Weird videos from MTV's early days.....

[vi5]

Random memory, but I was recently thinking back to the early days of MTV. I didn't actually have it at my house since we didn't have cable, but my grandmother did and when i went over there literally all I did was watch MTV. This was when it was first out in like '80 or '81.

And one thing I remember is that 2 of the videos they played with semi-frequency were Blackfoot's "Train Train" and some video by Jim Capaldi who was in traffic.

Now, I know that they were pretty much working with what they had, and pretty much any artist who took advantage of the medium of music video could get air time (Rod Stewart, Tom Petty, etc.). But even by those lenient standards, Jim Capaldi and f'ng Blackfoot are very odd choices for a music video station even at it's inception.

Am I missing any other oddities from those days?

[htuttle]

1. The Residents had some videos on

There were a lot of British Ska-type bands with videos on as well. Thinking mostly about MTV's very first year.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. The thing I remember most from the early 80's videos

Was that there was an overabundance of white in almost all the videos.

White backdrops, overexposed video, bright lighting, and white suits.

Some of those videos should have required sunglasses to watch.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

3. 'Once in a Lifetime' is a classic early-MTV video.

David Byrne's pretty iconic in that one.

[Liberal Veteran]

9. People still do that wierd hand arm gesture....

Same as it ever was.
Same as it ever was.


I must admit I am still astounded he could get away with singing "There is water at the bottom of the ocean" without laughing.

[gratuitous]

4. "Cool Places"

I don't remember the artist (some boy-girl duo), but the video featured them lip-synching against various "cool place" backdrops, and some third guy who was unidentified (Producer's brother-in-law?) mugging and cavorting through the whole thing.

Ideola's "Is It Any Wonder" however, was an instant classic, and anyone who knows that group is a friend of mine!

[vi5]

7. Sparks w/ Jane Weidlin from the go-gos...

That's who sang "Cool Places". And yeah, that's a great one. Sparks is/was a super weird band.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

16. This town aint big enough for the both of us..da der da der

and it ain't me who's gonna leave. Da der da der der da der da der da der. I thank you.

[XNASA]

5. I remember a Graham Parker video to Local Girls.

I also remember a David Johanson (sp?) video of "We Gotta Get Outta This Place". The old Animals tune.

[meegbear]

6. Devo ...

Had some great videos. "Love Without Anger" is one of my favorite videos of all time.

[quispquake]

10. The just released the "Total Devo" video on DVD!!!

Saw it this weekend...great collection of pretty much all of Devo's videos...including a whole bunch not on the original compilation...

Actually made me enjoy the song "Peek-a-Boo" which always annoyed me...

pp23

[proud patriot]

8. "Video Killed the Radio Star"

Don't remember the bands name , but I remember a lot baked beans .

[Scurrilous]

11. The Buggles.

First video ever played on MTV was the Buggle's 'Video Killed the Radio Star.' The second video ever played was Pat Benatar's 'You Gotta Run.'

[vi5]

12. The Buggles...that was the first video ever played...

On emptyvee

[Rainbowreflect]

13. There were 3 Grateful Dead videos in the mid to late 80s.

"Touch of Gray" of course, also "Hell in a Bucket" and my fav "Throwing Stones".

[Sagan]

14. I'm an MTV historian

I saw it come on the air. Some videos I remember..

"Happens all the time" -- the Directors

"Endicott" -- King Creole and the Coconuts

"Tonight I'm Yours" -- Rod Stewart (had this one girl in a black bikini.. yow.. I still remember THAT)

"Wot" -- Captain Sensible

"Don't Pay the Ferryman" and "Ship to Shore" -- Chris DeBurgh

"Mexican Radio" -- Wall of Voodoo

"Fish Heads" -- ?

I'm sure I'll think of more.

[jimbo fett]

17. Fish heads, Fish heads, yummy-yummy fish heads

Fish heads, fish heads. Eat 'em up, yum!

Laurie Anderson, I think.

[grannylib]

23. I was gonna say that one! And it was 'roly poly fish heads...'

[vi5]

20. Fish Heads was done by Barnes and Barnes...

God, why do I know this stuff?

[jimbo fett]

15. EBN-OZN, Missing Persons, Modern English, Bow Wow Wow..

I lived on early MTV because I was into "alternative" music before I even knew that there was such a thing as "alternative" music.

All I knew was that what was on the local radio wasn't nearly as cool as The Cure, Depeche Mode, ABC, The Specials, etc...

[wysimdnwyg]

18. I loved MTV, but my dad wouldn't let me watch it

One day he came home and I had it on (wasn't even watching it, really, too busy doing other things, but I liked to have it on). There was some Satan-Metal band on (is that the right term), and it kept flashing a picture of the devil. Dad freaked and we couldn't watch it at his house any more.

THAT was a weird video.

[phillybri]

19. "Lawyers in Love" by Jackson Browne....

It had it all: Crappy graphics, bad lip-synching, venetian blinds...

[Drifter]

21. Frank Zappa ....

You Are What You Is.

Needless to say this video would never see the public airwaves again. They put an effigy of Reagan (guy in a Reagan mask) in the electric chair.

Cheers
Drifter

[stanwyck]

22. Aha's video

for their one song: Take On Me. Very cool video. Animated drawings with live action. I've always liked that song, too.

[arwalden]

28. I Liked The Aha Video Too! --- Also... Sledgehammer,

from Peter Gabriel.

-- Allen

[Cush]

24. "Rocket"

Herbie Hancock

That was a fraky video.....remember those legs kicking, and the baby in the highchair?

[eileen_d]

25. Yeah!

I have an old VHS tape of a cable show doing top 10 80s videos with a pre-SNL Dana Carvey as the host. "Rock It" was on that one. I think Pat Benetar's "Love Is A Battlefield" was also on it. I was always mesmerized by that dance sequence for some reason...

I also must say now that someone reminded me of EBN-OZN I have to fire up Kazaa again (or whatever the latest program for that is)

A-E-I-O-U

[SideshowScott]

26. " Mr Roboto" By Styx

I KNOW your humming the tune right now! Ahhh the best days of MTV..When they were not all about being a souless crappy network like they are now..MTV is totlly unwatchable now..But back in the day it was beautiful..Other vids i loved..
" House of Fun " Madness
"Hyperactive" and " Blinded by Science" Thomas Dolby
" Freedom Of Choice ", " Are we not men ", " Peekaboo" Devo
" I wanna Be sedated" "Psychotherpy" Ramones
" Same as it ever was" Talking heads
" Kids in America" Kim Wilde
" I want candy " Bow wow wow

[VOX]

27. "Close (To The Edit)" by Art of Noise...

Directed by Zbigniew Rybczynski. 1985, I think.

The video featured a little girl destroying various musical instruments with a sledgehammer, chainsaw, etc., all set in a rail yard.

You had to be there.