The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
The Porter Wagoner Show #148 with special guest Conway Twitty.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
Opening of Porter Wagoner show #148. Program opens with Wagoner and Wagonmasters Mack Magaha, Buck Trent, Speck Rhodes, Don Warden, and George McCormick as well as Dolly Parton onscreen singing "Howdy Neighbor Howdy" in front of the "Wagon House" set, built to resemble a country barnyard. Over brightly colored title card decorated with drawing of Wagoner, announcer Don Howser exclaims: "And now, in color, it's The Porter Wagoner Show, starring Porter Wagoner and The Wagonmasters, with Speck Rhodes and Dolly Parton. Special guest Conway Twitty. Bringing you your favorite songs and stars of the Grand Ole Opry!" Howser enters and shakes hands with Porter, who wears an orange Nudie suit covered in rhinestone cacti and wagon wheels. Howser and Wagoner clown around for a second, then Howser introduces Wagoner saying that at a recent awards ceremony, the band voted Porter the "most promising artist." Porter acts indignant, then Howser says: "they said that you'd promised them a raise, a vacation, and everything else." Then accompanied by The Wagonmasters (in matching blue western-themed Nudie suits of their own), Porter and Dolly sing a spine-tinglingly sweet duet on "The Last Thing On My Mind," their first hit as a duet (which was recorded only a week before this performance).
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
Porter introduces "the one and only" Conway Twitty, who plays guitar and sings "If You Were Mine To Lose," from his 1966 LP "Look Into My Teardrops," backed by his own band (steel guitar/bass/drums).
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
Leading The Wagonmasters, Mack Magaha fiddles us out of the commercial with a quick breakdown, "Katy Hill."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
Porter introduces the "pretty little girl singer" Dolly Parton, in the process thanking everyone who has written in to express their support for Dolly. Backed by The Wagonmasters and sporting a dynamite sky-high bouffant, Dolly plays guitar and sings "I Couldn't Wait Forever."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
Porter introduces a "real old number," the Bill Monroe chestnut "Blue Moon Of Kentucky." Porter plays guitar and sings a bluesy, slow ballad version of the song, backed by The Wagonmasters. The lights dim as in nightfall, then in a goofy video effect, a moon-shaped window opens onscreen in which appears Mack Magaha, fiddling.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
Porter returns from commercial and thanks everyone for patronizing his sponsors, then introduces gap-toothed comedian Speck Rhodes, who enters wearing his trademark checkered suit and bowler hat. Speck makes a dopey psuedo risqu joke about picking up "Conway Twiddle" at the airport and having a close encounter with a blonde girl in another car on the ride back. Backed by The Wagonmasters, Speck dances and sings the novelty number "Puttin' On The Style."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
Backed by The Wagonmasters, Porter plays guitar and sings/ recites the week's inspirational number, "You're Not Home Yet." Despite Porter saying the number is one of his favorites, his timing is a little rushed and he pretty much phones this one in.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 148
Backed again by his own band, Twitty plays guitar and sings "Working Girl," from his 1967 album "Country." The song nicely straddles the line between rock and country. As the song reaches its conclusion, the camera pulls out to reveal Porter at the mic who says they're out of time. Porter wraps up the show, waving goodbye as The Wagonmasters play the instrumental show outro, Don Howser signs off, the credits roll, and George chases Speck around his bass as Mack fiddles and dances us off the air.