About this season
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.
Episodes (18)
1. Hosts: The Captain and Tennille
Aired 9 September 1977 • 90 min
The Captain and Tennille (hosts) - ""Can't Stop Dancin',"" ""Come In from the Rain,"" ""54 Boogie Blues"" & ""Circles"" --Chaka Khan with the Captain & Tennille - ""Let the Good Times Roll"" --Little River Band - ""Help Is on the Way"" & ""It's a Long Way There"" --Lou Rawls - ""See You When I Get There"" & ""Spring Again"" --Rufus, featuring Chaka Khan - ""Everlasting Love"" --Neil Young (on film) - ""Like a Hurricane"" --Midnight Special salute to Janis Ian --Midnight Special ""Hit of the Week"" - David Bowie's ""Fame"
2. Host: David Brenner
Aired 16 September 1977
Guests: --The Average White Band - ""Star in the Ghetto"" --The Average White Band and Ben E. King - ""Keeping It to Myself"" --Joan Baez - ""Diamonds and Rust,"" ""Time Rag,"" ""Honest Lullaby"" & ""A Heartfelt Line or Two"" --The Brothers Johnson - ""Strawberry Letter 23"" --REO Speedwagon - ""Keep Pushin'"" & ""Ridin' the Storm Out"" --Midnight Special salute to Yes
3. Host: George Benson
Aired 23 September 1977
Guests: --George Benson (host) - ""The Greatest Love of All"" & ""Nature Boy,"" --George Benson and Minnie Riperton - ""Misty"" --Minnie Riperton - ""Young Willin' and Able"" & ""Could It Be I'm Falling in Love?"" --Roy Ayers and George Benson - ""What's Going On"" --Bonnie Raitt - ""Three Time Loser"" & ""My Opening Farewell"" --Roger Daltrey - ""Say It Ain't So, Joe"" (music video) --Midnight Special salute to Lou Rawls George Benson, Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock, Harvey Mason, Jean-Luc Ponty, John Klemmer and Phil Upchurch - ""Fever"" (performed at beginning of show) and ""Chameleon"" (performed at closing of show)
4. Host: Kenny Rogers
Aired 7 October 1977
Kenny Rogers (host) - ""Just Dropped in (To See What Condition My Condition Was In),"" ""Daytime Friends,"" ""Sweet Music Man"" & ""Oh Lady Luck"" --Kenny Rogers and Debby Boone - ""Desperado"" --Debby Boone - ""You Light Up My Life,"" ""Love Is Thicker Than Water"" & ""Baby I'm Yours"" --Andy Gibb - ""Love Is Thicker Than Water"" --Bob Marley & the Wailers (on film from London) - 'Jammin',"" ""Get Up, Stand Up"" & ""Exodus"" --Supertramp (on film) - ""Give A Little Bit"" video --B.J. Thomas - ""Don't Worry Baby"" & ""Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)"" --Carly Simon (on film) - ""Nobody Does It Better"" (with scenes from the movie ""The Spy who Loved Me"")
6. Host: Elvin Bishop
Aired 21 October 1977
Elvin Bishop (host) - ""Struttin' My Stuff,"" ""Fooled Around and Fell in Love,"" ""Birthday Cake,"" ""Another Mule"" & ""Rock My Soul"" --Elvin Bishop and Van Morrison - ""Help Me"" --Elvin Bishop and Crystal Gayle - ""Green Door"" --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Telephone Line"" & ""Rock Aria"" --Crystal Gayle - ""Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?"" & ""Ready for Times to Get Better"" --Ronnie McDowell - ""The King Is Gone"" --Van Morrison - ""Domino"" --Thin Lizzy - ""Dancin' in the Monlight"" & ""Emerald"
7. Host: David Soul
Aired 28 October 1977
David Soul (host) - ""Don't Give Up on Us,"" ""Silver Lady,"" ""Playing to an Audience of One,"" ""Nobody but a Fool or a Preacher,"" ""Flute Thing"" & ""Hooray for Hollywood"" --David Soul and Debby Boone - ""Oregon"" --David Soul and Lynne Marta - ""Tennessee Blues"" --Debby Boone - ""You Light Up My Life"" & ""My Dangerous Heart"" --Little River Band - ""Help Is on Its Way"" --Paul Nicholas - ""Heaven on the 7th Floor"" --Styx - ""Come Sail Away"" & ""Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)"" --Midnight Special to the Electric Light Orchestra
8. Host: Lou Rawls
Aired 4 November 1977
Lou Rawls (host) - ""Lady Love,"" ""Tradewinds,"" ""You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"" & ""There Will Be Love"" --Lou Rawls and Candi Staton - ""You Bet Your Sweet Sweet Love"" --Kip Adotta (comedy segment) --KC & the Sunshine Band - ""Keep It Comin' Love"" --Alan Parsons Project - ""I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You"" --Player - ""Baby Come Back"" & ""Come On Out"" --Candi Staton - ""Young Hearts Run Free"" --Rod Stewart - ""You're in My Heart"" & ""Insane"" --Midnight Special salute to Harry Nilsson
9. Host: Glen Campbell
Aired 11 November 1977
Glen Campbell - "William Tell Overture," ""MacArthur Park," "Amazing Grace" & a Beach Boys medley --Brick - "Dusic" & "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody" --Glen Campbell & Dorothy Moore - "How Sweet It Is" --Dorothy Moore - "Let the Music Play" & "I Believe In You" --Dianne Steinberg - "Amazing" & "The Wish" --Midnight Special salute to Anne Murray
10. Hosts: The Spinners
Aired 18 November 1977
The Spinners (hosts) - ""I'll Be Around,"" ""Heaven on Earth,"" ""Baby I Need Your Love"" & ""Easy Come, Easy Go"" --Ronee Blakely and the Spinners - ""Then Came You"" --Gato Barbieri - ""Ruby"" & ""I Want You"" --J.J. Barrie - ""Bing's Gone"" --Ronee Blakely - ""Need a New Sun Rising"" --Crystal Gayle - ""Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?"" --Heatwave - ""Boogie Nights"" --Alan Price - ""I Want to Dance"" & ""I've Been Hurt"" --Midnight Special salute to the Average White Band
11. Host: Frankie Valli
Aired 25 November 1977
-Frankie Valli (host) - ""Swearin' to God,"" ""I Need You,"" ""With You"" & ""Native New Yorker"" --Pat Boone - ""Ain't Going Down in the Bround Before My Time"" --Robert Gordon & Link Wray - ""Red Hot"" --Robert Gordon - ""The Way I Walk"" --Chris Hillman - ""Playing the Fool"" & ""Heartbreaker"" --Robin Trower - ""Farther Up the Road,"" ""Somebody's Calling"" & ""Bridge of Sighs"" --Clip from animated special ""A Doonesbury Special"" with cartoon version of Thudpucker performing ""Solo."" --Midnight Special salute to Olivia Newton-Joh
16. Hosts: The Bay City Rollers
Aired 6 January 1978
The Bay City Rollers (hosts) - ""Money Honey,"" ""The Way I Feel Tonight,"" ""Pie,"" ""Don't Let the Music Die"" & ""Wouldn't You Like It?"" --Black Oak Arkansas - ""Race with the Devil"" & ""Not Fade Away"" --Greg Lake - ""C'est la Vie"" --New Riders of the Purple Sage - ""Jasper"" & ""Take a Red"" --Randy Newman (on film) - ""Short People"" --Queen (on film) - ""We Are the Champions"" music video --Kenny Rogers - ""Sweet Music Man,"" ""Morgana Jones"" & ""Something's Burnin'
17. Hosts: The O'Jays
Aired 13 January 1978
The O'Jays (hosts) - ""For the Love of Money,"" ""Message in Our Music,"" ""Stand Up"" and a medley (""Backstabbers,"" ""Wildflowers,"" ""Sunshine,"" ""Love Train,"" ""Put Your Hands Together"") --Air Supply - ""Do It Again"" --David Bowie - ""Heroes"" (probably a music video) --England Dan & John Ford Coley - ""Gone Too Far"" --Emerson, Lake & Palmer - ""Tiger in the Spotlight"" --Dee Dee Sharp Gamble - ""I'd Really Love to See You Tonight"" --Sammy Hagar - ""Red"" & ""You Make Me Crazy"" --Billy Preston - ""Nothin' from Nothin',"" ""I'm Really Gonna Miss You"" & ""Wide Stride"" --Midnight Special salute to the Animals
18. Host: Aretha Franklin
Aired 27 January 1978
Aretha Franklin (host) - ""Touch Me Up,"" ""Keep On Loving You,"" ""Almighty Fire"" & ""Joy Baby"" --Aretha Franklin and the Four Tops - ""Isn't She Lovely"" --The Four Tops - ""Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)"" & ""The Show Must Go On"" --Dan Hill - ""Sometimes When We Touch"" & ""Hold On"" --Fred Travalena (comedy segment) --Barry White - ""It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Net to Me"" --Midnight Special tribute to Black Oak Arkansas
23. Host: Rick Nelson
Aired 3 March 1978
Rick Nelson (guest host) - ""I Wanna Move with You,"" ""Gimme a Little Sign,"" ""Something You Can't Buy,"" ""Garden Party"" & ""Mystery Train"" --George Benson - ""Here Comes the Sun"" --Paul Davis - ""I Go Crazy,"" ""Bad Dream"" & ""I Never Heard the Song At All"" --Sweet Inspirations - ""Dance"" & ""Sweet Inspiration"" --10cc (music videos) - ""The Things We Do for Love"" & ""Five O'Clock in the Morning"" --Midnight Special salute to the Captain and Tennille
32. Host: Dicky Betts
Aired 12 May 1978
Dickey Betts (guest host) - ""Good Time Feelin'"" --Dickey Betts, Elvin Bishop, Charlie Daniels and Bonnie Bramlet - ""Southbound"" & ""Midnight Creeper"" --Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush - ""Johnny B. Goode"" & ""I'm a King Bee"" --George Benson - ""Lady Blue"" & ""On Broadway"" --Oak Ridge Boys - ""Heavenbound"" & ""You're the One"" --Genesis - ""Follow You, Follow Me"" --Kelly Warren - ""Rocky Top""
35. Host: Crystal Gayle
Aired 2 June 1978 • 90 min
36. Hosts: The O'Jays
Aired 13 January 1978 • 90 min
44. Hosts: KC & the Sunshine Band
Aired 8 September 1978
KC & the Sunshine Band (hosts) - ""Do You Feel Alright?"" ""Who Do You Love?"" ""Come to My Island"" & ""Do You Feel Alright?"" (closing credits) --KC & the Sunshine Band - a medley of hits (""Get Down Tonight,"" ""That's the Way (I Like It),"" ""(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake your Booty,"" ""I'm Your Boogie Man,"" ""Keep It Comin' Love"" and ""It's the Same Old Song"") --Jimmy ""Bo"" Horne - ""Dance Around the Floor"" & ""Let Me (Let Me Be your Lover)"" --Cheryl Ladd - ""Think It Over"" & ""Lady Gray"" --Paul McCartney - ""I've Had Enough"" (music video) --Teddy Pendergrass - ""Close the Door"" & ""Only You"" --Donna Summer - ""Last Dance"" & ""I Love You"" --Midnight Special salute Otis Redding