Anatomy of a Hit; 1; The Serendipity Groove

thumbnail of Anatomy of a Hit; 1; The Serendipity Groove
This content has not been digitized. Please contact the contributing organization(s) listed below.
This record is featured in “National Educational Television.”
Series
Anatomy of a Hit
Episode Number
1
Episode
The Serendipity Groove
Producing Organization
KQED-TV (Television station : San Francisco, Calif.)
Contributing Organization
Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/512-z31ng4hw3v
NOLA Code
ANAH
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/512-z31ng4hw3v).
Description
Episode Description
Host for series, Ralph J. Gleason, introduces the main subject, jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. The musician is first seen during a recording session for his Black Orpheus long-play album and, later on, at his home as he begins piecing together a new tune, Cast Your Fate to the Wind, a tune destined to fulfill for Guaraldi the dream of hit record. The jazz pianist describes how he developed the Black Orpheus album which includes his big selling disc. Afterwards, program consultant Bill Gavin, disc jockeys Buck Herring and Tony Bigg, and Fantasy Records Vice President Max Weiss discuss the impossible task of developing a his record formula as well as the relative merits of promotion and gimmickry in the music business. Guaraldi is then seen at a playback session choosing the proper take of Cast Your Fate for inclusion in the Black Orpheus album. Running Time: 29:00 (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Series Description
The three part series, with well-known jazz critic and columnist Ralph J. Gleason as host, presents an introspective look behind the scene of todays popular music business. It describes the preparation that goes into making records, the factors governing a disc jockeys choice of potential hit materials, the operation of so-called Top 40radio stations, and the meaning of a hit record to its composer. The series points up the unpredictability of the music business where an artist and a tune can zoom from the ranks of the unknown to the star and hit categories almost overnight. The artist in this case is jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi and the tune, his own composition of Cast Your Fate to the Wind. The effects of a recording success on Guaraldi, the changes that have taken place in his career and his future status as a big selling record star are examined by Guaraldi, music experts and critics, disc jockeys and the members of the pianists own trio. The 3 half-hour episodes that comprise this series were originally recorded on film. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Broadcast Date
1964-00-00
Asset type
Episode
Genres
Documentary
Topics
Music
Rights
Copyright National Educational Television & Radio Center March 11, 1964
Media type
Moving Image
Credits
Camera Operator: Greene, Philip
Camera Operator: Saraf, Irving
Camera Operator: Charlton, Robert
Composer: Guaraldi, Vince
Director: Moore, Richard
Editor: Saraf, Irving
Executive Producer: Davis, Curtis W., 1928-1986
Guest: Bigg, Tony
Guest: Gavin, Bill
Guest: Herring, Buck
Guest: Weiss, Max
Host: Gleason, Ralph J.
Performer: Guaraldi, Vince
Producer: Moore, Richard
Producer: Gleason, Ralph J.
Producing Organization: KQED-TV (Television station : San Francisco, Calif.)
Production Assistant: Pincson, Stephanie
Sound: Stoffer, Bernie
Writer: Moore, Richard
Writer: Gleason, Ralph J.
AAPB Contributor Holdings
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2308638-1 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2308638-2 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive
Identifier: [request film based on title] (Indiana University)
Format: 16mm film
If you have a copy of this asset and would like us to add it to our catalog, please contact us.
Citations
Chicago: “Anatomy of a Hit; 1; The Serendipity Groove,” 1964-00-00, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed May 28, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-z31ng4hw3v.
MLA: “Anatomy of a Hit; 1; The Serendipity Groove.” 1964-00-00. Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. May 28, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-z31ng4hw3v>.
APA: Anatomy of a Hit; 1; The Serendipity Groove. Boston, MA: Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-z31ng4hw3v