Montrose Ignites The Midnight Special with “Bad Motor Scooter” on January 3, 1975
On the January 3, 1975 broadcast of The Midnight Special, Montrose delivered a performance that has since become emblematic of raw American rock energy at its most unfiltered. The song they brought to life that night was “Bad Motor Scooter,” a track originally released on their self titled debut album just months earlier. At a time when rock music was branching into new directions, this performance stood as a bold reminder of rock’s roots in drive, grit, and visceral impact.
Montrose was still a relatively young band in 1975, but they had already distinguished themselves with a sound that balanced muscular guitar work, confident vocals, and a rhythm section that never relented. “Bad Motor Scooter” exemplified all those qualities. The song opens with an unmistakable, revved guitar tone that mimics the growl of a motorcycle engine, setting the stage for a performance built on momentum and attitude. What made the Midnight Special appearance so compelling was not just the song itself but the context in which it was delivered.
The Midnight Special was one of the few television platforms that treated rock music seriously at that time. It offered artists the opportunity to perform live in a way that respected their craft, without excessive studio interference or artificial polish. When Montrose took the stage, they brought their full sonic identity with them. The lights, the cameras, and the television studio did nothing to dilute the band’s presence; if anything, the performance translated their live concert energy into living rooms across the country.
Lead guitarist Ronnie Montrose did not treat his instrument as merely a tool for melody. He played it like a storyteller plays words, shaping phrases that felt lived in and immediate. His opening riff on “Bad Motor Scooter” was more than memorable. It was an announcement of intent. From there, the band locked into a groove that was equal parts calculated and feral. The drums and bass pushed forward without pause, and the vocals rode atop that foundation with a swagger that defined the era’s approach to rock performance.
This particular Midnight Special appearance also captured Montrose at a moment of transition and possibility. The early 1970s were a fertile period for hard rock, and audiences were hungry for performances that carried both technical skill and emotional bite. “Bad Motor Scooter” satisfied both. It was catchy without compromise, muscular without aggression for its own sake, and wildly expressive without sacrificing clarity.
What resonates most about this performance more than four decades later is its sense of immediacy. There is no sense of nostalgia or reinterpretation. There is only the music as it was happening, the band feeding off its own drive and the energy of a platform that understood what rock music could be when given space to breathe and roar.
In the grand story of rock on television, Montrose’s “Bad Motor Scooter” on The Midnight Special remains a milestone. It is a performance that did not just promote a song, but embodied an attitude, a moment, and a belief in what it means to play rock and roll with conviction.