Network: CBC Television Network
Broadcast Run: 1964 to 1967
Broadcast Medium: Television
Aired Monday evenings from September 1964 to June 1967; later, it aired 5 days a week from October 1967 to June 1968.
Music Hop was the CBC equivalent of American Bandstand, a show for teens featuring the latest rock and roll music. Let’ s Go was the original name of the Vancouver segment hosted by Fred Latremouille and Red Robinson, local disc jockeys. A house band called The Classics did cover versions of the latest chart toppers. Guest vocalists included Bobby Faulds, Mike Campbell, Tom Baird, Susan Pesklevits and Bonne Huber.
In February 1967, the show moved to Tuesdays with a new host, Howie Vickers. The show hired a new band called the Let’s Go Band, [led by Tom Baird], and featured go-go dancer Toni Sinclair and The Good Time Music Appreciation Society. The musical guests included Patty Surbey, Bruce Bissell and Mark Midler.
The final season saw a name change from Music Hop to Let’s Go, five days a week. But each day the show was broadcast from a different city. Mondays from Halifax with Frank Cameron, featuring Anne Murray and Doug Billard. Tuesdays from Montreal with Robert Demontigny. Wednesdays from Toronto with Diane Miller. Thursday’s show was broadcast from Winnipeg with Chad Allen who led the local music scene with his new band called, The Guess Who. Finally, on Friday, there was the Vancouver broadcast with various hosts, including Mike Campbell and Tom Northcott.
Remarkably, considering the modest budget, reportedly $2,000 dollars a show, a young viewer could cross the country and experience the latest sounds from almost every major musical centre in Canada. In 2005, Randy Bachman produced a CD featuring The Guess Who’s appearances from 1967 to 1968, called Let’s Go. [See Music Hop]
Producer: Allan Angus
Larry Brown, Winnipeg producer
Writer: Sandy Stern
Written by John Corcelli – May, 2005