Bunker Hill in 1965: Dick Clark and the Turtles

The new Civic Center Park between the Music Center and City Hall doesn't open for a couple more days. This video clip looks down the same space in 1965, from a segment of Dick Clark's short-lived daily music show for teenagers, Where the Action Is. Clark opens the clip with a few words about Bunker Hill, the Department of Water and Power building and LA's then-new Music Center. Then he introduces the Turtles, who lip synch "You Baby" on the sidewalk of what looks to be Grand Avenue, with City Hall in the background.

The Turtles were a local band, out of Westchester, whose top hits in the '60s were "Happy Together," "She'd Rather Be With Me," "Elenore" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe." Vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman went on to perform as Flo and Eddie and join Frank Zappa's band, the Mothers of Invention. They still tour as the Turtles.

While we're on the subject, watch Kaylan try to keep it together through two minutes of "It Ain't Me Babe" on "Hollywood A Go Go" in 1965, while Deanna Mollner of the Gazzarri Dancers toys with him. When she moves in for the kill, I thought she might hurt that lip-synching boy.

LOL, the band looks like they were out in the KHJ parking lot smoking joints before filming.