Category Archives: Music

Music Video of the Day: We Are The Champions by Queen (1977, directed by Derek Burbridge)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

“I was thinking about football when I wrote it. I wanted a participation song, something that the fans could latch on to. Of course, I’ve given it more theatrical subtlety than an ordinary football chant. I suppose it could also be construed as my version of ‘I Did It My Way.’ We have made it, and it certainly wasn’t easy. No bed of roses as the song says. And it’s still not easy.”

— Freddy Mercury on We Are The Champions

According to scientists, this is the most catchy song every written.

In 2011, a team of scientific researchers actually conducted a study to determine the catchiest song ever recorded and this is what they decided upon.  Don’t ask me how they actually made that determination.  Maybe they were all football fans.  If you’re fan of football — whether it’s American football or association football — you know this song by heart.  You also probably know what it’s like to hear the other team sing it after your team loses.  As great as it feels to be one of the champions, it really sucks to be one of the losers who they don’t have time for.

This video was filmed at the New London Theater.  The audience was made up entirely of members of Queen’s fan club.  The video was directed by Derek Burbridge, who also directed yesterday’s music video of the day.

Enjoy!

 

Music Video Of The Day: For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) by AC/DC (1982, directed by Derek Burbridge)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

AC/DC was always a no frills/no bullshit/hard-rocking band and the same is true of their music videos.  While other bands of the period were using elaborate videos to covers for their deficiencies as musicians, AC/DC used videos to show off what they could do on stage.  AC/DC always respected their fans enough to let the music speak for itself and that’s what they did in the video for For Those About To Rock (We Salute You).

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Save Me by Saint Motel (2020, cinematography by Mario Contini)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Along with their “official” videos, Saint Motel also frequently releases videos for alternate versions of their songs.  This is for the acoustic version of Save Me, which can be found on The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album.

This video description on YouTube offers up only one credit — which is “cinematography by Mario Contini.”  I know that A/J Jackson is usually credited for directing the group’s videos (and, of course, he’s the band’s lead singer as well) but since I don’t have any official listing for a director, I’m just going to leave that credit blank.

Mario Contini, according the imdb, has worked on several music videos, including ones by Lady Gaga, Post Malone, and Muse.  I like the look of this video.  The band certainly has a talent for finding good locations in which to be filmed performing.

Enjoy!

Music Video Of The Day: Kiss From A Rose (1994, dir by Joel Schumacher)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Rest in Peace, Joel Schumacher.

Despite what some sites on the internet would have you believe, this song was not written for a Batman film.  It was featured in 1995’s Batman Forever but it was not actually written for the movie.  Instead, the song was first written in 1987 and then it was first recorded and released in 1994.  When it was first released as a single, it didn’t get much attention and it quickly fell out of the charts.  Then it was featured during the end credits of Batman Forever and it was re-released and promoted with this Joel Schumacher-directed video and it became a huge hit.  This is one of those songs that will never die.  As long as there are weddings and funerals, this song will live.  As long as there are comedy shows that want to do over-the-top falling-in-love montages, this song will live forever.

I used to know a guy who would sing this song every Saturday night for karaoke and, every single time, he would start crying about halfway through the song.  When I asked him why the song always made him cry, he replied, “Showmanship.”  I’m not really sure what happened to him, as it’s been more than a while since I last went to any sort of karaoke night.  I hope he’s okay, wherever he is.  The world of karaoke can be very competitive and ruthless.  Someone should make a movie about it.  It would probably have a really good soundtrack.

Enjoy!

 

Music Video of the Day: Bleached Waves by ZOON (2020, dir by John Smith)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It is a dream?  Is it a fantasy?  Is it a mirage?  Is it a vision of the future?  Perhaps it’s all four.

I just know that it’s atmospheric and, by this point, everyone should know how much I love atmosphere.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Take My Breath Away by Berlin (1986, directed by Marcello Anciano)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Take My Breath Away was written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock after the producers of Top Gun realized that they needed a romantic scene between Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis and that they would need something other than Danger Zone to play during it.  (Originally, the love scene wasn’t in the finished film but when test audiences said that they would like to see one, Cruise and McGillis were brought back to quickly shoot one.  McGillis had dyed her hair for another film, which is why the scene itself is shot in silhouette.)

The song was originally offered to The Motels but it was eventually recorded by Berlin.  (Terri Nunn, the lead singer of Berlin, was one of the contenders for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars and would have been cast in the role if, for some reason, Carrie Fisher hadn’t worked out.)  Like most of the soundtrack-related music videos of the 80s, the video for Take My Breath Away is a mix of clips from the film and clips of the band performing.

Enjoy!