All three of the Captain and Tennille TV specials that aired on ABC back in the late 70s have been released on DVD by RetroActive Entertainment, and I was lucky enough to get a chance to review them all (you can click on Captain and Tennille in New Orleans and Captain and Tennille in Hawaii to read those reviews). Unavailable since they first aired back in 1977-1979, these TV specials showcase the exceptional musicality of the duo, while the DVDs offer their fans a chance to hear some newly recorded, informative audio commentaries from Toni Tennille and Daryl Dragon. We'll look at Captain and Tennille Songbook in this review.

In my review of the Captain and Tennille in New Orleans DVD, I went into some detail concerning the duo's music, their television series, and how these three TV specials came about, as well as my connection to their work when I was growing up - so I recommend you click here to read that background information. Captain and Tennille Songbook was the singing duo's final network special, and for once, they were allowed to do it their way, totally eliminating any extraneous comedy sketches (as well as suspect comedy guest stars) to concentrate squarely on the music. And frankly, it's a triumph for the performers. It's what their TV series, The Captain and Tennille should have been from the start: a straight musical variety show that eschewed all skit work to focus on music.

Guests for Captain and Tennille Songbook include legends in the country, jazz, and blues genres: Glen Campbell, Ella Fitzgerald and B.B. King. The pop origins of Captain and Tennille aren't shied away from here: the opening is Toni Tennille singing their suggestive hit, You Never Done it Like That. The camera tracks up one of those long, long legs of hers, revealing her decked out in a typically smashing Bob Mackie creation, while Daryl Dragon floats by on a starburst - very seventies, and unashamedly so. Perhaps it was thought best to open the show this way, to grab the fans with one of the duo's pop hits, instead of going into the more eclectic offerings right off the bat.

The duo then perform a pretty good "dueling pianos" rendition of Clementi's Sonatina Opus 36, #4, effectively showing the audience the beginnings of their range as musicians, and putting them on notice that Muskrat Love won't be heard tonight. The rest of Captain and Tennille Songbook is broken up into four distinct sections, focusing on the guest stars. First up is Ella Fitzgerald, knocking out Mr. Paganini with exceptional skill. Then, in a spectacular give-and-take with Toni, Ella sits down and performs a medley of torch songs that has to be heard to be believed. Fitzgerald, long considered by the greatest singers in the world to be the greatest vocalist/stylist that ever recorded, is in fine form, and visibly pleased with Toni Tennille's efforts. If you've only heard Love Will Keep Us Together, you'll be amazed at the range and tonal control Toni Tennille possesses; she holds her own with Fitzgerald, and that's saying something.

Moving on to country, Glen Campbell stops by, and the three former Beach Boys performers (both Daryl and Toni played keyboards for the group on records and tours, while Glen actually was an official Beach Boy, substituting for Brian Wilson on the road) chat while they gear up for their session. Glen and Toni, with backing by Daryl, do a spirited Feel Like a Man, before Glen does a wonderfully evocative I'm Gonna Love You, a mid-sized country hit for Glen from 1979.

The next section has Toni and Daryl doing some stand-out material, including Love Me Like a Baby, the terrific Good Enough, and The Good Songs. And finally, B.B. King is featured, bringing the house down with an off-the-chart version of Never Make Your Move Too Soon. Daryl joins him onstage for a spirited give-and-take version of I've Got Some Help I Don't Need (I particularly liked the look on King's face when he realizes how good Dragon is on the keyboards). Closing the show, Toni sings, simply and effectively, Dream, closing out the best TV show the duo ever appeared in together.

Here are the musical numbers included on Captain and Tennille Songbook:

You Never Done It Like That
Captain and Tennille.

Clementi's Sonatina Opus 36, #4
Captain and Tennille.

Mr. Paganini
Ella Fitzgerald.

Torch Song Medley
Ella Fitzgerald and Toni Tennille.

Feel Like a Man
Glen Campbell, Captain and Tennille.

I'm Gonna Love You
Glen Campbell.

Love Me Like a Baby
Toni Tennille.

Good Enough
Toni Tennille.

The Good Songs
Toni Tennille.

Never Make Your Move Too Soon
B.B. King.

I've Got Some Help I Don't Need
B.B. King and Daryl Dragon.

Dream
Captain and Tennille.

The DVD:

The Video:
Looking quite a bit better than the previous specials, Captain and Tennille Songbook sports a sharper, cleaner image, with brighter color values.

The Audio:
The audio selections for Captain and Tennille Songbook are, like the previous offerings, exceptional. Remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1, the levels for Captain and Tennille Songbook will knock your socks off. You can also opt for a standard 2.0 mix, as well as the original mono (for you purists out there who want the original TV experience). Close-captioning is not available.

The Extras:
As with all the Captain and Tennille TV specials out on DVD now, there's a full-length commentary track with Toni and Daryl, and it's just as much fun - with plenty of inside info on the show's production - as the other ones are.

Final Thoughts:
This was the last network TV special for Captain and Tennille, and it's a spectacular way to go out. Focused purely on the music, Captain and Tennille Songbook highlights the enormous musical talents of the two performers, as well as giving the viewer historic performances by B.B. King and Ella Fitzgerald. It's a shame The Captain and Tennille TV series wasn't like this special, right off the bat. I highly recommend Captain and Tennille Songbook.