The Midnight Special

[Wayne LaFoy]

If you were young, wild & free, back in the 70's/early 80's, you probably watched The Midnight Special, like I did. I remember watching Fleetwood Mac do Rhiannon, back in 76 & seeing REO Speedwagon on the show, back in 78. I was up late at night, digging the performances, on that classic music TV show. VH1 Classic should have TMS on its channel, since it would make it more interesting & do away with crap like Totally 80's. I missed Kiss on there, the first time around, but saw it on bootleg video, in the early 90's. I remember the video for Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen, with an introduction from Wolfman Jack & it knocked me out, at the time. The Midnight Special is one of the best music television shows & the only way to experience it now, is on YouTube.

[Scott]

Wayne... YouTube is not the only place to view the Midnight Special broadcasts, they have been remasterd and are availble on DVD (http://www.midnightspecial.com/index.php?uci=ous120&s_kwcid=mid...|2425798148)

The midnight special was a key factor in how I discovered new music in the 70's. I first seen Heart doing Dreamoat Annie on this program. The BeeGees doing Knights on Broadway before Saturday Night Fever, Loggins and Messina, REO Speedwagon, Jim Croce, on and on... the memories flood in. Thanks for the flashbacks...

[Scott]

Now that I think about it, this program and Don Kirshner's Rock Concert were killer shows back in those days. Any remember Rock Concert as well?

[Wayne LaFoy]

Rock Concert was a great show for music fans, back in the 70's & it's too bad, it's only a memory now. The Midnight Special & Rock Concert were the best for rock artists, just like Ed Sullivan was, in the 50's & 60's. Don Kirshner had a dry personality, like Ed Sullivan, as well & Paul Schaffer did a great impersonation of him on SNL.

[Jon]

I remember Rock Concert, I watched it a few times when I was a lad. Wasn't it on Friday nights?

I was hooked on USA's Up All Night. They showed some of the freakiest videos I have ever seen and I think they occasionally showed a concert?

[Jon]

The more I think about it I believe it was USA's Night Flight, not Up All Night.

[Phil]

Let's not forget about "Don Kirshner's rock concert". Both were great programs for live music on television back in the day. That's what really got me hooked on rock music.

[Dr.J.Jones]

Since moving to America I have been able to witness, through the courtesy of friends, this icon called 'Midnight Special' & 'Don Kirshner's Rock Concert'. Just to re-dress the balance a little, we had a similar type of programme in England during the 70's called 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' which featured a lot of great British & American bands live.

Some of the gigs were recently played on VH1 over here such as Tom Petty from (I think) 1977 & Lynyrd Skynyrd on a trip to England from around 1975. Sometimes a whole show would be broardcast like the Skynyrd & Petty ones or they would just have bands live in the studio.

Acts such as ZZTop, Judas Priest, Sabbath, The Ramones, Neil Young, Montrose have all appeared on that show live in one way or another.

[Ricky]

I did enjoy rock concert when I got to see it..it came on real late here like 1:00am..but Midnight special I did not like as much they had too much disco on when I was going to watch it.they would save the good band for last...