You do it to yourself, you do

March 9, 2006 7:01 AM

Excellent music videofor an interesting cover version of Radiohead's Just (originally off of The Bends) by British musician Mark Ronson. Song is done in a more 1960's Stax-Volt Records style, using gratuitous horn samples; video is shot on the streets of an English city (I believe London, but am not sure) and features animated graffiti coming to life & dancing to the song, as well as a cameo by the tiled creations of Invader. First link goes to a page about the song, with video download links in wmv & qt at the bottom. Still no answer as to what that guy was saying in the original version of the video, sadly.
posted by jonson (32 comments total)

Nice link. Just so you know, in regards to 'what that guy was saying' in the original video - the answer is nothing. I remember reading an interview with Thom and he said that there was never any idea underlying what he was saying.
posted by numberstation at 7:17 AM on March 9, 2006

Great cover, thanks for sharing.

However I don't really get a "Stax-Volt" Vibe from this--there just isn't much Memphis happening here.

I'd be more likely to liken the horns, as far as voicing goes, to Maceo Parker's arranging style, and the groove is like an amped-up Meters.
posted by sourwookie at 7:25 AM on March 9, 2006

Thanks for this. I was turned on to the cover a few weeks ago, but was aware of an accompanying video.
posted by apeiam at 7:28 AM on March 9, 2006

sourwookie - you're right, upon re-listen it IS more The Meters. The guitar riff in the middle reminded me of Steve Cropper, but the overall horns are too punchy (sort of "herky-jerky" for lack of a better word) for Memphis. And numberstation, thanks, but I refuse to believe that. Just because Thom Yorke doesn't know what was said, I won't rest until the actor who was lying on the ground comes out and confesses the incantation!
posted by jonson at 7:37 AM on March 9, 2006

Yeah, the horns are staccato, and the voicing is top-heavy (emphasis on alto and trumpet). I hear the Steve Cropper riff, though. I don't think Brit-Funk artists are "purists" by any stretch.

I make compilation CD's for my local dive, and am currently doing one of covers. This is going to sound great right after the Eddie Hazel version of "California Dreaming."
posted by sourwookie at 7:41 AM on March 9, 2006

as well as a cameo by the tiled creations of Invader.
heh, there are a lot of other graff cameos in there too.
neat.
posted by TechnoLustLuddite at 7:48 AM on March 9, 2006

Does anyone happen to have a link to the original "Just" video? I've never been able to find a good copy and I'd love to see it again.
posted by Mikey-San at 7:54 AM on March 9, 2006

FYI, Ronson is from New York, and he's a DJ -- see also this.
posted by TheWash at 7:58 AM on March 9, 2006

I wish the graffiti crime in my neighbourhood was as beautiful as that. It's amazing how different the song feels with the horns and dancing drawings, as opposed to Thom Yorke flailing about and, yeah, the sidewalk guy.
During an interview on MuchMusic (Canada's music video station) Thom was asked what the guy said. Of course he refused. But then the VJ asked the audience, if anyone knew, or could read his lips. Two teenage girls said they knew! They said they (or someone they knew) could read his lips and figured out what was said. At that moment you could hear Thom pleading with them, off camera, to not reveal it. It turned out unnecessary, as the girls had no intention of telling anyone. But the whole thing, especially Thom sounding a bit panicked, made me think it was more than just gibberish or nothing at all.
posted by Hanover Phist at 8:02 AM on March 9, 2006

That's London alright. Battersea Powerstation pops up from time to time.
posted by sizemore at 8:05 AM on March 9, 2006

Come on Americans! You all know about London's big red buses, right?
posted by jrengreen at 8:14 AM on March 9, 2006

That was great, thanks!
posted by dobie at 8:35 AM on March 9, 2006

yes, super find. thanks :)
posted by freudianslipper at 9:30 AM on March 9, 2006

That one with the girl with the balloons at maybe 1:20 and 2:58 is off Isreal's security wall right?
posted by I Foody at 10:20 AM on March 9, 2006

Love it, love it, love it.

Thnx!
posted by dbiedny at 10:28 AM on March 9, 2006

I believe that the little girl with the balloons was done by a London graffiti artist called Banksy
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:41 AM on March 9, 2006

Mikey-San: Netflix has the Radiohead "Seven Television Commercials" dvd, which has that video in all its paranoid glory.
posted by kenlayne at 10:43 AM on March 9, 2006

I won't rest until the actor who was lying on the ground comes out and confesses the incantation!

I like the ambiguity, myself. Like the contents of the briefcase in Pulp Fiction and the box in Barton Fink, it's powerful because it remains a mystery. What could someone say that'd make a street full of people abandon business as usual and lie down prone like that? It's, you know, cosmic.

Very funky video, by the way - thanks, jonson.
posted by gompa at 10:52 AM on March 9, 2006

Buffering...

Buffering...

Buffering...
posted by ktoad at 11:10 AM on March 9, 2006

The horns are neither gratuitous nor samples. They are integral to the track and they're real horns played by real horn players. Good tune and video.
posted by wsg at 11:13 AM on March 9, 2006

sweet
posted by fungible at 11:18 AM on March 9, 2006

Great video though I have yet to see something that tops Monkeehub's animated music video for the acoustic version of Radiohead's Creep. (There's also a fun Flash-interface styled Brick game while you wait for it to load.)
posted by junesix at 11:44 AM on March 9, 2006

ktoad, just right click on the links and save them. Fuck that streaming shit. Also, gompa, the box in Barton Fink had Judy Davis's head in it. That's where they got the idea for the final deadly sin @ the end of Se7en. And the suitcase has Marcellus Wallace's soul in Pulp Fiction. See, all mysteries have answers.
posted by jonson at 11:47 AM on March 9, 2006

Ronson is American, but his Dad is Mick Ronson, who I think is British... he was a famed guitar hero.
posted by cell divide at 11:53 AM on March 9, 2006

I believe that the little girl with the balloons was done by a London graffiti artist called Banksy

It is. There were a few other bits of Banksy in there too.

I'm pretty sure that was all genuine graffiti from London - I recognised most of it, at least.
posted by influx at 3:12 PM on March 9, 2006

This is excellent! I recognise much of the artwork from different artists as well. Some Banksy in there of course. Funky as well.
posted by rekka at 3:26 PM on March 9, 2006

That was cool!
/beavis

Thx, jonson!
posted by Lynsey at 3:44 PM on March 9, 2006

Cool video; shame about the smug, soft-jazz-with bad-vocals cover of one of Radiohead's greatest songs.
posted by Decani at 5:02 PM on March 9, 2006

Wait - THAT WAS MICK RONSON'S KID?

He must be spinning in his grave.
posted by Decani at 5:02 PM on March 9, 2006

Loved some of the video, but oh dear, an animated radiohead?

Oh, it's a figure with a radio for a head, a radiohead, that's genius...
posted by ciderwoman at 2:10 AM on March 10, 2006

As an ex-resident of the street art hub of London, Shoreditch, I had a right old chuckle at the various London graffiti artists being represented here.

Sure, Banksy's an easy call, but they had the Toasters!

I heard this cover on XFM the other day BTW, and they were calling themselves Exit Music. I need not explain the reference for the Radiohead folks out there.
posted by LondonYank at 6:56 AM on March 10, 2006

I believe this is one of the tracks from the upcoming cover compilation Exit Music - Songs for Radio Heads (avail. next month)
posted by marlowe at 11:04 AM on March 10, 2006