DVD Release: The Soul of The Midnight Special

DVD Release Date: Oct. 13, 2020
Price: DVD $32.19
Studio: Time Life

From Time Life, The Soul of The Midnight Special offers a killer collection of Sixties and Seventies soul artists performing their hits in the prime of their careers — uncut performances—on the premiere late-night live music television showcase of its time, which ran every Friday night on NBC from 1972 to 1981.

Among the dozens of performances featured on the 5-disc set are numbers by such artists as including Al Green, Earth Wind & Fire, Patti LaBelle, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Spinners, The O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, The Stylistics, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight and The Pips and so many more.

Also included are exclusive interviews with James Brown, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire The O’Jays, Russell Thompkins Jr. of The Stylistics, Bobby Womack, Ted Mills of Blue Magic, Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, Gerald Alston, The Manhattans and George Benson.

The Manhattans as seen on The Midnight Special.

Okay, now lean forward and check out the breakdown of performances (in alphabetical order):

• Al Green — Tired of Being Alone(8/3/73), How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (8/3/73), I’m Still in Love with You (11/29/74), Let’s Stay Together (11/29/74)
• Al Wilson — Show and Tell (3/1/74)
• Barry White — You’re the First, the Last, My Everything(11/15/74), Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe (12/13/74), Never, Never Gonna Give You Up (12/13/74)
• Bill Withers — Ain’t No Sunshine(3/22/74), Lean on Me (3/22/74)
• Billy Preston — Will It Go Round in Circles(1/4/74)
• Blue Magic — Sideshow(12/13/74)
• Bobby Womack — Lookin’ for a Love(12/13/74)
• Chuck Berry — Johnny B. Goode(11/2/73)
• Curtis Mayfield — Back to the World(6/8/73), Freddie’s Dead (Theme from Superfly) (9/21/73), Superfly (1/4/74)
• Earth, Wind & Fire — Devotion (4/18/75)
• George Benson — This Masquerade (7/30/76)
• Gladys Knight & the Pips — Neither One of Us(Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye) (4/6/73), I Heard It through the Grapevine (4/6/73), Midnight Train to Georgia (10/5/73), Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me (12/20/74)
• Gladys Knight/B. B. King —The Thrill Is Gone(10/5/73)
• Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes — Bad Luck(5/23/75), The Love I Lost (5/23/75), Let’s Get Together Soon (Hope That We Can Be Together Soon) (5/23/75)
• James Brown — Sex Machine(8/6/76), Get Up Offa That Thing (8/6/76), Cold Sweat/Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag (10/8/76),
• Johnnie Taylor — Who’s Making Love(11/2/73)
• Kool & the Gang — Hollywood Swinging(12/20/74), Jungle Boogie (12/20/74)
• LaBelle — Lady Marmalade(4/18/75)
  

  Ohio Players on The Midnight Special

  Love Unlimited Orchestra —Love’s Theme (11/15/74)

• Minne Riperton — Lovin’ You(7/18/75), Inside My Love (7/18/75)
• Ohio Players — Fire(4/4/75), Skin Tight (4/4/75)
• Ohio Players — Love Rollercoaster(12/19/75), Honey (12/19/75)
• Ray Charles — Georgia on My Mind(3/30/73), What’d I Say (3/30/73)
• Ray Charles/Aretha Franklin — Takes Two to Tango(3/30/73)
• Rufus featuring Chaka Khan — Sweet Thing(12/12/75), Once You Get Started (12/12/75)
• Sly & the Family Stone — Stand!(10/26/73), I Want to Take You Higher (10/26/73), Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), (10/26/73), Dance to the Music (10/26/73)
• Spinners — Could It Be I’m Falling in Love(2/9/73), I’ll Be Around (2/9/73), One of a Kind (Love Affair) (6/8/73), Sadie (2/14/75), Then Came You (2/14/75)
• The Brothers Johnson– I’ll Be Good to You(10/8/76)
• The Chi-Lites — Oh Girl(9/21/73)
• The Main Ingredient — Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely(10/11/74), Everybody Plays The Fool (10/11/74)
• The Manhattans — Kiss and Say Goodbye(12/3/76)
• The Miracles — Love Machine(12/3/76)
• The O’Jays — Back Stabbers(3/23/73), Love Train (3/23/73), Put Your Hands Together (913/74), Sunshine (9/13/74)
• The Staple Singers — Let’s Do It Again(1/16/76), Respect Yourself (1/16/76)
• The Stylistics — Betcha by Golly, Wow(6/1/73), Break Up to Make Up (6/1/73), I’m Stone in Love with You (6/1/73), You Make Me Feel Brand New (3/1/74)
• The Sylvers — Boogie Fever(7/30/76)
• Wilson Pickett — In the Midnight Hour(9/21/73)