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Did You Grow Up Watching The Midnight Special?

131east23

131east23

...near Frank's Pizza!
The Midnight Special really was special. It was a mixed bag of rock, country, funk, disco and comedy. 98% of the time the music was live, no lip syncing. I don't expect anyone to watch all of these, just pick one or two and enjoy. If you have time for just one I would suggest Blondie, The Babys or Heart. Most are nice quality. The Cowboy Song is kind of fuzzy, not great, but I couldn't resist. Good times!

AC/DC, Sin City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKSvc46QHjc&feature=related

Blondie, Heart Of Glass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12w5wykucgk

Heart, Crazy On You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V44HiAX91Hs

Kiss, Black Diamond
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AxlABiNoTM&feature=related

Cheap Trick, Surrender
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqB9lhHqmsE&feature=related

Rick James, Maryjane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP1X6qOO6m4&feature=related

Argent, Hold Your Head Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ_UuPH3cyw&feature=related

The Babys, Everytime I Think of You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AcY-OJRbxk&feature=related

Steely Dan, Reelin' In The Years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTDRd0Z0O4o&feature=related

Fleetwood Mac, Rhiannon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c3MsSdt9JQ&feature=related

Curtis Mayfield, Superfly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3yQpzdIw5I&feature=related

The Cars, Let's Go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpA3NVafsdo&feature=related

Thin Lizzy, The Cowboy Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP38VM-BPls

Reo Speedwagon, Roll With The Changes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgLPriZUSA&feature=related
 
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Shine your light on me!

The Midnight Special was the reason that I installed a headphone jack in my Motorola Quasar Color TV!

I was still living at home and could not turn the volume up at all at that time of night when watching The Midnight Special. It was a practically unheard of concept to have a 1/4" headphone jack on a 16" TV back then, so I installed one. Then I could use a headphone extension cord and lie on my bed, watch the show and turn it up to whatever level I desired.

Speaking of the Heart video, that's about what they looked like when I saw them perform in Wilmington NC back in 1976. It appears that Nancy is wearing the same dress! That or she had a trunk full of them. I always found it so interesting that back then, she wore the simple white dress and Ann took the front position, as opposed to the 80's when Nancy wore the sexy outfits and took front position, complete with her "kicks" and guitar licks.

Those Wilson sisters, still rockin' after 35 years!

I also had the pleasure of not only meeting "Wolfman Jack" many years later in the mid-80s, but of actually driving him from a personal appearance to dinner in MY Eldorado!. But that's another story altogether.
 
Lots of "canned" **** on that program to be sure, but I loved it nonetheless. Some of the actual live stage performances were quite memorable & are actively traded (ausio and/or video) to this day.
 
I was also a big fan of Shindig and Hullabaloo. I think Shindig was the best of all the music shows back in the day. Check out this list of who played on Shindig. The Lloyd Thaxton Show was OK as well, commonly featuring Paul Revere and the Raiders.
 
Big three at the time was Midnight Special, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert and ABC Wide World In Concert. I just couldn't get enough.

Then the videos came and Big Hair, and padded shoulders, and I turned off the television and hid in my 2 channel paradise.
 
oh yeah

Wow, I forgot about those.
There is some frckin "club" where would can get all the DVDs of the show.
Still milking it after all these years.
IF they would just have a complete set, I'd bite.


Tina Turner and the Iketts, "Proud Mary".
Donna Summer, "Love to Love You Baby".

Changed my life.
 
I was kinda young back then, but I would stay up and watch it every chance I got. It certainly stuck in my head - pre MTV

Wasn't there also a radio show called "King Biscuit Flower Hour", or something like that?? Kinda a fuzzy memory, at best. Maybe a regional thing?
 
Great stuff!!

I love Heart and have all the LP's. and fell in love again too.

And now I know where Star Wars found the Luke Skywalker costume!
 
Wow,nice (trip) down memory lane! You must obviously be old enuf to remember the Un-concert series also, hey? "those were the days my friend"
 
I used to prefer ABC's In Concert to Midnight Special. It was simulcast in stereo on the AOR affiliate here, and I remember tuning it in on the big Philco console to get the better sound. My early home theater as a 13 year old.
 
Such was the case with In Concert where I lived. A local FM Station would broadcast the sound which would, as mentioned before, allow you to enjoy the sound in glorious FM Stereo!

There was another show not previously mentioned, Where the action is, which came on each weekday afternoon on ABC. This was the 60's and for a while, Paul Revere and the Raiders was the shows "House band".
 
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