The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
The Porter Wagoner Show #289 featuring special guests "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson and Jan Howard.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Promo for The Porter Wagoner Show #289 featuring special guests Bill Anderson and Jan Howard. It's dueling duets as the spot opens with Porter and Dolly Parton singing "Run That By Me One More Time," then the camera pulls out to reveal Bill and Jan who announce the week's show and invite us to tune in. Fade out over art card with colorful illustration of Porter.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Opening of Porter Wagoner show #289. Standard pre-recorded opening begins with CU of Porter s shiny red boots walking down hallway, which cuts to rear view of Wagoner s garish green Nudie suit festooned with rhinestone wagon wheels and cacti. Montage of smiling Porter happily walking through WSM-TV studio as stage hands and technicians prep show. Don Howser s voice over reads: "Direct from Nashville Tennessee, here s The Porter Wagoner Show!" Quick shots of regulars as Howser announces them: "Starring Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, Speck Rhodes, Don Howser, The Wagonmasters, and today s special guest star." Momentary pause in VO (presumably left for Howser to read the guest star s name on air), then prerecorded segment ends with Howser s "...and now, here s Porter." Cut to live portion as Porter, wearing dazzling, rhinestone-studded Nudie suit, plays guitar and sings "Shady Grove" accompanied by Wagonmasters Buck Trent, Don Warden, Mack Magaha, George McCormick, Jack Little and Speck Rhodes, all but Speck in matching green Nudie suits. Colorful shots of audience applauding. MS Mack's fiddling and Buck's twangy banjo solo. In final audience shot, woman in lower right can be seen filming the performance with a Super 8 camera! (01:01:51)
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Porter welcomes audience and introduces "two of my very favorite people in country music," Bill Anderson and Jan Howard, and describes how he recently made a rare appearance on another TV show (Anderson's) and Bill made it a tribute to Porter. Then backed by The Wagonmasters, Bill Anderson plays guitar and sings "Po' Folks." MS Buck Trent guitar solo. The first CU of Anderson is kinda scary as you can see how much hair dye he's using.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Leading The Wagonmasters, banjo man Buck Trent displays his fancy fret work on an instrumental version of "Wabash Cannonball."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Porter has Bill introduce the "two little gals" they have as singing partners, who Porter calls "Maudie and Claudie" and Bill refers to as "Cedie and Corrie, The Apple Sisters." Backed only by Dolly's acoustic guitar, Jan Howard and Dolly Parton sing "We Had All The Good Things Going," which each of them had recorded on their albums. Afterwards Porter cracks: "Don't quit your regular jobs, gals."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Porter performs a medley of three Bill Anderson-penned songs that he jokes were #1 hits "thanks to his beautiful writing and my beautiful singing." Accompanied by The Wagonmasters, Porter plays guitar and sings "I'll Go Down Swinging," "I've Enjoyed As Much Of This As I Can Stand" and "The Cold Hard Facts Of Life," the last of which has no business being reduced to part of a medley.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Porter introduces gap-toothed cornpone comedian Speck Rhodes. Wearing his trademark checkered suit and bowler hat, Speck makes a call on an old-fashioned wind-up crank telephones and calls Sadie, his fictional girlfriend and telephone operator. Speck tells a bunch of corny old-fashioned jokes. After first punch line there's a weird cutaway to a shot of a wildly applauding audience that's clearly taken from a different part of the show.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Porter asks Bill Anderson to join him on the week's sacred number, so backed by The Wagonmasters, they duet on the recitation "Skid Row Joe" with Bill taking the part of "Joe." A truly inspired moment that deserves a hallowed spot in the Sentimental Wing of the Country Hall Of Fame.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Porter calls Dolly in to introduce "our favorite duet," Bill Anderson and Jan Howard, saying "some people think we might be jealous of them. And we are." Jan and Bill perform "Someday We'll Be Together" backed by The Wagonmasters.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 289
Porter says he's known Jan since they grew up together in West Plains, MO, then thanks Bill and Jan for performing. Mack brings his fiddle over to run though a quick breakdown on "Katie Hill" backed by The Wagonmasters, then Porter wraps up the show, waving goodbye as The Wagonmasters play the instrumental show outro, Don Howser signs off, and credits roll as Mack dances and fiddles us off the air.