SOULFISH STEW: Sunday Showcase Review October 29, 1978

This week's Sunday Showcase review is from the October 29, 1978 Tennessean. The late great Hoyt Axton and the very recently departed Helen Reddy would both be in concert soon in Nashville so they graced the cover. I wonder who the special surprise artist was at the Hoyt Axton Halloween concert?

Hoyt Axton and Linda Ronstadt

Helen Reddy on The Muppet Show 1978

Halloween is right around the corner and this Sunday Showcase from 1978 has quite a few Halloween related items. Let's make like Grady on Sanford and Son and check out a little television. Public television station WDCN channel 8 was out for blood with airings of The Haunting and Great Performances Count Dracula.

The Haunting trailer

Channel 17 would be showing the movie Munster, Go Home! on Tuesday night. I was probably watching this back then as I loved The Munsters television show.

Munster, Go Home! trailer

This photo of Esther Rolle and Kristy McNichol grabbed my eye as I didn't recall that two of my favorite television stars had performed together. Summer of My German Soldier was a television movie about a young Jewish girl in the US during World War II, Patty played by Kristy, who falls in love with an escaped German POW in the state of Georgia. The movie was based on a book, which was set in Arkansas, of the same name by Bette Greene. Perhaps I saw this back then, but if I did I don't remember. In case you are wondering, yes, over 425,000 German soldiers were interned in the US during World War II with most of those being held in camps located in the rural South, Southwest, and Midwest. The movie is on YouTube so I may have to watch it sometime.

It's hard to believe David Cassidy has been gone for almost 3 years. The premiere episode of David Cassidy - Man Undercover was coming to NBC on November 2, 1978. It would only air 10 episodes. It was really not too bad of a show, but it was up against Kristy McNichol on ABC's Family and the Top 30 Barnaby Jones starring Buddy Ebsen on CBS.

David Cassidy - Man Undercover

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus would be coming to town from November 15 through November 19. The "Greatest Show on Earth" has been defunct since May 21, 2017, but it was once a major piece of pop culture.

1978 Circus Ad

Another defunct item: Hickory Hollow Mall was still in its infancy in 1978 and they were inviting everyone to a "Scare In" for Halloween. Spiderman, Darth Vader, the Great Pumpkin, and over a dozen costumed characters will be there. Plus there was going to be a magic show along with MONSTROUS SAVINGS! I lived in Murfreesboro, so Hickory Hollow Mall is the one Nashville mall I spent the most time in and remember the best.

Cajun's Wharf restaurant was getting into the Halloween spirit with a costume contest which would be judged by a panel of DJ's from your favorite radio station. There would be a shrimp eating contest too.

One radio station missing from the Cajun's Wharf ad is WLAC which was Top 40 at this time. Perhaps they were too busy with their haunted house to judge a costume contest. I used to listen to WLAC late at night back in 1978 under my bedcovers on a fairly large transistor radio that had a glowing dial.

The Priest Lake Jaycees haunted house was always a big attraction during the 70's and into the 80's.

The Harlem Globetrotters would be coming to Nashville on November 10th and 11th. The Seventies era Globetrotters will always be the ones I remember the best. Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon were my favorites.

promo for an Indiana appearance 1978

Let's pause before moving on to the musical portion of this Sunday Showcase review for this message from Audio Systems.

The Wiz touring company was coming to Nashville on November 14, 15, and 16th. Exit/In has a great schedule with Leon Redbone, Tom Waits, Barefoot Jerry, and Eddie Henderson all appearing this week. Sound Seventy's fall concerts list is awesome and we'll look at these in more detail below.

Player were riding high in 1978. "Baby Come Back" had hit number 1 on the Billboard charts after being released in October 1977. Exile has "Kiss You All Over" in the current Top 10. Both of these bands along with The Winters Brothers would be playing at Austin Peay November 2nd.

Player live 10-8-1978

Exile live on The Midnight Special 1978

The upcoming Black Sabbath show with special guests Van Halen would become the stuff of legend later. Van Halen played, but Sabbath had to cancel after Ozzy went missing. The Van Halen news desk has a great write up on this wacky situation. Some lucky fans got to see Van Halen twice in less than a month after the show was made up. I'm including YouTube links to both Van Halen and Black Sabbath's shows so if you've got a few hours to kill crank them up. If you are not seeing the embedded videos make sure you are looking at the web version of the blog.

Van Halen live in Nashville 1978

Black Sabbath live in Nashville 1978

Queen would play on November 22, 1978 at the Municipal Auditorium on their Jazz Tour. I've always really enjoyed the Jazz album and it would have been a blast to see this concert. The setlist I found is great.

Queen Nashville Setlist from November 22, 1978

1. We Will Rock You

2. Let Me Entertain You

3. Somebody To Love

4. If You Can't Beat Them

5. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated to...)

6. Killer Queen

7. Bicycle Race

8. I'm In Love With My Car

9. Get Down, Make Love

10. You're My Best Friend

11. Now I'm Here

12. Spread Your Wings

ACOUSTIC

13. Dreamers Ball

14. Love of My Life

15. '39

16. It's Late

17. Brighton Rock

18. Fat Bottomed Girls

19. Keep Yourself Alive

20. Bohemian Rhapsody

21. Tie Your Mother Down

ENCORE

22. Sheer Heart Attack

23. We Will Rock You

24. We Are The Champions

25. God Save The Queen

Queen live in Chicago a few weeks after Nashville 1978

It's crazy to think Bob Dylan had never played a concert in Nashville before 1978, but it's true. Tickets would be limited to four per person.

Bob would play a 29 song set at Municipal Auditorium on that December 2nd night. I was too young to see him then and I don't think I knew much about him other than "Like A Rolling Stone" at this point, but I would get to see him live twice during the 80's.

Bob Dylan live in Nashville 1978

Nick Gilder sits atop the Top 10 Records in Nashville for the past week with "Hot Child In The City." I remember it being very popular among my fellow elementary school peers back then. I thought it was sung by a woman at first. I'll post a few of my favorites from this Top 10 below including the number 1 tune and that will be it for this week. I'll probably do this again next week. I had planned on doing these until the end of the year, but 2020 has just about done me in mentally and physically so I'm running on fumes.