Ep 42 - The Midnight Special Episode | November 16, 1973 

Wow....this is magical seeing it for the first time in its entirety and with such crisp quality. As one of the founding members of our band CARMEN, I remember how excited and proud we were to have been given this amazing opportunity to be in such a landmark telecast. We first met Bowie through our record producer Tony Visconti when we were recording our 2nd album, DANCING ON A COLD WIND. I guess Bowie was so impressed by our unique musical vision/presentation that he invited us to be featured on his show. For us it was another incredible moment in our career, the first being signed by Tony Visconti and EMI records the prior year. CARMEN only lasted a short lived 5 years, 3 albums and a fantastic sold out U.S. tour as the opening act for Jethro Tull. But this time in my life provided me with great memories as well as influencing my artistic life beyond. After CARMEN, I returned to California from London and enjoyed a very successful 45 year career as a Flamenco dancer, choreographer and teacher. Since my recent dance retirement, I've returned to my childhood passion of art (abstract expressionistic painting) which I'm now enjoying in my home/studio/gallery in Rancho Mirage, California. And still, after these 50 years, I continue to remain in touch with my dear friends and fellow band members David Clark Allen, Angela Allen-Barr and Paul Fenton. RIP dear John Glasscock🌹

I was at this show as a very over-awed 16 year-old (fan club members could apply for tickets and I was one of the lucky ones). I think I can even glimpse the back of my head in some shots. What a thrill to see this again.

So, me & my mom were watching this. She said “look at that freak!” I was hooked! Bought every album of Bowie’s I could get my hands on. Been a fan ever since.

Dear God. I've never forgotten my 10-year-old self seeing David Bowie perform for the first time

Mick Ronson had a lot going on at that time. Lou Reed's Transformer came out that same year. "Mustn't forget Mick," said Reed.

The best rock show in the history of television!

I remember watching this episode so clearly because it was my first exposure to the cosmic magic that was David Bowie. Hard to believe that was more than 50 years ago.

I saw this original airing while visiting my Grand parents in Stanton Texas. Let’s just say after hearing their disgust they finally went to bed and I was able to relax and enjoy the show.

That version of Space Oddity was spectacular. Mick Ronson... cool as a cucumber and the drummer....absolutely amazing. And Bowie....OMG.

I literally bumped into David Bowie and Iman back in the 80s while going for a walk in London. Both were incredibly friendly and we ended up having a short conversation. David Bowie was such a great talent.

Bowie was a prophet with the opening song 1984 “They’ll split your pretty cranium and fill it full of air”

If it wasn't for Midnight Special, a lot of these great songs, and intimate performances of the greatest musical legends of all time would have been lost, forever.

This is truly iconic. The most epic episode of the Midnight Special ever. Ziggy's last stand. Bowie showing an American TV audience the 21st century in 1973.

That look in Bowies eyes while singing that song "Sorrow" and gazing in Amanda Lears eyes. There was some serious chemistry going on there. Amanda Lear is still around today at the age of 86. Wish Bowie was still with us.

Bowie in his post-Ziggy Stardust no eyebrows space oddity look. MAN this takes me back. Incredible episode of the incredible Midnight Special. We will never see it's like again. But take comfort in the fact that the Earth is something like 14 billion years old and we got to live in the same time as David Bowie.

Been waiting for this quality re-release of Bowies 1980 Floor Show in its entirety from the Midnight Special for 50 plus years! ...Thank you Mr. Burt Sugarman for blessing us with this particular episode and all the Midnight Special re-releases as haven't missed a one yet since you have been generously posting them and this one's been on my episode countdown list! 😀

I remember watching this as a 12 year old with my sisters. They were very vocal with their disgust of David Bowie. I just kept my mouth shut, but inside I was thinking it was the greatest thing I had ever seen. Eventually, even my sisters grew to respect him. I feel lucky to have seen the touring Bowie exhibit in Brooklyn back in 2018. Some of the costumes he wore on this show were part of the exhibit.

Oh this is GOLD ... finding such a vintage episode with BOWIE! I grew up with the weekly Midnight Special tv show in the '70s. It was long before MTV and music videos, and the only way to see your favorite bands play live. I was mesmerized watching Bowie, his stage show, his costumes... I was forever changed.

This was first broadcast on my thirteenth birthday, the day I officially became a teenager. It was My Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation all rolled into one. It's a moment, when looking back, was one of those moments when you make choices that alter your path and you start to follow your own instincts and dive in against all odds. My age of enlightenment with Bowie shining a light on all aspects of the Arts worthy of exploration. Musicians, naturally, but also poets, writers, film directors, mimes, painters, dance troupes, fashion designers, actors, and the world of theatre in all it's forms. I couldn't have asked for a better education. Getting to finally see the complete show, and in HD, was like meditative time travel and it was 1973 all over again. Life was just beginning for me and the experience of watching it in 1973 sent a subliminal message that I was not alone, there are thousands of others like you, and eventually, I would find my tribe. I did, and I owe it all to David Bowie and this broadcast. So thank you David, and thank you to the people behind the scenes, making this happen at The Midnight Special we really, really appreciate it. Keeping David's artistry available and alive for future generations to experience is important to me. If you've never watched the complete episode, get ready, TheTroggs, Marianne Faithful, and Flamenco Glam Rockers, Carmen, who I was most interested to see again. They did not disappoint. Bowie is in top form all around, just his voice alone is incredible, and he's risk taking right out of the gate when you think he opened the set with a brand new song he was working on for his proposed musicial of Orwell's 1984 and he f&%ing nails it ! He's exhilarated at the end of the song, having pulled it off, he shares a wonderful moment of acknowledgement with Mick Ronson that they nailed it. 👁🧡⚡

Man O man it's sure great to see these old episodes of The Midnight Special magically reproduced to their original ( or even better than original) quality.

Omg - this must have been mind blowing for kids watching Bowie for the first time in 1973, it was so futuristic, theatrical, artistic and wonderous. Whoever uploaded this, thanx.❤😁👌

The quality of these shows are so amazing. Thank you to Burt Sugarman for sharing these great shows in their entirety. My husband and I look forward to this every Friday night.

Wow! Didn't expect this. My god this is spectacular. I'm blown away! I was 5 when I first saw this laying next to my mother on the couch. She never missed the show and every weekend I could find her watching this, or Don Kirshner. And then when MTV came around Mom and I sat for hours watching every single video over and over again. But I remember this vaguely. It was my first time seeing Bowie and it attracted me right away. Later I'd go on to love his songs like, "Young Americans", "Fame", "Golden Years", etc. But this was it. My very first ever rock show and it got me to go toward working in radio as a career, and in the many bands I drummed and sang for. This is it. This was the very beginning for me.

😢Thank you for posting this. Rare footage, to see Bowie sing songs from his Pin-up, Diamond Dogs and Alad Insane albums is a treat.

As a young teen, I watched Afternoon Plus with Mavis Nicholson speak with David Bowie back in 1979. It was an exceptional interview. Even though Bowie's personas could be quite avant-garde, he was still accessible as well and always focused on the integrity of his music. He was one of my favourite musicians. It's sad he's gone.

This is Bowie Performance Art and I love it! So creative!!

My very first Bowie recording, before I had any of his albums, was when I put my Sears tape recorder up to the TV speaker and recorded this episode. I jammed on it for years! Alas, the tape has gone the way of the dodo (all pun intended), so it’s awesome that I can finally relive this rare Rock experience again here on RU-vid.

i'm crying. greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Aynsley Dunbar holy crap! This was one of the greatest hard rock bands with the addition of his powerful drumming

How utterly mind-blowing and disorienting and even slightly scary must it have been to see this David Bowie performance on your television in 1973!!!

These shows were GREAT! Would get home and sit in front of the TV watching THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL!!!!

Seeing that duet with Bowie and Faithfull was priceless!! David in androgynous glam and Marianne looking like a rogue nun was amazing.

The spider with the platinum hair is one of the best and most influential guitarists of this era.

Bowie is such a showman, this is very European, naturally, about 6 months after the Ziggy Stardust tour ended, probably explains the webs on the dancers' outfits. Carmen, playing songs off their debut album Fandangos in Space. Mick Ronson on electric guitar, love the Skylab footage. Those dancers are so flexible. Bowie doing a Who song, made it his own. Haunting version of As Tears Go By. First time seeing the Troggs perform, Wild Thing is the only song of theirs I've ever heard before this. Mick really fired up the Les Paul for Jeans Genie. Marianne Faithfull on her way to a guest appearance on the "Flying Nun", as Sally Fields druggy sister. This episode reminds me of the Eurovision Song Contest I watched while I was stationed in Turkey. Great episode, thank you The Midnight Special, perks like this make the membership fee a bargain.

A life altering moment....I was there the first time, not knowing who Bowie was....I wonder how many copies Bowie's records 8tracks, cassettes, CD's, iTunes I purchased because of this show.....FTR, this was the first pre-taped showing of this show: we know because the word " screw" was cut....the first time was live and it made it through. I still have ( and play) the Carmen FANDANGOS IN SPACE. I've gone 50 years wanting to relive it...and here it is. Never anything like it....THANK YOU FOR POSTING.. LONG LIVE BOWIE.

When I was a kid that’s how all the grownups watched concerts, sitting on blankets. I’m lucky they brought me to some. Had to take myself to see Bowie many years later myself ;D So fun to see this❣️®️

Amazing what was happening musically in the early 70's. Loads of experimentation musically and visually. The cream rose to the top, the others faded. Great Program Midnight Special.

THANK YOU MIDNIGHT SPECIAL! I'm watching the performance by Carmen, and I look at the bass player and think, that looks a lot like John Glascock , who was in Jethro Tull (of whom I'm a fan) and it turns out I was right! . I am now listening to their first album Fandangos in Space (1973)!!

Never thought I'd see Carmen with the late great John Glascock who went on to play with Jethro Tull. Brilliant.

This is one of the best. So cool to see Bowie at this stage, from the Marquee Club no less. I remember getting his first album and it was like nothing I’d ever heard before. Thanks for putting all these great shows up for us.

Saw Bowie on the Sound+Vision tour. So seeing this is just amazing.

It's amazing that in this short era Bowie was working on Pin ups, Aladdin Sane, diamond dogs and producing Lou Reed's transformer.

Such talent in David Bowie. RIP.

It was called the 1980 floor show because the Orwell estate would not allow him to call it the 1984 show. I not only remember this show vividly, I remember his wife at the time, Angela, on the Johnny Carson show before this came on. She even sang the song under her stage name of Gyp Jones. As much as I can't wait to watch this I'd give anything to see that again, I bet it's in the Carson archive somewhere

The good ol' days of great classic rock music

Im so glad this episode is available. I remember being 8 yrs old watching this in front of the tv with volume low to not wake my parents. I was scared of Bowie it really felt like he was an alien visiting Earth.. I love how Wolfman Jack refers to him as David Buoy!

Thank you so much for this amazing performance of bowie! I was a bit too young for concerts then, and i discovered bowie later in life. But i love everything about him because he was so unique. These costumes are outrageous, like the man who wore them. Bowie will never be forgotten!

Troggs....A band much appreciated by early Punks In The Know!

What a great moment in rock and television history. Glad to finally see a good quality version. Like waking up from the bad dream of the VHS version I had back in the day. Thanks.

This "Dodo" version of "1984" with Mick Ronson juxtaposed with the horns is a superior arrangement. I don't know why David changed it on the studio album. I was keen on the Spiders, but missed them. Then I saw this on NBC, and the "Diamond Dogs" tour the next summer. No matter what aggregation of musicians, they always had that Bowie art sound. And I loved the "Pin Ups" stuff. I saw many of these costumes at the V&A Museum in London. I believe it is now permanent.

Best version of Space Oddity. Ever.

Bowie is awesome, but never in my life would I have predicted I'd ever see any video from Carmen!

Society will be so happy when it sees this in less than 2 weeks from now.

Meeting Mick Cousin and spending A few minutes with him is absolutely one of the great joys of my life! It seems he's more appreciated these days than he's ever been. A golden god guitarist and sweet bloke!🤘😎🤘🙏❤

Fabulous...we never saw this here in the UK during the Bowie-mania 70s and I can't help chuckling to myself when I picture what middle America made of this ...Bowie's tartiest, draggiest performance ever when it was broadcast there in 1973! I'm picturing bullets though TV screens and very un-Christian language!

I remember when I saw this on a summer rerun in 1976, this made me a Bowie fan. Until then I had only heard moonage daydream in late '72 because of an art teacher in 1st grade. When I saw this I thought at the time it needed more Bowie. It could have skipped the others.

Super awesome! Thank you so much MS for putting this show on in its entirety!

This was a whole different genre in music taking place. Innovative and a new sound I loved it

I had just turned 17 and was already a Bowie fan. I still am.

I saw the original airing in "73. At 12 yrs old, I was enthralled. Seeing this now, I forgot how hot he was singing "Sorrow". I miss this beautiful man.

Micks' guitar blast off part in Space Oddity is amazing. He sounds just like him while singing I'm floating around in my tin can. WOW

The peak of glam and an androgyneous Bowie who surely had schocked the American audience And these costumes ! No limit Thse show is historic

Sharon Osborne later stole David’s hairstyle. No-one looks better than Bowie in a topless spandex jumpsuit. What a great upload, thank you!!

A brilliant episode in every way. I did sneakily stay up as a kiddo when this was first broadcast and was transfixed by the wildness and the great music.

I can still remember being a rather bemused teen seeing Carmen's unique brand of "flamenco rock" when they opened for my all-time favorite band, Jethro Tull, on the latter's 1975 WarChild tour. Little did I know then that a short time later their bass player John Glascock would become Tull's bassist. So unfortunate that he died so young after such a short stint with them.

Wow, that was a treat! It felt like part concert- part cabaret show! Really cool! I liked Carmen a lot! That Flamenco/prog rock style was awesome! Marianne was cool, and that duet she did with David was awesome! It reminded me of Rocky Horror Picture Show, which came later, of course. Excellent entertainment!🤩😎💜

Wow, such a crystal clear quality. I watched this episode the night it came out at the age of 16 and it changed my musical life forever.

Amanda Lear(Dooshenka) looks fabulous.

Awesome work. Thank you for this!

Mick Ronson!! All the Way!! His open jacket and matching pants, whew!! He’s got a great voice for backing vocals, and the count down… LOVE you Bowie! Beautiful song and band, Woodmansey and Bolder are top notch too. Wish I was in the audience here. ❤❤❤

Carmen - Bullfight @37:40 is not to be missed. Such an amazing episode. Thank you so much for sharing this and everything else. I hope we can buy blurays of these episodes eventually.

Troggs doing Strange Movies and I Can't Control Myself - too classic for words!

50 years ago, unbelievable

Finally an authorized video of the show. Much appreciated.

Best Valentines present that feel to earth. So happy to see the full show and with decent quality ❤ Cheers for uploading this.

Thanks a lot. I bought the album Fandangos in Space from the band Carmen in the 70s and this is the first time I see them live. Great.👍🏼❤️

Mick and David at TBE peak of their game!

I can't wait to see all these wonderful gems that will find their way to RU-vid over the coming years.. A one-off! A Special one at that! Thank you for sharing this.. X

David Bowie, thank you, Creator Sprit brought to earth, philosopher, prognosticator, cultural icon, blessing upon our sad sorrow filled lives. NOW??? do you understand what we lost when he left? bet you do.

People worldwide flock to my hometown nowadays, including major musical acts, but in the 1970s there were zero rock bands performing there live, and barely on the radio. Preteen me was lucky enough to to catch the midnight special every now and then though, and I treasure having seen this and many others when first broadcast; they truly changed my life.

My 13th birthday show! It was several years before my life turned upside down. My step dad hadn't got his orders to London yet! Two years later and the punks took over. One of a kind Mr. Bowie!

Never seen this before,the picture and sound quality are brilliant,David bowie is right on form here,what an absolute showman,his music is phenomenal,and to think this was only a tiny part of his work,he was simply years ahead of everyone,he owned the 70s,an absolute legend,we will never see his kind again.rip starmanX

Thanks. U made this old bowie fan very happy

CARMEN rocks! First time experiencing their music... Pretty amazing and deep. Great prog. rock elements.

This has been a treat! Thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

so amazing to see a performance of the Gene Genie in 1973.......that song is iconic

So after a mere 50 years (really!), I finally get to watch this in near broadcast quality. I probably will not hold my breath waiting for the 4K remaster!

the Sorrow film clip that I have seen all my life came from TMS??? mind = blown.. well done guys and thank you

Bowie 1984 Show!! And, this is from 1973! 1984 was one of the best years of my life. 1984 great song to end the show on The Midnight Special Shining the Light on You.

Jesus! I thought I’d seen everything about this man. Thankyou for this!! Amazing!!

I watched this live when this first aired with my mom. This turned me into a David Bowie fan later that year I got Bowie live album for Christmas.❤🎄🤘🎸

Just exquisite from start to finish. Thank you for sharing ❤️

Wow, this video is a true treasure, we are seeing David Bowie in one of his best moments, the group Carmen are magnificent and the classic Wild Thing live, I had never seen it... applause 👋👋👋👋

I really like that group called Carmen 10:14, 37:42. I like their sound and performance. Space Oddity 16:44 is my favorite David Bowie song.

It's always fun watching Bowie go through these musical phases...Ziggy was just a year or so before and this performance was like the last remnants of that persona morphing into a whole different character...the aesthetic was Ziggy-esque but the sound was changing.

Bowie...never be anyone like him...Brilliant! Thank you for sharing!

I watched this when it first aired. It was a BIG thing - I had become Bowie crazed. This was right after he broke up the Spiders (though I guess he wasn't ready to give up Ziggy), and was done to promote Pin Ups that had just been released. It's fascinating that he included songs from Diamond Dogs, which wouldn't be released until the following year - no one had heard those songs. Bold move. Thanks to Burt and the team from the Midnight Special channel - looks and sounds GREAT!!

THIS IS INCREDIBLE. thank you.

The Sonny and Cher cover with Bowie and Faithfull is something unexpected to see to said the least .

So much going on here it's quite incredible . What an amazing show from everyone involved and Bowie just draws you in .