I don’t think anyone has ever accused Aerosmith of being a particularly subtle band when it comes to the subject matter of their songs. That’s one reason why their fans love them. Love In An Elevator is one of their least subtle songs and, not coincidentally, it’s also one of their most popular.
The elevator operator is played by Brandi Brandt, who was Playboy’s playmate of the month for October of 1987. She had a brief acting career, one that largely consisted of this video and an appearance on Married With Children. Many years later, in 2014, she pleaded guilty to smuggling cocaine into Sydney and she did some time in prison in Australia. Fortunately, she received an early parole and is now safely back in California.
The video was directed by Marty Callner, who directed several videos for not only Aerosmith but almost every other popular band of the period as well.
In 1987, ITV commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley by airing Love Me Tender, a special that featured popular British acts covering songs that were originally made famous by Elvis. Pet Shop Boys’s synth-pop version of Always on My Mind proved to be the unexpected hit of the program and the band released the song as a single. It went on to become the UK’s Christmas number one single for the year.
It was also featured in It Couldn’t Happen Here, a surreal film that starred Pet Shop Boys and which was directed by documentarian Jack Bond, who had started his career with a ground-breaking film about Salvador Dali and who later became famous for his work with TheSouth Bank Show. The subsequent music video was lifted from the film. In the movie and the video, Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant are driving a taxi cab. They stop to pick up a passenger, an older man played by Joss Ackland. (In the movie, there’s an earlier scene in which Lowe and Tennant hear a news report about an escaped killed who matches their new passenger’s description.) While their passenger rambles on, Lowe and Tennant turn on the radio and listen to the song, which leads to several other clips from the film. And while the critics may not have cared much for It Couldn’t Happen Here, the band’s version of Always On My Mind remains a popular classic.
Some songs and videos just epitomize an era and that is certainly the case with Swing Out Sister’s Breakout. Both the song and the video, with its fashion theme, are very much a part of the 80s. The song itself was Swing Out Sister’s biggest hit in the United States. Because lead singer Corinne Drewery originally moved to London in order to attend Central St. Martins College of Art and Design and initially planned to become a fashion designer, there’s an element of what if to this music video.
This video was directed by Nick Willing, who also did videos for Eurythmics, Bob Geldof, Debbie Gibson, Kirsty MacColl, Kim Appleby, Tony Banks, and Nik Kershaw. Willing is still directing to this day. In 2002, long before Stephen King wrote his sequel to the Shining, Willing wrote and directed a film called Doctor Sleep. Willing’s most recent film was 2019’s Unstoppable. Sean Scully & The Art of Everything, a documentary about abstract painter, Sean Scully.
This was the first in a series of “Hotel Detective” songs to be performed by They Might Be Giants. The video was popular on MTV, though neither John Linnell nor John Flansburgh were reportedly happy with how it turned out.
The video is split between animated sequences and live action shots of Linnell and Flansburgh performing in a hotel room. The performance clips were directed by Adam Bernstein, who also directed music videos for Public Enemy and Barenaked Ladies (now there’s a double bill) and who is a frequent television director. (He also directed one of the worst SNL films, It’s Pat. We won’t hold that against him because it’s doubtful anyone could have made a good It’s Pat film.) The animated sequences were done by Joey Ahlbum.
Today’s music video of the day is the video for one of OMD’s most underrated songs, (Forever) Live and Die. It’s a performance clip, along with a few shots that incorporate the city and the beach. The 80s were a good time for videos that featured the members of New Wave bands walking through seemingly deserted European cities. A few years after the release of this video, INXS perfected the style with their video for Never Tear Us Apart.
There are two directors credited for this director. Leslie Libman is still directing, though mostly for television shows like NCIS and Bull. Larry Williams also directed the video for OMD’s Shame.
Today’s music video of the day is from the Golden Age of MTV, back when MTV still played music videos and when music videos themselves were more than just a clip of the band performing. Admittedly, you can see the influence of Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer here, though All She Want Is would hardly be the first or the last video to be at least partially inspired by the look of Gabriel’s video.
The video was directed by the band’s favorite photographer, Dean Chamberlain and filming took nearly a month. Because of the band’s schedule, they could only be present for a limited number of days. Hence, masks were made of each band members and then those masks where placed on mannequins who stood in for the band. Stop motion animation was used in several scenes.
Needless to say, this video took a lot of time and effort but it was rewarded with the VMA for “Most Innovative” video.
I’m still taking in the news that Bruce Willis has retired from acting for health reasons. When I was growing up, Bruce was the closest thing we had to an old fashioned movie star. No one can beat the bad guys like Bruce Willis. No one could deliver a stone cold perfect one liner like Bruce Willis. No one could liven up a movie like Bruce Willis. No one could surprise you with an unexpectedly sensitive and good performance like Bruce Willis. As far as I’m concerned, he is still the epitome of cool.. Moonlighting, Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Sin City, Looper, and more, Bruce Willis had quite a career and I think that his reputation as an actor will only grow as his performance are rediscovered and reevaluated.
Bruce Willis was not only an actor but he also a singer. In 1987, at the height of his Moonlighting fame, he released The Return of Bruno, an album the featured Bruce Willis covering several classic R&B tunes. To support the album, he toured in the the character of veteran singer, Bruno. Today’s music video of the day was originally a part of an HBO special that was designed to promote the album. Bruno remembers performing at Woodstock and covers Young Blood, which was originally recorded by The Coasters in 1957.
Wow, a Haim walking video that wasn’t directed by Paul Thomas Anderson! In all honest, though, Jake Schreier did a fine job directing this video and it’s a good song as well.
Enjoy!
Some things are long forgotten Some things were never said We were on one endless road But I had a wandering heart
I said we were opposite lovers Said it from the beginning You kept trying to prove me wrong Said you’d always see it through And I know that I ran you down So you ran away with your heart
But just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
I know it’s hard to hear it And it may never be enough But don’t take it out on me now ‘Cause I blame it all on myself
And I had a fear of forgiveness Said it from the beginning I was too proud to say I was wrong Said you’d always see me through All that time is gone, no more fearing control I’m ready for the both of us now
So just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you Just know that I want you back (Just know that I want you) Just know that I want you back (Just know that I want you) Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (Just know that I want you back, baby)
Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you Just know that I want you back (Just know that I want you) Just know that I want you back (Just know that I want you) Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (Just know that I want you back, baby) (Just know that I want you) (Just know that I want you back, baby) I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
Through the Shattered Lens 