Bonnie Raitt Live on the Midnight Special: The Grit and Grace of 'Runaway' and 'I Feel the Same'
Bonnie Raitt Live on the Midnight Special: The Grit and Grace of ‘Runaway’ and ‘I Feel the Same’
In a now-legendary 1977 appearance on The Midnight Special, Bonnie Raitt delivered a spellbinding live performance of “Runaway” and “I Feel the Same,” capturing the essence of slide guitar blues with unmatched emotional depth. Reinterpreting Del Shannon’s pop classic “Runaway” through her raw, blues-rock lens and following it with Chris Smither’s haunting “I Feel the Same,” Raitt showed why she was already revered by critics—even before her commercial breakthrough. This live set remains one of the finest examples of Bonnie Raitt’s early mastery, blending soul, funk, and swamp blues into a timeless sound.
🎶 Band Personnel Highlights
• Bonnie Raitt – Lead vocals and slide guitar. Her emotive delivery and masterful slide technique take center stage, driving the performance with authenticity and passion.
• Norton Buffalo – Harmonica. Buffalo’s harmonica playing adds a rich, bluesy texture to the performance, complementing Raitt’s vocals and guitar work.
• Freebo – Bass guitar. A longtime collaborator with Raitt, Freebo’s bass lines provide a solid foundation, anchoring the performance with groove and depth.
• Rosemary Butler – Backing vocals. Butler’s harmonies enhance the overall sound, adding layers and warmth to the live rendition.
• Drums – Although specific details about the drummer in this performance are scarce, the drumming is notable for its dynamic shifts and tight synchronization with the bass, which contributes to the song’s rhythmic complexity.
Runaway: Reclaiming a Classic Through Slide and Soul
Originally a 1961 chart-topper by Del Shannon, “Runaway” is a song built on teen anxiety and pop sheen. Raitt doesn’t just cover it—she reclaims it. Her interpretation tears into the emotional undercurrent of the lyrics with a slow-burning growl and a swampy slide guitar that turns longing into lament. From the first strike of the chord, the tempo is steadier than Shannon’s urgent sprint, allowing space for her phrasing to unfold. She leans into the story of abandonment not with hysteria but with heartbreak.
The band’s time change control is masterful—slightly behind the beat in the verses, tightening into the chorus with just enough push to feel the heartbreak bloom. The drummer and bassist (notably Freebo on bass) maneuver these subtle shifts with muscle and grace, shaping each section like a living, breathing organism.
And then there’s Norton Buffalo on harmonica. His lines cut through the arrangement like steam from a maintenance hole, deepening the track’s blues credibility without overwhelming its shape. The interplay between Raitt and Buffalo is conversational—he fills the spaces she opens, and they build together toward a communal cry.
I Feel the Same: Swamp Blues Elegance Meets Electric Precision
Raitt follows “Runaway” with “I Feel the Same,” a Chris Smither-penned tune she had already recorded for her 1973 album Takin’ My Time. Live, the song becomes a different animal. The performance on Midnight Special is slower, groovier, and more steeped in the molasses of New Orleans funk and swampy Mississippi blues.
The structure is deceptively simple—an unwavering, descending riff cycles like a meditation. Over it, Raitt delivers the lyric with a dignified rather than defeated fatigue. “I know you don’t love me no more / I don’t even try,” she sings, but instead of self-pity, her voice has a sense of earned clarity. She knows, and she accepts. That emotional honesty is where her artistry lives.
Again, the rhythm section is key, shifting gears effortlessly, pulling the tempo slightly downward mid-verse before snapping back on the beat. It’s like watching a slow dance in combat boots—delicate but never fragile. Buffalo returns with slinky harp lines, this timeless declarative, more like murmurs in a darkened room.
Historical Context: The Edge Before the Ascent
This performance came just before Raitt’s commercial breakthrough. By 1977, she was a critical darling with six albums under her belt, each a study in stylistic range and emotional precision. Yet she was still, in industry terms, under the radar.
The Midnight Special broadcast is significant because it captures the essence of a true artist. There’s an edge here—of hunger and ownership, something being proved not to executives but to the music itself. Raitt’s fusion of blues, rock, folk, and R&B had matured into a voice and presence all her own. These songs reflect that synthesis.
More importantly, they capture when Raitt took full agency over her influences. Rather than leaning on mimicry, she made these covers her own through phrasing, tone, restraint, and the absolute unity between her and her band. She didn’t just cover songs; she conversed with them.
🔄 Rhythmic Dynamics
The rhythm section in this performance is particularly noteworthy for its ability to navigate time changes and dynamic shifts with seamless ease. The interplay between the bass and drums creates a compelling groove that underpins the entire performance, allowing Raitt’s vocals and guitar to shine. (1)
(1) Bass – Learn Breakdance. https://learnbreakdance.net/glossary/bass/
Was great to see Justin Vernon of @boniver on @FallonTonight last week. I’m a big fan and was so touched by his deep appreciation of my music. Years ago he sang a gorgeous live version of “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” adding a bit of my “Nick of Time” at the end. pic.twitter.com/WDys5hGPq3
— Bonnie Raitt (@TheBonnieRaitt) April 8, 2025
Long a critic’s darling, singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt did not begin to win the comparable commercial success due her until the release of the aptly titled 1989 blockbuster Nick of Time; her tenth album, it rocketed her into the mainstream consciousness nearly two decades after she first committed her unique blend of blues, rock, and R&B to vinyl. Born in Burbank, CA, on November 8, 1949, she was the daughter of Broadway star John Raitt, best known for his starring performances in such smashes as Carousel and Pajama Game. After picking up the guitar at the age of 12, Raitt felt an immediate affinity for the blues. Although she attended Radcliffe in 1967, she dropped out within two years to begin playing the Boston folk and blues club circuit. Signing with noted blues manager Dick Waterman, she was soon performing alongside the likes of idols including Howlin’ Wolf, Sippie Wallace, and Mississippi Fred McDowell and in time earned such a strong reputation that she was signed to Warner Bros.
Debuting in 1971 with an eponymous effort, Raitt immediately emerged as a critical favorite, applauded not only for her soulful vocals and thoughtful song selection but also for her guitar prowess, which turned heads as one of the few women to play bottleneck. Her 1972 follow-up, Give It Up, made better use of her eclectic tastes, featuring material by contemporaries like Jackson Browne and Eric Kaz, as well as a number of R&B chestnuts and three Raitt originals. 1973’s Takin’ My Time was much acclaimed, and throughout the middle of the decade, she released an LP annually, returning with Streetlights in 1974 and Home Plate a year later. With 1977’s Sweet Forgiveness, Raitt scored her first significant pop airplay with her hit cover of the Del Shannon classic “Runaway”; its follow-up, 1979’s The Glow, appeared around the same time as a massive all-star anti-nuclear concert at Madison Square Garden mounted by MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy), an organization she’d co-founded earlier.
Throughout her career, Raitt remained a committed activist, playing hundreds of benefit concerts and working tirelessly on behalf of the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. By the early ’80s, however, her own career was in trouble. 1982’s Green Light, while greeted with usual good reviews, again failed to break through to a wide audience. While beginning work on the follow-up, Warner unceremoniously dropped her. By this time, Raitt was also battling drug and alcohol problems; she worked on a few tracks with Prince, but their schedules never aligned, and the material went unreleased. Instead, she finally released the patchwork Nine Lives in 1986, her worst-selling effort since her debut.
Many had written Raitt off when she teamed with producer Don Was and recorded Nick of Time; seemingly out of the blue, the LP won a handful of Grammys, including Album of the Year, and overnight, she was a superstar. 1991’s Luck of the Draw was also a smash, yielding the hits “Something to Talk About” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” After 1994’s Longing in Their Hearts, Raitt resurfaced in 1998 with Fundamental. Silver Lining appeared in 2002, followed by Souls Alike in 2005, both on Capitol Records. A year later, Bonnie Raitt and Friends was released, featuring guest appearances from Norah Jones and Ben Harper among others.
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