Alice Cooper, the late Chuck Barris, and a devilish Danny Elfman.
Like everyone else of a certain age, I spent time this week mourning the loss of Chuck Barris, the one-of-a-kind game show king and the host of often questionable “talent” competition The Gong Show. I was old enough during the show’s run in the late 70s to never want to miss Barris’ antics, as well as the never-ending parade of hopeful weirdos who flocked to the show. If you’re young enough to be unfamiliar with The Gong Show, the best case scenario was that your act didn’t get “gonged” before you were done. Worst case scenario you got frantically “gang-gonged” by all three judges, but still got to fly your freak flag high to much of America. The prize for not getting gonged and coming away with the highest collective score? $516.32.
As I was busy being nostalgic watching a few vintage clips from the show, I came across a couple worth sharing. One features Alice Cooper (who called Barris one of his “favorite people in the world”) serenading him with “Goin’ Out of My Head” while stuck in his trusty guillotine. The other is a wildly out-of-control performance by cinema maestro Danny Elfman back in his Oingo Boingo days who at the time were still called The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Elfman and Oingo Boingo’s antics on stage were judged by none other than Gong Show regular Buddy Hackett, a solo Shari Lewis (Lambchop must have had the night off), and actor Bill Bixby of Incredible Hulk fame. Apparently, they loved what they saw as the Mystic Knights won the contest that episode. Though nothing can quite compare with the infamous “Popsicle Twins,” whom my DM colleague Ken McIntyre posted about earlier this week—much like Mr. Barris and the Gong Show—both clips are still completely awesome.
Alice Cooper serenading Chuck Barris on ‘The Gong Show.’
Danny Elfman (the guy playing the trombone) in it to win it with Oingo Boingo on ‘The Gong Show.’
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Chuck Barris is dead, but the scandalous ‘Popsicle Twins’ will live forever
Pee-wee Herman and pal strut their stuff as ‘Suave & Debonair’ on ‘The Gong Show,’ 1979