Ep 95 - The Midnight Special | November 22, 1974

[@oliverachnitz1523]

I waited so long for this release to see Wizzard live at The Midnight Special. What a great performance of "Brand New 88" & "Ball Park Incident"!

[@Luke-1296]

This footage of Wizzard is amazing! Can’t believe I’ve never seen it before. Thankyou midnight special!

[@timemerich]

dont see Bill Hunt there but this is freaking awesome!

[@Luke-1296]

@@timemerichunfortunately not. This was after bill hunt left and was replaced by bob Brady who is just as talented.

[@garyprusha3883]

Sparks and Wizzard's musicianship were sooooooo tight

[@Omegaman69]

What a stunning episode. Wow. George Carlin should have been the permanent host. Genius.

[@canadianstudmuffin]

This was the show where I first saw Sparks over 50 years ago. I've been a huge fan ever since and they are still going strong. I've seen them in concert 5 times, the last two times in the past three years and they are still at the top of their game and drawing larger crowds. I have a playlist with over 50 Sparks related videos, so check them out! Excellent documentary directed by Edgar Wright called "The Sparks Brothers" is worth checking out also!

[@romelovesdan]

Classical motifs, vaudeville, faux operatic, Rocking hard, and hinting at New Wave that would emerge at the end of the decade. All in a unique and original package.

[@lib556]

Ha ha. Watching it right now and was wondering "is Larry aware of this and should I get onto one of his videos to let him know?"

[@daisywrabbit]

Wizzo has the most incredible vocal range. His low register on Brand New 88 is uncanny! ⚡️✨💙⚡️

[@davidkenner-rb8go]

Kiki Dee singing live. What a concept. Sounds so good. That's her actual voice!

[@romelovesdan]

One of the greatest Midnight Specials episodes ever! Top 5 for sure.

[@matthewbaduria]

Looking forward to watching the Sparks Kiki Dee episode.

[@victorkreitner754]

Hard to believe@ this was 51 years ago.

[@josephvolk6243]

How come i wasnt cool enough to like these guys when i wa 12? They sound pretty damn good to me now.

[@w.urlitzer1869]

I was a Sparks fan then at 13 and I still am. A fan, not 13.

[@crlaw75]

I know that Paul McCartney paid omage to the keyboardist in Sparks in his music video "Coming Up".

[@thevoid99]

george carlin.... a prophet. i'm here for carlin and sparks!

[@garyhenson117]

Great to see Kiki Dee and Sparks in the lineup. Two months after this performance of "I've Got the Music in Me", Ann-Margret did a memorable song-and-dance routine to it on the Johnny Carson show. Sparks' "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" went top-10 in much of Western Europe but didn't chart in North America (must have been the moustache, Ron), though the song and the band itself enjoyed long-term FM cult success.

[@CowGirlKat8691]

Awesome date! 🤠

[@wajobu]

SPARKS and George Carlin-nothing better.

[@elodevi]

Roy Wood es un maestro !!!!

[@daisywrabbit]

🎉⚡️✨

[@rogershaffner9274]

Now this is one of the better shows I remember as a teenager.Carlin at his best,sheer genius,the acts were all entertaining.Can't wait for more episodes!!!

[@reversefulfillment9189]

Pretty amazing Sparks is still performing!

[@barrysmith8920]

WOW!!! Roy Wood’s Wizard!! Hope he brings out the pipes!!

[@deja75m]

Cia pig

[@davidkenner-rb8go]

Kiki Dee's second song "Amoureuse", was a hit in the states for Helen Reddy with different lyrics under the title "Emotion". Beautiful! (Both versions.)

[@w.urlitzer1869]

the original in French is by Véronique Sanson, also author of music and lyrics.

[@Shivaho]

George is my Hero! Good Old Toledo Windowbox My Favorite Strain...LOL

[@bene.divinocordeiro6196]

Na expectativa ❤❤❤

[@fueledbylove]

Had the "Halfnelson" album before Sparks changed their name.

[@richardcarellano]

The 70s were intensely weird, and sometimes in a very good way.

[@susanb2015]

They weren't weird.

[@richardcarellano]

@susanb2015 They were for me.

[@susanb2015]

@@richardcarellano I used to think so especially the clothes until the last decades. Now I think they were the best times. I was born in 67.

[@KittyGrizGriz]

I enjoyed Kiki Dee! What a voice! And of course, our prophet and philosopher, George Carlin. I saw him on his “Dirty Words” tour. He is surely missed in todays political climate! “Old people are just bent children.” 😆😂😂

[@lumpytapioca5062]

Gotta love Sparks' "This Town" at breakneck speed. So delightfully odd. The Mael brothers are still 50 years ahead of their time.

[@lauriebarnes2999]

Can't wait, The Midnight Special!

[@TheRealPynkPanther]

@@lauriebarnes2999 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻

[@leiferickson5069]

Roger McGuinn covering a young Dan Fogelberg.

[@deweygill1973]

I saw Carlin perform at Milwaukee’s Summerfest in 1972. He did some of these same routines, but he also ad-libbed freely while interacting with the crowd. Amazing talent. The next morning I found they had arrested him on obscenity charges. A fellow DJ friend who had the honor of introducing him said his manager alertly grabbed George’s briefcase and kept it out of view from MPD. It had his stash in it.

[@shyman99]

I am watching this tonight, and I am truly embarrassed for the music produced today in comparison. The songwriting and creativity are something the world has not enjoyed in a long, long time.

[@EdKazO-Vision]

There are a lot of great artists around today. You just don’t know where to look and I’m not going to tell you because I think you enjoy complaining.

[@shyman99]

@@EdKazO-Vision - Good music today is material that was lifted from old material in the 60s and 70s. Otherwise, it is just production-based with little melody. But thanks for stopping by Mrs. Swift. Say hello to your daughter Taylor for me.

[@josuepro8055]

How many of you watched The Midnight Special?

[@Mr_Gray_Sky]

Man, Kilki Dee was awesome.

[@retrotoyattic2522]

Wow. Sparks were amazing.

[@clintonearlwalker]

I haven't heard "I Got the Music in Me" since back when that song was popular.

[@robmatlock7675]

George Carlin guiding tonight's voyage in the Way Back Machine. I remember "I got the Music in me" I also know about Roy Wood's being a founder of ELO and Roger McGuinn's time in the birds, but I cannot recall hearing Sparks, so this will be mostly new to me, can't wait!!

[@TheRealPynkPanther]

@@robmatlock7675 what did you think of Sparks?

[@robmatlock7675]

@TheRealPynkPanther They were definitely New Wave 8 years early. They would have fit perfectly on MTV 1981.

[@TheRealPynkPanther]

@robmatlock7675 😹😹😹I was thinking that!

[@robmatlock7675]

@TheRealPynkPanther 👍🤣🤣🤣

[@mickylawless1941]

​@@TheRealPynkPantherI was introduced to Sparks in 1977. They have been a favorite ever since. I had to have watched this episode, but at age 14, I don't think I was quite ready for them. A few years later made all the difference.

[@sliderpunk]

Wizzard live! Superb!

[@MrLoesser67]

I assumed Sparks was a German band; they're from LA.

[@lisamac00]

Good Friday all. I will not be on the live chat tonight. My daddy passed away last night. I hope to be back next week. Love to the Midnight Maniacs!!

[@DannyHaralson-ol1io]

Sorry for your loss.

[@Royalle_with_Cheese]

Awww, Lisa. Condolences 😔. Best wishes to you and family.

[@mikehammond7277]

Sorry for your lost of your Dad.🌹🌹🌷🌷💐💐😔

[@robmatlock7675]

Prayers for your broken heart.

[@ernestcruz6316]

Condolences Lisa, and my best to you and yours. Come back when you're ready!

[@floydshambles]

bring it

[@gregoryduncan3067]

Looking forward to some semi-obscure Roy Wood post-ELO Wizzard music.

[@Dr_Paul_Proteus]

With dancers in the crowd!

[@MakesNoSense86]

I so needed a good laugh!!!❤❤❤😂😂😂

[@StephanieJeanne]

Looking forward to Sparks! 😎 George, too. 😊

[@StephanieJeanne]

Well, I wasn't disappointed. Great show! 💜

[@TheRealPynkPanther]

@@StephanieJeanne yeah...Sparks was excellent

[@StephanieJeanne]

@@TheRealPynkPanther ☺️🙌💜💜

[@notedrockhistorian4382]

@@StephanieJeanne Who was their guitarist in this?

[@canadianstudmuffin]

@@notedrockhistorian4382 Trevor White. Sparks are still making albums with a new one coming out soon.

[@josephvolk6243]

Am I live too?

[@greggrindinger6233]

Always loved the false ending to "I've Got the Music in Me. " Kiki Dee is a powerhouse here. Never liked the submissive persona she portrayed in the "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" video, although the song was catchy. She was amazing in this TMS.

[@EdKazO-Vision]

I implore everyone to seek out Roy Wood’s album “Eddy and the Falcons!” You won’t be disappointed.

[@garyprusha3883]

His album " Mustard " is fantastic as well

[@shaboom362]

Favorite holiday song is I wish it could be Christmas everyday.

[@TheRealPynkPanther]

This episode is full of artists I've never heard of! This is gonna be so much fun🍿😋

[@gregoryduncan3067]

Sparks was a new experience.

[@TheRealPynkPanther]

@gregoryduncan3067 that was a fun group! id love to see more of them.

[@leiferickson5069]

@@TheRealPynkPantherYou know who loved Sparks? Dick Clark. They were on American Bandstand frequently in spite of their lack of Top 40 success. Look up some of the interviews he did, they are gold.

[@TheRealPynkPanther]

@leiferickson5069 thanks for this info. I will look it up👍🏼

[@canadianstudmuffin]

@@TheRealPynkPanther They are still making great albums today, they've never stopped.

[@ErnestIII83]

George Carlin: "We've all been practicing ever since." Cut to Sparks doing "Amateur Hour". Clever. Kiki Dee did do a second song

[@rosskstar]

YES with Ron Mael instead of Wakeman?

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

Bobby Blue Bland Velvet Vinton

[@anthonykimball7463]

Almost incredible to think a crazily alternative act like Sparks was actually able to appear on American network television. Too bad the MS was very shortly to transform into a very safe, "vanilla" music show after 1974. Nothing good lasts forever.

[@Royalle_with_Cheese]

They had Genesis and King Crimson earlier on. It would've been a real coup of they could've had Gong on.

[@barrysmith8920]

💴 talks 🐂 💩 walks

[@groovedohg]

Nah. It was really around 76 when the MS turned safe. That was due to disco and Punk being the new craze. They still had great rock shows in the late 70s incl Uriah Herp, Thin Lizzy, Robin Trower, Ted Nugent etc.

[@cliffford]

Kiki was cute.

[@TheSteveBoyd]

Carlin was amazing. Sparks might be the worst thing I've ever heard in my life!

[@KittyGrizGriz]

Yep! I had never heard of Sparks before now and couldn’t get into them either 🤷‍♀️.

[@Picasso_Picante92]

Why have the recent uploads all sound bad?

[@LarryGravesCanadianStudmuffin]

Sounds fine to me...

[@OWR0406]

Sparks (even though I don’t like them at all) and Kiki Dee clearly the best performers from this episode.

[@JamieAndersonMusic]

Seems like Carlin got cut off a couple of times. Wonder if the censors got him?

[@OWR0406]

Peace on you clearly better in its studio version. The live band is a little ramshackle and harmonies not very fine tuned.

[@ruddle17]

Eminem lol

[@richardcarellano]

I can't help thinking that George Carlin, if alive today, would be a rabid progressive activist, sporting Ukraine and rainbow flags, but I hope I'm misguided.

[@janospeto831]

I hope you're not wrong! 👍 😃

[@Dr_Paul_Proteus]

I think not. Carlin valued truth.

[@Dr_Paul_Proteus]

And free speech.

[@cliffford]

I think he was generally an observational comic, not political.

[@deja75m]

Too much CIA mockingbird crap...like obama an big mike..

[@deucefloyd9858]

Lol. I guess you got the word out.