The Midnight Special, November 1, 2025

By Marilyn Rea Beyer |

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Playlist

  1. Lead Belly: The Midnight Special THEME (excerpt 1); Lead Belly; Midnight Special; RCA Victor LPV-505
  2. Peter Mayer: “The Dark”; Peter Mayer; Million Year Mind; Million Year Mind/Blue Boat BB1204
  3. Shemekia Copeland: In The Dark (Robey/Parker); Shemekia Copeland; Uncivil War; Alligator 5001
  4. Richard Schindell: “Darkness, Darkness” (Young); Richard Shindell; Reunion Hill; Reunion Hill/Shanachie 8027
  5. Bruce Cockburn: Orders; Bruce Cockburn; O Sun O Moon; True North Records TND811
  6. John Gorka: Richard III; John Gorka; Unentitled; Red House/Compass Records 10.3.2025
  7. John Prine: The Lonesome Friends of Science; John Prine; Tree of Forgiveness; Oh Boy Records OBR-046CD
  8. Adela’s: Swindle; Adela’s; single; adelas.bandcamp.com 11.15.2024
  9. David Roth: Home of the Brave (Roth, Martin, Drucker); David Roth; Last Day on This Earth; davidrothmusic.com DR2018
  10. Aaron Smith & The Coal Biters: Dead Man’s Hollow; Aaron Smith & The Coal Biters; The Legend of Sam Davis; aaronsmithsongs.com 9 780989 736282
  11. Tim Eriksen: Wayfaring Stranger (trad.); Tim Eriksen; Banjo, Fiddle and Voice; timeriksen CD 2 #183
  12. Diane Taraz: “Lookin’ for Trouble” (Steve Goodman); Diane Taraz; Gathered Safely In; Gathered Safely In | Beacon BCN 10143-2
  13. Ernie Hendrickson: To Find the Bogeyman; Ernie Hendrickson; Live at Cafe Carpe; erniehendrickson.com 12.22.23
  14. Paul Kelly: Tell Us a Story: Part One; Paul Kelly; Seventy; Cooking Vinyl GAWD042CD
  15. Travis, Merle: “Midnight Special” Travis picked guitar; Merle Travis; In Boston 1959; Travis Pickin’ | CMH 6255
  16. Aaron Kelly (poem), Joel Mabus (tune): The Gilded Age (poem) and Memories of El Dorado (instrumental); Aaron Kelly (poem), Joel Mabus (tune); exclusive recording (poem)/Western Passages (tune); WFMT/Fossil Records 11.7.2024/Fossil996CD
  17. Peter Mayer: Elijah Jones; Peter Mayer; Earth Town Square; Blue Boat BB1206
  18. Rosanne Cash: “Long Black Veil”; Rosanne Cash; The List; Manhattan Records 509996 96576 2 7
  19. Bobby Scharping: Mirror Maze (trad. Czech/Scharping); Bobby Scharping; Wind; bobbyscharping.bandcamp.com 4.17.2025
  20. Elexa Dawson: Stay Put; Elexa Dawson; Stay Put; Turns Out pre-release
  21. House of Hamill: Unquiet Grave; House of Hamill; Wildfire; Smokejumper Records 8012024
  22. Joan Baez: “Barbara Allen”; Joan Baez; Vol. 2; Vol. 2 Vanguard/79595-2
  23. Elexa Dawson: Man Mountain; Elexa Dawson; Stay Put; Turns Out pre-release
  24. Bob Franke: Day of the Dead; Bob Franke; The Other Evening in Chicago; Waterbug WBG66
  25. Small Potatoes: Paco is Dying Tonight; Small Potatoes; Waltz of the Wallflowers; Wind River WR4010 CD
  26. Warren Zevon: Life’ll Kill Ya’; Warren Zevon; Life’ll Kill Ya’; Artemis Records 751003-2
  27. Maria Muldaur: “The Ghost of the St. Louis Blues”; Maria Muldaur; & Her Garden of Joy; Stony Plain SPCD 1332
  28. Dana Cooper: The Ghost of Tucumcari; Dana Cooper ft. Lyle Lovett; The Ghost of Tucumcari; Dana Cooper Music DC2024
  29. Steve “Q” Quinn: “The Midnight Special – Harmonica Greasy” (Traditional); Steve “Q” Quinn; Midnight Special Collection; Midnight Special Collection | Midnight Special Collection SQuinn/MS013
  30. Paul Kelly: Tell Us a Story: Part Two; Paul Kelly; Seventy; Cooking Vinyl GAWD042CD
  31. Joe Crookston: “Darkling and the Bluebird (Fear & Transcend)”; Joe Crookston; Darkling & The BlueBird Jubilee; Darkling & The BlueBird Jubilee/milagrito rae62011
  32. Hungrytown: Circus for Sale; Hungrytown; Circus for Sale; Big Stir Records BSR-0105
  33. Loreena McKennitt: Bonny Swans; Loreena McKennitt; Mask and Mirror; Mask and Mirror Warner/9 45420-2
  34. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings: “Wind and Rain” (Traditional); Gillian Welch & David Rawlings; Songcatcher (Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture); Songcatcher (Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture) | Vanguard Records 79586-2
  35. Megan Bee: Now I Know; Megan Bee; Fiction; meganbee.com 10.10.2025
  36. Original Broadway Musical Cast: “Monks Chant/He Is Not Dead Yet”; Original Broadway Musical Cast; Monty Python’s Spamalot; Decca Broadway B0004265-02
  37. Jeb Brown, Erik Della Penna, and the Dead Outlaw band: Dead; Jeb Brown, Erik Della Penna, and the Dead Outlaw band; Dead Outlaw – Audible.com Soundtrack; Audible.com 7.17.2025
  38. John Roberts & Tony Barrand: The Flying Dutchman (Trad.); John Roberts & Tony Barrand; Across the Western Ocean; Swallowtail ST-0004
  39. Art Garfunkel: Feuilles-Oh / Do Space Men Pass Dead Souls On Their Way to the Moon?; Art Garfunkel; Angel Clare; Columbia CK 31474
  40. Ralph Stanley: “O Death”; Ralph Stanley; O Brother Where Art Thou?; O Brother Where Art Thou? | Mercury 088 170-069-2
  41. Ruthie Foster: “Death Came A-Knockin'”; Ruthie Foster; Runaway Soul; Blue Corn BCM0202
  42. South For Winter: Souls Lost in the Dark; South For Winter; Of Sea and Sky; southforwintermusic.com 05162024
  43. Anne Hills w/John Sebastian: Crazy Mary (Smith); Anne Hills w/John Sebastian; Every Town – More Songs of Michael Smith; Hand and Heart Music #2025
  44. Laura Love: I Still Believe (Unplugged); Laura Love; She Loved Red; Laura Love 88295 68276
  45. Andrew Beyer: “The Midnight Special – cigar box slide”; Andrew Beyer; Midnight Special Collection; Midnight Special Collection AABeyer/MS 004