After the tragic loss of famed music producer Hal Willner this past week, a whopping 32 videos have surfaced from the 80’s spinoff Saturday Night Live show Night Music, which he produced. The series lasted two seasons in 1988-1990 on late Sunday nights with host Jools Holland which later ended up becoming David Sanborn. The show’s concept was to bring artists from many genres and perform unique but great collaborations. As mentioned by Brooklyn Vegan, the show saw collaborations from country icon Conway Twitty and The Residents, Eric Clapton jammed alongside fellow bluesman Robert Cray and Lou Reed & John Cale played with Harry Connick Jr and Paul Shaffer. Sonic Youth also made their national television show on the series.
Willner spoke to SPIN magazine at the time regarding the show, saying “Beyond putting on music that we love,” Willner told SPIN at the time, “I feel an obligation to expose people to other things. I mean, watching MTV, they don’t tell you about Ornette Coleman…I’m getting back to a musical education with this show. In a weird way, I’m searching for that by having all worlds meet. Having John Zorn, Marianne Faithfull and Aaron Neville in the same hour. Just to have all those emotions make sense together.” Check out some of the footage below.
Willner passed from complications of the COVID 19, according to Variety. He was 64 at the time. He was behind many Saturday Night Live sketch shows as well as tribute albums. He had also worked with Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, and Lucinda Williams some of their records.
Night Music #103 1988 Eddie Palmieri, Nick Gonzales, Phoebe Snow, Yomo Toro, Paul Simon
Night Music #104 1988 Dr. John, Mavis Staples, Jeff Healey
Night Music #105 1988 Dizzy Gillespie, Diane Reeves, David Peaston, Onaje Allan Gumbs
Night Music #106 1988 Randy Newman, Take 6, Mark Knopfler, Slim Gaillard
Night Music #107 1988 Marianne Faithfull, John Zorn, Aaron Neville, Rob Wasserman, NRBQ
Night Music #108 1988 Jack Bruce, Joe Walsh, Al Green, Billie Holiday, Highway 101, Nat Hentoff
Night Music #109 Boz Scaggs, Betty Wright, Trio Bulgarka, Anson Funderburgh and more
Night Music #110 1988 Al Jarreau, Darlene Love, Johnny Clegg & Savuka, Bashiri Johnson
Night Music #111 1988 Earl Klugh, Patti Austin, Joe Sample, Donald Fagen, Muddy Waters, Sister Carol
Night Music #112 1988 Joe Cocker, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Judy Mowatt
Night Music #113 1989 Curtis Mayfield, Taylor Dayne, David Lindley, Shinehead, Coleman Hawkins
Night Music #114 1989 Squeeze, Sam Moore, Stanley Turrentine, Ashford and Simpson Joseph Joubert
Night Music #115 Youssou N’Dour, Ambitious Lovers, Marcus Roberts, George Duke
Night Music #116 1989 Carlos Santana, Lyle Lovett, Hank Williams Sr., Fontella Bass, Wayne Shorter
Night Music #117 1989 Betty Carter, Branford Marsalis, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson
Night Music #118 1989 Take Six, Claude Jeter, Shirley Caesar, Ann Caesar Price, Dixie Hummingbirds
Night Music #119 1989 Leonard Cohen, Sonny Rollins, Ken Nordine, Was (Not Was)
Night Music #120 1989 Lou Reed, John Cale, Harry Connick Jr , Gladys Knight, Paul Shaffer
Night Music #121 1989 Robert Cray, John Hiatt, Nat King Cole, Tracy Nelson, World Saxophone Quartet
Night Music #122 1989 Little Milton Campbell, The Roches, John Lurie & The Lounge Lizards
Night Music #201 1989 Stevie Ray Vaughan, Pharoah Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, The Platters 1955, Van Dyke Parks, Maria McKee
Night Music #202 (Pere Ubu, Debbie Harry)
Night Music #203 1990 Nona Hendrix, Pops Staples, Ivo Papasov, Adrian Belew, Elliott Sharp
Night Music #204 1989 Carla Bley, Bootsy Collins, Steve Swallow, Allen Toussaint, Karen Mantler & Band, Pretty Fat
Night Music #205 Todd Rundgren, Taj Mahal, Pat Metheny, Nanci Griffith, Christian Marclay
Night Music #206 Ray Manzarek, Jean Luc Ponty, Chuck Jackson, LL Cool J
Night Music #207 1989 Pixies, Al Green, Sun Ra, Syd Straw
Night Music #208 1989 Sting & Fareed Haque, Kinks Tape, Carla & Rufus Thomas, Bill Frisell Band, Mary Margaret O’Hara
Night Music #209 1989 Miles Davis, Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, Djavan, Carl Perkins 1955 tape, Marcus Miller, Zahar
Night Music #210 1989 Diamanda Galas, Indigo Girls, Daniel Lanois, Aretha Franklin 1968, Sonic Youth, Evan Lurie & His Tango Band
Night Music #211 1989 Eric Clapton with Robert Cray, Papa Wemba, Julee Cruise, Eric Burdon tape, Dan Hicks & Acoustic Warriors
Night Music #212 1990 Conway Twitty, The Residents, Kronos Quartet, Aster Aweke
Night Music #213 Nick Cave & Mick Harvey, Annabouboula, Charlie Haden, Toots Thielemans
Night Music #214 1990 Graham Parker, NRBQ, Abbey Lincoln, Phil Woods, Son House 1967, Shabazz And His D J C E Just
Night Music #215 1990 Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman, Artis, John Lurie & Nana Vasconcelos, Bongwater, , Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, MJQ
Night Music #216: Richard Thompson & BJ Cole, John Cale, Shawn Colvin, Tim Berne, Jo-el Sonnier
Night Music #217 1990 Miles Davis, Hank Crawford, Abbey Lincoln, Kronos Quartet, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Night Music #218 Eric Clapton & Robert Cray, Warren Zevon, Charlie Haden
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