkTPBKBC_10_70_N19R.jpg
However, I sure do like the stage design, plastic panels, planters and all. This is the essence of the '60's design to me.
@Mike Cozart, I agree with your proposed trades, and thanks for info on ACRYLITE. I am bookmarking them for future reference. As far as colored glass/plastic goes, we frequently call for products by GlasPro for our projects requiring special glazing effects. They can do practically anything you can imagine.
https://www.glas-pro.com/products/glaspro-gl/colored-glass/
https://www.glas-pro.com/products/art-services/
Very cool thread today, thank you everyone.
JG
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