Tag Archives: music video

AMV Of The Day: Space Oddity (Cowboy Bebop)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In memory of David Bowie, on what would have been his birthday, here’s an AMV of the Day.

Anime: Cowboy Bebop

Song: Space Oddity (performed by David Bowie)

Creator: Gabriel Jimenez (please subscribe to this creator’s channel)

Past AMVs of the Day

Music Video of the Day: I’m Afraid of Americans by David Bowie (1997, dir by Dom & Nic)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today would have been David Bowie’s 76th birthday so it only feels appropriate that our music video of the day should come from him.  In I’m Afraid of Americans, Bowie is pursued through New York City by Trent Reznor.

This is a song that has been interpreted and re-interpreted several times through the years.  Bowie himself indicated that the song wasn’t anti-American as much as it was about America’s cultural and commercial dominance over much of the world.  Of course, more recently, other critics have insisted in finding a message about the current state of American politics in the song’s lyrics, despite the fact that Bowie died before the start of our current political era.  Myself, when I watched the video, I immediately thought of the paranoia that many felt and some still feel about COVID, with Bowie representing the wealthy city dweller who finds himself fleeing from anyone who he fears might be unvaccinated or infected.  Like all great songs and videos, I’m Afraid of Americans can mean a host of different things depending on when you watch or listen to it.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: The Damned by The Plasmatics (1982, dir by Ron Swenson)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

On Friday night, some friends and I were watching an old New Year’s special from 1983.  In between a few stand-up comedians and an interview with an oddly coherent Ozzy Osbourne, this video was broadcast.

Taking a school bus to the desert, singing on top of it, and then blowing it up?  Hell yeah!  All hail the revolution!  It’s interesting to think that, just a few years ago, everyone wanted to be rebellious.  As of late, I kind of feel like society has started to lose its rebellious spirit.  People now seem to prefer complacency and conformity.  That’s a shame but I think that revolutionary spirit is still out there.  It’s just the same people have forgotten how to embrace it.  It’ll return, though.  Like a school bus blowing up in the desert, the temptation of free thought cannot be ignore for too long.

Lead singer Wendy O. Williams did all of her own stunts in the video, including climbing on top of the bus and jumping off right before it exploded.  On top of the danger involved in driving a bus full of explosives, Wendy also did it all with a sprained ankle.  MTV was apparently so worried that the video would inspire other people to try the same thing that they insisted a warning be added to the start of the video.

(My personal opinion on warnings is that they’re counter-productive.  In fact, there’s something really hypocritical about warnings like the ones that MTV used to include before their shows.  If you’re that concerned that a video or television show is going to lead to people doing something stupid and destructive and potentially life-threatening, then don’t broadcast it.  The minute that you decide to air something, you’ve kind of lost the right to say, “Please watch this but don’t try to duplicate it.”  To be honest, whenever I see a warning telling me not to do something, it just makes me want to do it more.  That said, I don’t think I would be able to find the courage necessary to fool around with explosives.  Or, for that matter, drive a school bus.  I’m sure the bus is probably covered with germs and wads of chewing gum.  Bleh!)

This video was directed, over the course of one day, by Ron Swenson.  Of course, since the bus was due to explode during filming, almost every shot had to be completed in just one take.

Enjoy!

Lyrics:

Black visions from the satellite sky
Deaf ears hear not their cries
Fat jackals howl at the moon
Flies buzzing, playing death’s tune

Night ends but the sun it don’t rise
Tombs open and the dead they will rise
Black market buys your soul real cheap
No escaping, what you sow, you will reap

Prisoners of the damned
Find another land
Planet of the lost
Land of fire and frost

Prisoners of the dead
Fear the unknown dread
Tidal waves at sea
Set the serpents free

Coup d’etat on a global scale
Opposition, locked up in jail
Domination, the goons are the boss
Human race nailed to a cross

Prisoners of the damned
Find another land
Planet of the lost
Land of fire and frost

Prisoners of the dead
Fear the unknown dread
Tidal waves at sea
Set the serpents free

Prisoners of the damned
Find another land
Planet of the lost
Land of fire and frost

Music Video of the Day: Thinking About You by Calvin Harris and featuring Ayah Marar (2013, dir by ????)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Who are you thinking about?

By the way, I recently heard that some people can’t stand it when people in relationships refer to each other as “babe.”  Personally, I think it’s cute.  It’s also a good way to remind someone that they are loved despite the fact that you might be asking them to take down their favorite work of art until after your aunt visits.  “Take that down,” sounds mean but “Hey, babe, how about we take this down for a few hours?” sounds sweet and fun!  Not only are you using a term of affection but you’re also assuring them that it will only be for a few hours and hey, maybe you’ll do something special to celebrate its return to the wall, right?

Anyway, I like this video.  It’s very celebratory.  It captures the feeling of being young, having too many resources, and just letting the day take to wherever it’s going to lead.  It’s all about freedom and enjoying the life that you have while you have it.  In today’s world, so many people seem to feel that they have an obligation to be miserable all the time.  Seriously, though, you’ve got your entire life to be miserable.  Today, just enjoy yourself.  The world won’t end.

Enjoy!

Lyrics:

If I told you, that this couldn’t get better baby
And your heartbeat, it lets me know you feel the same.
I can hold you, keep you safe until you fall asleep.
Never worried, cause I can give you what you need.

Now everything I do, is all for loving you.
Its not something that we’re used to.
No other way to say, I need you every day.
And now I’m gonna change my ways.
And it’s a part of you, I never wanna lose.
I’ll do anything you want me to.
Like any other day, I know I’ll find a way-aa-aay.
And if ever I’m alone you’ll say.

I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.

In a moment, I know that everything could change.
And I know that, my life would never be the same.
You’re the only one that’s making sense to me.
When I close my eyes, you’re the one, I see.
There’s no other way I could ever be … Without you babe.

Now everything I do, is all for loving you.
Its not something that we’re used to.
No other way to say, I need you everyday.
And now I’m gonna change my ways.
And it’s a part of you, I never wanna lose.
I’ll do anything you want me to.
Like any other day, I know I’ll find a way-aa-aay.
And if ever I’m alone you’ll say.

I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.
I’ll be thinking about you.

Music Video of the Day: Best Part of Me by Jeremy Renner (2020, dir by Josh Close)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

As I sit here typing this, at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jeremy Renner is currently in the hospital.  Most reports state that he is in critical but stable condition as the result of an accident involving a snow plow.  That’s pretty much all the details that anyone has right now.  Hopefully, by the time this pots goes live, his condition will have improved.  My thoughts are with him and his family.

Music Video of the Day: Let Her In, performed by John Travolta (1976, dir by ????)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Did you know that John Travolta was singer, even before he starred in Grease?

I didn’t, until I came across the video below on YouTube.  Apparently, Travolta released two albums before he played Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever.  (After Saturday Night Fever was a hit, a third compilation album was released.  It was called — I kid you not — Travolta Fever.)  As a singer, Travolta’s biggest, non-Grease hit was a 1976 cover of a song called Let Her In.  The song spent five months on the U.S. charts and it peaked at number ten.  It was an even bigger hit in Canada, where Travolta’s sensitive song stylings were appreciated by the most polite people to ever knock out each other’s teeth at a hockey game.

From 1976, here is John Travolta performing Let Her In.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Why by Herve Villechaize (1981, dir by ????)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

For the past few months, I’ve been watching and reviewing episodes of the original Fantasy Island.  One of the keys to that show’s success was the enigmatic partnership between Mr. Roarke and Tattoo.  Even though it’s usually pretty easy to see that Ricardo Montalban and Herve Villechaize did not like each other, their exchanges are usually the highlight of any episode.  Of course, after years of high ratings and television fame, Villechaize was fired from Fantasy Island when he demanded more money.  Without Tattoo, the series was canceled after one season so …. well, they probably should have just given him the money.

Anyway, one thing that I recently discovered about Herve Villechaize is that he had a musical career!  In 1981, at the height of the show’s popularity, he released a song called “Why?”  It’s all about trying to understand why people have to fight and why people cannot just accept the wisdom of peace-loving children.  The video at the top of this post was recorded for a TV show on which Villechaize appeared.  Unfortunately, I don’t know which show it was for and the video upload itself is not the best quality.  Apparently, the split-screen visual effect that gives us two Herves singing at once was a part of the show.

That said, this is as close as we have to an actual music video for Herve Villechaize’s Why? so I’m sharing with it.  What better way to start a new year than with a plea for peace?

Why do we always have to fight?

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Alcoholic by Chanel West Coast (2013, dir by Nicholaus Goossen)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Wow, look at you getting ready for New Year’s Eve!

If you’re ever feeling like you’ve reached a dead end, just remember that Rob Dyrdek’s receptionist is more famous than you are and …. well, that probably won’t help.

Enjoy!