If you grew up at a certain time you knew the sound of the theme song and the howl of the Wolfman could only mean one thing. It was time for The Midnight Special. The Midnight Special was a weekly show that debuted on NBC August 19, 1972 after The Tonight Show and ran until 1981. Back in the day there was no 24/7 cable TV so when Johnny Carson signed off all you would get was a cheesy rendition of the National Anthem and color bars.
That’s where Burt Sugarman stepped in. He saw this as a fantastic opportunity to give a segment of the viewing public something that was never seen before. The Midnight Special was a rock show, featuring live performances by bands from all over the genre map. You could see artists like Aerosmith, Tom Petty and Johnny Cash performing in your living room. No auto tune, ear pieces, backing tracks or lip sync. Just live music…pure and awesome.
So here’s what. Thanksgiving is just about here, which means we are screaming down the shoot into the Christmas shopping vortex. Fortunately for all of us, The Midnight Special has been released to retail (Costco, Walmart) for every music lover to devour. There is a 6 disc edition and a single disc version as well. You can also get a special collector’s edition online. I would suggest strongly that you add this to your shopping list. To me it is a slice of history as well as entertainment. It’s a fantastic way to see how music has progressed and how many of the artists are still kickin it today! Trust me you will enjoy this collection regardless. Growing up I lived for The Midnight Special and I think you will too. WEBSITE
