The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
The Porter Wagoner Show #142 with special guest Webb Pierce.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Promo for Porter Wagoner Show #142 with special guest Webb Pierce. Spot opens with Parton singing "I Think There's Something Fishy Goin' On;" then camera pulls out to reveal rhinestone-studded, black-Nudie-suit-wearing Porter Wagoner standing at a microphone, introducing Dolly, his guest Webb Pierce, and inviting us to tune in, right on this channel.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Opening of Porter Wagoner show #142. 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 a 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 Webb Pierce. Bringing you your favorite songs and stars of the Grand Ole Opry!" Howser enters and shakes hands with Porter, who wears a black Nudie suit covered in rhinestone cacti and wagon wheels. Howser and Wagoner clown around for a second, then Howser introduces Wagoner saying "Here's an ol' boy that believes that everybody ought to be happy in their life, or be married at least once, no point in you goin' around always bein' happy." Backed by The Wagonmasters (in matching orange western-themed Nudie suits of their own), Porter plays guitar and sings a tight, revved-up rendition of the bluegrass standard "Shady Grove." MS Mack Magaha on fiddle and Buck Trent on electric banjo-- hot stuff!
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Porter introduces a man who's had more country hits than just about anybody, Webb Pierce. Backed by The Wagonmasters in a nicely spare honky-tonk arrangement and accompanied by Don and George on harmony vocals, "Wonderin' Boy" Webb, wearing a sparkly suit of his own, sings "Fool, Fool, Fool." MS Buck's short but very sweet guitar solo. Really nice performance.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Smilin' Mack Magaha fiddles us out of the commercial break, leading The Wagonmasters in the instrumental "Yakkety Axe," a version of Boots Randolph's "Yakkety Sax."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Porter introduces "a pretty little gal" who he makes a point of saying is "a regular member of our show now," Miss Dolly Parton. Porter walks over to Dolly and asks her "Don't you love to be around show people?" Dolly agrees, and the chemistry around them is palpable. Porter introduces her new single, and backed by The Wagonmasters Dolly sings "I Couldn't Wait Forever." Dolly's gravity-defying bouffant is amazing, it's a wonder she can keep it on top of her head.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
After her solo song Porter calls Dolly over to sing a number with him that they worked up together. After a brief fumbling moment where they rearrange themselves in front of the mic (Porter's a little clumsy as he switches sides, but Dolly saves him as she says this new side shows off her curls better), Porter and Dolly sing their first televised duet, "Before I Met You," backed by The Wagonmasters. What a team!
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Porter returns from commercial and thanks everyone for patronizing his sponsors, then introduces "what they throwed off the Tallahatchie Bridge, this is it right here," Speck Rhodes. Gap-toothed comedian Rhodes, wearing his usual checkered suit and bowler hat, places a call to his fictional girlfriend/ telephone operator Sadie on an old-fashioned wall phone. Speck chats with Sadie and asks to be connected to dentist Doc Pullem. Speck tells a bunch of corny old-fashioned hayseed jokes about dating.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Porter introduces the week's sacred song, a number he recorded on 1966's LP "Confessions Of A Broken Man." Backed with delicacy by The Wagonmasters, a very somber Porter recites Hank Williams' maudlin yet always moving "Luke The Drifter" number "Men With Broken Hearts."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Porter reintroduces special guest Webb Pierce, who enters with his personalized guitar. Pierce plays guitar and sings his trademark 1952 hit version of the Cajun favorite, "Wondering," backed by The Wagonmasters.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Porter introduces Buck Trent and "the electric five," who steps up to the mic to lead The Wagonmasters in "Poppin' Corn," an instrumental Buck wrote with Hank Cochran that appears on his LP "Give Me Five." "Would you cook me up a skillet of it?" Porter asks, and Buck obliges with some tasty licks. Sorry, couldn't resist.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 142
Backed by The Wagonmasters, Porter plays guitar and sings a short version of the Mel Tillis number "I'm Gonna Act Right." Then Wagoner wraps up the show, waving goodbye as The Wagonmasters play the instrumental show outro, Don Howser signs off, the credits roll, then George chases Speck around his bass as Mack fiddles and dances us off the air.