I always love photos of various bands (with their kooky names) performing at the old Tomorrowland Terrace stage - they evoke an era that is long-gone. My understanding is that this wonderful stage can no longer raise and lower, which is a shame... I remember watching "new wave" bands in the 80s rocking out at the stage emerged from the ground, and they continued as the stage descended. It was cool!
Both of today's photos have additional appeal because they were taken just after the sun set, there's still a hint of rosiness to the light, though the warmth would be replace by violets and blues soon enough. It looks like The Entertainment Committee had a solid crowd enjoying their performance! In the background, the Monorail station is lit up - the yellow Mark II train helps to date this to pre-1969 (I believe), when I initially thought that these photos were from around 1973-ish. Live and learn.
Here’s what’s intriguing about these images: the Mark 2 monorail is parked at the NEW 1969 MARK 3 Monorail station….. and both the RED and TURQUOISE PeopleMover appear to be without the first versions of the safety rails ….. added in 1968…. So yeah what year is this ??
ReplyDeleteOk, Nanook, it’s up to you to solve the mystery of what year these pics are from….all we need is for you to identify the sound system (amp) and year it was made. :oD
ReplyDeleteLove all the yellows and orange colors! Thanks, Major.
Major-
ReplyDeleteAs we've mentioned so many times on these pages - the 'magic time' at Disneyland is about to unfold - it's anticipation and special moments almost as exciting as when one first arrives at The Park.
That pair of black speaker cabinets appear to be [a somewhat rare] Fender, solid state Super Showman Power Speakers.
Thanks, Major.
But to answer your question Sue - if those speakers actually ARE the Super Showman model - they replaced the Dual Showman model in 1969. So... start there and move forward.
DeleteContinuing on... Yes, absolutely those speakers are Fender Super Showman XFL-2000's and were manufactured from 1969-1971. Again... use those dates to narrow down the images.
Delete@ MIKE-
DeleteAre you absolutely positive there isn't some glimmer of the 1968-installed safety rails visible in those images-? I wouldn't want to bet my life on it, but...
You're right, Major. This evokes a simpler, more enjoyable time. Even though Vietnam was still going strong and a couple of assassinations occured the year before (1968). Here in the Magic Kingdom the real world is 'out there' somewhere, not to be found within the berm. We can see two blue Mickey balloons, and one pink balloon. I see what looks like a sailor's cap being worn in front of the stage. Not sure if it's a souvenir hat.
ReplyDeleteI bet the guitarist is introducing the Osmonds to the stage... or maybe E.J. Peaker... or maybe Kurt Russell... or maybe Sandy Duncan.
Hmm, Mike C. says the year of these photos is now in doubt. Too many inconsistencies, things are out of place. THE UNIVERSE IS COLLAPSING INTO A MAELSTROM OF CHAOS!!! Whew. I feel better now.
And now Nanook says it probably IS 1969 (maybe). THE CONFUSION BEGINS ANEW!!!
Thank you, Major.
Thank you, Nanook…..now we need a guitarist to identify the guitar and possibly when IT was made. Grant? Stu? Anybody? :oD
ReplyDeletePer AI, FWIW: ”The music band ‘Entertainment Committee’ performed at Disneyland throughout the 1970s as one of the regular live cover and rock bands at the Coca-Cola Tomorrowland Terrace.”
ReplyDeleteI guess that rules out 1969.
All four of the MARK 3 Monorails were in full operation by March of 1969 …. The target was before spring break ‘69. It’s possible there are safety bars on the PeopleMovers … but I don’t see them …( at least I can’t see them) … but no MARK II monorail should be running in 1969 …. However the Yellow Mark II was the last of that series to run on the line … I’m speculating that these images are from late 1968.
ReplyDeleteIn case anyone else hadn't figured it out yet, these pics are pre-1980, since the band isn't Krash, Gazelle, or Airplay. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI had not heard about the stage not operating anymore. Is it just that they don't use it, or is it broken? Or is it now considered a liability and the lawyers won't let them use it? I just bet you that money is involved......not spending money, I mean!
Thanks for the groovy band and stage pics, Major!
I thought the rising stage was the coolest possible idea for entertainment. The stage itself becomes part of the show, sort of meta-entertainment. That said, I never cared for any of music played there, so I used show time to grab extra rides.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching the Jedi Academy show here, that was such a cute program, and of course it’s eliminated. I think I heard the stage is mechanically sound, but there were operational issues (workplace safety) that preclude its continued use. There are reasons why shows like Cirque du Soleil don’t perform in the People’s Republic of California.
These are great photos in any year, and I think some of these historic benchmarks we rely on for dating might not be as hard and fast as we would like. Thanks Major!
JG
Mike Cozart, as I say in my text, I believe that these have to be from before 1969, though I can’t get more specific than that.
ReplyDeleteLou and Sue, I guess that’s assuming that Disneyland isn’t using equipment that’s a few years old?
Nanook, I thought I was the Super Showman.
Nanook, why would anybody use crummy Dual Showman speakers when they could use Super Showman speakers??
Nanook, it’s kind of fascinating the way tiny clues can help to pin down a date!
Nanook, the Peoplemover trains are just a little too indistinct to tell, no matter how hard I squint.
JB, I sure wasn’t implying that everything was fine in the world! I’m trying to remember if my dad was in Vietnam in 1968. It sounds about right. Or maybe it was a year or so later. I was a kid, and I didn’t really understand what was going on. Disneyland is definitely a place where people went to get away from the turmoil of the real world, maybe that’s why it is so overcrowded today? Things ain’t great. If I had a choice between seeing the Beatles in concert, or the Osmonds at Disneyland, I’d choose the Osmonds every time. I think it’s very possible that some equipment stayed around longer than records show, things are always so black and white. And dates can be wrong.
Lou and Sue, I guarantee, somebody will ID that guitar!
Lou and Sue, I wouldn’t bet money on that AI info.
Mike Cozart, remember, I said these photos are probably “pre-1969”.
TokyoMagic!, I seem to remember reading that the lead singer of Krash bit the head off of a bat. Or was that somebody else?
TokyoMagic!, I forgot to add that I read about that stage no longer raising/lowering on the Internet, but it has the ring of truth to it.
ReplyDeleteJG, I agree, that rising stage felt so futuristic. I’ve still never seen anything like it. I only saw the Jedi Academy once or twice, and admit that it was cute to see tiny kids learning to be Jedi. I saw Cirque de Soleil in California, but maybe they’ve since decided to not perform here? I can’t get too upset at wanting a workplace to be reasonably safe.
Sue, no expert here but I think it's a Gibson EB-2 semi-hollow body bass. They were in production from '58 to '72. (My first bass was a cheap copy of an EB-2.) This one is possibly a "C" model, made from '61 to '69. So it's consistent with a late 60s photo date.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if the rising stage was discontinued after the accident at the Carousel of Progress that crushed the castmember as it rotated.
ReplyDeleteMajor, perhaps if band members were protected in crysalis-like protective shells, (a-la Spinal Tap), then it would be safe to use the rising stage again? I'm thinking though, it's more a matter of $$$ why the stage is not being used.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I always thought it was an ingenious way to present bands in the middle of Tomorrowland: being very futuristic to have the stage rise from a hidden location, and able to be set-up out of sight. I remember enjoying the music on warm evenings, while waiting in line for Autopia. Someone was doing a good job playing "Crazy Little Thing Called Love".
Grant, nice to hear from you! I should have known that you would be able to ID that bass guitar. I hope all is well!
ReplyDeleteDean Finder, the Carousel of Progress thing had happened decades before - but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t right.
Omnispace, I wish I had a chrysalis-like protective shell. Spinal Tap knew what they were doing. I guarantee money was a big factor with the stage. I agree with you, there was something so cool about having the stage rise up out of the ground, with lights and color and hard rock music (ha ha)! And when the show was over, the stage lowered back into the ground, like it was some sort of dream.
JB & Major, I have also only seen Cirque du Soleil in California!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the time Disney stopped having bands on the Tomorrowland Terrace Stage coincides with when their live entertainers voted to join the Actors Equity Association/Union a couple years ago. At that time, Disney said, "&%*@ all or you! We'll just cancel all of the shows in DL and DCA and eliminate both you and your jobs." But of course, their public statement was that it had nothing to do with the vote to unionize, and that it was because of costs. Doesn't Disney haul in enough truck loads of money to keep the live shows going?