Ready to go on a night drive? Maybe with someone who’s cool with your friends? You’re not alone… Today we feature the video for “Mr. Overtime” by Punks Jump Up, with vocals by none other than Dave 1 from Chromeo. Not only is the song a current DJ staple, the video showcases some pretty awesome visuals, many of which are ’80s-influenced. Bring on the neon, lipstick, sunglasses and fast cars…
Friday Video Pick: “Long Hot Summer” by The Style Council
Tomorrow is the first official day of fall! On this last day of summer, we revel in warmth one more time before saying goodbye to the season of swimming, cutoffs and lounging. In today’s Friday Video Pick, “Long Hot Summer” by The Style Council, we see singer Paul Weller drift down the river in a little boat while bandmate Mick Talbot steers. Sun shines through the treetops, and the two ham it up, much like when they cycled through the English countryside while belting out “My Ever Changing Moods.” Today it’s all about those lazy summer days on the water. As you’ll soon see, this video has a wonderful, dreamy quality to it…
Friday Video Pick: “Under the Milky Way” by The Church
For those of you who know me, forget everything I’ve ever said about feathered hair being a mistake. Seriously. As you can see in the header image for today’s post, it has its time and place. And that time is 1988 and the place is on Steve Kilbey’s head. Perfection! In fact, this vocalist and bassist of Australian band The Church is one of the songwriters of their beloved hit “Under the Milky Way,” our featured track and video. If you know this song, you know it has something very special. If you aren’t yet familiar with this ditty, you’re in for a treat…
Why ’80s Music Videos Are So Dreamy…
Music videos from the 1980s sure were all over the place! I was recently watching my old VHS tape of videos I’d recorded as a pre-teen, and it dawned on me that music videos from this time period represented a huge variety of approaches and technological levels. This new medium of entertainment ushered in an exciting era of artistic expression. People were still trying to figure it all out. Some bands simply sang in front of a blank white screen, while others pioneered the latest in special effects. Some rented a smoke machine and hit “record.” Others acted out elaborate stories, treating each piece as a three-minute short film. And that’s why ’80s music videos are so magical…
Friday Video Pick: “State of the Heart” by Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield has made some amazing contributions to ’80s music video history. Elaborate, dynamic and drama-filled, his videos are as catchy as his pop songs. But today we focus on a more contemplative piece, the 1985 hit “State of the Heart.” In fact, the song was originally recorded in 1980 by Australian group Mondo Rock. But Rick puts his own spin on it, complete with a video featuring flowing water, rose petals and a very Zen set. With a touch of marble for an ’80s effect, of course!
Friday Video Pick: “Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush
OK, so what are we looking at here? It’s a cloudbuster! Yes, this rain-making machine was the topic of Kate Bush’s 1985 single “Cloudbusting,” based on the close relationship between psychiatrist/psychoanalyst/inventor Wilhelm Reich and his son Peter. But even if you knew this, you may not know that the machine in the video was designed by the folks who brought us the Alien creature. Or that the video was brainstormed by Kate Bush and none other than Terry Gilliam. And that Julian Doyle, the man who created the special effects for Gilliam’s Brazil and Time Bandits, directed the piece, which also starred Donald Sutherland!
Friday Video Pick: “Everybody Everybody” by Black Box
When did you first realize the ’80s were on their way out? Did you notice an abundance of music video mavens with thick eyebrows, red lipstick and a fitted black wardrobe? Or perhaps you experienced a retro revival as clothing and jewelry began featuring patterns and motifs from the ’60s and ’70s. And while house music was brewing well before the ’90s, maybe you turned on the radio and heard the first mainstream evidence of this “new” genre that featured soulful singing and prominent piano chords. Guess what? For today, Mirror80 becomes Mirror90 with a music video that features all of the elements mentioned above!
Friday Video Pick: “The Other Side of Life” by The Moody Blues
While die-hard Moody Blues fans may prefer the band’s earlier work to their mid-’80s tracks, songs like “Your Wildest Dreams,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” and “The Other Side of Life” definitely have a special place in our hearts here at Mirror80. And it’s “The Other Side of Life” that we profile today. This video may as well be a performance art piece. Where else can you see a character lose his way in the back alleys of the city, only to see visions of himself in various helpless positions, including being fed head-first into the path of a rotating table saw? All the while, he’s pursued by a blue-haired beauty that may as well be from a Philip K. Dick novel. This is ’80s video magic, people…
Friday Video Pick: “Automatic” by The Pointer Sisters
Interested in watching today’s Friday Video Pick? Would a camera-loving breakdancer, a humanoid robot with glowing eyes, and a couple of interpretive dancers clutching fans change your mind? We hope so–you don’t want to miss this! The Pointer Sisters’ 1984 hit “Automatic” is the music of choice for these ambitious performers. Don’t worry–there’s footage of the Sisters singing too!
Friday Video Pick: “Touch and Go” by The Cars
Today Mirror80 features one of my favorite all-time songs: “Touch and Go” by The Cars. I grew up listening to the cars but was a bit young when this little ditty came out. By the close of the ’80s I was much more familiar with The Cars’ uptempo hits, so you can imagine how delighted I was to come across this edgier track off their more experimental album Panorama from 1980. This video, a performance that aired on the ABC show Fridays, does not disappoint. Neither does the black and white wardrobe of the band members!
