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Coming Soon To YouTube: Classic 'Midnight Special' Performances From David Bowie, Tina Turner, Elton John And Others

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Some of today's biggest musical artists can easily rack up massive views on the video streaming service YouTube. Just last week, Twenty One Pilots' "Heathen" became the most recent music video to amass more than two billion views, while Bad Bunny scored its 10th video to reach the "Billion Views Club" with its track "Soy Peor."

However, fans of music from the 1970s and early 1980s will now have a new opportunity to catch some iconic performances from the likes of such artists as David Bowie, Tina Turner, Elton John, and others on YouTube. Though many of these artists were among those who churned out videos even before the launch of MTV in the summer of 1982, these performances are actually from the TV series The Midnight Special, which originally aired on NBC from 1973 to 1975, before being revived for a second run from 1976 to 1981.

The late-night musical variety series was created by film/TV producer Burt Sugarman originally as a one-off special in August 1972, but six months later it was launched as a regular series that followed the Friday night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ground-breaking show, Sugarman has shared some of the clips on the new YouTube channel — with more to come.

The Midnight Special Pilot - August 19, 1972

The series was actually noted for featuring live performances of music acts, considered unusual since most TV appearances of the era typically included performers lip-synching to prerecorded music. In addition, it offered the occasional vintage footage of older acts from the early days of rock and roll and pop music, as well as performances from stand-up comedians that included George Carlin, Steve Martin, and Richard Pryor.

The series had a number of guest hosts, while singer Helen Reddy served in that role through the end of its initial run from 1975 and in early 1976. Iconic American disc jockey Wolfman Jack narrated the show and introduced many of the artists.

Wait 'Til The Midnight Hour

It was notable for including a diverse range of musical acts, which included ABBA, AC/DC, Blondie, The Cars, Ray Charles, Heart, B.B. King, Kiss, Ted Nugent, Dolly Parton, Prince, Steely Dan and the Village People among countless others. Many of the performances have rarely been seen since the show initially aired.

"The Midnight Special was a groundbreaking and revolutionary show that pushed the boundaries of what was possible on television as not one broadcaster had programming available after 1:00 AM back then," Sugarman told Deadline. "I insisted on live performances in front of an audience, there was no lip syncing. I'm thrilled that it will be available for all fans, as well as a new generation of viewers who may not be familiar with the show. Audiences can enjoy hours of classic performances and interviews from the biggest stars of that era."

Old Music For New Fans

The original pilot episode and dozens of performances from the series are now streaming via The Midnight Special YouTube Channel. In many ways these are a time capsule of a forgotten if not lost era of music – post Woodstock but pre-MTV

"I have to wonder if it will resonate with the boomers, I bet it will," said Bruce Barber, professional in residence and general manager of 88.7 WNHU at the University of New Haven. "I remember this show and loved it. It was pioneering in that the performances were recorded live, and was done with the technology of the era.

Though there were concert videos, including The Last Waltz, produced during the era, these were massive events that didn't allow viewers to have a more intimate experience with the bands. Moreover, as noted by Sugarman, the artists of the day were often forced to lip synch. That wasn't the case with The Midnight Special, which provided live performances that put viewers up close with many acts.

"This was an era when there was a demand for live music," Barber continued. "It was really a diverse group of artists that appeared on the show as well."

The fact that these videos are now available on YouTube also provides a time machine back to an era when many of the artists had rarely performed on TV. This is certainly the case for David Bowie and Elton John.

"This is a way for younger viewers to see some artists from this era and get a deeper dive of material that may not be available in video format," said Barber.

"YouTube is really the perfect platform for distributing this content," added brand marketing expert and social media pundit Scott Steinberg. "The beauty of this channel is that it allows this old content to find a new audience."

And you don't have to stay up to view it!

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