Stanley Dorfman (born 24 November 1927) is a South African-born British music television director, producer, and painter. He is known as the co-creator and original producer and director of the BBC music programTop of the Pops. His work on the program contributed to the development of music videos.
During his time at the BBC, Dorfman created, directed and produced the music television series the music television series In Concert, where he served as director and producer. He provided many notable musicians with their debut television opportunities. Dorfman played a pivotal role in advancing the careers of women in television during the late 1960s, including by directing and producing three of the first television series on the BBC that were hosted by female performers. He also produced and directed jazz and big band series for the BBC, and series around John Denver, Mary Travers, and Jack Jones.
Dorfman's also directed and produced television specials including Frank Sinatra In Concert at the Royal Festival Hall, and the televised performance of Rudolf Nureyev in Giselle, which stands as Nureyev's sole documented performance of the unabridged ballet. Dorfman was the director of televised live music events like the A.R.M.S. benefit concert in London in 1984, the Amnesty International Human Rights Concerts between 1986 and 1998, and the Woodstock '94 and Woodstock '99 music festivals.
His work also includes music videos and promotional films for David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Ringo Star, Harry Nilsson, Jefferson Starship, and Blondie. In 1970 he directed Led Zeppelin's concert at the Royal Albert Hall on film; footage from the concert was later used for official music video releases by the band: "How Many More Times", "Dazed and Confused", and "What Is and What Should Never Be".
Early life and education Dorfman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa to a Jewish family. In 1946, he received a scholarship to study painting and fresco at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Julian in Paris. After completing his studies, he moved to St Ives in Cornwall, England. There, Dorfman joined the Penwith Society of Arts and exhibited his paintings alongside abstract artists such as Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Peter Lanyon and Sven Berlin.
After returning to South Africa, Dorfman took a stance against the prevalent racial segregation laws of the time by organizing concerts named Township Jazz for the African Musician's Union. The concerts provided a platform for African jazz musicians to perform for multiracial audiences, featuring artists like Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela. However, this defiance of the status quo drew the attention of the police, leading to raids and increased scrutiny of his activities.
A lawyer affiliated with Nelson Mandela's party advised Dorfman to leave the country immediately as he was being actively pursued by the authorities under the General Law Amendment Act, also known as the 90-Day Detention Law. This law enabled South African police officers to detain individuals for up to 90 days without a warrant, cause, or access to legal representation, and it could be indefinitely repeated. In response to this advice, Dorfman departed for Europe, leaving his wife and children in South Africa until he could safely arrange for them to join him.
Dorfman began his television career in 1959, initially working as a production designer for the BBC on programs such as An Evening with Nat King Cole, Meet Sammy Davis Jr., and Margot Fonteyn: Birthday of a Ballerina. He later received training on production through the BBC Television Training course in 1963. This training equipped him for his subsequent roles as a producer and director for the music television series Top of the Pops, starting in 1964.
Television series Top of the Pops
In 1964, Dorfman and Johnnie Stewart co-created the British chart music television series Top of the Pops at a time when rock music was gaining mainstream acceptance. The show introduced the format that would become synonymous with chart rankings in the UK. With continuous weekly broadcasts, the show enjoyed a 42-year run and reached audiences in over 120 countries.
Dorfman and Stewart served as alternating directors for the show, starting from its inception on 1 January 1964, and worked together as producers. This partnership continued until 1969, after which Mel Cornish took over from Stewart. Dorfman continued as the director and producer of the series until 1971, during which he directed 156 episodes over a six-year period. Following this, he transitioned into the role of executive producer for an additional five years.
Through his work on Top of the Pops, Dorfman established himself as a pioneer in the music video industry. To accommodate the numerous anticipated top 20 acts on the chart each week, Dorfman and Stewart introduced the concept of pre-recorded music videos, then referred to as "promotional films" or "filmed inserts". One of the earliest notable examples was a video Dorfman directed in October 1964 for Roy Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman". This practice allowed the show to feature acts even if they could not physically be there due to tour schedules. An example of such an act was The Beatles, who would often pre-record exclusive videos for their songs.
By 1970, Top of the Pops had solidified the importance of music videos as a tool for promoting new releases and emerging acts. Dorfman, with his significant influence on the show's content, was considered capable of making or breaking a music group. His pivotal role in expanding the show's format cemented Top of the Pops as a top-rated program on the BBC and the premier platform for launching new music during that period.
In Concert (British TV series)
Dorfman created the television series In Concert, which he directed and produced from its inception until 1974. The series followed the success of Dorfman's television special, Leonard Cohen sings Leonard Cohen, Cohen's debut television concert. Dorfman conceptualized to showcase modern popular music as a fusion of blues, jazz, classical, and folk. According to Melody Maker, Dorfman introduced artists such as Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, James Taylor, David Gates, Chuck Berry, Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristofferson and Harry Nilsson, and his choices were not governed by the artists' chart positions. As such, the series played a pivotal role in establishing singer-songwriters as capable of carrying an entire television episode without any distractions. In Never a dull moment: 1971—the year that rock exploded, British music journalist and author David Hepworth writes that a few singer-songwriters had performed sitting down prior to Dorfman's programs, and the shows presented more than just performances; they created an intimate atmosphere where the audience felt they were invited to eavesdrop. Dorman's contributions to the show were acknowledged in the British Press as having provided modern music with "its only serious outlet on TV" and elevating pop music to a cultural level.
In Concert episodes often marked significant firsts for the artists featured. This includes debut television or concert appearances, or instances where they unveiled new songs before their official release. For instance, Joni Mitchell performed "California" on an episode a year before its release on her album Blue, Elton John performed "Your Song" three days before its release which later became his first top ten hit in both the UK and the US, and Carole King performed her influential album Tapestry on an episode shortly after its release, gaining significant recognition. In Concert also served as a crucial platform for numerous other artists. The Carpenters were featured, as was Cat Stevens, who performed songs from his album Teaser and the Firecat on an episode three months before the album's official release. Another highlight was Neil Young's performance of songs that would appear a year later on his critically acclaimed album Harvest. Biographer Jimmy McDonough, in his biography Shakey: Neil Young's biography, referred to Dorfman's footage of Young as "the great visual document of the Harvest Period." The series also holds a special place in the career of Harry Nilsson. Despite his success as a recording artist, Nilsson rarely performed live. His appearance on In Concert stands as the only complete concert performance of his career, making it a unique piece of music history.
Other singer-songwriters who appeared on In Concert include Randy Newman, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, Ravi Shankar, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond, Paul Williams, James Taylor, Al Green, Glen Campbell, Bobbie Gentry, James Taylor, Laura Nyro, Mary Travers, Jim Webb, Donovan, Ronnie Wood, John Denver, America, John Prine, John Williams, the Eagles, the Kinks, Buddy Rich, the Pointer Sisters, Gordon Lightfoot, Mason Williams, Martin Mull, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jonny Mercer, Stomu Yamash'ta, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Oscar Peterson, among others.
Between 1968 and 1974, Dorfman directed and produced over 200 episodes of In Concert. The Guardian hailed the series as the only music television program that "produced television ideas" and is "a clear demonstration of what we are missing elsewhere". As of 2023, episodes of In Concert continue to air on BBC networks.
In Concert (American TV series) In 1974, six years into Dorfman directing and producing his single singer-songwriter-per-episode series In Concert at the BBC, Dick Clark asked him to direct an American series featuring rock acts, which was also called In Concert, for ABC Television Center, which led Dorfman to relocate to Los Angeles. Clark had previously envisaged the show's format to highlight a number of rock acts per episode, but Dorfman simplified it to mirror his UK series by featuring only one act each episode. Episodes directed by Dorfman included performances by Black Sabbath, Electric Light Orchestra, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Miller Band, Barry White, Ray Stevens, Tammy Wynette, Bo Diddley, Chet Atkins, James Brown, and many others.
Happening for Lulu
Dorfman was the director and producer of the television series Happening for Lulu, a series of programs of music and comedy broadcast in a prime slot on the BBC between 1968 and 1969. The series was hosted by Scottish singer Lulu and featured guest performances by prominent musicians like the Beatles, comedians, and dancers. It was filmed weekly before a live studio audience of about 100 people.
Before 1978, the BBC did not have a formal policy for archiving footage and routinely wiped and reused tapes to create additional storage space. Consequently, the only surviving footage of Happening for Lulu features Jimi Hendrix's appearance on the show in January 1969, considered by Time magazine as one of his most memorable moments.
On the day of the recording, the band Cream had just announced their disbandment. According to bass player Noel Redding's autobiography, he, Hendrix, and drummer Mitch Mitchell arrived at the studio and decided to smoke some hash in their dressing room. When they accidentally dropped the hash down the drain, they persuaded a BBC maintenance worker to dismantle the drain to retrieve it.