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


This song spent 109 weeks on the charts after its release and it remains one of Mötley Crüe’s most popular singles.

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 before getting sober.  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.

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.

Director Wayne Isham is one of the most recognizable names when it comes to music video directors.  If you were someone who was anyone in the music business, Isham probably directed at least one video for you.

Enjoy!

 

Music Video of the Day: Armegeddon It by Def Leppard (1988, directed by Wayne Isham)


The theme of this video seems to be that Def Leppard is the band that has fun onstage and off!

This footage for this video was shot over the course of two shows at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado. Originally, the footage was going to be used for a future concert film but, when Armageddon It was released as a single, the band’s record label said that they needed a music video to accompany it and they needed it immediately. Since the band didn’t want to do another “concept video” (and really didn’t have time to come up with a concept in the first place), the Denver footage was hastily edited together.

The end result was that Armageddon It went on to the become the band’s fourth top ten hit in the United States.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Pop by *NSYNC (2001, Dir. by Wayne Isham)


The year was 2001 and *NSYNC was sick of being dismissed as just being another pop boy band.  So, Justin Timberlake and Wade Robson wrote a song satirizing the band’s image and trying to show that they were everything but “pop.”  Of course, they called the song Pop.  And then they went on a tour called PopOdyssey.

I miss those days.

Enjoy!

 

Music Video of the Day: Kickstart My Heart by Mötley Crüe (1989, directed by Wayne Isham)


Today’s music video of the day was filmed at Hollywood’s famed Whisky a Go Go, while Mötley Crüe was preparing to embark on their tour promoting Dr. Feelgood.  In the 80s, you knew you had made it big if Sam Kinison was your chauffeur.

This video was directed by Wayne Isham, who directed videos for practically everyone.  Everyone who was anyone in the music biz worked with Wayne Isham at least once.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: In My Dreams by Dokken (1986, directed by Wayne Isham)


There’s never a dull moment when you’re a member of Dokken!  If you’re not playing in the rain, you’re standing on a computer generated grid.  I think this was all supposed to represent what Don Dokken was seeing in his dreams.

This single was released off of Dokken’s third studio album, Under Lock and Key.  The video was directed by Wayne Isham, who directed videos for everyone who was anyone.  Dokken definitely had their moment in the 80s.  The band’s classic line-up broke up in 1988 and Don Dokken is the only original member in the band’s current incarnation.  (When Don Dokken initially left the band in 1988, it created an odd situation where the other three members were still performing as Dokken even though the band’s namesake was pursuing a solo career.)  In April, Don Dokken said that he might be retiring from performing all together.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: No Leaf Clover by Metallica (2000, directed by Wayne Isham)


No Leaf Clover is one of two original compositions to appear on Metallica’s 1999 live album, S&M.  S&M stood for Symphony and Metallica and any other possible interpretation was just a coincidence.  (Sure!)

Directed by Wayne Isham, this video features both Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony bringing the song to life.  This was also the second to last Metallica video to feature bassist Jason Newsted.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche) by 98º (2000, Dir. by Wayne Isham)


Would you give 98 Degrees just one night?

98 Degrees was a part of the whole boy band era but, unlike NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, and O-Town, the members of 98 Degrees actually formed the band on their own.  They weren’t put together by a producer or a record company.  That’s one of the many reasons was 98 Degrees was better than the typical boy band.  They also wrote and produced most of their own songs instead of relying on a record company to hire someone to do it for them.

As for this video, it was filmed in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico and it features 98 Degrees performing amongst Mayan ruins.

Enjoy!