The Midnight Special (1972)
The Midnight Special is an American late-night musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981. The ninety-minute program followed the Friday night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The show typically featured guest hosts, except for a period from July 1975 through March 1976 when singer Helen Reddy served as the regular host. Wolfman Jack served as the announcer and frequent guest host. The series also occasionally aired vintage footage of older acts. As the program neared the end of its run in the early 1980s, it began to frequently use lip-synched performances rather than live. The program also featured occasional comedic performances such as Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman.
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Episode 1 - Host: Randy Newman
Release Date: 1974-09-27Randy Newman (host) - ""Mama Told Me Not to Come,"" ""Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear,"" ""Political Science,"" ""Davy and the Fat Boy,"" ""I Think It's Going to Rain Today,"" ""Rolling,"" ""All His Love"" & ""Louisiana 1927"" --Ry Cooder - ""Ditty Wah Ditty"" --Dr. John - ""Let's Make a Better World,"" ""Desitively Bonnaroo,"" ""Mos' Scocious"" & ""Mama Don't Allow"" --Dr. John and Maria Muldaur - ""Three Dollar Bill"" --Maria Muldaur - ""Sweetheart,"" Lover Man"" & ""Squeeze Me"" --The Turtles - ""Happy Together,"" ""Feel Older Now,"" ""Let Me Make Love to You"" & ""You Showed Me""
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Episode 2 - Host: Al Green
Release Date: 1974-10-04Al Green (host) - ""Sweet Talk,"" ""Tired of Being Alone,"" ""Sha La La,"" ""Here I Am (Come and Take Me),"" ""I'm Still in Love with You"" & ""Love and Happiness."" --Al Green - medley: ""Funny How Time Slips Away,"" ""How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,"" ""For the Good Times"" and ""Let's Stay Together"" --Joe Cocker - ""Something"" & ""Delta Lady""
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Episode 3 - Host: Jose Feliciano
Release Date: 1974-10-11Jose Feliciano (host) - ""My Sweet Lord,"" ""Chico and the Man,"" ""T.S.O.P.,"" ""Golden Lady"" & ""Love's Theme"" --Jesse Colin - ""Morning Sun"" & ""Light Shine"" --Hot Tuna - ""Hamar Promenade,"" ""Day to Day Out the Window Blues"" & ""I See the Light"" --The Main Ingredient - ""Everybody Plays the Fool,"" ""Happiness Is Just Around the Bend"" & ""Just Don't Want to Be Lonely"" --Buffy Sainte-Marie - ""I Can't Take It No More"" & ""That's the Way You Fall in Love""
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Episode 4 - Host: Paul Anka
Release Date: 1974-10-18Paul Anka - ""You're Having My Baby,"" ""Jubilation,"" ""It Doesn't Matter Anymore,"" ""American Pie"" & ""Let Me Get to Know You"" --Odia Coates and Paul Anka - ""One Man Woman"" --James Brown - ""Papa Don't Take No Mess"" & ""Good Foot"" --Brownsville Station - ""Kings of the Party"" --The Guess Who with Wolfman Jack - ""Clap for the Wolfman"" --The Guess Who - ""American Woman"" --Ohio Players - ""Skin Tight"" --The Tymes - ""You Little Trustmaker""
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Episode 11 - Tom Jones
Release Date: 1974-12-06Host: Tom Jones (host) - ""My Soul Is a Witness,"" ""Greenwood, Mississippi,"" ""I Guess You Know Me Girl,"" ""Pledging My Love,"" medley, ""It Never Hurts to Be Nice to Somebody,"" ""Danny Boy,"" ""One Night with You,"" ""Right Place, Wrong Time"" & ""Pledging My Love"" --Paul Anka and Tom Jones - ""My Way"" & ""She's a Lady"" --Chuck Berry - ""Johnny B. Goode"" --Chuck Berry and Tom Jones - ""School Days,"" ""Memphis"" & ""Roll Over Beethoven"" --The Kiki Dee Band - ""I've Got the Music in Me""
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Episode 12 - Million Sellers (Part 1) - Host: Wolfman Jack
Release Date: 1974-12-13Wolfman Jack (guest host) --Paul Anka - ""You're Having My Baby"" --Blue Magic - ""Sideshow"" --James Brown - ""The Payback"" --Gordon Lightfoot - ""Sundown"" --Love Unlimited Orchestra - ""Love's Theme"" --Olivia Newton-John - ""If You Love Me Let Me Know"" --Steve Miller - ""The Joker"" --Redbone - ""Come and Get Your Love"" --Rufus, featuring Chaka Khan - ""Tell Me Something Good"" --The Stylistics - ""You Make Me Feel Brand New"" --Barry White - ""Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe"" & ""Never Gonna Give You Up"" --Bobby Womack - ""Looking for Love"
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Episode 14 - Host: Charley Pride
Release Date: 1974-12-27Charley Pride (guest host) - ""Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?"" ""Kiss an Angel Good Morning,"" ""Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town,"" ""Cotton Fields,"" ""All I Have to Offer You Is Me,"" ""Kawliga,"" ""It's Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer,"" ""Louisiana Man,"" ""Let Me Live"" & ""The Fugitive"" --The Four Guys - ""Too Late to Turn Back Now"" --Doug Kershaw - ""Diggy Diggy Lo,"" ""Battle of New Orleans,"" ""All I Want to Do Is Make Babies"" & ""Whatcha Gonna Do When You Can't"" --Ronnie Milsap - ""Rolling in My Sweet Baby's Arms,"" ""Pure Love"" and a medley of rock songs. --Gary Stewart - ""Drinking Thing"
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Episode 15 - Hosts: The Righteous Brothers
Release Date: 1975-01-10The Righteous Brothers (guest hosts) - ""Dream On,"" ""Rock and Roll Heaven"" & ""Give It to the People"" --Bobby Hatfield - ""You Turn Me Around"" --Bill Medley - ""Brown Eyed Woman"" --Paul Anka - ""One Man Woman"" --Billy ""Crash"" Craddock - ""Ruby Baby"" --Carol Douglas - ""Doctor's Orders"" & ""Baby Don't Let This Good Love Die"" --George Foreman - ""Walk On"" --Gloria Gaynor - ""Never Can Say Goodbye"" --The Guess Who - ""Dancin' Fool"" --Linda Ronstadt - ""You're No good"" --Frankie Valli - ""My Eyes Adored You"" --Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - oldies medley
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Episode 17 - Hosts: Electric Light Orchestra
Release Date: 1975-01-17Electric Light Orchestra (guest hosts) - ""In the Hall of the Mountain King,"" ""Great Balls of Fire,"" ""Can't Get It out of My Head,"" ""Orange Blossom Special,"" ""Laredo Tornado,"" ""Flight of the Bumble Bee"" & ""Roll Over Beethoven"" --The Ohio Players - ""Jive Turkey"" --Linda Ronstadt - ""When Will I Be Loved?"" --Rufus, featuring Chaka Khan - ""You Got the Love,"" ""I Am Woman,"" ""Packed My Bags"" & ""We Can Work It Out"
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Episode 19 - Host: Helen Reddy (2nd Anniversary Show)
Release Date: 1975-01-31Second Anniversary Show --Helen Reddy (guest host) - ""Angie Baby,"" ""Emotion,"" ""Raised on Rock,"" ""I'll be Your Audience"" & ""I Think I'll Write a Song"" --Bachman-Turner Overdrive - ""Hold Back the Water"" --Joan Baez - ""Love Song to a Stranger"" --David Bowie (from 16-Nov-1973) - ""Space Oddity"" & ""Time"" --The Byrds (from 2-Feb-1973) - ""Mr. Tambourine Man"" & ""So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star"" (with new intro by Roger McGuinn). --Bobby Darin (from 16-Mar-73) - medley: ""Splish Splash"" & ""If I Were A Carpenter"" (segment presented as a tribute to the late singer) --The Doobie Brothers - ""Listen to the Music"" & ""Jesus Is Just Alright"" --Aretha Franklin & Ray Charles (from 30-Mar-73) - ""Takes Two to Tango"" --Gladys Knight & B.B. King - ""The Thrill Is Gone""
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Episode 20 - Host: Dave Mason
Release Date: 1975-02-07Dave Mason (guest host) - ""World in Changes,"" ""Bring It On Home to Me,"" ""All Along the Watchtower,"" ""Every Woman,"" ""You Can't Take It When You Go,"" ""Only You Know and I Know,"" ""Lucille"" & ""Feelin' Alright"" --Average White Band - ""Got the Love,"" ""Work to Do"" & ""Nothing You Can Do"" --The Crusaders - ""Double Bubble"" & ""Stomp and Buck Dance"" --The Kiki Dee Band - ""You Need Help"" & ""Frozen One"
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Episode 24 - Host: Olivia Newton-John
Release Date: 1975-03-07Olivia Newton-John (host) - ""If You Love Me (Let Me Know),"" ""Have You Never Been Mellow?"" ""You Ain't Got the Right,"" ""The Air That I Breathe"" & ""I Never Did Sing You a Love Song"" --Waylon Jennings - ""Honkey Tonk Heroes"" & ""You Ask Me To"" --Kenny Rankin - ""Silver Morning"" & ""Catfish"" --Ike and Tina Turner - ""Sexy Ida,"" ""Bayou Song"" and ""Baby Get It On"" --Salute to Leo Sayer. Leo is shown singing ""The Show Must Go On,"" ""Long Tall Glasses"" and ""It's Your Way"" --Leo Sayer - ""In My Life"" (or ""I've Got to Do Something with My Life"") and ""The Dancer""
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Episode 25 - Helen Reddy / Jessi Colter / Janis Ian
Release Date: 1975-07-25Helen Reddy (host) - ""Angie Baby,"" ""Bluebird,"" ""I Am Woman"" and a medley of hits (""Leave Me Alone,"" ""I Don't Know How to Love Him"" and ""Delta Dawn"") --Helen Reddy and Neil Sedaka - ""Don't Let It Mess Your Mind"" --Jessi Colter - ""I'm Not Lisa"" & ""You Ain't Never Been Loved"" --Janis Ian - ""At Seventeen"" & ""When the Party's Over"" --Kraftwerk - ""Autobahn"" --Neil Sedaka - ""That's When the Music Takes Me"" & ""Love Will Keep Us Together"" --Midnight Special tribute: The Bee Gees
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Episode 30 - Hosts: Earth, Wind & Fire
Release Date: 1975-04-18Earth, Wind & Fire (guest hosts) - ""Shining Star,"" ""Mighty Mighty,"" ""Devotion"" & ""Yearning Learning"" --LaBelle - ""Lady Marmalade,"" ""What Can I Do For You?"" ""Are You Lonely"" & ""Happy Feelin'"" --Melissa Manchester - ""Just Too Many People,"" ""Party Music"" & ""Midnight Blue"" --Leo Sayer - ""Long Tall Glasses"" & ""In My Life"
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Episode 31 - Hosts: Rod Stewart & The Faces
Release Date: 1975-04-25Rod Stewart - ""Bring it On Home to Me,"" ""You Send Me,"" ""Take a Look at the Guy,"" ""Angel,"" ""I Can Feel the Fire,"" ""You Can Make Me Dance,"" ""You Wear it Well,"" ""Maggie May"" & ""We'll Meet Again"" --Rod Stewart and Keith Richards - ""Sweet Little Rock and Roller"" and ""Twisting the Night Away""
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Episode 38 - Host: Herb Alpert
Release Date: 1975-06-20Herb Alpert (guest host) - ""Coney Island,"" ""Carmine,"" ""Never Never Land"" & ""Desert Dance"" --Herb Alpert - medley of hits (""Lonely Bull,"" ""Spanish Flea,"" ""This Guy's in Love with You,"" ""Taste of Honey"" and ""Zorba the Greek"") --The Captain and Tennille - ""Love Will Keep Us Together"" ""Cuddle Up"" --Billy Preston - ""Song of Joy"" --Phoebe Snow - ""Poetry Man"" & ""Harpo's Blues"" --Supertramp - ""Hide in Your Shell"" & ""Bloody Well Right"
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Episode 40 - Host: Frankie Valli
Release Date: 1975-08-04Frankie Valli (guest host) - ""Swearin' to God,"" ""My Eyes Adored You,"" ""I Got Eyes for You Ruby"" & ""Can't Take My Eyes off of You"" --Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - ""Who Loves You"" & ""Silence Is Golden"" --The Four Seasons - ""Warsaw Concerto"" --Freddy Fender - ""Before the Next Teardrop Falls"" & ""Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"" --The Hollies - ""Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress,"" ""Another Night"" & ""Sandy"" --Orleans - ""Let There Be Music,"" ""Dance with Me"" & ""Tongue Tied"
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Episode 48 - Helen Reddy / The Bee Gees / Janis Ian
Release Date: 1975-09-12Helen Reddy (host) - ""Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady,"" ""The Midnight Special,"" ""Mama"" & ""I Am Woman"" --BT Expess - ""Give It What You Got"" & ""Peace Pipe"" --The Bee Gees - ""Jive Talkin'"" & ""Nights on Broadway"" --The Bee Gees with Helen Reddy - ""To Love Somebody"" --The Eagles - ""One of These Nights"" (might be a music video) --Janis Ian - ""At Seventeen"" & ""When the Party's Over"" --Orleans - ""Dance with Me,"" ""Let There Be Music"" & ""Tongue Tied""