Richard Blandon & The Dubs - Live at the Academy of Music - 1970

The first of the legendary rock’n’roll revival shows at the Academy of Music, located on East 14th Street in New York City, took place over two nights, Friday and Saturday April 17-18, 1970. In front of enthusiastic sellout audiences, the Harptones, Danny and the Juniors, Don & Juan, the Del Vikings, Monotones, Bobbettes, Mystics, Cadillacs, Passions, Dubs, Cleftones, Orioles and Skyliners all sang their classic hits. The event was conceived and produced by MCA Records producer Fred Bailin. Veteran disc jockey Alan Fredericks, host of the popular “Night Train” radio show, was selected to be the host, and was joined by WCBS-FM personality Gus Gossert. For the house band, Bailin brought in many of the musicians who worked with the acts on stage in the 1950s and appeared with the Alan Freed Orchestra. For these performances, the reunited Alan Freed Orchestra was conducted by Count Basie band alumni Earle Warren and included legendary tenor sax players Big Al Sears and Budd Johnson. Guitarist Leroy Kirkland arranged and oversaw the music. Both nights were professionally recorded and mixed for a double album release of the concert, later released on CD in 2000 by Goldisc Records. A one camera black and white film of the first night’s concert was shot and tucked away for safe keeping but was never professionally produced or released. Several collectors were believed to have copies of the print including producer Bailin. This 6 minutes of footage is from the first night of the two-night event and features the Dubs with three original recording members: lead singer and songwriter Richard Blandon, first tenor Cleveland Still, now singing second tenor and bass, James “Jake” Miller, the original baritone, a new member Dave Shelley, singing tenor. The audio and video of their two-song set, “Don’t Ask Me To Be Lonely” and “Could This Be Magic”, have been restored and resynchronized for this upload.
Miller left the group shortly thereafter and fellow original Thomas Gardner joined for a spell before the Dubs recruited Little Nate and the Chryslers alumnus Kurt Harris, who remained for 19 years. Blandon and Still parted ways in 1983 and soon both men had their own touring and recording versions of the Dubs. Richard died of cancer in 1991. As of 2025, Cleveland Still, who turned 90 in October of 2024, is in his eighth decade of performing, still working with his Dubs group.