Author Archives: Jedadiah Leland

Music Video of the Day: Baby, You’re So Strange by Icehouse (1986, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

And there’s nothing wrong with that!  The song is about a man trying to figure out what is going on in his girlfriend’s head.  Sometimes, she seems like he wants him to come right over and sometimes, she acts like she doesn’t even know him.  Could it be another man?  Or could the lead singer be the other man?  It’s so strange.

Baby, You’re So Strange was the second single and video to be released off of Icehouse’s fourth studio album, Measure by Measure.  Icehouse was originally a band called Flowers but they were forced to change their name after a U.S. band with the same name threatened legal action.  They went with Icehouse because it was also the name of their second album.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Ain’t Nothing But A House Party by Phil Fearon (1986, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Originally recorded by The Showstoppers in 1967, Ain’t Nothing But A House Party has been covered by many artists, from the J. Geils Band to Cliff Richard.  Phil Fearon released his take on the song in 1986 and promoted it with today’s energetic music video of the day.

Unfortunately, Fearon’s cover of the song did not reach the heights of popularity as the version done by the J. Geils Band.  Fearon’s version peaked at number 60 on the UK charts while reaching number 80 on the US charts.  I still prefer what Phil Fearon did with the song.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: War Ensemble by Slayer (1990, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

The video for Slayer’s War Ensemble, which was meant to be the band’s first ever music video, was shot at Wembley Stadium on October 14th, 1990.  At first, the plan was for Slayer to mime playing the song along to the studio track.  When the 12,000 fans who had shown up for the shoot started to boo the plan, Slayer instead decided to play the song live but to try to stick as close to the studio version as possible.  The band did just that.

Ironically, just a few months later, this fiercely anti-war song would reportedly be a favorite of soldiers fighting in Operation Desert Storm.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: The Devil You Know by Anthrax (2012, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

I remember that, when this single was first released, there was an assumption that the song was about the supernatural but Anthrax themselves have said that the song is actually about World War II and sung from the point of view of a veteran, hence the lyric that “My kind won’t be seen again.”

The music video provides a view of both the band’s fans and Anthrax behind-the-scenes, promoting their tenth studio album, Worship Songs, preparing to perform, and performing on stage.  As with many heavy metal videos, this video puts the emphasis on the work that goes into the performance.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Run To You by Bryan Adams (1984, directed by Steve Barron)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

In this video, Bryan Adams promises “the other woman” that he will never stop running to her even though he loves his wife and knows that she deserves better.  Run To You is one of the best “obsession” songs of the 80s.

The video, which was shot in London and Los Angeles, features Adams singing in both the rain and on the beach and as the seasons changed, haunted by his obsession with his mistress.  Also appearing in the video is actress Lysette Anthony, who has previous starred in Krull before appearing as the subject of Adams’s obsession.

This video was directed by Steve Barron, who is another one of those directors who worked with everyone who was anyone.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: I’ve Got You Under My Skin by Frank Sinatra and Bono (1993, directed by Kevin Godley)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

For his 1993 album Duets, Frank Sinatra teamed up with other singers to reinterpret some of his best-known songs.  For I’ve Got You Under My Skin, he teamed up with U2’s Bono and thoroughly sung him under the table.

The music video was directed by Kevin Godley, who was one of those directors who ended up working with just anyone who was anybody.  In the video, Bono looks very excited to be there.  Frank looks a little less excited.

At the same time this album came out, SNL broadcast a skit featuring Phil Hartman as Frank Sinatra, bullying all the other singers and refusing to actually record with them.  “There’s a twenty on the dresser, now get out!”

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: I Want You By KISS (1976, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

This song is from KISS’s fifth studio album, Rock and Roll Over.  This music video is from the age of simple music videos, when the focus was more on the band playing than on trying to tell a story with song.  When its comes to KISS, their simple videos, like this one, are the best.  Also, their videos with the famous KISS makeup are better than the videos they shot during the period of time when they tried to abandon their trademark look.

Enjoy!