via Time-Life: Coming to retail on Tuesday 10/13: THE SOUL OF THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, a brand new five-DVD compilation featuring more than seventy live performances by some of the greatest soul artists of the 1970s, including James Brown, Barry White, Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Green, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Curtis Mayfield, Sly & the Family Stone and more

Fairfax, VA (September 18, 2020) – Like never before THE SOUL OF THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL brings home audiences and music lovers everywhere an unforgettable collection of legendary soul artists performing their hits in the prime of their careers — uncut performances, just straight-from-the-heart soul singing with live musicians in front of a live audience. Now available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon for the first time on October 13, 2020.

In the period between American Bandstand and MTV, there were sev­eral shows that tried to bring new music to television, but it wasn’t until The Midnight Special, premiered on August 19, 1972, that live music found a home on the air. Burt Sugarman, producer of Grammy Awards telecasts, was frustrated by television’s lack of programming after The Tonight Show ended — the screen reverting to test patterns at 1:00 a.m.. Recognizing this valuable airtime could cater to a brand-new audience that craved its latest musical heroes, he created The Midnight Special, which ran every Friday night on NBC from 1972 to 1981.

The’70s was a special time for soul music and The Midnight Special truly had an affinity for the genre. Week after week, home audiences would have virtual front row seats for performances by the greatest soul performers of the time including Al Green, Earth Wind & Fire, Patti LaBelle, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Spinners, The O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, The Stylistics, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight and The Pips and so many more. The Midnight Special was the only show where you could see real live performances week after week.

This October, for the first time ever, Time Life’s THE SOUL OF THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL brings together the greatest soul performances handpicked from thousands in one very special 5-disc set. Included is an incredible collection of true soul classics – many of which haven’t been seen since their original broadcast: from Let’s Stay Together to Midnight Train to Georgia to love songs like the Stylistics’ Betcha by Golly, Wow to dance grooves like Sly & the Family Stone’s Dance to the Music and Ohio Players’ Fire. All-time classic performances include Back Stabbers by the O’Jays, Tired of Being Alone by Al Green, Could It Be I’m Falling in Love by Spinners, Lean on Me by Bill Withers, The Love I Lost by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and I Want to Take You Higher by Sly & the Family Stone. Also included are exclusive interviews with James Brown, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire The O’Jays, Russell Thompkins Jr. of The Stylistics, Bobby Womack, Ted Mills of Blue Magic, Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, Gerald Alston, The Manhattans and George Benson.

THE SOUL OF THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL includes (in alphabetical order):