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It is that time of the year for most people, the holidays. I wanted to showcase something that just was re-released with bonus discs and a ton of extra content that the old school music fan in your family could really be stoked about.
REVIEW – To try and not sound like an infomercial, I want to say right now THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL 6 DVD set is one of the greatest music collections I have ever seen, much less owned. I always tell people about the horror I grew up on, but music is a different story. I would make good grades in school, and my parents would let me watch shows like Midnight Special, Night Flight, Friday Night Videos, American Bandstand, Top of the Pops, and Solid Gold. The show started as a special one night in 1973 and went for 8 years when it ended in 81. I remember this is how I found out about Wolfman Jack, he would be the announcer guy and sometime host. The show started to really get a more structured feel when Helen Reddy started to be the regular host for the show. This show was revolutionary because it showcased the singers actually singing live, when in that era it seemed that most shows did lip-synching until the start of the 80’s when it did resort to lip-syncing. This show was more than just a music show; it was you can say a variety show.
Occasionally some comics would come on the show and perform. This show also followed the times and trends, like in the late 70’s the stage started to feature more of a disco feel. Some of the bands we get to see in their early years like Heart, Alice Cooper, Bee Gees, AC/DC, The Kinks, The Hollies and so many more. Each performance for me was amazing, because as a music fan and historian on music, this was just flat out amazing from first disc to last. This is where I am supposed to come up with a negative or something I felt was wrong, I will be honest from all the performances on this collection, I have nothing to say, but this is a must own for any music geek like me. This is a must buy if there ever was one for anyone in your family who is a music fan and loved the 70’s. The deluxe version you get extra discs of the comedy skits and behind the scenes of the show. This is a must have if there ever was a must have. Especially now since we are entering the holidays. You have almost every name out of the 1970’s playing very amazing and heartfelt performances. Time Life has really put out a masterpiece. This is the package from the gods.
THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (6 DVD) by Time Life
Disc 1
Pilot (Air Date: August 19, 1972) – John Denver “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, Linda Ronstadt “Long Long Time”, Argent “Hold Your Head Up”, John Denver & Cass Elliot “Leaving On A Jet Plane”, Harry Chapin “Taxi”
Episode 271 (Air Date: June 2, 1978) – Crystal Gayle “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers “American Girl”, Chuck Mangione “Feels So Good”, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers “Listen To Her Heart”
Episode 3 (Air Date: February 16, 1973) – Mac Davis “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me”, The Doobie Brothers “Jesus Is Just Alright”, The Doobie Brothers “Listen To The Music”, Billy Paul “Me and Mrs. Jones”
Episode 170A (Air Date: October 22, 1976) – Peter Frampton “Show Me The Way”, Joan Baez “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”
Disc 2
Episode 33 (Air Date: September 14, 1973) – Sly & The Family Stone “Everybody Is A Star”, Jim Croce “I Got A Name”, Jim Croce “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”, Bee Gees “Lonely Days”
Episode 160 (Air Date: March 5, 1976) – The Miracles “Love Machine”, Electric Light Orchestra “Evil Woman”, Electric Light Orchestra “Strange Music”
Episode 173 (Air Date: June 11, 1976) – Gary Wright “Love Is Alive”, Gary Wright “Dream Weaver”, Fleetwood Mac “Over My Head”
Episode 308 (Air Date: February 16, 1979) – Alice Cooper “Medley: Eighteen/Only Women/Billion Dollar Babies”, The Cars “My Best Friend’s Girl”, Alice Cooper “Inmates (We’re All Crazy)”
Disc 3
Episode 152 (Air Date: January 9, 1976) – LaBelle “Lady Marmalade”, Electric Light Orchestra “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head”, Janis Ian “At Seventeen”, Minnie Riperton “Lovin’ You”
Episode 81 (Air Date: August 16, 1974) – Golden Earring “Radar Love”, Aerosmith “Train Kept A Rollin”, Eddie Kendricks “Keep On Truckin”, Aerosmith “Dream On”
Episode 98 (Air Date: December 13, 1974) – Rufus featuring Chaka Khan “Tell Me Something Good”, The Stylistics “You Make Me Feel Brand New”, Redbone “Come and Get Your Love”, Barry White “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe”, Barry White “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up”, Olivia Newton-John “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)”
Disc 4
Episode 304 (Air Date: January 19, 1979) – Blondie “Heart Of Glass”, Peaches & Herb “Shake Your Groove Thing”, Blondie “One Way Or Another”, Peaches & Herb “Reunited”
Episode 56 (Air Date: February 22, 1974) – Gordon Lightfoot “If You Could Read My Mind”, Maria Muldaur “Midnight At The Oasis”, Gordon Lightfoot “Sundown”
Episode 49 (Air Date: January 4, 1974) – Loggins & Messina “You Mama Don’t Dance”, Billy Preston “Will It Go Round In Circles”, Stories “Brother Louie”, Edgar Winter Group “Frankenstein”, Curtis Mayfield “Superfly”, Charlie Rich “Behind Closed Doors”, Dobie Gray “Drift Away”
Disc 5
Episode 105 (Air Date: January 31, 1975) – Helen Reddy “Angie Baby”, Aretha Franklin & Ray Charles “Takes Two To Tango”, Gladys Knight & BB King “The Thrill Is Gone”
Episode 127 (Air Date: July 4, 1975) – The Hollies “Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)”, Frankie Valli “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, Orleans “Dance With Me”
Episode 144 (Air Date: November 14, 1975) – Helen Reddy “Delta Down”, Neil Sedaka “Bad Blood”, Neil Sedaka “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”, Captain & Tennille with Neil Sedaka “Love Will Keep Us Together”, KC and the Sunshine Band “That the Way (I Like It)”
Disc 6
Episode 220 (Air Date: June 3, 1977) – Bread “Make It With You”, Andrew Gold “Lonely Boy”, Eddie Rabbit “Rocky Mountain Music”
Episode 251 (Air Date: January 13, 1978) – The O’Jays “For The Love Of Money”, Billy Preston “Nothing From Nothing”, Sammy Hagar “You Make Me Crazy”
Episode 135 (Air Date: September 12, 1975) – Bee Gees “Jive Talkin”, Bee Gees with Helen Reddy “To Love Somebody”, Bee Gees “Nights On Broadway”, Helen Reddy “I Am Woman”
Episode 84 (Air Date: September 6 1974) – Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On”, Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On”
