Tony Orlando & Dawn, with singers Joyce Vincent and Thelma Hopkins, performed together last Wednesday and Thursday night at The Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Pennsylvania.
The reunion came at the urging of the managers at the venue where Orlando has done his Christmas show for the last 23 years. The group was a mainstay on the radio throughout the first half of the 1970’s before Hopkins went off to be one of the most constant actors in television for the last three decades and Vincent took on a solo career.
The show started out strong with three of the first four songs being major hits for the group. They continued to sprinkle in many of the rest of their best known songs throughout the night mixed in with a few album cuts and, in the middle of the show, a salute to Orlando’s early days with two of his 1961 hits along with the days that Hopkins sang backup at Motown and on Isaac Hayes’ Shaft (she is the voice of the line “Shut Your Mouth!”.
The show reportedly ran about 75 minutes which, unfortunately, could have been slightly longer as they missed a few top forty hits including Summer Sand, What Are You Doing Sunday?, Look in My Eyes Pretty Woman and Mornin’ Beautiful.
The set list:
Sweet Summer Days of My Life (from Dawn’s New Ragtime Follies, 1973)
Candida (from Candida, 1970)
Knock Three Times (from Candida, 1970)
He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You) (from He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You), 1975)
Daydream (from Dawn’s New Ragtime Follies, 1973)
Say Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose (from Dawn’s New Ragtime Follies, 1973)
Funny Valentine / Cupid (from To Be With You, 1976)
Who’s in the Strawberry Patch With Sally (from Dawn’s New Ragtime Follies, 1973)
Steppin’ Out (With My Baby Tonight) (from Dawn’s New Ragtime Follies, 1973)
Halfway To Paradise (single, 1961) / Bless You (single, 1961)
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (recorded by Orlando in 1961 but not released)
Have I Told You Lately (costume change interlude sung by piano player)
The Motown Song (Rod Stewart cover)
Medley:
I Heard It Thru The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye cover)
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch (Four Tops cover)
Reach Out, I’ll Be There (Four Tops cover)
Stop! In the Name Of Love (Supremes cover)
Theme From Shaft (Isaac Hayes cover)
Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree (from Tuneweaving, 1973)
You’re All I Need to Get By (from To Be With You, 1976)
If It Wasn’t For You, Dear (from Dawn’s New Ragtime Follies, 1973)
Who’s In The Strawberry Patch With Sally (reprise)
You’re All I Need To Get By (reprise)
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