Category Archives: music video

Music Video of the Day: Smuggler’s Blues by Glenn Frey (1985, directed by Duncan Gibbins)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Contrary to popular belief, Smuggler’s Blues was not inspired by Miami Vice.  Instead, the exact opposite was true.

As Glenn Frey explained in the book, Behind The Hits, he based the song on some of the dealers and smugglers that he met while both a member of the Eagles and during his solo career.  “You don’t spend 15 years in rock and roll without coming in contact with entrepreneurs.  I’ve wanted to write a song about drug smuggling for a long time, but I’m glad I waited for this one. It says everything I wanted to say on the subject. I’m proud of the lyrics – it’s good journalism.”

The song appeared on Frey’s second solo album and was heard by Miami Vice‘s executive producer, Michael Mann.  Mann requested that one of the show’s writers, Miguel Pinero, adapt the song into an episode.  That episode, which was named after the song, premiered on February 1st, 1985.  The song was played throughout the episode and some of the lyrics were even included in the dialogue.  Glenn Frey himself appeared as a pilot.  As a result, the episode not only helped to make Smuggler’s Blues a hit but it also launched Frey’s acting career as well.

The video, which was cinematic at a time when many bands were still releasing simple performance clips, was directed by Duncan Gibbins.  Gibbins went on to direct a handful of thrillers before his tragic death in 1993.  Gibbins was staying in Southern California when a wildfire engulfed the house that he was renting.  Gibbins narrowly managed to escape from the house but then saw that a cat had been trapped inside.  He went back in and, while he did rescue the cat, he suffered severe burns at a result.  Gibbins jumped into house’s swimming pool. not realizing that the burns would allow the chlorine to enter his bloodstream.  Gibbins died later that day at Sherman Oaks Hospital, still asking if the cat had survived.  (Other than a few minor burns, the cat was unharmed.)

Gibbins work on Smuggler’s Blues is impressive and still influential.  The video was honored as “Best Concept Video” at the 1985 MTV Music Video Awards.

Duncan Gibbins, the director of Smuggler’s Blues

Music Video of the Day: Miami Vice Theme by Jan Hammer (1985, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Since yesterday’s music video of the day was Crockett’s Theme, it seems only appropriate that today’s music video should be for the Miami Vice Theme.

Brandon Tartikoff revolutionized television when he requested a television show about “MTV cops.”  Of course, before Crockett and Tubbs could take on the Miami underworld, they needed a soundtrack that was appropriate for their pastel-and-guns lifestyle.  That’s where Jan Hammer and the show’s main instrumental theme came in.  When you hear that music, you know it’s all about to go down.

When Miami Vice premiered on NBC in 1984, it was an immediate hit that spawned a successful soundtrack album.  As soon as the Miami Vice Theme was released as a single in August of 1985, it shot to the top of the charts.  The song’s popularity kept the Miami Vice soundtrack at the top of the album charts for 11 weeks, a record that would stand until 2006, when it was broken by the High School Musical soundtrack.

The video is mostly made up of footage from the show and Jan Hammer performing but it wins some points for being edited to make it appear as if Crockett and Tubbs are attempting to arrest Hammer.  Just like the show itself, this video is pure 80s, complete with a close-up of a giant floppy desk and plenty of synthesizer action.

Music Video of the Day: Crockett’s Theme by Jan Hammer (1987, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Crockett’s Theme was originally written for the hit NBC series, Miami Vice.  As evidenced by the title, it was the theme music for everyone’s favorite cop without socks, Sonny Crockett.  The song was released on both the second Miami Vice soundtrack and Jan Hammer’s 1987 album, Escape From Television.

The video has nothing to do with Miami Vice.  Instead, it is about a man who cannot choose between his woman and his kaleidoscope.  The woman eventually makes the decision for him, not only breaking his kaleidoscope but leaving him.  Luckily, Jan Hammer is in the next room, playing a keytar.

Crockett’s Theme was not a hit in the United States but found greater success in Europe.  It reached number two in Ireland.  More recently, it can be heard on Emotion 98.3 in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which was itself heavily influenced by Miami Vice.

Tearing up Vice City while rocking out to Jan Hammer

Music Video of the Day: Our House by Madness (1982, directed by Dave Robinson)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

There are many houses featured in the music video for Madness’s Our House.  While the song is about the day-to-day life of the British working class, the video still offers up glimpses of the Playboy Mansion and Buckingham Palace.  However, most of the video was filmed at a terrace house in northwest London.

This song is often mistakenly referred to as being a one-hit wonder.  While it may be the band’s best-known and most popular song in the United States, it’s just one of the many hits that Madness had in the UK.  First formed in 1976 and still together (though they did temporarily break-up for 6 years, from 1986 to 1992), Madness has had 15 singles reach the UK top ten, one UK number one single, and two numbers ones in Ireland.  Over the course of the 80s, Madness spent a record 214 weeks on the UK singles charts.

This video was directed by David Robinson, who directed several other videos for Madness.  He also directed videos for Robert Plant, The Belle Stars, Robert Palmer, and Tracey Ullman.

 

Music Video of the Day: Jerry Was A Race Car Driver by Primus (1991, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

The song may be about a drunk race car driver named Jerry and a retired fireman named Captain Pearson but the video is exhibit one of why nachos shouldn’t be left on the sidewalk.

Jerry Was A Race Car Driver was the second single to be release by Primus and it was their first song to receive heavy radio airplay.  It eventually peaked at number 23 on 1991’s Modern Rock Tracks.  Listen closely and you can hear a sample of Bill Moseley saying, “Dog will hunt!” in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

As for the video, the man buying the nachos is played by Adam Gates while the skateboarder who collides with him is Primus’s guitarist, Larry LaLonde.  The performance footage was filmed at a Primus show at Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California while the race car footage was filmed at the Petaluma speedway.  As for the claymation figures in the nachos, they are all creatures who appeared on the cover of Primus’s Sailing the Seas of Cheese album.

Music Video Of The Day: Dr. Feelgood by Mötley Crüe (1989, directed by Wayne Isham)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

First released in 1989, the album Dr. Feelgood became and remains Mötley Crüe’s best-selling album to date.  It was also their most critically acclaimed, in no doubt due to the band’s newly found sobriety.  After years of drugs, sex, and debauchery, Dr. Feelgood was Mötley Crüe’s announcement that they could still rock even if they were sober.

Ironically, for an album that was recorded sober, the title track was about drugs.  Dr. Feelgood was about a Los Angeles drug dealer.  Nikki Sixx, who wrote the song, later told Rolling Stone that the song was based on several different drug dealers that he had done business with.  Just two years before Dr. Feelgood became a hit, Sixx had been a notorious junkie who, after a heroin overdose, was actually legally dead for two minutes before a paramedic was able to revive him with two shots of adrenaline.

Along with being a slang term for heroin, Dr. Feelgood was also the nickname of several notorious doctors.  Perhaps the most infamous Dr. Feelgood was Max Jacobson, who used to give “miracle tissue regenerator” shots to the rich and famous.  His clients included everyone from JFK to Marilyn Monroe to Humphrey Bogart.  Robert Freyman, the physician who is though to have inspired The Beatles’s Dr. Robert, was also sometimes called Dr. Feelgood.

Dr. Feelgood became Mötley Crüe’s first and, to date, only gold single in the United States.  The video follows the song’s title character as he goes from working the streets to owning a mansion.  In a repeat of what happened to Tony Montana, Dr. Feelgood’s own hubris eventually brings him down.  As for why Mötley Crüe is performing in a revival tent, it probably just looked cool.

The song spent 109 weeks on the charts after its release and it remains Mötley Crüe’s most popular single.

One Hit Wonders #21: “Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks (Bell Records 1974)

Posted on by gary loggins

gary loggins's avatarcracked rear viewer

Terry Jacks’ “Seasons in the Sun”, perhaps the most maudlin hit of all time, reached #1 on the charts in March 1974 and stubbornly stayed there for three long weeks:

This schmaltzy little ditty about a man saying goodbye to his loved ones as he’s preparing for death was based on Belgian chanteur Jacques Brel’s 1961 European hit “Le Moribond”, with English lyrics provided by that most sickeningly saccharine of 60’s poets, the Godfather of New Age, Rod McKuen (ATTENTION DIABETICS: better take your shot of insulin before clicking on the next video!):

Terry Jacks was no stranger to the Top 40. He and his wife Susan performed under the name The Poppy Family (how cute!), and reached #2 in 1970 with the single “Which Way You Goin’, Billy?”:

ARRGH! All this sweetness has given me a sugar rush! Think I’ll go run around the block six or seven times….

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Music Video of the Day: Blue Fear by Armin van Buuren (2009, dir by Ciro Ayala)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

To be honest, this music video freaks me out a little bit.  I think that’s understandable, though.  When you see a big disembodied head chasing someone through a maze, it just makes sense that you’re going to get a little bit freaked!

That’s actress Calina Chen being chased through the maze.  She also appeared in the video for Matt Darey’s Follow You, which was directed by the same director who did Blue Fear, Ciro Ayala.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Call Me A Spaceman by Hardwell, featuring Mitch Crown (2012, dir by ????)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

If this song and video doesn’t make you feel good, there’s no hope for you.

(Unless, of course, a spaceman really does arrive on the planet and offers up a chance of redemption.  I mean, who knows what miracles they may be capable of performing?)

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Money (That’s What I Want) performed by The Flying Lizards (1979, dir by ????)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I already shared another video for this song back in May of this year.  In fact, I shared it on May Day, because I felt like poking some fun at socialism.  That video featured the Flying Lizards performing on a Danish show.  At the time, I didn’t realize that there was an actual “official” video for their cover of Money.

But, last night, I came across that official video so here it is!

I have no idea who directed this or any of that good stuff.  I just like the song.

Enjoy!