80sOnVEVO Takeover: Week 2 Electric Boogaloo
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MUSIC VIDEO is now partnering with the folks at VEVO (the world’s leading all-premium music video and entertainment platform) through a weekly curation of the 80sOnVEVO YouTube page. Each week, we’ll be dusting off the shelves of the VEVO video vault to spotlight all-time favorites, award winners and lost gems from the decade of decadence. We’ll also supplement the curation with info and/or commentary about our weekly batch of clips right here. Each week we’ll also pick a FEATURED VIDEO to jump start things.
This week’s featured video is The Fixx – One Thing Leads To Another, a video directed by Jeannette Obstoj, a frequent band collaborator and partner to Rupert Hine. Lead singer/songwriter Cy Curnin recalled the experience in this interview, and Obstoj said, “All the ideas such as the dogs were mine. They were indeed very hard to handle.” Apparently, one of the dogs bit Cy during the shoot!
Simple Minds – Alive and Kicking
A uncharacteristically serene video for Polish director Zbigniew Rybczynski, who made a deal with the band that he’d shoot a very simple video for this song, but the next one would be experimental in execution. He got his wish: Simple Minds’ follow-up to “Don’t You Forget About Me” became a high-rotation hit, and Rybczynski followed with the groundbreaking “All The Things She Said”.
The Police – Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
British director Derek Burbidge basically shot every video for the Police up until Synchronicity. Burbidge, director of “Urgh! A Music War” and countless Adam Ant videos, set a shadowy lighting scheme for these Ghost in the Machine clips, all shot in Montserrat. While this approach seems to match “Spirits in the Material World” and “Invisible Sun”, “Every” is more of a romp, not unlike earlier endeavors into the silly like “Don’t Stand So Close To Me”.
Whitney Houston – How Will I Know
This was director Brian Grant’s first video for the late Miz Houston. He told us last year that “she smiled at the camera, and my knees went.” Read more about Grant’s memories of the video here.
Kiss – Tears are Falling
David Mallet directed this one. “There’s only one way you can take KISS,” he said, “and it’s a very fine line with KISS between comedy and something that’s too heavy.”
Wham – Everything She Wants
George Michael collaborator Andy Morahan directed this one as well as Michael’s Faith video trilogy.
The Cars – Drive
Directed by Academy Award-winning actor Timothy Hutton, and it features Ric Ocasek’s future wife Paulina Porizkova. “Drive” became the Cars’ only number one hit, and Hutton also directed Don Henley’s “Not Enough Love In The World” video.
Alice Cooper – Poison
A comeback hit for the Coop that sports all the trappings of the quintessential 80s pop metal video.
T’Pau – Heart and Soul
T’Pau had a series of pop hits in the UK, but made only one appearance on the U.S. Billboard Charts with this song in 1987.
Beastie Boys – Looking Down The Barrel of a Gun
This one off Paul’s Boutique had the late Adam “MCA” Yauch behind the lens as his alter ego Nathaniel Hornblower.
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!