Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed on The Midnight Special June 2, 1978 Follow us on Social Media: / themidnightspecialtvshow / themidnightspecialtvshow / themidnightspecialtvshow / tmstvshow
Tom Petty was a rare talent who blessed us with marvelous new material all the way up to his misfortunate passing. There was no resting on laurels for him. We can only imagine the great things to come if he had lived longer.
I grew up with Tom Petty, lived in the same city (Gainesville) went to the same high school (he was 10 years older than me). Even though I never knew him personally, I got to know him very well through his music. He was never a showboat, never a big shot, just a nice guy and down to earth. RIP
Grew up with him?? You said you didn't even know him & was 10 yrs younger! By that standard, I grew up with him also & I didn't pass through Gainesville until '84.
@@LoveMaskedBandits When a person says "I grew with Tom Petty", 99.99% of Americans would infer that to mean they were friends as kids & grew up together as friends. The statement he made is actually paradoxical as it's like he's saying they were old friends from the time they were kids, but he doesn't know him. Just because you don't get the implication doesn't mean he's correct in his statement.
I loved the Midnight Special, cause it showed all of my favorite bands and their music 🎶 🎵. I lived for the Midnight Special to come on. I knew that I would get to hear all the best that rock and roll had to offer. It was live. That is what makes it so freaking amazing. Those days of awesome shows are long gone.
After Tom passed, a tribute was given for him. The all-star band - with changing band members - played all of his hits. His catalog is remarkable. His ability to create one hit (and deservedly so) after the other, is on par with very few in all of modern music. One of the most remarkable things Tom ever said in an interview about his superstardom and brilliance, was "Man, I just wanted to make enough money to buy a decent car."
Saw Tom in ‘79 on “Damn the Torpedoes” tour, the Fabulous Poodles band opened. I’ll never forget it! Tom has said the ‘powerhouse’ of the band was the drummer Stan Lynch, & I agree Stan’s phenomenal !!!
@@hklinker That’s so weird you said that! I kept all of my concert stubs forever & ended up throwing them away, like a dummy. For the longest time I thought the bands name was the Fabulous Poodles or Psychedelic Poodles. By golly I was wrong and you are right it was the Fabulous Poodles who opened for Petty on that tour. Thanks for setting the record straight! I feel like the “village idiot” now haha. Thank you! I’ll edit my original post 😉
The Fabulous Poodles’ hit at the time was Think Pink. I can see how you might confuse them with the Psychedelic Furs and even wondered as I read your original post whether you actually saw the Fab Poodles.
It is unbelievable (yet true) that American Girl bombed when released as a single. Such a great song, but didn't even chart in the top 100! Hit #68 when re-released in '94.
TP was a stand up guy. He told The record co not to charge 9.99 for his album and to cap it at 8.99 which he said was the 'right' price. He was almost knocked off for saying this to the criminals who run the 'music business".
No other guitarist ever complemented a lead singer better than Mike Campbell did Tom Petty. And it was sheer genius to have Ron Blair's epic bass guitar notes make their dramatic entrance 15 seconds into "American Girl."
Mike Campbell is the best. I want to go back in time and slap the director of this episode for taking the shot away from Mike right when he starts his iconic solo.
June 1978 - Right before my high school graduation. I mean I had listened to his stuff in the two years prior, but at this point in my life, getting out of high school and getting ready to go off to college, I was really starting to get into him. And by fall 1978, he was a staple of my whole time in college, but really in particular, the first two years I was in college especially, his stuff was being played EVERYWHERE. Great time in my life, and now every time I hear his stuff, I think of this time, and frankly, I tear up. Man, was this ever a great time in life! I really, really, really miss those days!!!! And he was a big, big part of life right about then. Really hard to believe he's gone now. That also makes me tear up. Sometimes I love hearing this music, because it was such a great time. And on the other hand, it's hard to hear this music, because it WAS such a great time, and now it's gone and it will never come back. We never knew we had it so good then!!!
Tom is supposed to be homely with an odd singing voice but his looks and voice and everything just works. And I love that his favorite coffee was Folger’s!
I first heard this in 1977 while still at school and it blew my mind. I bought the record. In England Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were classed as a new wave band. After all these years the song still sounds amazing and it still blows my mind. It is still my Favourite Tom petty song. I bought the album too( as well as many other albums by Tom Petty) . Those were different times and great music.
I still remember the year the stupid Super Bowl half time show's "wardrobe malfunction." The next year Tom Petty came out at halftime and with no frills just completely rocked the shit out of the place.
Thomas Earl Petty/Charlie T. Wilbury. Oct 20, 1950--Oct. 2, 2017. We love & miss our 'American Boy' arguably the 2nd greatest American songwriter of the last 50 yrs. rip TP.
Wow what a blast from the past! I remember this show and this performance I was all of 13 years old and completely in love with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers😊❤❤ I still am today❤
I totally remember watching this the night it premiered. I was 14 (two months from turning 15). That was the Friday night that I decided to kick my almost 2 year old heroin habit (I started right after my 13th birthday). I was a young guitar player and I knew that heroin was keeping me from getting better. Watching Tom Petty that night (it was actually now Saturday the 3rd of June) convinced me that I needed to start a different path. It was a struggle but it worked out (although it was a rough month plus because I did it cold turkey). Seeing this again gives me an incredible feeling. I havent seen this since then. I’m so happy that there’s a Midnight Special channel on RU-vid. And I really, really miss Tom Petty. ✌🏽❤️🎸🍄
What a great song writer and performer. I sometimes watch the postman to see him, being humble in film as in real life. Pearl Jam did a tribute to him in Ft Worth a couple weeks ago. Eddie misses him too.
Way back when...Mr Dilly's first music book was by The Fabulous Mr Tom Petty !! Taught me a Lot....A True American Rock and Roll Hero.... Thank You Tom..You will live in our Hearts.. Forever !! 🙏❤️🎸😎
Oh wow, thanks Midnight special. These are gold. Tom is one of the greats. I grew up in Ocala Fla. and he was from next door Gainesville. Saw him in local clubs around Florida in his early career. Fan every since. 👌🏼👏🏼
The nuance and interplay between the musicians her and throughout the entire career of the band is something to be respected and celebrated. Never a band to have anyone that would show out, but rather all use their impressive skills to make the song as good as they could. It all sounds so simple , but in reality it is far from it. The joy of their catalogue is that you can always hear something new and interesting every time you give one of their albums a spin, you just have to listen close enough. I always felt they did it all for the music and hang the rest of the industry BS, and that’s something we should all strive for.
I clearly remember this one, I was 18 and back then you couldn't see your favorite bands unless you went to a concert, they didn't have the bands I liked on very much, but Tom was one of shows I couldn't wait to see. Thanks for ride back in time.
Fantastic! I think this was about the time I saw him at the Beacon Theater in New York. He was just breaking into the big time. We knew he was going all the way.
the great tom petty loved his music since i was a young man what a great musican and the heartbreakers were an essenital part of the success. god bless
Tom Petty and Stan Lynch the two voices I always heard first whenever I played as a Tom Petty record.... yes I'm old we actually had these things we called records that were played on something called a turntable.😂 Now they just refer to them as vinyl which is now coming back they're just massively expensive to buy or afford 😢 You can get a turntable for a reasonable price.
I loved Tom Petty's music and style so much! This is a great song and performance! Would love to see Refugee or Here Comes My Girl if you have them, anything of his really.
They were on an August 1978 episode too but it might have been the same footage as the June episode. American Girl, Listen to her Heart and I need to know were played on both shows. I don't think they did the show after that.
