The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
The Porter Wagoner Show #128 with special guests The Statler Brothers.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Promo for Porter Wagoner Show #128 with special guests The Statler Brothers. Spot opens with the brothers singing the chorus of "Flowers On The Wall." The camera pulls out to reveal Porter wearing his pink Nudie suit, announcing "That's The Statler Brothers, they're my special guests this week on The Porter Wagoner Show." Porter names Norma Jean and Speck, then invites us to tune in, right on this channel. Shot of colorful title card ends clip. Though the image fades to black at 01:00:01, the Statlers can be heard after that point singing a little more, then one of them is heard saying: "Do another one you say? Wasn't that good?"
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Introduction to Porter Wagoner show #128. Program opens with Wagoner and Wagonmasters Mack Magaha, Buck Trent, Speck Rhodes, Don Warden, and George McCormick as well as Norma Jean onscreen singing "Howdy Neighbor Howdy" in front of a barnyard set painted a glowing lime green. 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 Norma Jean, and special guest stars The Statler Brothers. Bringing you your favorite songs and stars of the Grand Ole Opry!" Howser enters and shakes hands with Porter, who wears his brain-roastingly garish pink Nudie suit. Howser introduces Porter 100% straight for once, saying the show was voted #1 by Country Music Roundup Magazine. Backed by The Wagonmasters (in matching western-themed blue suits of their own), Porter plays guitar and sings "Dooley." Focus on Buck Trent and his electric banjo and Mack Magaha's frenetic fiddling, after which Porter refers to them as "The Bobbsey Twins."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Porter introduces the nicest guys in show business, and in a nicely apropos pseudo-Freudian slip, says they've been "so business-- I mean busy" that Porter's been trying to get them on the show for almost two years. Backed by The Wagonmasters, The Statler Brothers harmonize on "Ruthless." Porter comes back and introduces commercial.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
The Wagonmasters play us out of the commercial break with the instrumental "Cindy," featuring Buck Trent. Nice CUs of Buck's electric three-fingered whammy bar banjo picking.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Porter says "Buck Trent and an old-timer called Cindy." Then with his arm around Norma Jean, Porter looks at her and says "Speaking of old timers, how ya doin', pal?" Porter pulls her a little closer and says he's kidding, and for a moment it looks like they're about to kiss. But instead, Porter just says "Here's a beautiful little gal that's with us each week on the show, and I always enjoy, Pretty Miss Norma Jean." Backed by The Wagonmasters, Jean plays guitar and sings the Don Gibson song "Lonesome No. 1" from her 1964 LP "Let's Go All The Way." MS Buck Trent.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Backed by The Wagonmasters, Porter plays guitar and sings "Julie" from his 1967 LP "The Cold Hard Facts Of Life," saying in his introduction: "I hope you'll listen closely to the words and might enjoy it." During the instrumental break, Porter says while playing guitar: "Look out Chet... I'm gettin' Atkins' job next week." It's the only light moment in a dark, minor-key song about a failed love that turns a man to madness. The song as performed here is markedly different than the album version, with a more swinging arrangement, and a rewritten last verse that, though dark enough in narrating a first-person descent into madness, is still somewhat less sordid than the murder/suicide scenario described on the LP. Strong stuff, especially coming from a man wearing a sparkly pink suit.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Barely able to control his giggling, Porter introduces his old gap-toothed comedian pal Speck Rhodes, who enters wearing his usual checkered suit and bowler hat on top of an orange wig. Speck tells a corny joke about spooning on the couch with his girlfriend Sadie, which segues into "I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes," a weepy romantic number Speck sings backed by The Wagonmasters. Afterwards ol' Speckle says he's going to see if the Statler boys need another singer, and Porter says "I don't think they need you in their group."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Porter introduces the day's sacred number and dedicates it to all the mothers in the audience, in particular his mother in West Plains, Missouri. Accompanied by The Wagonmasters, Porter plays guitar and sings "Beautiful Wings."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Porter thanks everyone for tuning in and patronizing their sponsors, then somewhat awkwardly has the camera follow him over to where the Statler Brothers are standing in preparation for their next number. Porter talks with Don Reid ("who does all the talking for the group") and they chat about how all four of them grew up within 12 miles of each other in Virginia. Then backed by The Wagonmasters the Statlers perform their breakthrough hit, 1965's "Flowers On The Wall." A baby can be heard crying near the end of the song. Porter talks for second afterwards about how Lew DeWitt wrote that one, and how Lew's penned a lot of great ones for the group.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Porter fills some time and answers "a lot of requests that Norma Jean sing two songs," so backed by The Wagonmasters Jean plays guitar and sings "Conscience Keep An Eye On Me." CUs Don's Sho-Bud steel guitar.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 128
Porter wraps up the show, waving goodbye and shaking hands with the Statlers as The Wagonmasters play the instrumental show outro, Don Howser signs off, credits roll, and Mack fiddles and dances us off the air.