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 5 - Co-hosts: Jackie DeShannon & Johnny Rivers
Release Date: 1976-10-15Guests: --Jackie DeShannon (co-host) - ""Put a Little Love in Your Heart,"" ""When You Walk in the Room,"" ""Needles and Pins,"" ""What the World Needs Now"" & ""The Weight"" --Johnny Rivers (co-host) - ""Secret Agent Man,"" ""Seventh Son"", ""Poor Side of Town,"" ""Summer Rain"" & ""Tracks of My Tears."" --Jackie DeShannon & Johnny Rivers close the show singing ""What the World Need Now"" --The Byrds (from 2-Feb-1973) - ""Mr. Tambourine Man"" & ""So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star"" --Gerry and the Pacemakers - ""Ferry Cross the Mersey"" & ""Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying"" --Sam and Dave - ""Hold On I'm Coming"" & ""Soul Man"" --Steppenwolf - ""Born to be Wild"" --The Turtles - ""Happy Together"" --Midnight Special salute to Jan and Dean (features clips of their songs & interview with Dean)
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Episode 19 - Hosts: The Electric Light Orchestra
Release Date: 1977-02-18Electric Light Orchestra (hosts) - "Livin' Thing," "Do Ya," "Telephone Line" & "Livin' Thing" --Electric Light Orchestra (on tape) - "Rock Aria" music video --Mary MacGregor - "Torn Between Two Lovers" & "I Just Want to Love You" --Don McLean - "Magdalene Lane," "Mule Skinner Blues" & "Cripple Creek" --George Miller (comedy monologue) - jokes about his childhood, friends, career, etc. --Santana - "Let the Music Set You Free," "Carnaval," "Let the Children Play" & "Jugando" --Santana (on tape) - "Give Me Love" --On film: clips from movie "Car Wash" with Rose Royce singing the title song.
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Episode 22 - Hosts: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
Release Date: 1977-03-18Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. (hosts) - ""You Don't Have to Be A Star,"" ""Your Love,"" ""I Hope We Get to Love in Time"" & ""Gone at Last"" --Themla Houston - ""Don't Leave Me This Way"" --Thelma Houston, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. - ""Proud Mary"" --Manfred Mann's Earth Band - ""Blinded by the Light"" & ""Spirit in the Night"" --Fleetwood Mac (in concert from the University of California) - ""Rhiannon,"" ""Say You Love Me,"" ""Go Your Own Way"" & ""So Afraid""
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Episode 25 - Host: Gabe Kaplan
Release Date: 1977-04-08Gabe Kaplan (host) - does two comedy monologues. The first is about commercials for nose sprays; skin creams and a new deodorant for the ear. Second monologue is about the telephone, prank phone calls; blind dates --ABBA - ""Dancing Queen"" --James Darren & Hattie Winston - ""You Take My Heart Away"" --The Dirt Band - ""Fish Song"" & ""Disco Stomp"" --Rod Stewart - ""Tonight's the Night"" (taped in his home) & ""The First Cut Is the Deepest"" --Gary Wright - ""Water Sign"" & ""I'm Alright"" --Midnight Special salute to Judy Collins
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Episode 27 - British Rock hosted by Wolfman Jack
Release Date: 1977-04-29ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) - ""Do Ya,"" ""Rock Aria"" & ""Telephone Line"" --Salute to Elton John (narrated by Wolfman Jack) - includes clips of Elton John performing ""Bennie and the Jets"" & ""Philadelphia Freedom"" on ""Soul Train"" --Salute to Rod Stewart (narrated by Wolfman Jack) Music Videos / Promotional clips: --Queen - ""Bohemian Rhapsody,"" ""Somebody to Love"" & ""Tie Your Mother Down"" --Fleetwood Mac - ""Go Your Own Way"" & ""You Make Lovin' Fun"" --Genesis - ""Assault and Battery""
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Episode 32 - Hosts: Bread
Release Date: 1977-06-03Bread (hosts) - "Lay Your Money Down" "The Chosen One" "She's the Only One" & "Lost Without Your Love" --England Dan and John Ford Coley - "It's Sad to Belong" & "Soldier in the Rain" --Andrew Gold - "Lonely Boy" & "Go Back Home Again" --Joni Mitchell - "Big Yellow Taxi" --Eddie Rabbitt - "Rocky Mountain Music" --Johnny Rivers - "Slow Dancin'" --Valentine - "Take You Back" & "I've Got It" --Salute to Kenny Rogers