Tag Archives: music video

Music Video of the Day: I Wanna Be A Lifeguard by Blotto (1981, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

37 years ago today, MTV first started to broadcast.  Over the course of the day, the station aired 116 music videos.

Everyone knows that the first video to ever be shown on MTV was Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles.  But did you know that the 36th video aired was Blotto’s I Wanna Be A Lifeguard?.

Who were Blotto?  A new wave band from Albany, New York, they had a strong cult following among college students in the late 70s and early 80s.  Much like the Ramones, all the band members used pseudonyms and took Blotto as their last name.  Among the members were: Bowtie Blotto, Broadway Blotto, Cheese Blotto, Lee Harvey Blotto, Sergeant Blotto, Blanche Blotto, and Chevrolet Blotto.

I Wanna Be A Lifeguard was probably their best known song, as it was adopted as an anthem by the Jones Beach lifeguards.  Before they made their MTV debut, Blotto and I Wanna Be A Lifeguard were championed by Dr. Demento and, like all good, quirky New York bands, they appeared on both The Joe Franklin Show and the Uncle Floyd Show.  Today, it’s clear to see that Blotto were ahead of their time.  The band’s mix of humor and music are tailor-made for the age of YouTube and social media.

As for the video, it was filmed by video production students at SUNY Albany and it feels like a cross between two quintessentially 90s shows.  Starting in a shoe store and ending on the beach, I Wanna Be A Lifeguard is Married With Children meets Baywatch.  Since the video came out ten years before either one of those shows premiered, I Wanna Be A Lifeguard was as ahead of its time as the band that performed it.

Music Video of the Day: Bad Boys by Inner Circle (1993, directed by George Seminara)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Today’s music video of the day is Bad Boys, by the Jamaican reggae band, Inner Circle.

Yes, that would be the Cops theme song.

When Inner Circle first recorded and released Bad Boys in 1987, the song didn’t receive much attention.  That all changed in 1989 when a new docuseries premiered on Fox.  Cops followed the police as they patrolled the streets, dealt with a hostile citizenry, and broke up domestic disputes.  Every episode opened with a disclaimer (“All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”) and the opening verses of Bad Boys.

In 1993, the show’s worldwide success led to Inner Circle rereleasing Bad Boys as a single and filming the music video below:

Thirty-one seasons later, Cops is still in production and even those who may not be aware of who performed the song still know the famous “whatcha gonna do?” chorus.

Music Video of the Day: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2 (1987, directed by Barry Devlin)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Filmed over the course of one night on Fremont Street in Las Vegas, the music video for I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For accomplished two things.  First, it showcased the members of U2 at their most approachable and likable.  Secondly, it did wonders to improve the image of Las Vegas as a city.  Instead of focusing on people gambling away their life savings, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For portrayed Vegas as a friendly and diverse city where, if you go out on the right night, you might even run into one of the biggest bands in the world.  According to civic leader Pat Christensen in a 2002 interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal, “”The whole perception of Vegas changed with that video.  Now all the big names come here, some of them five, six times a year.”

As usual, in this video, the focus is on Bono and the Edge.  Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton are both present but it would be easy to mistake them for being a part of the crowd that gathers to watch The Edge play his guitar.  Perhaps that is why, at the end of the video, Adam appears to just wander away from the shoot and get in a waiting taxi cab.

Music Video of the Day: California Girls by David Lee Roth (1984, directed by Peter Angelus)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

David Lee Roth first came to prominence as the lead singer of Van Halen.  Famously, he and Eddie Van Halen did not get along but the band’s early success was definitely due to the combination of Eddie’s technical virtuosity and Roth’s unabashed stage presence.  For better or worse, Roth earned the right to be known as Diamond Dave.  When Roth left Van Halen (for the first time) and embarked on his solo career, he made up for what he may have lacked in range with pure theatrical showmanship.  Nowhere was that more evident than in Roth’s first solo hit, a cover of the Beach Boys’s California Girls.

Even before the video begins, we know what’s in store for us:

Assuming the opening quote hasn’t scared you off, the video proper begins somewhere in California, with a campy Twilight Zone-style narrator introducing us to a tour group of strange-looking tourists and Jane Leeves.  (Nine years after this video, Leeves would be better known for playing Daphne Moon on Frasier.)

Fortunately, the world’s best tour guide is there to show them what California’s all about!

But first, Diamond Dave makes them all walk through a cemetery for some reason.

Of course, Diamond Dave loves the East Coast Girls.  The Yo Mamma graffiti is a nice touch.

And Diamond Dave loves the Southern Girls, with the way they talk and hang their Confederate flags.

He also likes the Midwest Girls and, apparently, corn.

And don’t forget Northern Girls, with the way they kiss in the snow.

But you know what Dave really likes?

California Girls!

Jane Leeves is amazed!

The bodybuilder here is played by Kay Baxter, who was Dave’s personal trainer at the time.

The screenshot below is not only the epitome of Diamond Dave but also a good example of why he and Van Halen have always had such an uneasy working relationship.  Eddie Van Halen could probably perform a technically perfect version of California Girls (or any other Beach Boys song) but he could never pull off an orange suit and a bowtie.

The video’s most famous (and most often parodied) moment comes when Dave dances down a runway of bikini-clad models, who are all standing still and posed like mannequins.  It may be ridiculous put it’s also the epitome of David Lee Roth.

California Girls was one of Roth’s biggest solo hits and, much like him, it epitomizes an era.  Roth would later rejoin and leave Van Halen several more times before finally joining again in 2007.  When last checked, Roth was still a member and he probably still loves California girls.

 

Music Video of the Day: Cars by Gary Numan (1979, directed by Derek Burbidge)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

One of the first great hits of the new wave era, Gary Numan’s Cars was inspired by an incident of road rage.  As Numan explained in an interview

  “I was in traffic in London once and had a problem with some people in front. They tried to beat me up and get me out of the car. I locked the doors and eventually drove up on the pavement and got away from them. It’s kind of to do with that. It explains how you can feel safe inside a car in the modern world… When you’re in it, your whole mentality is different… It’s like your own little personal empire with four wheels on.”

From this humble beginning came the song that not only became synonymous with post-punk new wave music but which also inspired an untold number of teenagers to switch from learning how to play the drums to wanting a keyboard for Christmas.  Cars may have been about something as modern as road rage but its futuristic sound and video made it a science fiction anthem.

(Sorry, you’re probably going to have to go to YouTube to actually watch this video.)

Cars starts with what I like to call a Doctor Who shot.

Anyone who has ever seen classic Doctor Who or really any science fiction movie from the late 70s knows how important neon was to decorating any villain’s intergalactic lair.  When Gary Numan approaches the microphone, he could easily be mistaken for a militaristic alien who had made the mistake of falling under the influence of the Master.

Once Numan starts to perform, it becomes more obvious that he was more inspired by David Bowie than Doctor Who:

The video features several close-ups of Numan’s tambourine.  The effect may seem cheesy now but in 1979, it undoubtedly blew a lot of minds.

Of course, no new wave video would be complete without some synthesizer action.

Cars became an unexpected hit and remains popular today.  Anyone who has played Grand Theft Auto: Vice City knows the pleasure of fleeing the police while listening to Cars on Wave 103.

Music Video of the Day: You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon (1986, directed by Gary Weis)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

How did Chevy Chase come to star in a music video?

It all started with a case of mistaken identity.  Paul Simon and his then-wife were at a party where they met French composer, Pierre Boulez.  Boulez was not sure who Simon was and repeatedly called him “Al.”  At the same time, Simon was suffering from a mid-life crisis that would not be resolved until Simon visited South Africa.   Simon brought the two incident together when he wrote You Can Call Me Al, the lead single off of his 1986 album, Graceland.

As for the video, it was the brainchild of Lorne Michaels.  Michaels, of course, is best known for producing Saturday Night Live and it was his idea to combine the tall and extroverted Chevy Chase with Paul Simon, who was neither of those things.

Lorne Michaels and Chevy Chase have had a long history together.  Michaels originally hired Chase for SNL and was instrumental in Chase’s early success.  Chase reacted to his sudden success by leaving SNL after its first season and subsequently trashing the show in interviews.  When Chase first returned to host SNL, he got into a fist fight with his successor, Bill Murray.  Chase’s subsequent appearances on the show have become legendary for Chase’s obnoxious and absuive behind-the-scenes behavior.  (In 1986, for example, Chase suggested a sketch in which openly gay cast member Terry Sweeney would announce that he had AIDS and then be regularly weighed throughout episode.)  Eventually, Chase managed to become the first former cast member to be banned from appearing on the show.

Paul Simon, though, is still welcome anywhere he goes.

 

Music Video of the Day: Respect Yourself by Bruce Willis (1987, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Bruce Willis, R&B star?

It nearly happened!

Well, actually, it didn’t come close to happening but it wasn’t for lack of trying.  In 1987, when Willis was still best known for co-starring on Moonlighting, Motown records released The Return of Bruno, an album that featured Willis and a host of well-respected musicians performing 10 R&B classics.

The Return of Bruno is actually a concept album, with Willis taking on the role of Bruno Radolini, a legendary soul singer who influenced everyone from Elton John to The Bee Gees.  The Return of Bruno peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 2000 chart and was later named the 4th worst album ever recorded by Q Magazine.  It has since become a collector’s item.  (My father owns a copy!)   Willis performed the songs in his own style, which means that despite the presence of Booker T. Jones, The Pointer Sisters, and The Temptations performing backing vocals, this is still the smirkiest R&B album of all time.  The best way to describe it would be to say that it sounds like John McClane performing karaoke.

There’s an idea!  Die Hard 6: Sing For Your Life.

Heard you the first time, Bruce!

The biggest hit to come off the album was a cover of Respect Yourself, a duet with June Pointer that featured backing vocals from the other Pointer Sisters.  The music video for Respect Yourself plays to what was then considered to be Bruce’s main strengths as an actor: blue collar cockiness and a refusal to let something like a lack of any real musical talent hold him back.

Two years after The Return of Bruno, Willis released one final album, another collection of R&B covers called If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes Your Stronger.  Considering Willis went from The Return of Bruno to starring in Die Hard, it was an appropriate title.

Music Video of the Day: Numb by U2 (1993, directed by Kevin Godley)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

For today’s music video of the day, we break down the video that the New Musical Express named as being the 16th worst video of all time.  Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get … Numb!

0:06 — Drip drip drip.  Someone’s in for an unpleasant shock when they get the water bill.

0:30 — Numb is one of the few U2 songs to feature lead vocals from The Edge.  The Edge’s real name is David Howell Evans.

0:35 — That’s U2’s bassist, Adam Clayton, blowing smoke in the Edge’s face.  Clayton is the only member of U2 not to sing on this track but he still plays an important role in the video, as we’ll soon see.

0:50 — Who doesn’t love a good massage?

1:00 — The Edge is learning that singing lead has its advantages.

1:17 — “You’re not Bono!”

1:23 — Holding the rope in the background is, once again, Adam Clayton.

1:45 — As Clayton ties up The Edge, drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. makes an appearance.  It was actually Mullen’s idea to start the band that would eventually become U2.

1:53 — However, Mullen has obviously been overshadowed by Bono.

2:11 — Oh no, they killed the Edge!

2:13 — Hello?

2:15 — Is anyone there?

2:20 — With the Edge apparently dead, now seems like a good time to tell you that Numb was the first single released off of U2’s 1993 album Zooropa, which many consider to be the moment that U2 went from being an energetic group of rockers to the most pretentious band on the planet.  Numb, like the rest of the album, is about sensory overload.

2:23 — Numb was originally recorded for Achtung Baby and was called Down All The Days.  No one in the band liked the song but they still reworked it for Zooropa.

2:27 — Edge, can you hear me?

2:33 — Larry Mullen, Jr. is the new Edge.

2:41 — Adam considers tying Larry up but realizes that he wasted all of his rope on The Edge.

3:00 — The Edge lives!

3:18 — But with those feet in his face, The Edge might wish that he was dead.

3:36 — The Edge catches the bouquet.

3:51 — That is Morleigh Steinberg dancing in front of the Edge.  Nine years after the release of this video, the Edge and Steinberg got married.

4:12 — Just the fact that the fans are using cameras instead of phones proves this video was made in the early 90s.

4:17 — “Excuse me, Mr. Edge, but we have a wedding party coming in so if you and your friends could please vacate the room…”

4:25 — The Edge ain’t going nowhere.

Numb was originally release as a video single, so if you wanted to listen to it outside of Zoorupa, you had to buy it on VHS.  Also included on the tape was a video for Love is Blindness.

Music Video of the Day: Don’t Mean Nothin’ by Richard Marx (1988, directed by Dominic Sena)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Today’s music video of the day is Richard Marx’s Don’t Mean Nothin’.  This video was directed by Dominic Sena, who later directed films like Kalifornia, Gone in 60 Seconds, and Swordfish.  Let’s break it down and see if this video really don’t mean nothin’.

0:03 — I’m not sure but I think we may be in Hollywood.

0:04 — These scenes of Los Angeles street life will be familiar to anyone who has ever seen a movie about a small town girl moving to the big city to pursue her dreams.

0:18 — Welcome to Shangri-La!

0:26 — Cynthia Rhodes plays the small town girl.  You may recognize her from Flashdance, Staying Alive, and Dirty Dancing.  At the time this video was shot, she was dating Richard Marx.  She would marry him a year later.  They divorced in 2014.

0:38 — The sleazy apartment manager is played by the one and only G.W. Bailey.  Bailey has been in a ton of television shows and movies.  If you don’t know him from M*A*S*H, you probably know him from the Police Academy films.

0:48 — Cynthia knows what ol’ G.W. was doing back there.

0:55 — Richard Marx’s father was in advertising and Richard Marx started his singing career when he was five years old and he performed a jingle that his father had written.  When Marx was 17, he moved to Los Angeles.  This song was based on his experiences.

1:14 — Cynthia’s barely been in Hollywood for a week and she’s already got an audition!  That’s better that most small town girls do in the big city.

1:38 — Another great moment from G.W. Bailey.

1:53 — Cynthia is shocked! to discover what goes on in Hollywood.

2:09 — Richard says, “Drink up and enjoy the show!”  Cynthia is not amused.

2:24 — More Hollywood stock footage.

2:44 — That’s Joe Walsh of the Eagles on guitar.

2:59 — Proof that this video was made in 1988: Richard hands over a cassette of his music.

3:24 — Disgusted to see that Cynthia’s become either a maid or a waitress, Richard stops the music and throws away his future.

3:27 — There’s a lot of hockey hair in this video.

3:38 — Ol’ G.W.’s in trouble now.

3:42 — Are they taking pictures of G.W. getting beaten up?  Or does G.W. own a strobe light?

4:08 — Cynthia finally feels comfortable enough to wear an ugly sweater in L.A. and Richard has switched to decaf.

4:20 — A new small town girl arrives.  Cynthia tells her where she can find Ol’ G.W.

4:24 — Cynthia and Richard shares a smile and a private laugh as the new girl naively plunges into the moral abyss that is Hollywood.

4:32 — Don’t worry.  It don’t mean nothin’ at all.

Music Video of the Day: The Heat Is On by Glenn Frey (1984, dir by ????)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I picked this video for one reason.

Check out my weather forecast for the next few days:

That’s right!  Today and tomorrow, the temperature is supposed to get up to 109 degrees!  Then on Monday, it’ll only get up to 108 and we’ll finally get some relief on Tuesday when the high plunges down to 101!

Indeed, the heat is on.

(It could be worse.  Yesterday, they were saying that the high would hit 110 on Saturday.  We’ve gone down a degree!  Yay!)

Seriously, the heat in Texas is so bad that, on Thursday, I could barely even drive home.  I had to steer with my finger tips because it was literally impossible for me to grip the steering while without burning my hands!  If I have to spend this summer driving with oven mitts on my hands, I’m not going to be in a good mood…

As for the song, it was written for the 1984 film, Beverly Hills Cop.  The video features clips from that film, mixed in with footage of an editor working in the heat and the band bringing the heat.

Anyway, on a serious note, be careful out there everyone.  Keep your pets inside.  It might be a good idea to keep yourself inside too.  Usually I hate the idea of wasting a weekend but, when it’s this hot, you really don’t have much choice but to spend a few days being lethargic.

Enjoy the video!