The Midnight Special was great fun. It was one of the first Big Three network programs to air after midnight, and producer Burt Sugarmann had intended to catch the younger brackets – which he did, in spades. Normally the show featured live music acts, but sometimes also other stuff – George Carlin, for instance, was a regular guest.

So here, to start your weekend, are five great live performances from The Midnight Special.

The Spinners - Rubberband Man: This fun tune by The Spinners was featured in Marvel’s “Infinity Wars,” but it has a much longer history than that; I remember toe-tapping along (and sometimes singing along, but that usually required my being in an altered state due to alcohol) to this tune when I was a kid back in Iowa. The Spinners were a great band – funky, smooth, with a groovy sound you could dance to, no matter whether you were a “person of color” or not – back then, oddly, nobody much cared about that when the needle hit the groove. We all just had fun.

 

Wet Willie - Keep On Smilin’: I won’t speculate on how this band decided on the name “Wet Willie.” I know what we considered a wet willie back in the day – wetting a finger and sticking it in someone’s ear unexpectedly (hey, we were young.) But this song carries a good message – optimism. In times like these, it’s not the worst message – keep on smilin’.

 
Heart - Barracuda: I’ve featured Anne and Nancy Wilson before. They had quite a range, but “Barracuda” is one of their best tunes. It features their guitar work, the great vocals, and has a jamming beat that really sells it. The odd red lighting in this video gives it, at times, kind of a dark, mysterious feel that suits the song. 

America - Sister Golden Hair: What more could you want from a band called “America?” Sadly, the band fell into a trap that befell a lot of bands in the early ‘80s, in that they went a little disco-ey. But their stuff in the ‘70s was great. True story: A reminder of another favorite of their songs popped up in front of me in early 1991 in a really odd place: I was in the middle of a convoy moving up Tap Line Road in northern Saudi Arabia, and the Army 5-ton in front of us had the words “A Horse With no Name” painted on the tailgate. I always wished I'd thought of that.

Charlie Rich - Behind Closed Doors: Last but not least, the best love song ever written and the best love song ever performed. It’s as though Charlie Rich, for all his talent, for all his great work, was born first and foremost to sing this song. I confess to playing it when my wife and I were courting, and since we’ve been together 33 years now, I guess it worked! Charlie's deep, rich voice and the great piano work made this a masterpiece.

These days you can find music anywhere. I use Spotify, some for podcasts but mostly for music, in the truck, and in the office. YouTube has all of these, including entire episodes of “The Midnight Special” and much more. But somehow, it was a little more special when we waited all week for Friday night when we would find out who Wolfman Jack would be introducing that week.

As the theme went:

Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me 
 Let the Midnight Special shine an ever-lovin' light on me

It did! And it still does.

Remember any favorites of your own from this great, history-making show? As always - the comments are yours!