This is an unusual episode in a few different ways. The vast majority of the episodes were filmed in the same location, in the Los Angeles area, and featured one host plus a handful of guests. But this one was entirely filmed in Russell's personal recording studio, called the Church Studio (because it was inside a former church), in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It also had just one other musical act, the Gap Band. Furthermore, the Gap Band didn't just play a couple of their own songs, as usual. Instead, Russell and the Gap Band played together on every song. But Russell sang most of the songs, while the Gap Band only sang lead on two, while they also dominated one instrumental. Furthermore, there was no audience whatsoever, no doubt due to the unusual location.
I believe the reason for all of these unusual aspects is because the Midnight Special production crew went to this part of the country in order to film an episode that took place at a special Willie Nelson's Fourth of July concert that year. Russell was one of the stars of that, so the show people probably figured they could record another episode with Russell while they were in the area. The concert episode aired the week right after this one, and was also hosted by Russell. I'll get to posting that one eventually. I only know the broadcast date for this episode. But I'll bet the actual recording date was close to the date of the concert.
The Gap Band got to be pretty famous, due to a series of hits in the late 1970s and through most of the 1980s. But at the time of this concert in 1974, they were complete unknowns. They were formed in Tulsa in 1967, with lead singer Charlie Wilson and his two brothers as the core. However, they didn't have success until 1974, when they were the backing band for Russell's studio album that year, "Stop All That Jazz." He signed them to his record label, Shelter Records, and let them record their debut album in his studio, the same exact studio where this performance took place. However, the resulting album, "Magicians Holiday," didn't get any traction at all. It didn't make the U.S. album chart, and none of the singles from it made any singles chart either. It would be three more years before they released another album, and that one would come out on another label. So it seems their association with Russell only lasted around 1974.
The music here is unreleased. The sound quality is excellent.
01 talk (Leon Russell)
02 Delta Lady (Leon Russell with the Gap Band)
03 talk (Wolfman Jack)
04 Alcatraz - Going Back (Leon Russell with the Gap Band)
05 talk (Leon Russell)
06 Smashed (Leon Russell with the Gap Band)
07 talk (Leon Russell)
08 Streakers Ball (Leon Russell with the Gap Band)
09 talk (Leon Russell)
10 Magicians Holiday (Gap Band with Leon Russell)
11 Queen of the Roller Derby - Roll Away the Stone (Leon Russell with the Gap Band)
12 Tommy's Groove [Instrumental] (Gap Band with Leon Russell)
13 Ain't That Peculiar (Leon Russell & the Gap Band)
14 Tight Rope (Leon Russell with the Gap Band)
15 You Can Always Count on Me (Gap Band with Leon Russell)
16 talk (Wolfman Jack)
17 Delta Lady [Reprise] (Leon Russell with the Gap Band)
NOTE: I currently am unable to add PixelDrain links. But I will add one here once I am able again.
https://bestfile.io/en/E6llSkNMUJhfmvK/file
This cover image is a screenshot I took of a YouTube video of this exact concert. I couldn't find an image with more members of the Gap Band, especially lead singer Charlie Wilson, since they were spread out all over the studio. But at least I got Russell (at the bottom with long light hair) with the bassist and some backing vocalists.
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