Steve and Dave's

For us the Midnight Special's real distraction is the way the audience response is so "sweetened." Just so (needlessly) fake.

We'd push slightly with your assessment -- the Midnight Special had some unusual lineups. Cloying? Well, sometimes.

Long adored by Canadian music fans, Susan Jacks was born today in 1948. As the lead vocalist of The Poppy Family in the late 1960s, she garnered world attention with the global smash “Which Way You Goin’ Billy?” (#2 pop U.S.). As a solo performer, Jacks had several hits in Canada. She passed in 2022

Ginger Baker’s talent was undeniable, but his volatile personality frequently got in the way. Born today in 1939, Baker was a force of nature behind a drum kit. Best-known for his time in Cream in the late 1960s, Baker regularly wore out his welcome with bandmates – & others. Baker died in 2019.

Burt Sugarman’s The Midnight Special premiered on this date in 1972 on NBC. Each episode was eclectic – & dynamic, as most of the musicians performed live (unusual for television in this era). John Denver (1943-1997) hosted this debut episode. The Midnight Special aired until the spring of 1981.

We’re not really folkies (barely dip our toes in it, at the most) but people who know the genre and this era understand that he was the real deal. It’s awesome you’re giving him a listen

Decathlon champion Rafer Johnson was born on this date in 1934. Johnson claimed the gold for the U.S. in the 1960 Olympics. Later, Johnson was a confidant of Bobby Kennedy & bravely helped disarm Kennedy’s assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, in the kitchen of LA’s Ambassador Hotel in 1968. Johnson died in 2020

Cisco Houston – a key figure during the classic era of American folk music in the 1940s & 1950s – was born today in 1918. Houston worked closely with folk giants Woody Guthrie & Lee Hays. His Cisco Houston Sings the Songs of the Open Road (1960, Folkways) is an excellent album. Houston died in 1961.

Johnny Preston – best remembered for his 1959 hit “Running Bear” (#1 pop, #3 R&B – penned by J.P. Richardson) – was born today in 1939 in Port Arthur, Texas. Preston also had chart success in 1960 with “Cradle of Love” (#7 pop) & “Feel So Fine” (#14 pop). Preston passed in 2011.

Amen.

Record producer Tommy West (born today in 1942) helped elevate a once-unknown Jim Croce to stardom. West & Terry Cashman produced Croce’s first three albums, before Croce’s tragic death in 1973. West continued to create success for other performers in the music industry until his death in 2021.

Few American television shows in the late 20th century were more influential than Soul Train. It debuted on Chicago’s WCIU today in 1970. Don Cornelius (1936-2012) artfully presided over a weekly celebration of Black music, fashion, & dance. Cornelius entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.

One of the most distinctive singles of the 1960s – “Telstar” by The Tornados – was released on this date in 1962. Penned by the gifted but troubled record producer Joe Meek (1929-1967), this instrumental reached #1 in the U.S. & U.K. The futuristic “Telstar” was the highwater mark for The Tornados.

It is extraordinary -- so evocative. A masterpiece.

All these decades later, it still holds up...

Jimmy Webb (born today in 1946 in Elk City, Oklahoma) is one of the living legends in American songwriting. Just his output in the 1960s puts Webb in a class by himself: “Up, Up and Away” “MacArthur Park” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” “The Worst That Could Happen” “Wichita Lineman” and “Galveston”

Atlantic Crossing – Rod Stewart’s 6th solo lp – was released on this date in 1975 on Atlantic. Produced by Tom Dowd (1925-2002) & partially recorded at the fabled Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, it features fabulous tunes, like: “Three Time Loser” “I Don't Want to Talk About It” “Drift Away” & “Sailing”

The film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar premiered today in 1973. Directed by Norman Jewison, the movie – featuring Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman & Barry Dennen – was a modest success but never approached the acclaim bestowed to the stage production.

“Islands in the stream; That is what we are; No one in between; How can we be wrong” Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton’s massive single “Islands in the Stream” (penned by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb) was released today in 1983 on RCA. It soared to #1 on both the American pop & country charts.

YouTube video by Graham Central Station - Topic People

Hmmmm.
Well, here's a cut from Larry Graham's first album -- as Graham Central Station -- co-produced by Titelman: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD5O...

She was nearly a one-woman wrecking crew when it came to the ERA. The Amendment seemed an inevitability (euphoria greeted it in the earliest months) -- then Schlafly kicked her disinformation campaign into gear. Hard to find anything admirable about her, but few have ever been more consequential.

Same is true for us -- thank goodness for Ed Ames ("oh that's right, we're watching Daniel Boone...")

Russ Titelman (born today in 1944) has been a popular record producer for years. Titelman produced lps for: Gregg Allman; Captain Beefheart; Ry Cooder; Dion; Little Feat; Graham Central Station; George Harrison; Rickie Lee Jones; Adam Mitchell; Randy Newman; & James Taylor – & that’s just the 1970s!

Long-time CBS News correspondent Neil Strawser was born today in 1927. Strawser narrated for radio audiences virtually all of NASA’s Mercury, Gemini & Apollo launches. In October 1962 Strawser was the only American reporter in Cuba during the missile crisis. A workhorse for decades, he died in 2006.

Ernie Freeman (born today in 1922) had many triumphs during his sterling career in music. Freeman’s rollicking cover of Bill Justis’ “Raunchy” hit big in 1957 (#1 R&B; #4 pop). In the early 1960s, he became the musical director at Frank Sinatra’s innovative Reprise Records. Freeman passed in 1981.

Fess Parker was one of the first break-out stars on American television in the 1950s. Starring as Davy Crockett, Parker (born today in 1925) helped set off a sales boom in coonskin caps – & television sets. In the 1960s he was again a tv star – this time as Daniel Boone on NBC. Parker passed in 2010

Born today in 1925, Paul Beaver (alongside his artistic partner Bernie Krause) showed the synthesizer’s potential in the early 1970s. In particular, Beaver & Krause’s 2nd lp – In a Wild Sanctuary – demonstrated how far synthesizers could be stretched – & many followed their lead. Beaver died in 1975

Dash Crofts – half of the duo Seals & Crofts – was born today in 1940. The pair set out on their own in the late 1960s & first experienced chart success in 1972 with “Summer Breeze” (peaking at #6 pop). They hit the top-10 again the next year with “Diamond Girl.” Overall, they had 8 top-40 pop hits.

Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson was born today in 1950 in Tacoma, Washington. Larson’s off-kilter images (often with bizarro captions) were published in American newspapers for nearly 15 years, starting in the early 1980s. Science teachers still have Far Side cartoons posted on their bulletin boards

Let's not throw Misty Rowe or Junior Samples (1926-1983) under the bus...