Post by Cagey-1 on Dec 12, 2011 12:41:33 GMT -5
I love to collect DVD's! But I don't like paying retail for them!
So over the years I have come find out that the number one place for me to find and buy DVD's is either a pawn shop or a used book store.
I like to find advance promotional copies and expanded editions with previously unreleased new footage, and multiple disc editions, etc. and I never pay more than $3.00 for them and usually pay only $2.00 each or even .99 cents for them. Pawn shops can not be beat for their prices anywhere!
So yesterday I was DVD hunting in a pawn shop and came across 20 DVD's of an old TV show called "The Midnight Special."
Well I did the old pick and choose thing and wound up buying only half of what was there.
I came home and fired up the big screen HD and put on the first in the series chronologically- so I started in 1973 and was totally blown away by what I saw.
All of the performances are one of a kind unique to this particular old TV show. No lip syncing here! Straight up live on camera performances of the artists around during that time period.
The video quality of these old analog shows converted into digital was absolutely first class and of superior highest quality! And all of the DVD's come in 5.1 surround sound!
But the best thing is that for this old TV show they intermixed the artists along with comedians of the day, but whoever put these DVD's together was smart enough to break away the comedy from the music! So you can sit and watch performance after performance of music acts only and have to select in special features to watch the comedy skits- which I avoided completely last night as I watched five of these discs back to back with the volume turned darn near all the way up to maximum!
It was exciting watching long since deceased artists live on screen in bright color crystal clear video and sound almost as though I was right there when the performance occurred live on stage!
Some of the highlights from last night was John Denver, Ian Loyd and the Stories performing BROTHER LOUIE live! I had never heard another version of this song other than the album cut and I love it! But to hear an all new live version coming at me through the HD big screen from 1973 just floored me. All I can say is WOW!
Another highlight was Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show doing Cover of the Rolling Stone live!
Or how about a fantastic performance of Peter Frampton doing Do you Feel like we do in 1974! Remember his album Frampton Comes Alive came out in 1976 two years later so this was a real treat to see and hear.
Dave Loggins doing Please Come To Boston, Michael Martin Murphy doing WILDFIRE live! Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt and much much more... like Gordon Lightfoot.
Granted there was some crap like the Spinners and some other BS crap thrown in, but the good performances are well worth wading through the crap!
How about Dobie Gray doing a real rocking version of Drift Away with full band! Dobie recently died at 71 so this was another real treat to watch and hear!
And Sam and Dave doing Soul Man! Kick Ass!
How about Charlie Rich, the Silver Fox doing "Behing Closed Doors?" In-friggin'-credible!
Or how about Wild Cherry doing Play that Funky Music White Boy LIVE? With Bryan Bassett on guitar! A former Molly Hatchet guitarist and local Orlando home boy! It was great!
And oh my God! Marc Bolan and T Rex was outrageous! Insane! Over the top! A live version of Bang a Gong like I have never heard before! These stars went overboard for this TV show!
This Marc Bolan track is priceless! Rest in peace! Who would have thought in just 4 years he would be dead
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Death
Bolan died on 16 September 1977, two weeks before his 30th birthday. He was a passenger in a purple Mini 1275GT (registration FOX 661L) driven by Gloria Jones as they headed home from Mortons drinking club and restaurant in Berkeley Square. Jones lost control of the car and it struck a sycamore tree after failing to negotiate a small humpback bridge near Gipsy Lane on Queens Ride, Barnes, southwest London.
Bolan died instantly, while Jones suffered a broken arm and broken jaw and spent time in hospital; she did not learn of Bolan's death until the day of his funeral. Bolan's home, which was less than a mile away at 142 Upper Richmond Road West in East Sheen, was quickly looted. Fans quickly turned the site of the crash into a shrine and in 2007 the site was officially recognised as Bolan's Rock Shrine.
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Old Wolfman Jack hosted the show was a bonus as I love Wolfman!
And funning thing is watching what some artists got away with live on TV back then- or didn't!
I had to back up Dr. Hook doing cover of the Rolling Stone! We all know the words...
"I got a freaky ole lady
name a cocaine Katy
who embroideries on my jeans..."
Uh yeah right! Not so on this TV show! The word "Cocaine" was not allowed and band had to use some other word and I could not understand what the heck he said, but it was not cocaine.
And old Neil Sedaka was wearing this t-shirt that said "Smoke more Columbian!" in big bold bright letters clearly visible to any and all. And then there was Peter Frampton getting away with using his voice box in Do You feel Like we Do when he says "I want to fuck you!" and he got away with it live on national TV in 1974! I could not believe it. And then to watch his expressions right after having done it was priceless!
Something else that was just phenominal to watch was to see all those great old guitars and band equipment and keyboards, etc.
Today you will see a ton of crap on stages. Cheap guitars, cheap equipment, etc. but not back in the 1970's! It was good solid vintage gear all the way!
Something else that was kind of depressing to watch happen, was the advancement of DISCO within the music itself! Ronnie Van Zant sang a song called "Jacksonville Kid" where he sang about the same thing of having to watch DISCO moving in and taking over and I noticed it creeping in to the music as early as 1974 in these TV shows with Donna Summer and others...
One of the ridiculous performances was Black Oak Arkansas. They came on stage proudly brandishing the Confederate flag all over the stage and even the lead guitarist's guitar was a Confederate flag design, but what a stupid embarassing performance! Jim Dandy was shirtless and simply walked or pranced back and forth across the stage singing Jim Dandy to the Rescue and that female singer Ruby Starr was singing "Go Jim Dandy! Go Jim Dandy!"
My girlfriend was shaking her head and saying she was embarassed for them! And that this was not a good representation of the South! It was hilarious!
She was saying can you imagine Ronnie Van Zant doing something that stupid? "Go Ronnie! Go Ronnie!" she laughingly bemused...
Well, we enjoyed those performances so much I went right back over this morning and bought up all of the rest of the DVD's I did not buy yesterday. And now I will be checking on Amazon.com to see if I am missing any from the entire set because I want them ALL!
Tonight I will see some classic one of a kind live performances of Tom Petty, Charlie Daniels, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Aerosmith, Dr. Hook, and so much more! These are some really great DVD's!
And I highly recommend these to all of you too! They have superb video quality and the sound is 5.1 surround and excellent! These are well done DVD's of some old performances and live versions of familiar songs will blow you away like it did for us last night!
I have 15 more DVD's to watch and I can't wait!
Oh yeah, before I forget... I purchased 20 of these DVD's at a pawn shop for $2.00 each and they are like brand new! You will not get these online any cheaper! I checked already! So I must confess I got the deal of the day at $2.00 each! On Amazon.com some of these discs are near $40.00 each! And that may or may not include shipping.
On Amazon.com a set of just 9 of these discs is near $300.00 and I paid $40.00 plus tax for 20 of them. This was my christmas present to myself!
Here are just some of the performances. Each year listed actually has follow-up discs marked "More 1973" or "More 1974" that are not shown in this list...
1973:
The Doobie Brothers: Listen To The Music
Billy Preston: Will It Go Round In Circles
Jim Croce: Bad Bad Leroy Brown
Gladys Knight & The Pips: Neither One Of Us
Loggins & Messina: Your Mama Don't Dance
Linda Ronstadt: Long Long Time
Argent: Hold Your Head Up
Helen Ready: Delta Dawn
Steely Dan: Reelin In The Years
Johnny Nash: I Can See Clearly Now
Seals & Crofts: Summer Breeze
Anne Murray: Danny's Song
War: The Cisco Kid
Edgar Winter Group: Frankenstein
1974:
Ike & Tina Turner: Proud Mary
Barry White: Cant Get Enough Of Our Love
Sly & Family Stone: Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself
David Essex: Rock On
O'jay's: Love Train
Marvin Gaye: Lets Get It On
Golden Earring: Radar Love
Bill Withers: Ain't No Sunshine
James Brown: Payback
Gordon Lightfoot: Sundown
Gladys Knight & B B King: The Thrill Is Gone
Maria Muldaur: Midnight At The Oasis
Neil Sedaka: Laughter In The Rain
Redbone: Come & Get Your Love
Aerosmith: The Train Kept A Rollin
1975:
The Bee Gees: Nights On Broadway
Peter Frampton: Show Me The Way
Helen Reddy: I Am Woman
Kc & The Sunshine Band: That's The Way I Like It
Rod Stewart: You Wear It Well
Earth Wind & Fire: Shining Star
Orleans: Dane With Me
Natalie Cole: This Will Be
Barry Manilow: Could It Be Magic
Ohio Players: Love Roller Coaster
Olivia Newton John: Have You Ever Been Mellow
Glen Campbell: Rhinestone Cowboy
Aretha Franklin & Ray Charles: It Takes Two To Tango
Minnie Ripperton: Lovin You
Kiss: Black Diamond
1976:
Elton John: Your Song
Fleetwood Mac: Over My Head
Spinners: Rubberband Man
Heart: Magic Man
Hot Chocolate: You Sexy Thing
Wild Cherry: Play That Funky Music
George Benson: This Masquerade
Michael Murphy: Wildfire
Diana Ross: Love Hangover
Eric Carmen: All By Myself
Tom Jones: Delilah
Donna Summer: Love To Love You Baby
England Dan & John Ford Coley: I'd Really Love To See You Tonight
Janis Ian: At Seventeen
Ray Charles: Georgia On My Mind
1977:
Manfred Mann Earth Band: Blinded By The Light
Heart: Crazy On You
Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
Dave Mason: We Just Disagree
Sanford & Townsend: Smoke From A Distant Fire
Thelma Houston: Don't Leave Me This Way
Bread: Make It With You
Andy Gibb: I Just Want To Be Your Everything
The Emotions: Best Of My Love
Johnny Rivers: Slow Dancing
Bonnie Rait: Runaway
Leo Sayer: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
Van Morrison: Domino
Lou Rawls: You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
Marilyn Mccoo & Billy Davis Jr.: You Don't Have To Be A Star
1978:
Hall & Oates: Rich Girl
Eddie Money: Baby Hold On
Robert Palmer: Every Kinda People
The Cars: Just What I Needed
Exile: Kiss You All Over
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers: American Girl
Chic: Le Freak
Four Tops: Ain't No Woman Like The One I Got
Reo Speedwagon: Roll With The Changes
Ambrosia: How Much I Feel
AC/DC: Sin City
Yvonne Elliman: If I Cant Have You
Chuck Mangione: Feels So Good
Ted Nugent: Cat Scratch Fever
The Trammps: Disco Inferno
1979:
Blondie: One Way Or Another
Journey: Lovin'
Touchin'
Squeezin'
Commodores: Three Times A Lady
The Cars: Let's Go
The Baby's: Every Time I Think Of You
The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations
Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive
Nick Gilder: Hot Child In The City
Rick James: You And I
Dolly Parton: I Will Always Love You
Amii Stewart: Knock On Wood
The Pointer Sisters: : Fire
The Charlie Daniels Band: The Devil Went Down To Georgia
Peaches & Herb: Reunited
Rupert Holmes: Escape
1980:
Reo Speedwagon: Keep On Loving You
Hall & Oates: Kiss On My List
America: Magic
Willie Nelson: Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show: When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman
Ambrosia: Biggest Part Of Me
Billy Preston & Syreeta: With You I'm Born Again
Robbie Dupree: Steal Away
Eddie Rabbit: Drivin' My Life Away
The Brothers Johnson: Stomp!
Leo Sayer: When I Need You
Frankie Valli & The Commodores: Grease
Christopher Cross: Sailing
Joan Armatrading: Me Myself I
Million Sellers:
Roy Orbison: Pretty Woman
Fleetwood Mac: Rhiannon
Peter Frampton: Baby I Love Your Ways
John Denver & Mama Cass Elliot: Leaving On A Jet Plane
Bee Gees: Jive Talking
Linda Ronstadt: You're No Good
The Guess Who: American Woman
Al Green: Let's Stay Together
Aretha Franklin: Respect
David Bowie: Space Oddity
Blondie: Heart Of Glass
Labelle: Lady Marmalade
Steve Miller Band: The Joker
Billy Joel: Traveling Preacher
Donna Summer: Last Dance