Malibu U
Encyclopedia
Malibu U is the name of a short-lived American variety
TV series that aired in the summer of 1967
. Ricky Nelson
starred as the dean of a fictional college called "Malibu U," where the biggest popular music stars of the 1960s performed once a week. The show lasted for only seven episodes, going off the air on September 1, 1967. Today it is perhaps best known for airing Leonard Nimoy
's performance of the novelty song "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins
."
In addition to Nelson, series regulars included Robie Porter
, Patricia Wymer, and the Bob Banas Dancers (including Erin Gray
, here billed as a "Malibeauty Dancer").
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
TV series that aired in the summer of 1967
1967 in music
The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...
. Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
starred as the dean of a fictional college called "Malibu U," where the biggest popular music stars of the 1960s performed once a week. The show lasted for only seven episodes, going off the air on September 1, 1967. Today it is perhaps best known for airing Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
's performance of the novelty song "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins
The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins
"The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" is a song composed by Charles Randolph Grean and performed by Leonard Nimoy, telling the story of Bilbo Baggins and his adventures in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Hobbit. The recording originally appeared on Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy, the second of Nimoy's albums on...
."
In addition to Nelson, series regulars included Robie Porter
Robie Porter
Robie Porter is an Australian country, pop/rock musician, producer and record label owner.Beginning in 1959 he performed under the stage name Rob E.G. and recorded lap steel guitar instrumentals or covers of country-style vocals. He provided four top ten hits including two #1 hits in Sydney with...
, Patricia Wymer, and the Bob Banas Dancers (including Erin Gray
Erin Gray
Erin Gray is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Kate Summers in the situation comedy Silver Spoons and as Colonel Wilma Deering in the science fiction television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century....
, here billed as a "Malibeauty Dancer").
Episode list
- July 21: guest stars Frankie ValliFrankie ValliFrankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
, Don HoDon HoDonald Tai Loy "Don" Ho was a Hawaiian and traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer.-Life and career:Ho, of Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Dutch, and German descent, was born in the small Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, but he grew up in Kāneohe on the windward side of the island of Oahu...
, Annette FunicelloAnnette FunicelloAnnette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:... - July 28: guest stars Leonard NimoyLeonard NimoyLeonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
, Buffalo SpringfieldBuffalo SpringfieldBuffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...
, Engelbert HumperdinckEngelbert Humperdinck (singer)Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
, Bobby RydellBobby RydellBobby Rydell is an American professional singer, mainly of rock and roll music. In the early 1960s he was considered a so-called "teen idol"...
, Mrs. Miller - August 4: guest stars James DarrenJames DarrenJames William Ercolani , known by his stage name James Darren, is an American television and film actor, television director, and singer.-Career:...
, Harper's Bizarre, Frankie RandallFrankie Randall-External links:... - August 11: guest stars The TurtlesThe TurtlesThe Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
, Lou RawlsLou RawlsLouis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
, Lesley GoreLesley GoreLesley Gore is an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her 1963 pop hit "It's My Party", which she recorded at the age of 16. Following the hit, she became one of the most recognized teen pop singers of the 1960s.- Biography :Gore was born in New York City, New York. She was raised in...
, Don & The Goodtimes - August 18: guest stars John AstinJohn AstinJohn Allen Astin is an American actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, and is best known for the role of Gomez Addams on The Addams Family, and other similarly eccentric comedic characters.-Early years:...
, The 5th Dimension, The Sunshine CompanyThe Sunshine CompanyThe Sunshine Company was an American pop group from Los Angeles, California. Originally the duo of Mary Nance and Maury Manseau, the group signed to Imperial Records and released their debut album in 1967. They scored three hit singles on the U.S. singles chart over the next two years before...
, Roger WilliamsRoger Williams (pianist)Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.-Biography:... - August 25: guest stars The DoorsThe DoorsThe Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, Marvin GayeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Chad & Jeremy, Lou ChristieLou ChristieLuigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco , known professionally as Lou Christie, is an American singer-songwriter best known for three separate strings of pop hits in the 1960s , including his 1966 smash, "Lightnin' Strikes" and his incredible 3 octave vocal range.-Biography:Sacco was born in Glenwillard,... - September 1: guest stars Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, The BreedThe BreedThe Breed is a 2001 horror film with an estimated budget of 4 million dollars.The film features a dystopic future in which vampires are a marginalized race living in formerly Jewish ghettos, often shot in actual abandoned Jewish ghettos...
, Peter and Gordon, Sandy PoseySandy PoseySandy Posey is an American popular singer, who enjoyed success in the 1960s with singles such as her 1966 recording of Martha Sharpe's composition, "Single Girl." She is often described as a country singer, although, like Skeeter Davis her output has varied...
External links
- Malibu U summary at TV.com