The Midnight Special

1972 - 1980

Pilot

19th August 1972

Episode 1

John Denver guest hosted Mama Cass, The Everly Brothers, The Isley Brothers, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Argent and Helen Reddy. Among the musical highlights were Harry Chapin performing his hit "Taxi", Linda Ronstadt sang her popular ballad "Long Long Time", Helen Reddy sang "I Am Woman" and the Britsh group Argent performed their 1972 hit "Hold Tour Head High"

Host: Helen Reddy

2nd February 1973

Episode 2

Helen Reddy (host) - ""I Am Woman,"" ""Peaceful"" & ""Come On John"" --Ed McMahon (walk-on cameo) - wishes the show sucess --Ike and Tina Turner Revue- ""I Can't Turn You Loose"" & ""With a Little Help from My Friends"" --George Carlin (comedian) - stand-up comedy monologue --Curtis Mayfield - ""Superfly"" --Don McLean - ""Dreidel"" & ""If We Try"" --Rare Earth - ""We're Gonna Have a Good Time"" & ""I Just Want to Celebrate"" --Kenny Rankin - ""Comin' Down"" --The Byrds - ""Mr. Tambourine Man"" & ""So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star"" --The Impressions - ""Preacher Man"" --Helen Reddy, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions - ""Amen""

Host: Johnny Rivers

8th February 1973

Episode 3

Johnny Rivers (host) - ""Blue Suede Shoes,"" ""Rockin' Pneumonia, Boogie Woogie Flu"" & ""Got My Mojo Workin'"" --The Ace Trucking Company (comedy troupe) - routines about an airplane flight; 2 old friends and a prayer meeting. --Albert Hammond - ""It Never Rains in Southern California"" and ""If You Gotta Break Another Heart"" --Merilee Rush - ""Start Again"" & ""Comfort and Please You"" --The Spinners - ""Could It Be I'm Falling in Love"" and ""I'll Be Around"" --Steely Dan - ""Do It Again"" and ""Reeling in the Years"" --Paul Williams (singer / songwriter) - ""Out in the Country"" and ""I Won't Last a Day Without You"" --Wolfman Jack - sings ""I Ain't Never Seen a White Man

Host: Mac Davis

16th February 1973

Episode 4

Mac Davis (host) - ""Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me,"" ""I Believe in Music,"" ""Dream Me Home,"" ""Home"" & ""Half and Half (Song for Sara)"" --The Doobie Brothers - ""Jesus Is Just Alright"" & ""Listen to the Music"" --Waylon Jennings - ""You Can Have Her"" --Billy Paul - ""Me and Mrs. Jones"" & ""Brown Baby"" --Billy Preston - ""Blackbird,"" ""Georgia on My Mind"" & ""That's the Way God Planned It"" --Joan Rivers (comedy segment) --On film: the ""Dueling Banjos"" segment from ""Deliverance"

Host: Harry Chapin

23rd February 1973

Episode 5

Harry Chapin (Host) - "Sunday Morning Sunshine" "Sniper" and "Taxi." Kerrie Biddell - "Spirit in the Dark." Blood, Sweat and Tears - "Rosemary" "Hip Pickles" and "Snow Queen." The Committee (comedy segment). The Hollies - "Magic Woman Touch" and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother." Curtis Mayfield - "Freddie's Dead" and "Superfly." Timmy Thomas - "Why Can't We Live Together?"

Host: Anne Murray

Episode 6

Anne Murray (Host) - "Snowbird," "Danny's Song" and "I Know." Anne Murray, Steve Martin and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - "Shuckin' the Corn." The Association - "Along Comes Mary," "Crazy Songs and Looney Tunes" and "Names, Tags, Numbers and Labels." Badfinger - "No Matter What" and "Suitcase." Steve Martin (comedy segment) - routines on parts of the body, sound effects and plays the banjo. Don McLean - "Vincent," "Dreidel" and "If We Try." Sam Neely - "Loving You Just Crossed My Mind" and "Rosalie." Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - "Jambalaya." Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee - "People Get Ready" and "Walkin' My Blues Away."

Host: Paul Williams

Episode 7

Paul Williams (host) - ""Old Fashioned Love Song,"" ""Drift Away"" & ""That's Enough for Me"" --Edward Bear - ""Last Song"" & ""Close Your Eyes"" --Loretta Lynn - ""One's On the Way"" & ""Coal Miner's Daughter"" --Seals & Crofts - ""Hummingbird"" & ""Summer Breeze"" --Sha Na Na - ""Hound Dog,"" ""Yakety Yak"" & ""I Wonder Why"" --Lakshmi Shankar (Ravi's sister) - sings ""Nata Nagara"" in praise of Krishna. --Ravi Shankar - ""Tilak Shyam"" --Jonathan Winters (cameo appearance, following Paul Williams' first song) --On film: the ""Dueling banjos"" segment from ""Deliverance""

Host: Paul Anka

16th March 1973

Episode 8

Paul Anka (host) - "Girl," "Put Your Head on My Shoulder," "Hits Medley" and "Jubilation." Bobby Darin - "If I Were a Carpenter," "Splish Splash," and "Roll Over Beethoven." The Coasters - "Poison Ivy," "Charlie Brown" and "Yakety Yak." Tammy Wynette - "Kids Say the Darnedest Things." The Ace Trucking Company (comedy segment). The Edwin Hawkins Singers - "Oh, Happy Day" and "New World." Paul Anka and The Edwin Hawkins Singers - "Sweet Georgia Mine." The Doobie Brothers - "Natural Thing" and "Listen to the Music." George Jones - "What My Woman Can't Do."

Host: Lou Rawls

23rd March 1973

Episode 9

Lou Rawls (guest host) - ""A Natural Man"" & ""Dead End Street"" --Lou Rawls - medley: ""Memory Lane,"" ""It Was a Very Good Year"" & ""Old Folks"" --Brewer & Shipley - ""One Toke Over the Line"" --George Burns - ""Mr. Bojangles"" and ""You Made Me Love You"" (2nd song with the Honey Cone) --George Burns & Honey Cone - ""You Made Me Love You"" --The Committee (comedy segment) - routines about a surprise party; movies; an argument; a police station --The Grass Roots - ""Midnight Confession"" & ""Love Is What You Make It"" --Honey Cone - ""Want Ads"" --The O'Jays - ""Backstabbers"" & ""Love Train"" (2nd song with Lou Rawls) --Eric Weissberg and Deliverance - ""Dueling Banjos"" and ""I'm My Own Grandpa""

Host: Ray Charles

30th March 1973

Episode 10

-Ray Charles (guest host) - ""Eleanor Rigby,"" ""Georgia on My Mind"" & ""What'd I Say"" --Ray Charles with the Raelets (a.k.a. Raylettes) - ""I Can Make It Through the Days (But Oh Those Lonely Nights)"" --Bill Cosby talks with Ray Charles and dances while Charles sings ""Every Saturday Night"" --Carol Burnett talks with Ray Charles --Aretha Franklin - ""A Brand New Me"" --Aretha Franklin & Ray Charles - ""Takes Two to Tango"" --The Raelets - sing ""Shake"" (while Charles plays the piano) --The Earl Scruggs Revue - ""T for Texas"" & ""Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven"" --Freeman and Murray (comedy team of Freeman King and Murray Langston) - team reenacts the boxing scene from ""Great White Hope"" in slow motion

Hosts: The Bee Gees

Episode 11

The Bee Gees; guests: Jerry Lee Lewis; Gladys Knight; Johnny Nash; Skeeter Davis --The Bee Gees (guest hosts) - ""To Love Somebody,"" ""Lonely Days,"" ""I Saw a New Morning"" and a medley of hits (""New York Mining Disaster 1941,"" ""I Started a Joke,"" ""Massachusetts"" and ""How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"") --The Bee Gees and Jerry Lee Lewis - medley: ""Money,"" ""Good Golly Miss Molly,"" ""Long Tall Sally,"" ""Jenny Jenny,"" ""Tutti Frutti"" and ""Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"" --Skeeter Davis - ""One Tin Soldier"" & ""End of the World"" --Gladys Knight & the Pips - ""Neither One of Us"" & ""I Heard It Through the Grapevine"" --Jerry Lee Lewis - ""Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"" --Johnny Nash - ""Stir it Up"" & ""I Can See Clearly Now"" --Jim Weatherly - ""You Are a Song"" --Frank Welker (comedian) - does imitations of animals; Marlon Brando (""Godfather"" character); and other imitations.

Bill Cosby

13th April 1973

Episode 12

Bill Cosby (guest host, appearing with a band) - "Ursulena (With Your Washing Machina)," "I've Got to Be Strong" (sung by member of his group) & "I Lost My Baby At the Dance Last Night" --David Brenner (stand-up comedian) - jokes about airplanes; the moon shot; dating in New York City and King Kong --Ray Charles - "Early in the Morning" --Fanny - "All Mine" & "Last Night I Had a Dream" --Waylon Jennings - "Lovin' Her Was Easier," "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" & "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" --Billy Preston - "Will It Go Round in Circles" & "Outa-Space" --Steely Dan - "Reelin' in the Years" --Taj Mahal - talks about "Sounder," plays "Cheraw" on banjo & sings "Texas Woman Blues"

Host: Doc Severinsen

20th April 1973

Episode 13

Doc Severinsen (guest host) - ""I Just Want to Celebrate,"" ""Last Tango in Paris,"" ""Does Anybody Know What Time It Is,"" ""Introduction,"" ""Twenty-Five or Six to Four"" & ""Beginnings"" --Doc Severinsen - ""Celebrate"" (with the Now Generation and Today's Children) --Doc Severinsen (on fluegelhorn) and Henry Mancini - ""Brothers Go to Mothers"" duet. Mancini introduces his group including his son Chris. --Hoyt Axton - ""Jambalaya"" & ""Less Than the Song"" --Jerry Butler - ""Western Union Man"" ""Only the Strong Survive"" & ""Ain't Understanding Mellow"" --Dobie Gray - ""Drift Away"" & ""The 'In' Crowd"" --Carol Burnett - introduces Vicki Lawrence --Vicki Lawrence - ""The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia"" --Country Joe McDonald and his All-Star Band - ""Couleene Anne"" & ""Hold On It's Coming"" --Not Cut of Friends - ""Indian Warrior"" (another source listed the band as ""Hot Cup of Friends"

Host: Jerry Lee Lewis

27th April 1973

Episode 14

Jerry Lee Lewis (guest host) - ""Great Balls of Fire,"" ""High School Confidential,"" ""Drinking Wine Spo Dee O'Dee"" & ""Cold Cold Heart"" --Jerry Lee Lewis and Linda Gail Lewis - ""Roll Over Beethoven"" --Freddie Cannon - ""Tallahassee Lassie"" & ""Way Down Yonder in New Orleans"" --Chubby Checker - ""The Twist"" & ""Huckle Buck"" --Bobby Day - ""Rockin' Robin"" --The Del Vikings - ""Come Go with Me"" --The Penguins - ""Earth Angel"" --Lloyd Price - ""Stagger Lee"" & ""Where Were You on My Wedding Day"" --Little Anthony - ""I'm Alright"" & ""Tears on My Pillow"" --The Ronettes - ""Be My Baby"" & ""Walkin' in the Rain"" --Del Shannon - ""Runaway"" & ""Keep Searchin'"" --The Shirelles - ""Soldier Boy"" & ""Tonight's the Night"

Host: Johnny Nash

Episode 15

Johnny Nash (guest host) - ""Stir It Up,"" ""Groovy Feeling,"" ""I Can See Clearly Now"" & ""Merry-Go-Round"" --Chi Coltrane - ""Thunder and Lightning"" & ""You Were My Friend"" --Freemen and Murray (comedy team) --Tom T. Hall - ""The Year That Clayton Delaney Died"" & ""Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon"" --Andrew Johnson (comedian) --Gladys Knight and the Pips - ""If I Were Your Woman"" & ""Neither One of Us"" --Kenny Rankin - ""You Are the Sunshine of My Life"" & ""In the Name of Love"" --The Raspberries - ""I Wanna Be with You"" & ""Let's Pretend"

Hosts: Burns and Schreiber

Episode 16

-Jack Burns and Avery Schreiber (comedy team, guest hosts) --Mark Almond - ""What Am I Loving For,"" ""Just Another Road Song"" & ""The City"" --Kenny Colman - ""Last Tango in Paris"" --The Crusaders - ""Put It Where You Want It"" & ""Don't Let It Get You Down"" --Ronnie Dyson - ""One Man Band"" --The Hollies - ""Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress"" --The Incredible String Band - ""Black Jack Davy"" & ""Old Buccaneer"" --Steve Martin (comedian, stand-up comedy segment) --The O'Jays - ""Love Train"

Host: Chubby Checker

Episode 17

Chubby Checker - ""Let's Twist Again,"" ""Pony Time,"" Limbo Rock"" & ""Slow Twistin'"" --Jimmy Clanton - ""Just a Dream"" --Danny and the Juniors - ""At the Hop"" & ""Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay"" --Ben E. King - ""Spanish Harlem"" & ""Stand by Me"" --Little Anthony and the Imperials - ""Going Out of My Head"" & ""Two Kinds of People in the World"" --Lloyd Price - ""Personality"" --Lloyd Price and the Skyliners - ""I'm Gonna Get Married"" --The Ronettes - ""Baby I Love You"" & ""Do I Love You"" --The Shirelles - ""Baby It's You"" & ""Will You Love Me Tomorrow"" --The Skyliners - ""This I Swear"" & ""Since I Don't Have You"

Hosts: Gladys Knight & the Pips

Episode 18

Gladys Knight and the Pips (guest hosts) - ""Friendship Train,"" ""Daddy Could Swear I Declare,"" ""I Don't Want to Do Wrong"" & ""Neither One of Us"" --Dr. John - ""Right Place, Wrong Time"" & ""Such a Night"" --Robert Klein (comedy segment) --Skylark - ""Wildflower"" & ""Woodstock"" --The Staple Singers - ""Respect Yourself"" & ""We the People"" --John Stewart - ""Road Away"" & ""Chilly Winds""

Host: Paul Williams

Episode 19

Paul Williams (guest host) - ""My Love and I,"" ""Let Me Be the One,"" ""We've Only Just Begun,"" ""Rainy Days and Mondays"" & ""I Never Had It So Good"" --Argent - ""God Gave Rock and Roll to You,"" ""Hold Your Head Up"" & ""It's Only Money Part 2"" --Gunhill Road - ""Back When My Half Was Short"" & ""Mr. Keyboard"" --Sydney Jordan - ""Sunday Morning Sunrise"" --Slade - ""Goodbuy T'Jane"" & ""Cum On Feel the Noize"" --The Statler Brothers - ""Flowers on the Wall"" & ""The Class of '57"" --The Stylistics - ""Betcha By Golly, Wow,"" ""Break Up to Make Up"" & ""I'm Stone in Love with You"

Host: Curtis Mayfield

Episode 20

Curtis Mayfield (guest host) - ""Superfly,"" ""If I Were Only a Child Again"" & ""Back to the World"" --Canned Heat - ""Let's Work Together,"" ""Harley Davidson Blues"" & ""Woodstock Boogie"" --Jose Feliciano - ""Simple Song,"" ""Compartments"" & ""Light My Fire"" --Leroy Hutson - ""Love Oh Love"" --Ravi Shankar - ""Ahir Bhairav"" --Lakshmi Shankar - ""A Bhajan"" --The Spinners - ""One of a Kind Love Affair,"" ""I'll Be Around"" & ""Could it Be I'm Falling in Love"" --Tufano-Giammarese - ""Music Everywhere"" & ""I'm a Loser"

Host: Jim Croce

Episode 21

Jim Croce (guest host) - ""Operator,"" ""Roller Derby Queen,"" ""You Don't Mess with Jim,"" ""Speedball Tucker,"" ""Big Bad Leroy Brown,"" ""Careful Man"" --Little Anthony and the Imperials - ""Dance to the Music"" & ""La La La at the End"" --Savoy Brown - ""Tell Mama"" & ""Coming Down Your Way"" --Barbara Fairchild - ""Teddy Bear"" --Shawn Phillips - ""Anello (Where Are You)"" & ""America"" --Wishbone Ash - ""Jailbait"" --Bobby Womack - ""It's All Over Now"" & ""Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out""

Host:The Bee Gees

Episode 22

Hosts: The Bee Gees; guests: Wilson Pickett; Steve Miller Band; Jimmie Spheeris; Maxine Weldon ""I Gotta Get a Message to You,"" ""Alexander's Rag Time Band,"" ""Run to Me,"" ""Morning of My Life,"" ""Holiday,"" ""Let There Be Love,"" ""My World"" & ""Wouldn't I be Someone"" --The Bee Gees and Wilson Pickett - ""Hey Jude"" --Wilson Pickett - ""In the Midnight Hour"" & ""Mr. Magic Man"" --Steve Miller Band - ""Loving on the U.S.A."" & ""Shu ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma"" --John Kay - ""I'm Movin' On"" and ""Moonshine (Friend of Mine)"" --Jimmie Spheeris - ""The Original Tap Dancing Kid"" & ""Beautiful News"" --Maxine Weldon - ""Johnny One Time"" --The Muledeer and Moondoog Medicine Show English

Host: Paul Williams

Episode 23

Paul Williams (guest host) - ""Someday Man,"" ""That's What Friends Are For"" & ""Look What I Found"" --Paul Williams, Kris Kristofferson and Rita Collidge - ""Me and Bobby McGee"" --Kris Kristofferson - ""Loving Her Was Easier"" & ""Out of Mind, Sout of Sight"" --Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge - ""I Never Had it So Good"" --Rita Coolidge - ""I'll Be Your Baby"" & ""My Crew"" --Brewer and Shipley - ""Black Sky"" & ""Yankee Lady"" --Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen - ""Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)"" & ""Jailhouse Rock"" --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Roll Over Beethoven"" & ""Kuiama"" --King Harvest - ""Dancing in the Moonlight"" & ""A Little Bit Like Magic""

Host: Jose Feliciano

Episode 24

Jose Feliciano (guest host) - ""California Dreamin',"" ""Compartments"" & ""Papa Was a Rolling Stone"" --Savoy Brown - ""Shot in the Head"" & ""Jack the Toad"" --The Staple Singers - ""Oh La De Da"" & ""Be What You Are"" --Stories - ""Brother Louie"" & ""Top of the City"" --Tower of Power - ""So Very Hard to Go"" & ""What Is Hip?"" --Johnny Winter - ""Jumpin' Jack Flash,"" ""Johnny B. Goode"" & ""Rock and Roll"

Host: Smokey Robinson

Episode 25

Smokey Robinson (guest host) - ""Want to Know My Mind,"" ""Sweet Harmony"" & ""You Are the Sunshine of My Life"" --The Miracles - ""What Is Heart Good For,"" ""Tears of a Clown"" & ""Don't Let It End (Till You Let It Begin)"" --Bonnie Bramlett - ""Good Vibrations"" & ""Celebrate Life"" --Martin and Finley - ""It's Another Sunder"" --Rare Earth - ""Hey Big Brother,"" ""Big John Is My Name"" & ""Hum Along and Dance"" --The Stylistics - ""You'll Never Get to Heaven"" & ""You Are Everything"

Host: Joan Baez

Episode 26

-Joan Baez (host) - ""The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,"" ""Joe Hill,"" ""Love Song to a Stranger,"" ""Prison Trilogy"" & ""Rider Pass By"" --Joan Baez and Mimi Farina - ""Best of Friends"" --Black Oak Arkansas - ""Fever in My Mind,"" ""Dance to the Music Tonight"" & ""Hot and Nasty"" --Bloodstone - ""Natural High"" & ""Never Let You Go"" --Steve Goodman - ""Someone Else's Troubles"" & ""Would You Like to Learn to Dance?"" --Mimi Farina - ""In the Quiet Morning"" --Wilson Pickett - ""Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You"" & ""International Playboy"" --The Pointer Sisters - ""Cloudburst"

Host: Dionne Warwick

Episode 27

Dionne Warwick (host) - ""I Say a Little Prayer"" and a medley of Burt Bachrach hits. --Dionne Warwick and Johnny Mathis - ""My Love"" --Johnny Mathis - ""Killing Me Softly with Her Song"" & ""To the Ends of the Earth"" --Bud Brisbois - ""Baby Hand Your Love on Me"" & ""Miss Ma-Tazz"" --Alan Bursky (comedian) - comedy segment --Leo Kottke - ""Vaseline Machine Gun #2"" --Malo - ""Momotombo"" & ""Hala"" --Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - ""Coming Through the Rye,"" ""Something's Burning"" & ""Lena Lookey"

Host: Al Green

3rd August 1973

Episode 28

-Al Green (guest host) - ""Let's Stay Together,"" ""Tired of Being Alone,"" ""Call Me,"" ""How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"" & ""Here I Am"" --Ramblin' Jack Elliott - ""San Francisco Bay Blues"" --Foghat - ""She's Gone"" ""I Just Want to Make Love to You"" --The Stylistics - ""Point of No Return,"" ""I'm Stone in Love with You"" & ""Stop, Look and Listen"" --Livingston Taylor - ""Good Friends"" & ""Over the Rainbow"" --Bobby Womack - ""Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out"" & ""Harry Hippie""

Hosts: The Bee Gees

10th August 1973

Episode 29

Guest Hosts: The Bee Gees; guests: The Hollies, Herman's Hermits, Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, The Searchers, Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, Gerry & the Pacemakers --The Bee Gees (guest hosts) - ""New York Mining Disaster 1941,"" ""Turn of the Century"" & ""I Can't See Nobody"" --The Hollies - ""Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress"" & ""He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"" --Herman's Hermits - ""I'm Henry the VIII I Am,"" ""Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter"" & ""There's a Kind of Hush"" --Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders - ""Game of Love"" & ""A Groovy Kind of Love"" --The Searchers - ""Needles and Pins,"" ""Sweets for My Sweet"" & ""Love Potion #9"" --Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas - ""Little Children"" --Gerry and the Pacemakers - ""How Do You Do It,"" ""I Like It,"" ""Ferry Cross the Mersey"" & ""Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying.""

Host: Richard Pryor

17th September 1973

Episode 30

Richard Pryor (guest host) --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Roll Over Beethoven"" --Joe Hicks - ""Train of Thought"" --Doug Kershaw - ""Fisherman's Luck,"" ""Diggy Diggy Lo"" & ""Louisiana Man"" --Albert King - ""Don't Burn Down the Bridge"" & ""I'll Play the Blues for You"" --Melissa Manchester - ""If It Feels Good"" & ""Easy"" --Joe Walsh - ""Tend My Garden"" & ""Rocky Mountain Way""

Co-hosts: Loretta Lynn & Marty Robbins

24th August 1973

Episode 31

Loretta Lynn and Marty Robbins (Co-hosts) - ""The Midnight Special"" & ""Singin' the Blues"" --Loretta Lynn (Co-host) - ""One's on the Way"" & ""Love is the Foundation"" --Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty - ""Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man"" --Marty Robbins (Co-host) - ""Don't Worry 'Bout Me,"" ""A White Sport Coat,"" ""Devil Woman,"" ""El Paso"""" --Don Gibson - ""Oh Lonesome Me"" --Tom T Hall - ""Spokane Motel Blues"" --George Jones - ""The Race Is On"" --George Jones and Tammy Wynette - ""We're Gonna Hold On"" --Johnny Paycheck - ""She's All I Got"" --Charlie Rich - ""Behind Closed Doors"" --Johnny Rodriguez - ""Bosier City Backyard Blues"" --The Earl Scruggs Revue - ""Caroline Boogie"" --Tanya Tucker - ""Blood Red and Goin' Down"" & ""Delta Dawn"" --Conway Twitty - ""You've Never Been So Far"" --Tammy Wynette - ""Stand by Your Man"

Host: Billy Preston

31st August 1973

Episode 32

-Billy Preston (guest host) - ""Will It Go Round in Circles,"" All Spaced Out,"" ""Music's My Life"""" & ""That's the Way God Planned It"" --Billy Preston and Buddy Miles - ""My Sweet Lord"" --Bo Diddley - ""Bo Diddley"" & ""Bo Diddley-Itis"" --Ned Doheny - ""I Can Dream"" --Gladstone - ""Natural Inclination"" --Maureen McGovern - ""The Morning After"" (theme song from ""The Poseidon Adventure"") --Buddy Miles - ""Them Changes"" & ""Thinking of You"" --Steely Dan - ""Reeling in the Years,"" ""Show Biz Kids"" & ""My Old School"

Host: Mac Davis

7th September 1973

Episode 33

Mac Davis (guest host) - ""Something's Burning,"" ""I'll Paint You a Song,"" ""Naughty Girl,"" ""Lonesomest Lonesome"" & ""I Believe in Music"" --Mark Almond - ""Neighborhood Man"" & ""Get Yourself Together"" --Chuck Berry - ""Roll Over Beethoven,"" ""Bio"" & ""Carol"" --Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes - ""The Love I Lost"" --Ravi Shankar - ""Sindhi Bhairavi"" --Edgar Winter Group - ""Keep Playing That Rock and Roll,"" ""Frankenstein"" ""Rock 'n' Roll Boogie Woogie Blues"" & ""Hanging Around""

Host: Curtis Mayfield

14th September 1973

Episode 34

Curtis Mayfield (guest host) - "Future Shock," "Back to the World," Right On for the Darkness." Sly & The Family Stone - "Everybody is a Star." Helen Reddy - "Delta Dawn." Jim Croce - "I've Got A Name," "Bad Bad Leroy Brown." War - "Gypsy Man." Gladys Night & the Pips - When Peaceful Water Flows." Wilson Pickett - "Get Me Back on Time Engine 9," "Don't Knock My Love." The Bee Gees - "Lonely Days," "Run to Me." Natural Four - "Can This Be Real."

Host: Wilson Pickett

21st September 1973

Episode 35

No overview available.

Host: Seals & Crofts

28th September 1973

Episode 36

Seals & Crofts (guest hosts) - "Diamond Girl," "Dust On My Saddle," " We Never Pass This Way Again," "Ruby Jean and Billie Lee" & "Pop Goes the Weasel." T. Rex - "Hot Love" & "Bang a Gong (Get It On)." Arlo Guthrie - "Gypsy Davy" & "Bling Blang." Uriah Heep - "Stealin'" & "Sweet Freedom." Paul Butterfield's Better Days - "New Walkin' Blues" & "Broke My Baby's Heart." Leo Kottke - "Bean Time."

Host: Gladys Knight & The Pips

5th October 1973

Episode 37

No overview available.

Host: The Bee Gees

12th October 1973

Episode 38

No overview available.

Host: War

19th October 1973

Episode 39

No overview available.

Host: Chuck Berry

2nd November 1973

Episode 40

Chuck Berry (host) - ""Tulane,"" ""School Days,"" ""Johnny B. Good,"" ""Got It and Gone"" & ""Rock and Roll Music"" --Rick Derringer and the Edgar Winter Group - ""Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo"" --Fleetwood Mac - ""Miles Away"" & ""Believe Me"" --Shawn Phillips - ""Technotronic Lad"" & ""Spaceman"" --Johnny Taylor - ""Who's Making Love"" & ""I Believe in You"" --Muddy Waters - ""Can't Get No Grindin'"" & ""Got My Mojo Working"" --The Edgar Winter Group - ""Free Ride"" & ""Dying to Live""

Top Cast

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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