Watch Fleetwood Mac romp through You Make Loving Fun on The Midnight Special in 1977

Christine McVie singing on The Midnight Special
(Image credit: The Midnight Special)

More footage has emerged of Fleetwood Mac playing on The Midnight Special, the American TV variety show that ran for 450 episodes on NBC in the 1970s and early 1980s.  

The latest clip to appear on The Midnight Special's recently-launched YouTube Channel features Fleetwood Mac performing You Make Loving Fun. Filmed for an episode broadcast on April 29, 1977 – just two months after the release of Rumours, the album from whence the track came – the performance finds the band in electrifying form, powering through a Christine McVie song that wouldn't be released as a single for another five months.  

The performance was part of a "British Rock"-themed episode hosted by radio personality Wolfman Jack, which also featured footage of Queen, Elton John, ELO, Genesis and Rod Stewart. Fleetwood Mac also performed Go Your Own Way on the show, a clip that was shared on the show's YouTube channel when it launched. 

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Last week the channel released footage of Fleetwood Mac playing another Christine McVie song, Why, from an episode broadcast in June 1976. 

Other artists who appeared on The Midnight Special – whose appearances will presumably become available over the coming months – include Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Kiss, Elton John, AC/DC, Badfinger, The Cars, Cheap Trick, Peter Frampton, Genesis, Heart, Little Feat, Prince, Roxy Music, Steely Dan, Thin Lizzy and ELO.

"The Midnight Special was a groundbreaking and revolutionary show that pushed the boundaries of what was possible on television as not one broadcaster had programming available after 1am back then," says Burt Sugarman, the show's creator. "I insisted on live performances in front of an audience, there was no lip syncing."

Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 39 years in music industry, online for 26. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.

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