Solid Gold (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Solid Gold


caption =
format = Variety show
Music chart
runtime = 60 minutes
creator = Brad Lachman (1981-1988)
developer = Bob Banner (1980-1983)
producer = Operation Prime Time (1980-1987)
Paramount Television (1980-1988)
current_producer =
current_directors =
opentheme = "Solid Gold Theme"
music by
Michael Miller
lyrics by
Dean Pitchford
endtheme = "Solid Gold Theme"
music by
Michael Miller
lyrics by
Dean Pitchford
sung by
Dionne Warwick (1980-1981, 1985-1986)
Marilyn McCoo & Andy Gibb (1981-1982)
Marilyn McCoo & Rex Smith (1982-1983)
Marilyn McCoo (1983-1984, 1986-1988)
Deborah Davis (1984-1985)
presenter = Dionne Warwick (1980-1981, 1985-1986)
Marilyn McCoo (1981-1984, 1986-1988)
Andy Gibb (1981-1982)
Rex Smith (1982-1983)
Rick Dees (1984-1985)
audio_format = Monaural (1980-1984)
Stereo (1984-1988)
narrated = (for song introductions)
Robert W. Morgan (1980-1986)
Charlie O'Donnell (1986-1988)
country = USA
network = Syndication
num_seasons = 8
first_aired = (Weekly run) September 13, 1980
last_aired = July 23, 1988
num_episodes = 332
website =
imdb_id = 0080277
tv_com_id = 2476

"Solid Gold" is an American syndicated television series which aired from 1980 to 1988, usually on Saturday in the early evening time slot. During its 7th season (1986 to 1987), it was called "Solid Gold '87", Finally, in its 8th season (1987 to 1988) it was retitled "Solid Gold in Concert".

The main premise of Solid Gold consisted of the "Solid Gold Dancers" doing elaborate (and sometimes borderline risqué) dances to the top ten hits of the week. Many other specials aired in which the dancers would dance to older pop hits as well.

From 1980 to 1984 the show was taped on the KTLA Lot. In the fall of 1984, the shows taping was moved to the Paramount Studios in Hollywood as Paramount Studios wanted to bring their show "in-house". This move is most evidenced by the re-design of the set.

Solid Gold was produced by "Brad Lachman" and "Bob Banner" in association with Operation Prime Time ("Alfred M. Masini", in charge of OPT) and Paramount Television ("Richard H. Frank", in charge of Paramount).

At the start of Solid Gold's first season (1980), Michael Miller was chosen by Dionne Warwick to be the show's Musical Director - a role he continued on with for the entire run of the series. Michael also composed the Solid Gold theme song, along with Academy Award-winning lyricist, Dean Pitchford, who wrote the theme's words.

Year-end Top 40 countdown shows

The first episode of the show in January 1980 would become a yearly tradition, as they counted down the Top 50 of 1979 in a two-hour series premiere. The show was called "Solid Gold '79" for that one episode. Every year thereafter through 1986, they would host a two-hour year-end Top 40 countdown show.

All chart information for the Solid Gold countdown was taken from the "Radio & Records" magazine chart lists, which only tracked airplay (at the time "Billboard" did not have an airplay chart), and as such, the placement of singles on "Solid Gold" usually did not match "Billboard". For example, "Her Town Too," a 1981 hit by James Taylor and J.D. Souther, lasted six weeks on the "Solid Gold" countdown, while it didn't even make the Top Ten on the main "Billboard" chart.

Hosts

The premiere and much of the first season was hosted by Dionne Warwick and Marty Cohen, known more commonly as "Partyin' Marty Hardy". In the fall of the 1981-1982 season, Marilyn McCoo of The Fifth Dimension and Andy Gibb took over hosting duties. In the 1982-1983 season Rex Smith replaced Andy Gibb as Marilyn McCoo's co-host and in the 1983-1984 season Marilyn McCoo hosted alone. In September 1984, Rick Dees hosted the show with comedy bits added to the format. Dionne Warwick returned to the show as host in the 1985-1986 season before Marilyn McCoo would return as host in the 1986-1987 season along with Arsenio Hall and Nina Blackwood as co-hosts which would last until the end of the series in 1988.

The Solid Gold Dancers

The weekly one-hour show played segments from the Top 10 charting songs accompanied by the "Solid Gold Dancers". Darcel Wynne was the principal dancer on "Solid Gold" during her five-year reign. She appeared on the show from 1980 to 1984, took most of the 1984-1985 season off and rejoined the cast for 1985-1986. In 1986, Darcel had many speaking roles on "Solid Gold", regularly announcing the countdown re-caps towards the end of the show. Wynne and most of the other dancers left the program at the end of that season.

The last appearance of the Solid Gold Dancers in media was not on "Solid Gold" itself, but rather in the 1988 motion picture "Scrooged". The movie, which premiered in November 1988, was scripted and filmed before "Solid Gold" was officially cancelled.

Other long-running Solid Gold dancers included Pam Rossi (1980-1986), Deborah Jenssen (1980-1984), Kahea Bright (1980-1984), Paula Beyers (1980-1982), Helene Phillips (1980-1982), Alexander Cole (1980-1983), Tony Fields (1980-1984), Lucinda Dickey (1982), Janeen Best (1982-1983 & 1985),Gayle Crofoot (1982-1985), Cooley Jackson (1983-1986), Chelsea Field (1983-1984), Lezlie Mogell (1984-1985), Mark Sellers (1984-1986), Jamilah Lucas (1984-1988), Beverly Jeanne (1984-1986) Nicole Romine (1984-1986), Eileen Fairbanks (1985-1987), Audrey Baranishyn (1986-1987), Leslie Cook (1986-1988), Gigi Hunter (1986-1988), Darrel Wright (1986-1988), Paul Michael Thorpe (1986-1988), Regan Patno (1986-1988) and Andrea Moen (1987-1988). Though Jamilah was not listed as Principal Dancer in the closing credits, she replaced Darcel as principal dancer after she left the show.

Guest performers and the usage of the Top 10

At times, artists who had a single among the week's Top 10 appeared as guest performers, although the songs were lip-synched, not performed live, unless the performer was accompanied by McCoo or Warwick on the song. Stevie Nicks was the only artist to sing live with performances of Stand Back and Nightbird, as she refused to lip-synch on the show. She was also the only person to use her own dancers. Celebrities also occasionally served duty as guest hosts. During the 1986-1987 season, the Top 10 was no longer accompanied with dancing from the Solid Gold Dancers and instead was just simply listed halfway through the show.

Awards

Solid Gold won Robert A. Dickinson three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Series (two of which were co-won by Frank Olivas). Choreographer Anita Mann was also nominated twice (1985 and 1986) for Outstanding Choreography.

"Solid Gold Hits"

In the summer of 1984, a weekday half-hour format called "Solid Gold Hits" went into syndication; it was hosted by Grant Goodeve and showcased just a general grouping of the hits of the time. The main "Solid Gold" program was still airing on weekends.

Pop culture references

* A September 2007 episode of the sketch-comedy show "Saturday Night Live" featured a satirical promotion for a supposed "Best of Solid Gold" DVD, with the announcer stating, "enjoy as the Solid Gold dancers sexy-shake it to some of the most undanceable songs ever written," before showing the dancers dancing to "We Built This City".
* The animated internet talk show "This Spartan Life" features the "Solid Gold Elite Dancers" as the show's equivalent to a talent segment.

External links

*imdb title|id=0080277|title="Solid Gold"