Stand back, Jann Wenner: The Hudson Brothers revival and grassroots campaign to place the influential trio in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is about to grind into third gear with the long-awaited DVD release of their monumentally-influential Seventies television series, The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show. Our exclusive look at the box art for the three-disc set that will be taking up prime space in stores and online in May is the next step in giving the Beatlesque pop icons their due as rock 'n' roll and comedy innovators.
Razzle Dazzle's live-action display of music and mayhem was a surreal comedic wakeup for the Brady Bunch generation (and morning-after bong material for the older kids), proving the Hudsons to be more Marx than Jonas Brothers and earning them the title of “The Kings of Saturday morning” from none other than their good pal John Lennon.
Produced by esteemed Laugh In (and Elvis ’68 Comeback special ) writers Chris Bearde and Alan Blye, the half-hour variety series ran from September 1974 to August 1975, on the heels of the Hudson Brother’s landmark summer series that replaced Sonny & Cher’s comedy hour. Considering the relevant and busy careers of Bill, Mark and Brett Hudson today, it’s hard to believe that the wacked-out Razzle Dazzle was last seen thirty-three years ago, but it’s remained hardwired in a generation’s memories thanks to its rock ‘n’ roll irreverence and memorable characters like Chuckie Margolis, young network VP Fabulous Freddie and Rod Hull*’s talking emu.
The Razzle Dazzle set will include fifteen Razzle Dazzle shows and one of the Hudsons' hourlong CBS prime time summer shows. Apparently the rest of the The Hudson Brothers Shows have gone missing. Archivists, completists and TV collectors contact us here if you’ve got the collection stored away.
Another tip: The campaign to induct The Hudson Brothers into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame begins officially on March 12th, the morning after such rock ‘n' roll stalwarts as Leonard Cohen and Madonna are inducted in a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria.
*Fun Fact: Rod Hull died in March 1999, after falling from the roof of his house in Great Britain, while trying to adjust the TV aerial in order to get a better picture for a football match he was keen to see.
3 comments:
Finally!!! It's about time!
"Kearns (Tabloid Baby) formed the production company Frozen Television (later Frozen Pictures) with veteran producer Brett Hudson, formerly of the Hudson Brothers, in 2000." - Wikipedia
That's no secret.
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