The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
The Porter Wagoner Show #97 with special guest Grandpa Jones.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Promo for Porter Wagoner Show #97 with special guest Grandpa Jones. Spot opens with Porter asking Speck Rhodes "Do you know who that is?" and Speck replying "Yeah, George Morgan." Porter corrects him as the camera pulls out to reveal Grandpa Jones playing "Mountain Dew." Porter says Jones is going to be his guest, then asks Speck "You gonna be here?" to which Rhodes says "Yeah, you and me both."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Introduction to Porter Wagoner show #97. Program opens with Wagoner and Wagonmasters Speck Rhodes, Don Warden, and George McCormick as well as Norma Jean onscreen singing "Howdy Neighbor Howdy." Over title card decorated with drawing of Wagoner, announcer Hairl Hensley introduces Wagoner and The Wagonmasters, show regulars Speck Rhodes and Norma Jean, and "your favorite songs and stars of the Grand Ole Opry!" Wearing garish rhinestone-studded Nudie suit, Wagoner welcomes audience, then plays guitar and sings "Country Music Has Gone To Town" from his 1964 LP "The Bluegrass Story," accompanied by The Wagonmasters.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Porter introduces Grandpa Jones, who says "It just does me so much good to come and pick with you boys... they're such good musicians, they could play 'Shady Grove' in g flat minor with their hands in their pockets." Jones cracks Porter up with a story about how he dislocated his shoulder tryin' to catch a rooster that can't crow, which ended up with him putting "nine gallons of liniment" on the afflicted area. Backed by The Wagonmasters, Grandpa plays banjo and sings a pretty danged funny version of "The Bald-Headed End Of The Broom."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
With the camera starting on a tight close-up shot of his fiddle, Mack and the Wagonmasters play us out of the commercial break with "Yakety Axe," a sax-less version of Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Porter introduces Pretty Miss Norma Jean, who seems delighted to have made good on her promise to pay tribute to Kitty Wells as she said she would on the last show. Backed by The Wagonmasters, Norma plays guitar and sings a cover of Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." MCU Mack Magaha.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Porter decides that since Norma's done so many of his songs, he should do one of hers for a change. Accompanied by The Wagonmasters, Porter plays guitar and sings a short version of "You're Driving Me Out Of My Mind."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Porter introduces gap-toothed comedian Speck Rhodes, who makes call on old-time crank telephone wearing his trademark checkered suit with bow tie and bowler hat. The fake wall on which the phone is mounted looks like it's about to fall over as Speck winds up the phone, and ol' Speckle makes a little joke about it. Rhodes chats with fictional operator/girlfriend Sadie, asks to be connected with Doc Pullem, lets loose a slew of corny old fashioned jokes. At end of bit Don Warden returns and plugs the show's souvenir booklet #4, "The Porter Wagoner Show Hits The Road!", containing songs and pictures. It can be yours for only fifty cents by mail. Shot of graphic of an envelope addressed to Wagoner; the cameraman has a little trouble getting it in focus.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Porter portentously introduces a song he says he's very proud to have had the opportunity to record. Sitting in front of an artfully lit plain backdrop and accompanied by The Wagonmasters, Porter sings/recites his latest single, "I Dreamed I Saw America On Her Knees." A somber song for a nation going though turbulent times. The number mentions people saying "God is dead," an apparent reference to the famous April 8, 1966 Time Magazine cover story that asked: "Is God Dead?"
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Porter reintroduces Grandpa Jones, who ambles in and makes a crack about not wanting to step on Porter's "ninety dollar boots." Jones tells a long shaggy dog story about how his uncle surprised his aunt Martha.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Backed by The Wagonmasters, Grandpa plays guitar and sings "Eight More Miles To Louisville." Nice shots of Jones and Buck Trent during Buck's guitar solos.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 98
Since Buck's already got the capo on the guitar, Porter asks him to play a little bit of "Wildwood Flower," and Buck obliges until Porter has to wrap up the show. As the Wagonmasters play instrumental show outro and announcer signs off, Wagoner shakes hands with Norma Jean, then waves goodbye as Magaha fiddles and dances us off the air. End title super reads: "Produced by Show Biz in cooperation with WSM-TV."