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 - Episode 1
Release Date: -
Episode 4 - Host: Helen Reddy
Release Date: 1976-10-10Helen Reddy (host) - ""This Must Be Wrong"" & ""You're My Home"" --The Bee Gees - ""Nights on Broadway,"" ""Wind of Change"" and a medley of hits. --Billy Joel - ""Travelin' Prayer"" & ""Ballad of Billy the Kid"" --Mel Tillis - ""Rainy Day Woman"" & ""Mental Revenge"" --Ike and Tina Turner - ""Sexy Ida"" & ""Baby Get It On"" --Midnight Special salute to Joan Baez (narrated by Wolfman Jack)
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Episode 8 - Host: Helen Reddy
Release Date: 1975-11-14-Helen Reddy (host) - ""Delta Dawn,"" ""Emotion"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Helen Reddy and Neil Sedaka - ""Sad Eyes"" --The Captain and Tennille - ""Natural Woman"" --The Captain and Tennille with Neil Sedaka - ""Love Will Keep Us Together"" --KC & the Sunshine Band - ""(That's the Way) I Like It"" & ""Get Down Tonight"" --Freddie Prinze (stand-up comedy) --Neil Sedaka - ""Bad Blood,"" ""Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,"" ""Lonely Night (Angel Face),"" ""When You Were Loving Me"" --""Hit of the Week"": The Rolling Stones' ""Brown Sugar""
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Episode 10 - Helen Reddy / Frankie Valli / KISS / Barry Manilow
Release Date: 1976-11-28Helen Reddy (host) - ""Birthday Song,"" ""Belle of the Blues"" & ""I Am Woman"" --David Brenner (comedy segment) --KISS - ""Deuce"" & ""She"" --Barry Manilow - ""Something's Comin' Up,"" ""Tryin' to Get That Feelin' Again"" & ""I Want to Be Somebody's Baby"" --Frankie Valli - ""My Eyes Adored You"" --Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - ""Who Loves You?"" Midnight Special tribute to Harry Nilsson
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Episode 15 - Host: Helen Reddy
Release Date: 1976-01-09--Helen Reddy (host) - ""Angie Baby"" --Joan Baez - ""Diamonds and Rust"" & ""Children and All That Jazz"" --Glen Campbell - ""Rhinestone Cowboy"" --Earth, Wind & Fire - ""Shining Star"" --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Can't Get It Out of My Head"" & ""Laredo Tornado"" --Freddy Fender - ""Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"" --Janis Ian - ""At Seventeen"" --LaBelle - ""Lady Marmalade"" --Minnie Riperton - ""Lovin' You"" --Neil Sedaka - medley of hits & ""Bad Blood""
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Episode 21 - Host: David Brenner
Release Date: 1976-02-27David Brenner (guest host) - stand-up comedy segments throughout show --Fleetwood Mac - ""Over My Head"" & ""Rhiannon"" --Lesley Gore - ""Immortality"" & ""Can't Seem to Live Our Good Times Down"" --B.B. King - ""Breaking Up Somebody's Home"" & ""Reconsider Baby"" --Michael Murphy - ""Renegade"" & ""Wildflower"" --Anne Murray - ""Sunday Sunrise"" --Midnight Special salute to Dion
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Episode 22 - Helen Reddy / Miracles / Tanya Tucker / ELO
Release Date: 1976-03-05Helen Reddy (host) - ""Somewhere in the Night"" --Frankie Avalon - ""Venus"" --Frankie Avalon and Helen Reddy - ""Why"" --David Bowie - ""Fame"" (music video?) --Billy Braver (comedy segment with Helen Reddy) --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Evil Woman,"" ""Nightrider"" & ""Strange Magic"" --The Miracles - ""Love Machine,"" ""Ain't Nobody Straight in L.A."" & ""Do It Baby"" --Tanya Tucker - ""Don't Believe My Heart Can Stand Another You"" & ""You've Got Me to Hold On To"" --Midnight Special salute to Little Richard
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Episode 23 - Helen Reddy / Peter Frampton / Rufus feat. Chaka Khan
Release Date: 1976-03-19Helen Reddy (host) - ""The Immigrant,"" ""Nice to Be Around"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Peter Frampton - ""Show Me the Way"" & ""Baby I Love Your Way"" --Melissa Manchester - ""Just You and I,"" ""Rescue Me"" & ""Sing Sing Sing"" --Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - ""Sweet Thing"" & ""Fool's Paradise"" --Jimmie Walker (comedy segment) --Midnight Special salute to Johnny Rivers
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Episode 26 - Host: Helen Reddy
Release Date: 1976-04-09-Helen Reddy (host) - ""This Masquerade"" & ""I Am Woman"" --Fleetwood Mac - ""Rhiannon"" & ""World Turning"" --Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds - ""Winners and Losers"" & ""Everyday Without You"" --Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds with Helen Reddy - ""Fallin' in Love"" --Barry Manilow - ""Tryin' to Get the Feelin' Again"" & ""Something's Comin' Up"" --Queen - ""Bohemian Rhapsody"" (probably a music video) --Gary Wright - ""Dream Weaver,"" ""Are You Weeping"" & ""My Love Is Alive""
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Episode 27 - Janis Ian
Release Date: 1976-04-23 -
Episode 29 - Host: Paul Anka
Release Date: 1976-05-21Paul Anka (host) - ""Put Your Head on My Shoulder"" --Joan Baez - ""The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"" & ""Simple Twist of Fate"" --The Beatles (on film) - ""Hey Jude"" --The Bee Gees - ""Run to Me"" --Chuck Berry - ""Maybellene"" & ""Sweet Little Sixteen"" --The Carpenters - ""Please Me. Postman"" --Chubby Checker - ""The Twist"" --Jim Croce - ""Big Bad Leroy Brown"" --Peter Frampton - ""Show Me the Way"" & ""Baby I Love Your Way"" --Bill Haley and the Comets - ""Rock Around the Clock"" & ""See You Later Alligator"" --Herman's Hermits - ""I'm Henry VIII I Am"" & ""Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter"" --Elvis Presley (on film) - ""Don't Be Cruel"" --Helen Reddy - ""Delta Dawn""
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Episode 31 - Host: Helen Reddy
Release Date: 1976-06-11Helen Reddy (host) - ""You Are a Song,"" ""No One Told Me"" & ""I Am Woman"" --David Brenner (comedian) - comedy segment with Helen Reddy --Fleetwood Mac - ""Rhiannon,"" ""Why"" (1974 song) & ""Over My Head"" --Dorothy Moore - ""Misty Blue"" & ""Funny How Time Slips Away"" --Gary Wright - ""My Love Is Alive,"" ""Dream Weaver"" & ""Can't Find the Judge"" --Midnight Special tribute to Paul Anka (2-part salute with clips from past performances) --Plus, a demonstration of the latest disco dances
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Episode 39 - Host: James Brown
Release Date: 1976-08-06James Brown - ""Sex Machine,"" ""Get Up Offa That Thing,"" ""Try Me,"" ""A Man's World"" & ""Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time"" --Peter Frampton - ""Baby I Love Your Way"" --Rhythm Heritage - ""Baretta's Theme (Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow)"" --Seals & Crofts - ""Get Closer"" & ""Goodbye Old Buddies"" --J.D. Souther - ""Black Rose,"" ""Banging My Head Against the Moon"" & ""Silver Blue"" --Midnight Special salute to Alice Cooper (2-part tribute) --Music video: Elton John and Kiki Dee - ""Don't Go Breakin' My Heart""
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Episode 42 - Host: Jimmie Walker
Release Date: 1976-08-27-Jimmie Walker (host) --Lynn Anderson - medley (""Rose Garden,"" ""Top of the World"" and ""Cry"") & ""Gone At Last"" --Elvin Bishop - ""Struttin' My Stuff"" --Cate Brothers - ""Union Man"" & ""Can't Change My Heart"" --1st National Rotagilla Band - ""Rotagilla Chorus"" & ""I Feel Like Singing"" --Henry Gross - ""Springtime Mama"" & ""Southern Band"" --Johnnie Taylor - ""Disco Lady"" & ""Somebody's Gettin' It"" --Midnight Special salute: Neil Sedaka