I was 10 years old when this song came out. No matter how much music changes, the music of the 50's and the 60's will always be my favorites. So thankful to have grown up during these times. Loved all the music!
This music came before my time, i was born in 1970. But i just love this music. Music nowadays just doesn't speak to me like mid century American pop music. Many happy wishes to all the lovers of music.
Sitting here , alone, my wife and son sleeping. Going thru sixty plus wonderful years of life - I still get the chills when I hear this song. Thanks for the memories.
American Bandstand first. December 1959. I will always remember. Thank you Dick Clark for a great show, and many beautiful memories. R.I.P. Dick Clark.
"When Dion’s voice bursts through for a solo moment in the bridge, it captures that moment of shimmering persistence of memory in a way the printed word can only hint at. But so it is with music, it is of a time but also timeless; a thing with which to make memories and the memory itself. Though we seldom consider it, music is built in time as surely as a sculptor or welder works in physical space. Music transcends time by living within it, just as reincarnation allows us to transcend life by living it again and again." - Bob Dylan in "The Philosophy of Modern Song"
When watching this video it just brings back so many memories. Listening to their music in the sixties and seventies, since their music never got old, just made me feel good. Growing up in East Harlem and than the Bronx and hanging out on Arthur and Belmont Ave was always great, but the best is that is where I met my beautiful wife at one of the Arthur Ave feast. In fact I got married at Mount Carmel Church there and my wife told me her late dad knew Dion and he was a great guy.
+Tony Manero You are going to make me cry. I went to Aquinas high1955 to 1959, and saw Dion at Mt Carmel Church dance, before he got famous. Arthur ave feast so many great memories. Thanks for reminding me.
+Tony Manero That must have been really something to have been around in that golden era of pop music and around the area Dion and the Belmonts came from. I 've heard Dion in interviews talk about how he went to the Mount Carmel Church as a child.
+Tony Manero I love this group too, even though I never got to see them in person; I did have the chance to see Dion by himself in person in Houston, Tx. some years back. also on same show- Chubby Checkers who stole the show..
I went to Aquinas High and graduated in 1959. Saw Dion at Mt Carmel church dance, before he was famous. Great memories. My high school was across the street from where he lived on Belmont Ave.
Tony Manero Back in the early 60s, my brother and I would go to Arthur Ave. from 204th Street every week for a pound of Genoa. They called us the salami brothers.
@@dickdomain719 Yes. Thanks Dick for bringing this up. Dick Clark was evil in that way. He lied and therefore got away with it where as Alan Freed told the truth and paid dearly for it.
So let get this straight. Your watching this historic clip listening to a classic song and footage of a live Dick Clark production from decades ago but you are focused on being in the service? Isn't that a tad obcessent? You can't enjoy this for it is?
Simply incredible song and harmony. I feel so blessed to have been around during this infancy of Rock n Roll.. These songs will go with me to my grave.
Can't you just enjoy the historic footage of the group singing a classic to the audience in attendance without focusing on just one aspect of what you see and hear in the clip?
What a great song from a special time. I was in eighth grade. My first girlfriend and first mixed party. We must have played this song 25 times. 58 years later it still brings a huge smile to my face!
I was in Gramm's living room watching this at 13 years old. Rushed home from school every day to watch American Bandstand. In grade 7. at John Ross School. We loved it! Dick Clark had the nicest calm voice to listen to. Life seemed better then but as a teen, it was shaky and full of questions and uncertainty but at the same time it was steady and stable.
I remember Dion & the Belmonts, seeing them in person in Bethlehem PA at Notre Dame bandstand, I got to meet them all. Here in this picture Angelo is in his Navy uniform, he was on the same type Destroyer Escort I was on. OH those were the Good Old Days of Rock an Roll .......
I really miss Dick Clark. Not only were his shows great, he was as well. I once found myself in a buffet line with him. No one recognized him. He and I had a bit of fun in terms of small talk. Really nice man.
I recently bought an album called "The Belmonts, Lost Treasures" on Relic Records. 25 songs, many unreleased done by just the Belmonts without Dion. Some nice songs on there and many are in stereo.
The smooth harmony along with the lyrics of this song were compelling and disturbing at the same time, the more I listened to it as a teenager. At that age there was no 'before' (deja vu?) And yet there was this haunting appeal to the song. It was very popular. Later on whenever I 'discovered' something in my mind for the first time, oddly, it felt familiar and comforting. At some point later I developed the road less traveled approach to my life.
I loved seeing Freddie in this perf. ! I was 13 y/o, in 8th grade, & FINALLY, a for-real TEENAGER! OMG, did I just know I was cool ! RIP, to all of the Belmonts now passed on. Wolfsky9
It amazes me to see these young people in the audience loving this ( as I do too); compared with the " devil worshiping " 70's rock that the kids of that time loved. I confess that I was a kid in the 70's and liked some of it. But whenever I heard 50s music I thought " now this is good music".
Yes Ruth, I wish we could go back, those were wonderful times and the Music was the Greatest of all time. Ruth lets go back and I will ask you for a Dance to this Great Song, please don't turn me down OK.....
P.S. Ruth I met them in person and they were very nice, Angelo was the one who sang the high notes, and he was in the Navy the same time I was, and on a Destroyer Escort like me.
On this day 1959 and in 1963 {December 28th} two versions of "Where Or When" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart... In 1959 it was by Dion and the Belmonts; their version peaked at #3 and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100... And in 1963 The Lettermen's version entered the Top 100 for a two week stay, and reached #98... The song was originally performed in the 1937 Broadway musical 'Babes In Arms'... Also in 1937 it was covered by Hal Kemp; his version reached #1 and spent 16 weeks on the charts
Valerie doesn't dick Clark look young and handsome in this 1959 photo? As I have said so many times the rock and roll industry took a nosedive after Dick Clark and Paul Revere died. I believe Dick would be appalled by the things that are going on in the music industry today and so would revere. Never thought I would say this but I miss Dick Clark
This song and performance are just as good as it gets! Unfortunately popular music peaked at the turn of the year, 1963-64 and steadily declined ever since. It's 2019. It's such a blessing that we have RU-vid and ready access to the Golden Age of pop music!
Zickcermacity according to the charts, this was there biggest part. But I'd say the carts really don't matter. Where or When was No. 3, Teenager in Love was No.5 and I Wonder Why was actually No.22 which is surprising considering how incredibly famous it is. Shows that charts really don't Matter
I still get an overwhelming feeling of time passing, seeing this. I so rememeber seeing this on the Saturday night Dick Clark Show ! -------Angelo D. got special permission to do this from the Navy. ---------------------------WolfSky9, 72 y/o
In my opinion, Dion and the Belmonts greatest hit. I was a member of the Laura Lamar High School class of 1964. Laura Lamar High School was located in Homer City, PA.
It is very poignant to see Dion singing this great song. Earlier in 1959, he was present at the club in Iowa when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper took that small plane that crashed into a snowy cornfield killing everyone. And Dion is Still Alive.
Well Dion is now the only one still alive from the tour (Angelo was not present due to being in the Navy). Buddy’s touring band are all dead: Waylon Jennings in 2002, Carl Bunch in 2011, and Tommy Allsup in 2017 (his death is the one that made Dion the last man standing). Also not to mention opening act Frankie Sardo died in 2014 and Belmonts Carlo Manstrangelo and Freddie Milano died in 2016 and 2012 respectively. Crazy that within that 15 years the rest of the crew died!
Govt Oversighter I loved the Duprees. They faded almost simultaneously with the arrival of the Beatles and the British Invasion, as did doo-wop music as an art form.
Thanks so much for reposting with improvements , love this song, best version by far. Far ahead of Frank Sinatra's and others versions. Very much appreciated.
