The Smiley Smile Message Board

Could somebody please tell me the name of the TV Show Brian appeared on in 1988 dancing and wearing leather pants. It's too funny!

I believe it was the "Ibiza '92" tv special, as a forerunner for some cultural exhibition program to be held in 1992.

No, it was before thatand it was a US chat show, 1989 I think... he 'sang' "Night Time" and 'danced' like a constipated Herman Munster. It was simultaenously funny and terribly wrong.

i got it on a dvd. He sang also  in my car and love & mercy. There was some creep with a walking piano ( dont know the name of this instrument you wear like a gitar) ::) It was an intermission in a beach boys concert 1989

Well, there were figuratively a miliion such appearances by Brian in 88.  The one where he performed In My Car & Love and Mercy was from the BB's variety show entitled Endless Summer, which actually aired in the summer of 1989. The infamous "campfire sessions" were from that series. All of the concert footage (including Brian's) was filmed at the Pacific Amphithaeter in Costa Mesa CA in May, 1989, the second night of the BB's/Chicago tour that year.  Brian performed the two above noted songs and Country feelins.  His performance for the t.v show was heavily overdubbed as his performance in concert was absolutely embarassing (I was there).  The guy on the keyboard was Michael Bernard, who worked on some of Brian's early solo work.

HOWEVER, I don't think that is the t.v. performance to which you are actually referring.   The one in which Brian performed Nightime with the ridiculous dance routine was on a Dick Clark variety show that ran in the U.S. in the late summer of 1988.  Don't recall the actual name of the series. The performance was completely embarassing, the epitome of Brian as Landy's performing circus Bear.  And, yes, he had on the leather pants.

The instrument is called a keytar. Another ridiculous, embarrassing artifact in the history of pop--keyboardists had to get in on the fun of dancing around and making silly poses while they played. Frank Zappa said some very amusing things about them in his autobiography.

Looks like I have brough back some funny though also somewhat sad memories for you all. I'm not talking about the abuse of Brian of course. I am actually sad that you are all dissing the keytar j/k. :'(

Correct me if I'm wrong but my memory of the Endless Summer "In My Car" clip was the cutting to interview mid song. Guess Brian must have hit goofy overdrive and it was one way to delete it.

Exactly...during which he called the song a "great piece of art..."

I trhink the Night time 'dance' was from Ibiza gig ? (spandua ballet also on the line up), for some reason I think it was '88. Was'nt Brian on his way to Ibiza when he dropped inat the STOMP convention in Greenford, West London?

No, it was a Dick Clark/American Bandstand highlight-type summer special. I saw it the night it was on. Believe me, I'll NEVER forget it...

These are two seperate shows.  "Hot night in Ibiza" which aired in the U.S either on Showtime or HBO, and the aforementioned Dick Clark show.  The "NightTime" dance number was from the Dick Clark show. 

Can anyone upload this onto youtube?  I MUST see this!!!

The Carlin book erroneously claims the Leather, Dancing Brian was on Letterman. I've seen the Letterman performance, and it is quite cheesy, but that ain't it.

It's already on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNACeq9hV7w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNACeq9hV7w)

It's an edit of both L & M and Nighttime.  I'm not sure if it's on different shows or not.  Brian seems drugged during "Nighttime."  He even howls at one point.  It seems like an example of Landy's situational medication.  Or maybe he just pumped Brian up with the power of positive thinking.  AGD's description likening it to Herman Munster is almost too kind.

Brian looks like an idiot dancing around like that. I can forgive him, but I hope I never see that again because it will spoil the image I hold of Brian!!! Thanx for the link though, L&M was excellent.

Really fucking awful!  In a good way... :lol

Sadly (or thankfully?), I've seen worse 80s choreography performed by people without Brian's issues.

Brian was just as bad 10 years later in that special on CMT with Deana Carter. He tried to dance then, too.

That clip is from Ibiza, BTW.  You can see the logo in the background at one point.  Which means there were actually a total of two different performances of Brian dancing like a maniac in leather pants while singing "Nighttime, " if you include the other performance on the Dick Clark summer show.  Scary.

Mike and Brian just had the same dance teacher that's all!! >:D

I wonder who that was, Richard Simmons?

Just watched the Ibiza clip...at least it is noteworthy for including the rarely heard extra verse on "Love And Mercy". Watching that video is painful, not just because of Brian's performance, but because it makes my neck ache, watching the way he is straining to look up at the overhead camera!

I can't help but think how uncomfortable Brian must've been rehearsing and then performing that dancing in front of all of those kids. We all know about his shyness and stage fright, but to be put through that. It's a shame more time wasn't devoted to more productive things...

Whats more productive than dancing in front of the cameras wearing leather pants? :banana

Hey! At least in the video he seemed a little bit animated...I wish he'd showed a bit more of that same enthusiasm when I saw him at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, Ca on 1/28/7 for over $60 a ticket. If not for Al, it would have been mostly a downer. He was dressed like a TOTAL slob and appeared to want to get it done and over as quickly as possible. I'd seen him four times previously and never saw it so plainly. He should hire some new handlers.

Hate to say it but Mike and Bruce at the San Jaoquin County Fair in Stockton CA, in June 2006 and at Graffiti Fest, Waterford CA, June 2005, were much more fun and almost as talented (and more into it) than Brian & CO.

Wish the bands would team up with Mike at the front but with Brian motivated and contibuting as he should...