The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
The Porter Wagoner Show #112 with special guest Mel Tillis.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
Promo for Porter Wagoner Show #112 with special guest Mel Tillis. Spot opens with MS of Porter in a gold lame' Nudie suit singing Tillis' "I'm Gonna Act Right." Camera pulls back to reveal Tillis in the background, stuttering: "Well friends... our guest next week is uh... (long pause) ... I'll see you in a few days. Mel Tillis, I'll see you in a few days."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
Introduction to Porter Wagoner show #112. 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 brightly painted, lime green colored barnyard set. Over brightly colored title card decorated with drawing of Wagoner, announcer Don Howser introduces Wagoner and The Wagonmasters, show regulars Speck Rhodes and Norma Jean, and "your favorite songs and stars of the Grand Ole Opry!" Howser enters and shakes hands with Porter, introduces him with a joke about his generosity concerning Wagoner and George McCormick playing cards. Wearing a dazzling rhinestone-studded gold lame' Nudie suit, Porter welcomes audience, then plays guitar and sings Mel Tillis' song "I'm Gonna Act Right" backed by The Wagonmasters (who wear equally flashy bright blue western outfits). CU Buck's rock-ish guitar playing.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
Porter introduces Mel Tillis, who play guitar and sings the Harlan Howard song "Life Turned Her That Way" from his 1967 LP "Life's That Way," backed by The Wagonmasters. Tillis wears a dark brown Nudie suit festooned with a multitude of rhinestones in a desert flora theme (cacti, etc). Porter returns and greets "Tilly." Porter finishes a sentence that Mel has trouble with on his own, then Porter tells the audience that Mel has "a little speech impediment" (Tillis: "A *little* one?") that he treats lightly. Porter shows off Mel's LP "Life's That Way" (CU cover) and urges everyone to buy a copy, then we go to commercial.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
Buck and Mack play us out of the commercial with a short but leisurely paced instrumental rendition of Mel Tillis' "Saw Mill," backed by the rest of The Wagonmasters. Porter returns and talks about how most of the day's songs were written by Tillis, a great singer and songwriter.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
Porter introduces Pretty Miss Norma Jean, who wears a two-tone lime-green-on-white dress. Backed by The Wagonmasters, Jean plays guitar and sings the Tillis composition "So Soon. Nice CUs of Don's Sho-Bud pedal steel. Afterwards, Porter returns and promotes Mel's songwriting again.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
Porter plugs Norma Jean's record with Liz Anderson and Bobby Bare, "The Game Of Triangles." Since neither Liz nor Bobby are available at present, Norma plays guitar and sings it with George as "the husband," and an utterly frightening Mack Magaha in blonde wig, skirt, and falsetto as "the other woman." During the number, Mack flings his pretty blonde hair in George's face. Surprisingly, no one can keep a straight face during the song.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
Don Howser introduces "a real, real artist, with the looks of Richard Burton and the charms of Elizabeth Taylor." Someone shouts from off stage: "You've got the wrong man." Don: "Oh. Well, I think you'll see what I mean when I introduce Speck Rhodes." Speck Rhodes enters wearing his trademark black & yellow checkered suit with bow tie and white bowler hat, and makes a dumb joke featuring Tillis. Then, backed by The Wagonmasters, Rhodes sings the pro-country music novelty number "I Like Mountain Music." MS Buck Trent and his guitar. At the end, Porter plugs the show's fifth souvenir booklet, containing songs and stories and pictures. It can be yours for only fifty cents by mail in an envelope (a word Porter pronounces three different ways). Colorful graphic of an envelope addressed to Porter.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
Porter introduces the day's hymn, one that he says Mel Tillis likes to sing every time they're out fishing together, or what have you. Dedicating it especially to all the all mothers watching the show, Porter plays guitar and sings "Beautiful Wings" accompanied by The Wagonmasters. As the song begins, the faux sky behind the set dims from late afternoon to sundown.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
After the commercial, Porter and Mel return and Tillis plays guitar and sings the hit that "couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," "Stateside," accompanied by The Wagonmasters (and George McCormick on vocals).
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 112
Mel fidgets awkwardly with his guitar while Porter asks him to name one of the biggest songs he's written. Tillis answers "Detroit City," then sings a little bit of it, again backed by The Wagonmasters with vocals by George. But they run out of time, and Porter wraps up the show. As the Wagonmasters play instrumental show outro and Howser signs off, Wagoner waves goodbye as Magaha fiddles and he, Speck, and Mel dance like pill-popping maniacs.