There’s no denying that Mirror80 has been a wee bit obsessed with R&B videos these last couple of weeks. Especially the ones that involve large ensembles of fashionable musicians with a penchant for shoulder pads. And we’re just talking about the men… This week we are delighted to showcase Midnight Star, a group whose electro-funk rhythms brightened many a dance floor in the ’80s. If you’re familiar with “Freak-A-Zoid” and “No Parking (On the Dance floor),” you’re no stranger to Midnight Star. Today we discover why they have the “Midas Touch!”
“Meeting in the Ladies Room” by Klymaxx
Asymmetrical hair–check. Angular metal and glass furniture–check. Neon lighting–check. Breakdancer chained to an electric chair–check? Why worry about the details…. When it comes to music video posses, Klymaxx may very well have set some kind of record. And even though the title of the piece is “Meeting in the Ladies Room,” there sure are a lot of men dressed in ’80s-tastic club wear. One more important factoid: the video was directed by Devo’s Gerald Casale! Don’t miss today’s Friday Video Pick!
Friday Video Pick: “Once in a Lifetime” by Talking Heads
When I began watching MTV at my neighbor’s house at the young age of five, I must admit that I had little patience for this video. OK, so I shouldn’t be too hard on myself–I was a couple of years out of preschool. It was 1981, the debut year of the famous music television network, and videos were a brand spanking new medium. And as time went on and this Talking Heads video continued to be featured, I likely changed the channel in hopes that when I switched back, something like “Mickey” by Toni Basil would be playing. Little did I know that Toni Basil was the choreographer of “Once in a Lifetime,” today’s Friday Video Pick.
Friday Video Pick: “My Ever-Changing Moods” by The Style Council
So it’s a few days past Friday, but a bad case of vertigo prevented me from blogging on the day this post was supposed to go live! And this song is just too good to pass up… Today we spotlight The Style Council, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Paul Weller (formerly of The Jam) and keyboardist Mick Talbot.
Friday Video Pick: A Swatch Watch Commercial From 1988!
Today’s Friday Video Pick comes from the vibrant world of Swatch. This Australian ad features the best of ’80s design…in-your-face colors, quick bursts of flashy geometry, and…a street carnival setting? The commercial is “set” in Vienna, which clearly inspired an Old Word-meets-modern vibe. Attempts to jazz it up with glass block and neon lighting prove quite interesting
Friday Video Pick: “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” by the Pet Shop Boys
For today’s Friday Video Pick, we spotlight the Pet Shop Boys’ “What Have a I Done to Deserve This?,” a track featuring the vocals of Dusty Springfield. Filmed in a music hall, this 1987 video makes use of chorus girls and theater curtains to keep the action moving, then culminates in a dramatic stage finale.
Friday Video Pick: “So Unreal” by LA Vampires Featuring Matrix Metals
Today’s Friday Video Pick is a new piece that’s exploding with ’80s motifs. Grids, LaserDiscs, Trapper Keeper-ish graphic design and references to artist Patrick Nagel are a few of the many 1980s flourishes packed into this six-minute style fest featuring LA Vampires. There’s even a plasma ball that may as well have been plucked from the shelves of The Sharper Image in all of its electrified glory.
Friday Video Pick: “Reflection of You” by Bear in Heaven
Today’s Friday Video Pick is a new piece from Brooklyn rock band Bear in Heaven. With a voice that carries like the singing of Christopher Cross, lead singer Jon Philpot creates a modern take on synth-driven rock. The video consists of a series of rapid zoom-in shots (the dizzy- or seizure-prone may wish to avoid it), and a neon background peppered with flashing lights is contemporary awesomeness at its best.
Friday Video Pick: “Urgent” by Foreigner
Today we travel back to a time when the message of a rock song was so urgent, it made band members pulse with energy as they belted it out. Maybe the message was “Someday Love Will Find You” or “You’re as Cold as Ice,” or even more urgent that that: “Urgent!” Yes, today we celebrate that dire word proclaimed by the band Foreigner in their 1981 hit.
Friday Video Pick: “Cowbell” by Takeshi Itoh
Today’s video comes from Polish director Zbigniew Rybczyński, whose work includes two previously-mentioned music videos on Mirror80: “All the Things She Said” by Simple Minds and “Candy” by Cameo. Known for his innovative visuals, often involving overlapping multiples of the musicians featured in each piece, Rybczyński is the perfect man to take Takeshi Itoh’s “Cowbell” into the realm of music video.
