Entire episodes of
Malibu U are now available on You Tube. Here is one featuring
The Turtles. Malibu U was a summer replacement show the played in 1967. It was a crazy rock show, blending current bands with corny 1960s humor. It was hosted by TV icon Rick Nelson, at the time, a teen heartthrob and accomplished recording artist. In a nutshell, it was American Bandstand on the beach.
The show was set up in the most corny way as a college with acts billed as "visiting professors", commercials as "donors". Nelson was the "dean". As silly as the humor was, it was significant. My observation of the 60s, especially the mid 60s was that Rock And Roll and comedy went hand in hand with bands like the Beatles, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and the Turtles. As the 70s, approached, that aspect tended to disappear. Bands began to take themselves very seriously and in fact, with the Viet Nam war raging, started to project anger.
The show took place at Malibu, at the time, perhaps the country's most famous beach, located on the Los Angeles coastline. Many of the bands featured where from the Los Angeles area. In this clip, the Doors perform. While San Francisco, up north, was experiencing "The Summer Of Love", Malibu U, avoided politics, featuring bikinied beauties (probably today, grandmothers and great grandmothers) and surfers. At the time, I was turning 10 and was anxious to dial in to the teen culture.
Sponsors of the show were youth-oriented products like Clearasil. Clairol, and Pepsi. It was on Friday nights on ABC, the network that seemed the most dialed into the youth culture at the time. The network, after all, had American Bandstand, Gidget, That Girl, and the Mod Squad, today all legends.
To watch episodes, which may disappear eventually if copywrite infringement is found, can be watched by clicking here.
