The Joker - Steve Miller Band | The Midnight Special

[@tepidtooth8539]

I don’t know who’s idea it was to create a channel dedicated to professionally releasing Midnight Special episodes and performances like this but I can’t thank you enough. Just off the few performances I’ve seen on here, I’ve held this show in high regard as the highest quality live music show ever, and now that there’s officially released high quality footage of said show, even more than I’d originally found on here it’s fantastic. Thank you.

[@Fredman2410]

My understanding is that Burt Sugarman, the creator of the original show, has decided to release the master tapes and has a team cleaning them up and releasing them in YT format. Thanks Burt and team!

[@MaySecond07]

@tepidtooth, AMEN!

[@jennifersman7990]

@@Fredman2410Yes, very true Sugarman smartly held onto the rights to all the performances from the show but couldn’t find the right venue to release them until KZbin came along

[@abelincoln3287]

​@jennifersman7990 Actually they were released as a set on DVD several years ago. I own the DVD set 1973-1980

[@kidboeger4694]

I could see this channel getting tons of subscribers, I feel a lot of this footage hasn’t been seen by the majority and it’s awesome that my generation has access to these 100’s of legendary performances

[@BC99]

Wow, totally different vibe than the record version. Shoutout to the bass player who is just killing it here.

[@ericvonharding3421]

Thats the whole joy of seeing a song performed LIVE! and IN CONCERT!

[@geoffreymason5642]

Is the bassist Gerald Johnson? I've always loved the talented musicians in Steve Miller Band.

[@delmedeiros3570]

​@@geoffreymason5642yes.

[@gregdolecki8530]

Steve Miller always had good bass players.

[@brucecarpenter8640]

Who knew? I will always be hearing this version every time i hear the joker now

[@scottjustscott3730]

I've heard every hit and then some from these guys in my fifty years and never realized how great of a vocalist Steve Miller is. Wow!

[@alanc1491]

I'm a joker, I'm a smoker, I'ma mid-night-toker. Rubato much?

[@KittyGrizGriz]

Love his hunky voice & this tune; Steve was a smoke show hottie back then, song came out when I was in Jr High & our cool art teacher would let us listen to the radio. Funny I’m back in art class right now 🎉

[@chrisjmiller6]

Funny how the mind works 🙂

[@ThePwig]

Wow his voice is fantastic

[@TheEmployee84]

The look on the faces in the crowd reminds me of Back to the Future- when Marty says “you may not be ready for this, but your kids are going to love it”

[@WilhelmWilder]

This feels like if Sublime covered this song, awesome

[@angelinasuazo5705]

He seems like a sweet honest man. And his words make sense. (I was born too late for all the cute rock musicians of the '70's.

[@janicetrimmell6897]

"Some people call me Maurice..." Love his voice and the slide guitar. After all of these years, is anyone sure what "pompatus of love" means. Guess he was just messing with us. Thank TMS!

[@StephanieJeanne]

Hehe, I always wondered about that meaning.✌️

[@TuckerSP2011]

Somehow we all know what it means 😂

[@wonsworld61]

Apparently he made it up but based it on phraseology in classic literature. Steve was well read :)

[@harmonium8198]

My understanding is that Miller's word "pompatus" is a variation on a nonce word heard in the 1954 recording "The Letter" by Vernon Green and the Medallions. Green speaks in that song of "the puppetutes of love." You can hear it (at the 1:50 mark) here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIKxeHuDm5Zof5Y. Another way of saying this is that "pompatus" probably doesn't mean anything in particular!

[@tomkimberly2849]

Properties of love?

[@daisywrabbit]

Steve is playing a Lefty Strat, but he is playing it In a right-handed position!

[@aradder]

Yeah this is like the opposite of Jimi Hendrix

[@rebeccawagner4167]

I would read the TV. Guide back in the day to see who they were having on the Midnight Special. Whenever I seen it was the Steve Miller Band I couldn't wait for the show to come on..

[@jonstone2466]

Love the change up from the recorded version.

[@mas7230]

No it sucks bad

[@twantheunisz9281]

​@@mas7230no you

[@JohnHancotte]

He's playing the song in the key of C# or Db. It is in F on the album. I read he worked it up on a 12-string tuned down a whole step, so that his open G chord sounded like F. And yes, I love his upside down left handed guitar strung as a righty. His bassist Gerald Johnson played a right handed bass turned over and upside down. Makes for an interesting look on stage!

[@elizabethmead2852]

What a fantastic live performer. Way better than the radio version. Impressive, Steve Miller. Wish I could have been there at the time!

[@GratefulZen]

Saw the Steve Miller Band back in 1969 at the now defunct Sports Arena, a wrestling venue. Outstanding.! Especially love his music from Children of the Future, Sailor, and Brave New World!

[@Mdtff-k2o]

This is too good. I could listen to this on a loop forever

[@StephenBryant]

Side story about Steve and the guitar he is playing. He purchased two Fender guitars (one black and one white (which was stolen)) that were left at a music shop that were supposed to go to Jimmy Hindrix. Hendrix died and Steve was able to purchase these becasue he knew the owner. Nice to see it in a video. Thanks again for putting out these TMS videos. It really is a treat. A ton of great history.

[@srenalwan4829]

Well, the Black Stratocaster in the clip features a bullet-trussrod. Fender didn’t start making these until 1971. Why would Fender make two guitars for Jimi Hendrix a year after he died?

[@User-gx5ke]

​@@srenalwan4829If I remember correctly, he custom ordered those Strats.

[@srenalwan4829]

@@User-gx5ke Steve Miller?

[@User-gx5ke]

@@srenalwan4829 Yup.

[@Mikedennis7]

This version is awesome.

[@jerameyconners5122]

Can't wait to see him tonight!

[@tommcgeethree]

I saw Steve Miller just one time back in 1973. I have all his albums ,up to the Joker. They did an excellent set. Then he came out all by himself and sat in this big red leather chair and did the Joker with an acoustic guitar and blew the crowd away. Good stuff. Oh yeah. 😎😆😁👍🍺🇺🇸

[@kcdawg2060]

A STANDING OVATION from me!!! What an amazing channel 👍 Thanks for bringing back tremendous memories of my youth. I was just 10 years old when this particular episode aired. I'm hoping that this will be a fantastic view into the past for a whole new group of Classic Rock fans...

[@lkbakken99]

Got really fascinated by the headstocks on the bass and electric guitar, all turned around. Looks so damn coordinated

[@kpslinger6030]

The "joke" is they're playing wrong-handed instruments upside down

[@shackusratus]

It probably was coordinated. Producers and managers would often tell artists too do stuff like that just for appearances.

[@tonyroo11]

I was lucky enough to see The Steve Miller Band who opened up for Don Henley back in the early 90s at Canandaigua performing arts. I remember it was a great concert. Always loved TSMB, it was staple music in HS in the 70s. An underappreciated musician, singer, and lyricist. Fly Like an Eagle album is in my top favs

[@that70sgirl90]

These great bands sounded even better live than they were on the recordings! They knew how to make music back in the 70s Happy Saturday ... thank you for sharing! 💖

[@marygriffiths2950]

60's and 70's were the best years in music 🎶 , hence Procal Harum ( Whiter Shade of Pale, Conquistador) etc ....

[@that70sgirl90]

@marygriffiths2950 Mary, I got the word never in there. 😊

[@marygriffiths2950]

@@that70sgirl90 ?????

[@that70sgirl90]

@marygriffiths2950 I'm so glad you said something kind to me on my post. I put the word never in front of knew. I didn't see it. You are so right! Those were the best years. Have a wonderful day! Thank you for sharing! 💖

[@marygriffiths2950]

@@that70sgirl90 Oh, ok that's what threw me off!! 🤗💜

[@shooter7a]

Wow....great vibe. Love the SMB. I grew up near a ski resort in CA, and all through the 70s I practically lived on the ski hill during snow months. The resort management loved SMB...and every 10th song they played in the day lodge was SBM. I was a kid, and knew nothing about music, but I always loved those songs. It was not till years later that I learned that all those songs I loved were the SMB.....

[@bryanrussell9906]

Love this guy! I'll never forget being a kid and watching him do the greatest version (live!) of "Fly Like an Eagle" I have ever heard. Man that shirt and guitar! I remember begging my mom to buy me a shirt like that. The intro and just the way he put that dreamy psychedelic stamp on FLAE blew my young mind and made me a hippie forever. Don't miss Steve and his band on the MS! Bonafide classic TV. ✌️

[@Jreb1865]

So damn smooth...

[@StephanieJeanne]

Cool! This is about a year before I saw him in concert. He's a great musician and singer!

[@julenepegher6999]

Love Steve Miller! Ninth grade Spanish class the boy who sat in front of me would come in high every day turn around and say” you’re the cutest thing that I ever did see” 🤩

[@epiphoney]

He's so loose, I like it.

[@animemanganet]

I've always loved Steve Miller but his voice and music is even better on this video! Thanks for uploading all this awesome music!

[@TuckerSP2011]

He is still great! You must see him if you get an opportunity.

[@bertbecker7532]

Still playing and singing like this at the age of 78….incredible.

[@marisaelenenadiejamusiccom3974]

Lovely.

[@catholicfaithofmine2664]

Just want to travel back in time to this period knowing whst I know now.

[@12345682900]

The guy @ 2:06, frozen with his mouth open, stoned out of his head, is literally the way most 1970's youths remember the decade.

[@colinborn1740]

Pompetus is not a word! God bless you Steve Miller, true Joker.

[@JorgeTorres-nk5gw]

Excelente banda con muchos éxitos en su discografía gracias por publicar

[@WalkerTexas]

This is amazing.

[@markhodge7]

We midnight tokers of the time would always raise a joint when this song came up.

[@elizabradley4797]

Steve thought you might have had a super handsome face but you were chubby but loved your music ~ generation survived cuz of you 🎸

[@chrisspearline767]

Saw them live in my teens

[@Paul71H]

Now that's something I've never seen before -- a guitarist playing a left-handed guitar, but playing it right-handed.

[@sandyhanson6082]

Right?! First thing I noticed!...and I'm not a guitar player. But,been in enough bands to notice these things.😉

[@avrahambentzvi]

It’s strung right handed though

[@sandyhanson6082]

@avrahambentzvi Oh totally. Just looks odd right?

[@avrahambentzvi]

@@sandyhanson6082 I’ve seen enough lefties do that so it’s not so odd per se. but , yes, a righty really has to go out of the way to find a lefty guitar and then restring it righty. I’m wondering if it’s something to do with the slide guitar playing. Especially up close to the end of the frets near the body. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@jennifersman7990]

Joe Perry from Aerosmith has done that too, but with a lefty Strat body and righty Tele neck

[@anthonyzovko3525]

Love the shot of the audience towards the end. All of them engaged and watching/listening intently, living in the moment (even the girl chomping on that gum). If that was today, everyone would have had a cell phone out and Stevie would be singing to a bunch of iPhones and Samsungs.

[@pamcornelius9122]

So true!

[@ethanjpetch]

Hell yeah

[@rideon1956]

More Steve Miller MS

[@c-dublife]

that left handed fender was for jimi, but unfortunately he passed and steve was able to purchase it.

[@SunnymunnyHunnybunny]

I like the line about peaches. It's always classy to compliment a woman on her selection of fruit.

[@walkersbdb]

He is as handsome here as he is now!!!

[@dereklwashington1132]

THIS is a show that couldn't be done now. These folks were true musicians

[@bukealicious9146]

That guy at around 2:05 is SO Enthralled by the performance!

[@haldeman]

Playing a left handed strat upside down. Like Hendrix playing a right handed strat left handed

[@TschimmiCash]

Thank you! But wait: is he playing a leftie guitar tune as a rightie? Wild! :))

[@MCW1955]

Man that was effn great, and yeah, the bass player was cooking. Wonder who he is?

[@williambaxter4628]

Those of us that listened to the 60's albums as they came out aren't that fond of his 70's offerings.

[@Ernie1978]

Way faster take on "The Joker." Steve Miller's quite the musician!

[@jmcrae825]

When you’re a 13 year old starstruck kid with dreams of rock n roll in the 70s this is where you went to get your fix.

[@starke2908]

when he tours he goes to karaoke bars and picks his songs....every one is amazed hoe he sounds like Steve Miller

[@juanmiguelpalacioesteban5591]

I would kill for seeing the 80,s/90,s beer spot that carried this song...(I think was "cruzcampo" beer but im.not sure

[@ohiowalnut]

The Godson of LES PAUL- playin' a left handed strat!

[@angelinasuazo5705]

He is some kind of cute.

[@angelinasuazo5705]

Hey, he's flirty with that guitar!

[@Earnhogg]

How often do you see a right hander playing a left handed guitar? First time for me!

[@ricksaunders8074]

I did a little midnight tokening

[@gregoryduncan3067]

I've never met anybody who doesn't like the Steve Miller band.

[@jm12green31]

I have and their idiots... mostly young people that prefer garbage

[@hinjurock70]

His music is chill af.

[@jeremyc9593]

I'm sure your local church will be full of them

[@hinjurock70]

@@jeremyc9593 Why? Lots of Christians like classic rock.

[@jeremyc9593]

@@hinjurock70 True, but it's the drug references in this song that they don't like

[@mox19380]

stevie guitar never disappoints. he's a musicians musician throughout. gotta a #1 hit? why not revamp. i've seen him several times, most recently about 10 years ago and he 50 years later he still hits it big time

[@mikeshay6775]

I know I saw a clip of him playing a song left-handed. But maybe they were using some kind of reverse image when they posted it.

[@jeblmknctmabtaldlr]

guitar and bass played upside down... just needed the drummer to figure it out to make a full commitment

[@bsdgffishtuna5186]

pompatous

[@vfxtreme2023]

I like this dude, he was fairly prolific releasing a lot of material. However, he was no visionary as demonstrated by his Guitar Player Interview in the mid-1970s where He confessed that Guitar Playing had gone as far as it could go. A couple Years Later an ALan Holdsworth inspired Eddie Van HaLen turns the Rock-Guitar WorLd on it's Head. Of course no one saw THAT coming. Mr Miller had his moments in Rock Guitar History though.

[@drn13355]

Yes no one ever got anything wrong. I hope people hold against me stuff I said 20 years ago.

[@matthewclark9652]

Homer Simpson did the remake in 1991 during an episode when he & Marge met in high school.

[@ardiris2715]

I don't think he ever sang this song the same way twice. (:

[@KittyGrizGriz]

I buy albums @ thrift stores to listen at family cabin w/o Wi-Fi. A fantastic one I just heard for the first time over this past Labor Day was the Steve Miller Band “Your Saving Grace” was very pleasantly surprised check it out music lovers! ✊ 😉

[@SimonSheen990]

Days when musicians compose, sing, play instruments, and most of all, perform live gigs.

[@RichMansour]

Hes singing it way higher.

[@AdrianDeVore]

He was much younger back in '74!😂

[@dansullivan3238]

Right band Right episode Wrong song We NEED Fly Like An Eagle. Best live version ever.

[@danielsavoie246]

Is it possible to get this version on Spotify

[@trondrew]

Did anyone else notice that Miller's Guitar body is upside down, and so is the head, but it's strung normally for him to play? If a Lefty played the guitar strung that way the strings would be upside down. How.. Why.. Is it specifically for the slide in this song or? He's not playing any of the actual rhythm chords.

[@rosskstar]

Did The Black Keys ever take the knife out? They lost their man-card imo

[@davidnicholson6680]

Is he playing a lefty guitar flipped over?

[@TheHuckster100]

Exactly what I was thinking too.

[@BigSky1]

Yes

[@avrahambentzvi]

That’s what righties do if they want to play like Hendrix 😂

[@avrahambentzvi]

Though as you can see from the close up it’s strung right handed.

[@markrobinson8410]

That strat looks left handed

[@drn13355]

I guarantee that guy on keyboards could get you the best weed around.

[@321gates]

LOL. That's my uncle Dick. I don't remember him being that big of a stoner believe it or not.

[@drn13355]

@@321gates Your uncle is 5,000 times cooler than you. You need some weed man.

[@shimon1166]

Russell Crowe is a great singer.

[@Ibrian8888]

He grew up next to Les Paul

[@robinbolton6064]

Looks a bit like a chubby face version of Jim Morrison 🎸

[@paulceniceros5514]

...........got coke

[@arturoalfredocevallos-garc247]

Not even a good karaoke version and this is the original singer? Worst of all, this was not 20 years after this song was released.

[@mas7230]

Totally f ed up the song, play like the recording!

[@generalbystander1631]

Worst ever cover of a great song

[@jeremyc9593]

Cover? That's... not how that works.

[@mikrophonie5633]

awful

[@Retroearthling]

he would never play the song the way he recorded it back then. AND IT WAS NEW. I would be upset lol

[@vickialvarez1015]

hes\\weird\\