American Bandstand 1987 - Final Opening - When Smokey Sings, ABC

Airdate: September 5, 1987

Something a little different for this April Fool’s Day - My first clip from the totally bitchin’ 80’s.

This is the opening to the 2,751st and final episode of American Bandstand on ABC. Bandstand wasn’t cancelled by ABC but, as Dick Clark explained in this episode, with the expansion of college football, it had been squeezed into a shortened half hour time slot. Clark, feeling this wasn’t working, opted to take the show into syndication so it could go back to a full hour. AB only lasted a year in syndication and another year on the USA network before ending for good on October 7, 1989 - exactly 37 years to the day that it premiered in Philadelphia in 1952.

For "oldies" fans (like 16 year-old me) 1987 was a good year for music. In this episode, for example, besides ABC's tribute to Smokey Robinson (and the Funk Brothers) some of the other songs featured were Rod Stewart's cover of Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away" and Los Lobos' cover of Richie Valens' version of “La Bamba".

"When Smokey Sings" is at #11 on the Hot 100 today and will peak at #5 in 2 weeks. In a happy coincidence, Smokey Robinson's last hit song, "One Heartbeat", is also moving up the charts at this time, hitting #24 today and will peak at #10 next month.

Smokey sang in-person on American Bandstand 11 times beginning back in December 1960.

I don’t remember the names of these late 80’s dancers but if you do, please hit me up in the comments and I’ll happily add them here in the description.

If you'd like to watch the whole episode check it out over at ‪@timespasttelevision‬ where it’s titled “American Bandstand September 5 1987 ABC Final Broadcast”


Thanks for like watching dude and have a rad day!…now, off to shop around for a new acid washed Levi’s jacket.