Friday Night, 1974, and there's nothing going on
September 4, 2009 3:34 PM   Subscribe

Here’s a cool concept. Top breakthrough bands of the day playing LIVE on TV late every Friday night. Such was The Midnight Special - from 1972 - 1981 (though the glory days were the early to mid 70s, that lost decade somewhere between the meltdown of the hippie dream and the coincident eruptions of PUNK + DISCO upon planet rock).

Burt Sugarman was the man behind it all. You name ‘em. They played it. From the sublime to the ridiculous ...

ABBA
Argent
Badfinger
Bee Gees (pre disco)
Earth Wind + Fire
Electric Light Orchestra (again)
Guess Who
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Curtis Mayfield
The Steve Miller Band
Ted Nugent
Billy Preston
Todd Rundgren
T-Rex
Thin Lizzy
War
Gary Wright


All apologies for the hairstyles but, as some wise guys said, those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.
posted by philip-random (40 comments total) 34 users marked this as a favorite
 
And now we have American Idol. How times have changed....
posted by Big_B at 3:49 PM on September 4, 2009


From wikipedia:
[Burt] Sugarman proposed the program as a way for NBC to take advantage of The Tonight Show's large audience. At the time, none of the Big Three television networks had programming on after 1:00 a.m., as common practice was to air a test pattern after sign-off. In spite of this lack of competition, NBC initially rejected the idea. The rejection led Sugarman to buy air time for the premiere on his own, convincing Chevrolet to become the show’s first sponsor. It premiered with ratings big enough that NBC changed its mind and bought the program.

The series was canceled by NBC at the request of Dick Ebersol as part of a deal for him to take over then-ailing Saturday Night Live. Two years later, after the conclusion of a run of the Canadian import SCTV Network, Midnight Special was eventually replaced by the music video show Friday Night Videos, also produced by Ebersol.
The current Wikipedia description for FNV follows: Friday Night Videos is a music video show broadcast on the American NBC television network from July 29, 1983 to May 24, 2002, and was considered network television’s answer to MTV.

I was wholly unaware of either of these shows. For clarification, FNV was changed to Friday Nights in January 1994, when it became less of a music video show and more of a general entertainment and variety program. On January 5, 2001, the show changed again, now named Late Friday, and was stand-up comedians doing their stage routines.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:52 PM on September 4, 2009 [2 favorites]


Did the people who liked ABBA then - back before it became semi-respectable - ever get an official opportunity to say "I told you so" ?
posted by Joe Beese at 3:56 PM on September 4, 2009 [1 favorite]


Staying up and watching The Midnight Special kept me from going stir-crazy when I was left alone on Friday nights as a kid. There will always be a special place in my heart for Wolfman Jack (RIP).
posted by amyms at 3:56 PM on September 4, 2009


That version of Magic Man is amazing.
posted by khaibit at 3:57 PM on September 4, 2009


Wow, it really has been a long time since I've heard "Cat Scratch Fever."

I remember staying up late for this show. It was wonderful, really the only chance to see these bands on TV.

Is that Richard Pryor introducing ELO?
posted by marxchivist at 4:07 PM on September 4, 2009


And: Damn, everybody had a Les Paul guitar back then.
posted by marxchivist at 4:09 PM on September 4, 2009


I used to stay up to watch this thing. Todd Rundgren's eyes! Ted Nugent's Ted Nugentness!

So... speaking of Wikipedia, I clicked the Badfinger link, was reminded that a couple of those guys later hanged themselves, and went to Wikipedia to find that "Stanley H. Polley (born Bronx, NY 1922), is a soulless bastard/retired entertainment manager" and so on. Life is brutal.
posted by pracowity at 4:11 PM on September 4, 2009


Is that Richard Pryor introducing ELO?

I wondered that myself. Again from the wiki page: Some notable guest stars and hosts included ... Ray Charles, James Brown, Bo Diddley, ... Steve Martin, ... Rick James, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Billy Crystal, Beach Boys, Diana Ross, The Jacksons, B.B King, Kiss, Gordon Lightfoot, Andy Kaufman, ... Richard Pryor, Cass Elliot, ... Dolly Parton ...

That's a diverse cast of characters. But it was a major network show, so they had money and fame behind them.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:17 PM on September 4, 2009


Rick James, bitch: You and I -- Mary Jane.
Also, Richard Pryor's standup
posted by msalt at 4:33 PM on September 4, 2009


Is that Richard Pryor introducing ELO?

Yes.
posted by pracowity at 4:33 PM on September 4, 2009


Did the people who liked ABBA then - back before it became semi-respectable - ever get an official opportunity to say "I told you so" ?

I'm pretty sure that my introduction ABBA was this particular performance of S.O.S. And I liked it (gotta love those keyboard runs) ... but no way was I going to brag about it at school on Monday. Then, maybe three years later, I'm at a serious North Van punk rock party when some ABBA comes on the party tape. The crowd went delightfully mental. Could "respectability" be that far away?

Also worth noting, they totally dug the Village People at that party. But everything else was straight ahead punk+power-pop (Ramones, Clash, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers etc)
posted by philip-random at 4:42 PM on September 4, 2009


Clicking through the links sequentially....

Steely Dan, no.
ELO, no.
Heart, no.
AC/DC, okay now we're getting somewhere.
posted by sleevener at 5:58 PM on September 4, 2009


I used to watch this with my older brother. Lots of good memories here, thanks for posting.
posted by Sailormom at 6:54 PM on September 4, 2009


I didn't watch Midnight Special very often when it was on, but I do think I remember seeing the clear plastic electric violin solo* and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.

*"Out of the Blue", by Roxy Music
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 7:26 PM on September 4, 2009 [2 favorites]


Yeah, that T-Rex clip was a hoot. One of Brian De Palma's inspirations for Beef, no doubt.
posted by Bron at 7:37 PM on September 4, 2009


Holy shit, the 1970s must have been an amazing time if guys who looked like that could make it, simply because THEY FUCKING ROCKED.

Kids, did I ever tell you about the seventies?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:09 PM on September 4, 2009


Clicking through the links sequentially....
Steely Dan, no.

Steely Dan, yes! (good quality)
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 9:03 PM on September 4, 2009




Great post, philip-random. I LOVED this show when I was a little kid (also had an older brother who turned me on to it). I tried to fight sleep to stay up till the end, but I rarely made it.

I lost touch with the Midnight Special around 1980 - they were playing a lot of 'Urban Cowboy' stuff by then. Shortly after that, music videos took off and that probably helped seal its fate.
posted by Dirjy at 9:50 PM on September 4, 2009


Debbie Harry singing and bopping with those lazy dance moves in that blue bubble dress with the dyed-to-match headband and pumps; that's soul.
posted by longsleeves at 10:06 PM on September 4, 2009


No lip synching. I love the old days of music shows...
posted by spacelux at 11:25 PM on September 4, 2009


No lip synching. I love the old days of music shows...

Actually, as I remember it, the 70s were plagued with lip-synching, which is one of the reasons I was so delighted to find the Midnight Special stuff had finally leaked online.
posted by philip-random at 11:47 PM on September 4, 2009 [1 favorite]


So. Much. Hair.
posted by bardic at 11:55 PM on September 4, 2009 [1 favorite]


No lip synching. I love the old days of music shows...

There was tons of lip-synching on TV in the 70s. And tons in the 60s too. It's nothing new.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:12 AM on September 5, 2009


(Excellent clip, at the height of their powers, 'cept it appears they have an extra bass player in the shadows backing up Killer Kane).
Well spotted - yeah, he looks really out of it and he definitely isn't playing what can be heard in the bass parts. I wonder if he even knew that there was a mystery backup player?

Jeez they were good though - it must have blown people's minds to see a band play with such abandon.
posted by awfurby at 12:56 AM on September 5, 2009


Did the people who liked ABBA then - back before it became semi-respectable - ever get an official opportunity to say "I told you so" ?

I'd been aware of them, but had mostly dismissed them until one afternoon, I was in Brian Epstein's old shop, Nems, which was where I'd go to buy Northern Soul 45's, and the girl who ran the place -- who was another knowledgeable soul girl that I knew from the clubs -- was playing Dancing Queen, just released that day, on continuous repeat.

She converted me.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:07 AM on September 5, 2009


I haven't even finished half of these, but the Steve Miller Band and Little Feat clips are really, really good!

The Edgar Winter/Rick Derringer clip is just...wow. It's soooo cheesy, in that 70's cheesy sort of way. I'd love to see this get the Beavis and Butthead treatment.
posted by mosk at 2:20 AM on September 5, 2009


Also:

Heart: Magic Man

Heart: Crazy on You
(Nancy kicking ass on the axe!)
posted by hecho de la basura at 8:01 AM on September 5, 2009


Thanks for all the clips.

I just want say Little Feat, Little Feat, Little Feat. Words cannot contain the musical goodness and genius of Lowell George. He was simply the funkiest white boy that ever lived.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 9:56 AM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]


Abba: second only to The Beatles in popularity and songwriting quality.

Hey, Abba's fun and all, but let's not get all crazy here. I mean, Roger Whittaker sold more albums than the Beatles.
posted by msalt at 10:37 AM on September 5, 2009


Abba: second only to The Beatles in popularity and songwriting quality.

Popularity has always been pretty meaningless to me. I got over that in high school. As for songwriting quality, ABBA could definitely nail it every now and then, and then again and again and again. But where's their Yer Blues, their I Am The Walrus, their Tomorrow Never Knows ...?

And on it goes. Both groups are good, no question. But while one's a store bought layer cake, the other's my mom's deep dish apple pie.
posted by philip-random at 11:00 AM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]


If the execs at MTV had the good sense God gave gravel, they would buy the rights to rerun all Midnight Special episodes
posted by magstheaxe at 12:09 PM on September 5, 2009


The Midnight Special was a Friday night ritual for me from its debut. Of course, when it did debut I was a geeky junior high school kid who listened to nothing but CKLW-AM and the current Top 40. TMS opened my eyes to the "album rock" artists and groups that were only played on FM stations like WRIF and WWWW. I fell in love with glitter (as it was called at the time) and artists like Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Sweet and Marc Bolan. I bought the 45 of "Killer Queen" the summer it was released because I loved the melody and the unique harmonies, but later that year Queen was on The Midnight Special (although only on video tape - it was the video for "Bohemian Rhapsody," which had not yet been released as a single in the US). I remember that night like it was yesterday - I sat spellbound on the living room floor listening to the most amazing song I'd ever heard and the "promotional film" (they weren't yet referred to as "videos") was almost hypnotic. I didn't know what the band looked like until then, and Freddie Mercury's stage presence certainly lived up to his powerful vocals. TMS worked as a good marketing tool in my case - I went out and bought Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack the following Monday after school.
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:22 PM on September 5, 2009


Kraftwerk
posted by smcdow at 1:48 PM on September 5, 2009


Thanks for this...

and...compared to the music today, we've pwned you noobs!
posted by HuronBob at 6:27 PM on September 5, 2009


Awesome post! Whoo hoo. Really enjoyed that, thanks.
posted by nickyskye at 7:49 PM on September 5, 2009


Don't forget Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.
posted by valkane at 4:03 AM on September 6, 2009


Also, Gary Mule Deer. I can remember waiting for his bits on both Midnight Special & Kirshner's Rock Concert.
posted by valkane at 4:13 AM on September 6, 2009


This show kicks so much American Ass (tm).

Love the vintage Aerosmith, Journey (Steve Perry can outsing everyone), and Fleetwood Mac. Sure, these bands are wobbly and tired now, but back then they were flat-out fucking awesome.

Love this post.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:55 PM on September 6, 2009


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