Friday, July 23, 2010

Wannabe Week: The Brady Bunch

Okay, okay, they weren't a real music group. They weren't even a real family. But the fact that the Brady Bunch actually cut albums, even though none of them could sing, just goes to show how everyone -- I mean everyone -- thought they could be the next Jackson 5. The Brady Bunch even had their own musical variety show in the mid 1970s, even though none of them could sing -- or dance.

Check out these lame dance moves in their first televised appearance that showed them pretending to be a musical group. Seriously, this should have led to a disclaimer from Motown on all Jackson 5 albums: Do not try this at home. These kids are such awkward dancers that they make the DeFranco family look graceful.


I'd be tempted to tell these kids not to quit their day job -- except this was their day job.

7 comments:

  1. Remember the pic of the J5 crossing paths with the Bradys on the ABC-TV studio lot as the J% film the GBTI TV special!!

    I was hoping you would have mentioned New Edition during your "wannabe" week. Although they were in the 80's their early songs were written in tune with J5 melodies...

    Candy Girl - ABC
    Is This The End - I'll Be There
    Mr. Telephone Man - Mamas Pearl
    Jealous Girl - I Found That Girl
    Cool It Now - Love You Save

    I enjoyed "wannabe" week!!

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  2. ER, I'm planning to do a Return of the Wannabes Week for a date in the future that will get into 80s and 90s acts. New Edition will definitely be included. There is also enough material for an obscure Wannabes week -- groups inspired by the J5 who were really good but who didn't cross over onto the pop charts, like Brotherly Love, Spoon Bread, and Black Ivory. There may even be enough for a female J5 Wannabe Week -- Sunday's Child, Sister Sledge, MDLT Willis... Let me know if you have any suggestions.

    It's really amazing how many groups the J5 inspired.

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  3. And "the Brighter side of darkness" - I thought Love Jones was the J5. Really strange song too... The Bradys!! Love your post. Their cartoon was even more J5 mimickry - it also featured three animals, although nobody seemed to own them, and songs with the same animation ideas as the J5 toon. But I guess if we're talking cartoons, the Osmonds AGAIN win for best stealing. Thanks for a great week!

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  4. you should post pics of the J5 meeting The Bradys

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  5. the osmonds were around before the jackson 5 but they REALLY changed their style once J5 came out. alot of osmond fans dont want to admit it, but donny osmond himself said they mimicked J5 so its not even debateable!

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  6. i forgot to say, im a HUGE fan of the 60s and 70s and i own a ton of sitcoms and variety shows and stuff like that, and i actually own the complete collection of the brady bunch and just watched an episode the other day where they were cutting an album and their name was the brady 6. now if thats not straight up copying the jackson 5, i dont know what is! i also own the jacksons variety show and i have to say that its painfully obvious that michael carried the whole group. that guy was so talented it was unbelievable!

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  7. i had to come back to retract something that i said the last time i was here. i said that michael carried the jacksons and im sure quite a few people would agree with that, being that michal was the lead singer and definently the "star" of the group, but after watching all of the episodes of their variety show, i have to admit that the others were actually very talented as well, including the sisters! honestly, i dont think iv'e ever seen a more talented musical family! they could all sing, they could definently all dance- they were amazing!

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