Comments on: Literal Videos

Literal Videos

mathowie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:16:57 -0800

A-Ha's Take on Me, but done literally with lyrics changed to describe what was happening in the video, instead of the head-scratcher of a 80s video having nothing to do with the song. Also? A-ha still exists and the lead singer still looks the same. This meme of doing new lyrics to go with old videos is novel, previously people made videos to match the lyrics literally.

By: TheOnlyCoolTim

TheOnlyCoolTim — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:30:22 -0800

The first minute of this (unmodded) video for The Sun Always Shines on TV is the sequel to the Take On Me video.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:35:06 -0800

I am both surprised and amazed that the new lyrics fit the meter of the orginal nearly perfectly. Bravo internet. Bravo.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:35:10 -0800

A-ha still exists and The Ramones don't. So much for survival of the fittest.

By: oddman

oddman — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:36:34 -0800

Wow, I'd never seen that sequel sequence. Cool.

By: These Premises Are Alarmed

These Premises Are Alarmed — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:37:14 -0800

Some days it feels like the only current creative output is a re-imaging (aka mashup) of something prior. I know that isn't new - Chumbawamba taught me "You can't write a song that's never been sung" well before that bizarre Tubthumping thing happened. I know the Beatles and Stones ripped off older artists - although that feels different to me. Is there any truth to me feeling, or is it just that because I'm now a little older and directly recognize the antecedents, I feel this more strongly?

By: infinitewindow

infinitewindow — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:38:27 -0800

This entire song was rewritten to describe what was happening in the movie it was written for.

By: everichon

everichon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:40:25 -0800

I really enjoyed that. I wish they would redo this one. And countless others, of course.

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:41:45 -0800

Oh god, this is delightful. I just can't wait for "Goody Two-Shoes," "Karma Chameleon," and "Safety Dance."

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:42:13 -0800

Is there any truth to me feeling, or is it just that because I'm now a little older and directly recognize the antecedents, I feel this more strongly? I think it's part of growing up. When I watchold Warner Brother's cartoons as an adult, I am constantly shocked by the amount of parody, references, and in-jokes that flew over my head as a kid. Nothing comes fully formed. Except Athena. And Twinkies.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:43:29 -0800

Oh god, this is delightful. I just can't wait for "Goody Two-Shoes," "Karma Chameleon," and "Safety Dance." Well, "Safety Dance" already does it for the line "everybody look at your hands"... I LIVED through this era of music. Yikes.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:45:19 -0800

By: Effigy2000

Effigy2000 — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:46:27 -0800

Band montaaaaaaaaaaaaaaage! Excellent. Great post. Also, here's the obligatory link to the Family Guy parody of the song and video.

By: mandal

mandal — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:47:31 -0800

Some days it feels like the only current creative output is a re-imaging (aka mashup) of something prior. Heh - peak melody

By: Outlawyr

Outlawyr — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:47:32 -0800

Very funny. Thanks for the post

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:48:11 -0800

"Chris! Where have you been?" "I DON'T KNOW!"

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:49:00 -0800

The first minute of this (unmodded) video for The Sun Always Shines on TV is the sequel to the Take On Me video. This always raised so many questions for me. Like, why can't comic book character/human love ever work? And why does she just stand there chewing on her lip instead of, oh, I don't know, trying to help him or kissing him goodbye or something? And what the hell happened to her hair? It was so cute in the first video. Also, I hate having been such an avid reader of Smash Hits, but that girl was Morten Harket's girlfriend at the time. Her name is Bunty. It's sad to think what eternal wisdom doesn't fit into my brain because of knowing this.

By: kkokkodalk

kkokkodalk — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:52:15 -0800

OK, since this is about taking the A-Ha video literally: I remember the "magical handsome dude/chick from comic/book/movie comes to life in real" thing happened quite a bit in plotlines back when I was a kid. Everytime, it'd just stop at the two characters riding off into the sunset or looking at each other lovingly or something like that and for some reason I couldn't leave the aftermath as happily ever. I always had to wonder "Well, what happened afterwards?" And it wouldn't be like the typical little kid, "Well they got married and had millions of babies!" kind of thing. Like, I remember after seeing the A-Ha video the first time distinctly thinking, "Hey that's kinda cool...but where's that guy going to live now? I wonder if that guy has any money. I hope he's not expecting to just live with her for free. But he's a comic book person, do they eat real food? Maybe he'd just eat paper food. That'd be cool. He could just crash on her couch or something I guess. But that'd be kind of annoying if she'd just come home to him hanging around the house all the time, like some kind of pet. Would he get a job? Can he get a job? Don't you need like a passport or birth certificate or proof that you were a real person to work? Mom and Dad drive to work. He'd need a driver's license. Can fake people get driver's licenses? I guess they can use the 'I'm an orphan and my orphanage burned down with all my records' excuse. I wonder if his band friends from the comic book world miss him. That's kind of mean of him to leave them like that. I bet his mom and dad are really worried because they don't know where he went to. They probably are really sad because they think he got kidnapped or died."

By: sonic meat machine

sonic meat machine — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:56:36 -0800

kkokkodalk, I'm sorry to say that you need to see the paper psychiatrist about your preposterous problems with the practicality of paper people.

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:57:01 -0800

This always raised so many questions for me. Like, why can't comic book character/human love ever work? And why does she just stand there chewing on her lip instead of, oh, I don't know, trying to help him or kissing him goodbye or something? And what the hell happened to her hair? It was so cute in the first video. And why is Morten so unlucky as to have such a chronic case of the shits he has to run off just when consummation finally beckons.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:57:18 -0800

Like, I remember after seeing the A-Ha video the first time distinctly thinking, "Hey that's kinda cool... Really. I just remember thinking "Jeez, this sucks." And I was, like y'know, alive then.

By: Lipstick Thespian

Lipstick Thespian — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:58:35 -0800

Kkokkodalk's comment makes me wonder why we don't have Best Comments like they do on the green. Also - I believe kkokkodalk may require a cookie.

By: dnash

dnash — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:59:08 -0800

Ok, this was hilarious. (A-Ha deserve better than their rep as a one-hit-wonder. There's some really good songwriting in their non-hit tracks, like "Blue Sky" on the first album, and "The Swing of Things" and "Manhattan Skyline" on their second album. Ok, they did kinda go downhill from there, but they have a fairly prominent place in the 80s collection on my iPod.)

By: czechmate

czechmate — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:07 -0800

After watching the video for the first time in many years, I remember my huge crush on that guy and how enamored I was with the fact he was drawn and became human for her. Maybe that's why I always want to put eyeliner on my husband. I always feel the need to draw on him...

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:14 -0800

You and me both, padraigin. Oh man. The space taken up in my brain by that stuff. (Neil Tennant wrote an article about Madonna for Smash Hits and then decided this pop stuff wasn't so hard after all! Depeche Mode like to eat profiteroles while talking to music journalists! Robert Smith's wife's name is Mary!) That said, I would run away from home with Morten Harket right this minute if given the chance. Sorry, boyfriend dear. He's about the only 80s pop star to have gotten even better looking with age. (Sorry, Dave Gahan). And that VOICE. He can still hit the high notes...VH1 had him on recently during some 80s marathon.

By: dnash

dnash — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:33 -0800

(Oh, and "Take On Me" is my cell ringtone.)

By: educatedslacker

educatedslacker — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:43 -0800

kkokkodalk: Kids over think the darndest plates of beans.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:01:00 -0800

Yeah, 2008 Me is pretty practical of the ramifications of having a boyfriend from Comic Book Land, but 1985 Me was all "It'll be sooo cool. We'll live in Paris!" A comic book boyfriend was actually more realistic for me at the time than a real one, though.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:03:43 -0800

Typing the word 'kkokkodalk' nearly broke my keyboard.

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:06:21 -0800

I reiterate: DUDE IS ALMOST 50 AND LOOK AT HIM. (melty melt melt melt squeeeeeeee) Poor non-paper-boyfriend had to witness me rewinding that best-of-the-80s clip with him in it about 5 times last month during the Labor Day music marathon on Vh1. Also, the rest of Hunting High and Low is to blame for me liking oboes to this day.

By: JBennett

JBennett — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:08:10 -0800

This was okay, but I appreciate it most for bringing up a discussion of the amazing TOM video. Easily the strongest and most nostalgia soaked piece of the 80's (born in '77) for me. There was a similar "sketchy drawing comes to life" element in the overlooked young adult graphic novel from Marvel comics called "Someplace Strange". Written by Ann Nocenti, drawn by John Bolton". The idea was probably ripped off directly form the Ah-Ha video.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:12:53 -0800

(melty melt melt melt squeeeeeeee) Dreamy, for reals. I'm pretty happy in general with the way a lot of my 80's rock crushes have aged. I could watch Sugartown all day long just to get a little John Taylor/John Doe old man lovin'.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:13:25 -0800

I reiterate: DUDE IS ALMOST 50 AND LOOK AT HIM. (melty melt melt melt squeeeeeeee) and they say men are pigs. Dee Snider could kick his ass and he used makeup better and made better videos.

By: kingbenny

kingbenny — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:14:27 -0800

Dude has a certain amount of a Patrick Swayze thing going on. Awesome video.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:14:38 -0800

I reiterate: DUDE IS ALMOST 50 AND LOOK AT HIM. When I wrote the post originally, I wrote "A-ha still exists and the lead singer is still hot" but I did't want to open up a debate whether a 49-year old guy is still good looking, or whether or not it's ok for a guy to say that about another guy, but man, the dude's super hott.

By: owtytrof

owtytrof — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:16:31 -0800

Ever wish songs just sang what was happening in the music video? The implication of this statement sickens me. Good thing the video caused me great mirth.

By: quin

quin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:16:51 -0800

Man, I can see this concept taking off; I would love to see this applied to some of the good looking but more cryptic videos of the last few years. Pretty much anything by Korn comes to mind. Bullet flying through the air, now it's breaking a lava lamp, it just keeps on going... Or something.

By: Nelson

Nelson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:16:54 -0800

I'd think housing a paper person would be pretty easy. You could just fold him a couple of times and put him safely between the pages of the dictionary.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:17:19 -0800

and they say men are pigs. Dee Snider could kick his ass and he used makeup better and made better videos. And Dee Snider is, from all available evidence, a bright and articulate guy. But Dee Snider only looks good for Dee Snider. This is one of those things they mean when they say "but the little girls understand".

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:17:27 -0800

mathowie, I have to beat you up now. not for thinking another guy's hott, that's fine. but for being a dude and liking A-Ha. That's unforgivable.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:19:16 -0800

But Dee Snider only looks good for Dee Snider. actually, Dee (an admittedly ugly dude) has a hot wife and they've been married for over 20 years. Top that Nordic synth-pop boy!

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:21:42 -0800

I will take the pig moniker happily if it means I get to make out with Morten Harket, jonmc. I'm just sayin'. Also, Dee Snider = so totally not my type. I did't want to open up a debate whether a 49-year old guy is still good looking There is no debate, mathowie. None at all. He cannot be touched without silicone gloves, he's so hot. Also, jonmc, if you think Dee Snider has good taste in makeup, you might want to go work at the M.A.C. counter at the downtown Boston Filene's -- they're just your style. ;)

By: PontifexPrimus

PontifexPrimus — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:22:43 -0800

"Pipe wrench fight!" This makes me giggle uncontrollably. Great stuff - that takes some real talent to pull something like that off convincingly, using the original rhythm of the music and the video cuts and still being funny doing it... Oh, and I encountered something vaguely similar before (only without a video, just using self-descriptive lyrics), in Title of the Song by DaVinci's Notebook:

Declaration of my feelings for you Elaboration on those feelings Description of how long these feelings have existed Belief that no one else could feel the same as I Reminiscence of the pleasant times we shared And our relationship's perfection Recounting of the steps that led to our love's dissolution Mostly involving my unfaithfulness and lies Penitent admission of wrongdoing Discovery of the depth of my affection Regret over the lateness of my epiphany (Chorus) Title of the song Nave expression of love Reluctance to accept that you are gone Request to turn back time And rectify my wrongs Repetition of the title of the song Enumeration of my various transgressive actions Of insufficient motivation Realization that these actions led to your departure And my resultant lack of sleep and appetite Renunciation of my past insensitive behavior Promise of my reformation Reassurance that you still are foremost in my thoughts now Need for instructions how to gain your trust again Request for reconciliation Listing of the numerous tasks that I'd perform Of physical and emotional compensation CHORUS Acknowledgment that I acted foolishly Increasingly desperate pleas for your return Sorrow for my infidelity Vain hope that my sins are forgivable Appeal for one more opportunity Drop to my knees to elicit crowd response Prayers to my chosen deity Modulation and I hold a high note... CHORUS

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:24:22 -0800

Also, Dee Snider = so totally not my type. Well, that may explain why Twisted Sister's audience was (and remains) 99.9% dorky dirtbag males like myself. But they still made better videos! Fuckin' A!

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:28:58 -0800

I will say though, reading Morten Harket's wikipedia entry, that he seems disturbingly fertile. bitter-girl, if you ever bump into him, mind you don't catch pregnant.

By: seanyboy

seanyboy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:30:35 -0800

And all I can think is that the "Channel 3" logo in the "Sun always shines on TV video" looks like a giant penis. It's 1985 all over again.

By: cavalier

cavalier — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:30:57 -0800

Ok, I was going to meh and snark all over this but I, too, was impressed by the caliber of the lyricist/singer to really keep to the original song. And then the pipe wrench fight... "My own wrench!" that just kills, right there.

By: snofoam

snofoam — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:32:27 -0800

He's beyond hasselhott.

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:33:54 -0800

"Disturbingly fertile"? I'll be careful, I swear. (books flight to Norway)

By: kingbenny

kingbenny — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:36:32 -0800

I will say though, reading Morten Harket's wikipedia entry, that he seems disturbingly fertile. bitter-girl, if you ever bump into him, mind you don't catch pregnant. 5 kids? With 3 women? Is this so extreme?

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:39:23 -0800

The hallway scene where Ellen Barkin's charcoal sketch boyfriend turns human is "re-imagined" from Ken Russell's film "Altered States" (NSFW naked hug w/ actress crack). And jonmc, let's admit that the Ramones were never exactly "the fittest" band around.

By: ZakDaddy

ZakDaddy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:40:18 -0800

"This guy's gonna get an assfull of pipe wrench." I lol'ed.

By: Pecinpah

Pecinpah — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:43:30 -0800

Ha, ha! "Is this your house?"

By: Ron Thanagar

Ron Thanagar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:43:35 -0800

Holy smokes, that was awesome. We are on the threshold of a new era. Ooooh, I hope someone does some Cure videos...

By: Parasite Unseen

Parasite Unseen — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:43:36 -0800

Really. I just remember thinking "Jeez, this sucks." Yeah, but that's all you ever remember thinking about anything. And I was, like y'know, alive then. A note for anyone who might be confused by this: "Alive" is the word that jonmc uses to mean "shitfaced drunk".

By: grapefruitmoon

grapefruitmoon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:46:02 -0800

Y'know what this song needs? MORE ~~COWBELL~~ PIPE WRENCH.

By: Lucinda

Lucinda — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:51:19 -0800

He's about the only 80s pop star to have gotten even better looking with age. Rick Springfield. Phil Collen.

By: otolith

otolith — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:52:34 -0800

When songs in a movie describe what is happening.

By: From Bklyn

From Bklyn — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:53:30 -0800

Really hit the high notes. Which is something, as well as providing good yucks.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:55:09 -0800

5 kids? With 3 women? Is this so extreme? It's the kind of thing I'd log on the "con" side of the list. I mean, if we're taking him seriously as Paper Boyfriend Material.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:55:32 -0800

DUDE IS ALMOST 50 AND LOOK AT HIM. Wow, Kurt Russell mated with KD Lang? That is a shock.

By: drjimmy11

drjimmy11 — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:56:09 -0800

Some days it feels like the only current creative output is a re-imaging (aka mashup) of something prior. Actually there's a ton of good music around now, you just have to look for it a bit. Unlike the 90s, which was just a shitpile.

By: flippant

flippant — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:57:02 -0800

Morten Harket is afflicted with the pop star syndrome though. Rampant weirdness fostered and nurtured by sycophants. He goes off on these airhead-meets-ill-advised-zen tangents during interviews that delight the masses.

By: nikitabot

nikitabot — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:57:14 -0800

Awesome. I was hoping there were additional lyrics during the "band montage" where he sings that the drummer and the guitar player are twins -- something I blurted out while watching this video and for which, my sister will never let me forget.

By: drjimmy11

drjimmy11 — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:58:21 -0800

Also, this is funny but the idea that not literally representing the lyrics makes a poor video is somewhat... not correct. You don't want to be totally random, there should be a THEMATIC connection, but there is nothing lazier and cheesier than a video that literally depicts the song lyrics word-for-word. And this goes double for film soundtracks. If I see one more scene of someone looking for respect soundtracked by Aretha singing "Respect," I'm gonna punch a music supervisor in the dick.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:07:45 -0800

that girl was Morten Harket's girlfriend at the time. Her name is Bunty. Billy Idol controversy: According to a-ha's site, "Shortly after the video was completed, Morten was dumped by Bunty Bailey...for Billy Idol." According to Ms. Bailey's MySpace page, "the rumours about billy idol are rubbish," but she was in a Billy Idol video.

By: desuetude

desuetude — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:10:15 -0800

First verse was a little weak, but it really picked up in the second. "Band montage!" (I may have liked the narration of the instrumental part best, though. Diner waitress: There ya go, right in the trash!" Girl: Wheeee! Pipe dude: Arrr, I told you to stay away from my magic frame!" And yeah, A-ha dude is super hott. And yes, I was there. (Well, not in sketchy-comic-land -- watching MTV at my friend's house who had cable.)

By: neblina_matinal

neblina_matinal — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:14:38 -0800

We should dub him "McMelty".

By: bonefish

bonefish — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:18:29 -0800

This Song Is Gonna Make A Great Video by the Vacant Lot.

By: googly

googly — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:20:14 -0800

I will say though, reading Morten Harket's wikipedia entry, that he seems disturbingly fertile. bitter-girl, if you ever bump into him, mind you don't catch pregnant. Strange. I'd heard that he's a paper tiger in bed.

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:20:15 -0800

That. Was. Awesome! So was this. Though I'd love to get a copy without Mad Dog and Billy Bob letting me know when it was funny.

By: jack_mo

jack_mo — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:26:48 -0800

That is just glorious. bitter-girl.com wrote: (Neil Tennant wrote an article about Madonna for Smash Hits and then decided this pop stuff wasn't so hard after all! Depeche Mode like to eat profiteroles while talking to music journalists! Robert Smith's wife's name is Mary!) That's pretty much what goes on in my head, occasionally interspersed with the lyrics to John Wayne Is Big Leggy. Smash Hits was powerful stuff. Also, me and my sister got seriously told off when my Mom and Dad took us to this craft centre on the way home from the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, and we snuck off to spend all our pocket money (25p each!) on leather shoelaces, to wrap around our wrists just like Morten Hacket. Ah, Morten Hacket.

By: mkn

mkn — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:28:13 -0800

actually, Dee (an admittedly ugly dude) has a hot wife and they've been married for over 20 years. Unfortunately, Dee is now willing to take it.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:32:55 -0800

Finally, a metafilter thread debating the musical talent of A-Ha. Truly a thread for the ages!

By: maxwelton

maxwelton — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:39:35 -0800

Not that I'm a great judge of these things, but Ivan Doroschuk seems to have aged fairly well (see kinda crappy image 3/4 way down the page).

By: I Foody

I Foody — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:45:00 -0800

Thanks to the tenuous connection between your average video and the song it's selling... isn't this exactly how English will be decoded when the aliens have only music videos to work from? I mean, what else could they be saying? In 20XX Ultimate collapse happen. The exodus to space and beyond began and the earth world left to ruins. Time moved and the ex-earthers evolved and forgot about their former home. Officer Stavros: Captain these earth plates have magnetic binary codes. Some codes cover series of images others seem to correspond to sound waves. Our scholars have determined that earth code literal means "magranit" or "directly descriptive" as these old earthers would say. Captain: I see bring up video on monitors. Stavros: Is possible can do. Captain: By Rigel Beta! Fight with pipe doesn't mean to struggle against pipe. It means to struggle against fellow old earther armed with pipe. Stavros: So as you can see captain! Odin Sigma's prophecy was correct. Captain: It was as I had hoped thanks to this rosetta stone (a term which I somehow know) we might have a chance against the gray-scale motor gang of the Pheonix Cluster. Do you think that Demetri X in the armory could replicate those old earth weapons? Stavros: The technology is alien but simple it should not be difficult. 20XXI: Cut to flag with picture of stylized pipe wrench it is planted on a galaxy or something. Fin

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:47:37 -0800

Synthpop still sucks.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:58:42 -0800

"What kind of hallway is this??"....hee. I would love to have that diner trash can. One of those all wire ones - so cool. Want.

By: ericb

ericb — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:10:24 -0800

And that VOICE. He can still hit the high notes... Trivia: Morten Harket held a note for 20.2 seconds in a-ha's 2000 song "Summer Moved On", believed to be the longest note in music chart history. Video.

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:10:52 -0800

"I'm gonna kick some ass with my own pipe wrench" is, quite possibly, the greatest single lyric of all time. However, I'm not convinced that it's accurate. It has always seemed to me that that shot was of one of the bad guys raising his pipe wrench up in front of Mr. Ha's face, not Mr. Ha raising his own pipe wrench. The latter possibility never even occurred to me, any of the many, many times that I have seen this video. And now that the possibility has been pointed out to me, I still think it's wrong.

By: lore

lore — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:14:53 -0800

I'm looking forward to the video of Sinead O'Connor singing "Nothing Compares 2 U" where most of the lyrics have been replaced with "I'm still staring at the camera."

By: thanotopsis

thanotopsis — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:21:10 -0800

A lost shooting list and background dialog for one of your favorite 80s videos... OPEN: Deserted dockside alley behind a warehouse FADE IN: Band. Steve: Hey, you guys don't have instruments. Neal: I know, isn't it awesome. When I air guitar really low like this, girls are going to think I'm, you know, big. Jonathan: I don't think it's possible for my jeans to get any tighter, but man, can I play the invisible keyboard. Focus in: Girl in leather. White leather pumps, black leather skirt. Killer ass. Focus in: Band, playing invisibles again. Steve in muscle shirt and rock mullet. He looks cool. Damn cool. Alternate dramatically between these last 2 shots until... KEYBOARD SOLO. Jonathan: Dear god, I'm awesome. Return to alternating shots of Girl in Leather and band. Fin.

By: cirocco

cirocco — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:24:31 -0800

This reminds me of one of my favorite-ever Anecdotes That I Read on the Internet Somewhere, Possibly This Very Site, in a thread about the posters' first rock-concert experiences. Someone wrote that she'd been permitted to attend an A-Ha show in junior high (middle school for you whippersnappers). She and her friends shrieked in ecstasy through the whole concert, then the band departed the stage. The girls turned to one another exclaiming that they could not believe the band had not played "Take on Me." Did they forget? It was their big hit! House lights go down again. TAKE ON ME OMG OMG OMG. Thus were she and her friends introduced to the concept of the "encore." Imagine what that must have been like if you were a) a 13-year-old girl b) in love with Morten Harket and c) not expecting it.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:33:33 -0800

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:35:42 -0800

Just shows you how far ahead of his time Sir Mix-a-Lot was.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:42:54 -0800

The continued popularity of A-Ha among women is the strongest anti-feminist piece of data On the other hand, it could be a feminist data point, since it illustrates gender equality by showing that women have as bad taste as men.

By: freshwater_pr0n

freshwater_pr0n — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:45:22 -0800

That was pretty awesome. Back when that A-Ha song came out, I was just starting to run junior high school cross country, and our coach was the "cool teacher," Mr. O'Donnelly. He was so young that he still had acne, and he let our team listen to the all-hits all-the-time radio station on long van-rides without getting too grumpy. We had three favorite songs: "Take On Me," Word Up by Cameo and The Rain by Oran "Juice" Jones. When I'm running without my Ipod, at any one time there's a 33% chance that I'm humming "Take On Me" to myself. If I'm sprinting, the probability is closer to 60%.

By: Parasite Unseen

Parasite Unseen — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:45:23 -0800

Just shows you how far ahead of his time Sir Mix-a-Lot was. Brother, you ain't kiddin'.

By: bwg

bwg — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:47:45 -0800

MetaFilter: pipe-wrench fight

By: maxwelton

maxwelton — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:54:43 -0800

Jon, you seem a bit sensitive about this a-ha thing. Maybe another band from the 80's will cheer you up.* * How much did it cost to produce this video? $200?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:58:10 -0800

maxwelton: if you want to cheer me up with '80's pop, you picked the wrong band. this is my pet (sort of) synthpop band.

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:01:44 -0800

but man, the dude's super hott. Don't worry. You have not jeopardized your near professional heterosexual status. I too note that that Ah-HAH dude is double-H HHawt. And yet I still feel a mighty twinge in my loins for the ladies. Like for Markie Post for instance. What?

By: cortex

cortex — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:02:16 -0800

HEY JONMC DO YOU BY ANY CHANCE LIKE THE RAMONES, POSSIBLY BETTER THAN YOU LIKE A-HA I JUST WANT TO ASK BECAUSE I'M NOT REALLY CLEAR ON THAT POINT AND I WAS HOPING YOU COULD MAYBE ELUCIDATE A LITTLE SO THAT I WOULD BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELINGS ON THE SUBJECT IS WHAT I WAS THINKING

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:11:22 -0800

*gives self teenage lobotomy, sits in corner drooling quietly*

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:24:07 -0800

And Dee Snider is, from all available evidence, a bright and articulate guy. But Dee Snider only looks good for Dee Snider. Pay no attention to jonmc, padraigin. He keeps writing "Dee Snider," but what he means is clearly "Lemmy." We all think Lemmy is hotter than Morten Harket. I do. The Lord does. Deep down, so do you, padraigin and bitter-girl... if you know what's good for you. I mean, who'd want to be on the wrong side of Lemmy by thinking someone else is hotter? Madness, utter madness.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:34:04 -0800

I would never deny the hotness of Lemmy. But I've always been a mole woman. (see, this proves I have depth!)

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:36:04 -0800

You wanna know a big lie? You know how in movies about the 1980's all the music is Ah-Hah, Eusasure, Bananarama, and Culture Club, or— if they want to be edgy— The Pistols, Violent Femmes, The Minutemen, and The Clash (or later The Pixies). Well bull fucking shit. Most people still listened to the worst of the late 70's "classic" or Butt Rock. AC/DC. Or, god forbid, April Wine and Toto. Or worse, the Pointer Sisters or Night Ranger. To me, going to college in the early 1980's in a tiny little eastern Washington redneck town, all the former bands were "alternative", certainly not mainstream. The difference between the Ramones and Ah-Hah was really non-existent. That was ALL college alternative outside of the big markets. And we loved it all. Because it wasn't fucking Foreigner or Night Ranger. I was a college raidio DJ in 1982-1984. And when we would "go to town" IE leave the protection of the liberal arts department and venture into Spokane you had to go down back alleys and do special knocks to find any place that played anything that was remotely "80's music." We were very much underground there. It was like fighting in the Resistance in Paris in 1941. I distinctly remember going to a house party in Spokane in 1983 and asking the chick who lived there if I could DJ for a while. She was, like, so impressed by my Sting Mullet and multiple pierced ears and motorcycle jacket that she said "Yeah man, rock us out." So I put in my special mix tape that started with Add It Up by the Femmes. And it was on approximately 45 seconds before some huge red-neck stormed up to me. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT FAGGOT SHIT!" And tore the AIWA tape deck out between the turn-table and receiver. At which point he noticed my pierced ears and and started screaming "FAAAAAA-GOTTTT!" at me four inches from my face over an over until we put Skynyrd back on. "THAT'S RIGHT! Fucking American Music! You faggot!" My revenge was to stay until after they all left, help the chicks clean up, put on Depeche Mode, and fuck his girl friend to it. Twice.

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:39:07 -0800

PS. Not AC/DC'ist.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:39:14 -0800

The difference between the Ramones and Ah-Hah was really non-existent. tk, you're my man, but...no. The Ramones rocked and A-Ha didn't. A-Ha were teenybopper pop with synths, nothing more. Equating the two bands makes no sense. This is what happens when you base things on criteria other than musical.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:41:51 -0800

and I like April Wine. I simply remember that all that horrible synthpop shit was what clogged the top 40 when I was in high school and for a hormone soaked teenager, it wasn't cutting the mustard. and the alternative scene at the time meant stuff like the Cure and the Smiths which didn't do it either, which is where metal (and later punk, classic rock, garage rock, hip hop, and everything else) came in.

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:55:14 -0800

The Ramones rocked

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:00:00 -0800

The Ramones rocked May I say one thing? Okay: LOL. Well played, sir. Well played.

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:06:04 -0800

In fairness, on the positive side, at least it's different than the other Ramones song in existence.

By: chiababe

chiababe — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:07:58 -0800

So, just to be clear, jonmc, you think that A-ha is so much more awesome than The Ramones, right?

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:11:07 -0800

You guys. You're gonna give him a stroke.

By: Brockles

Brockles — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:11:53 -0800

Not unless he looks like Morten Harket.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:12:17 -0800

*cranks "Who Will Save Rock & Roll", retires to couch with beer*

By: pxe2000

pxe2000 — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:12:59 -0800

Did this remind anyone else of "Mad Movies with the LA Connection"?

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:18:37 -0800

Standing in the Spotlight is one of the most ridiculous things ever created. I am still unsure how to process it.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:28:37 -0800

Not unless he looks like Morten Harket. No. More like Dave Grohl with a hangover.

By: OneOliveShort

OneOliveShort — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:52:18 -0800

Oh, pxe2000, I love you so much. Every so often, I tried to find those on the 'tubes and couldn't. I used to watch that on late night TeeVee in Louisville back in the mid to late eighties and used to howl with laughter. It'll be interesting to see if I still find it as funny. MST3K used to sorta tickle the same funny bone, but not nearly as often or as hard. There goes the rest of my evening. Oh, and Bunty has aged pretty well herself... 22 year-old me was pretty hawt for her back in 1985...

By: AppleSeed

AppleSeed — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:59:32 -0800

Hah hah.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:02:48 -0800

and The Ramones don't. So much for survival of the fittest.
Really. I just remember thinking "Jeez, this sucks." And I was, like y'know, alive then.
and they say men are pigs. Dee Snider could kick his ass and he used makeup better and made better videos.
mathowie, I have to beat you up now. not for thinking another guy's hott, that's fine. but for being a dude and liking A-Ha. That's unforgivable.
The continued popularity of A-Ha among women is the strongest anti-feminist piece of data I have yet discovered and I reserve the right to use it in any thread about gender henceforth, forthwith and ...lots of other words with 'th' in them.
On the other hand, it could be a feminist data point, since it illustrates gender equality by showing that women have as bad taste as men.
tk, you're my man, but...no. The Ramones rocked and A-Ha didn't. A-Ha were teenybopper pop with synths, nothing more. Equating the two bands makes no sense. This is what happens when you base things on criteria other than musical.

jonmc: always the consumate music thread asshole. Why must you be this way, jon? You're, what, forty now? Isn't it time you grew up from this "my band is cooler than your band" bullshit?

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:13:05 -0800

Very well done video. Thanks for the post. And if "This guy's gonna get an assfull of pipe wrench," doesn't make it into TF2 somehow, I'll be very disappointed.

By: desuetude

desuetude — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:34:45 -0800

The continued popularity of A-Ha among women is the strongest anti-feminist piece of data I have yet discovered and I reserve the right to use it in any thread about gender henceforth, forthwith and ...lots of other words with 'th' in them. jonmc, sweetie, we can have a big epic feminism is like this thread if you want, or you can just stop worrying your pretty little head about it.

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:42:04 -0800

This is so weird. The other day the knob on my car stereo broke, and in the midst of trying to wrangle it into submission, the settings got stuck. So now the only song that plays from my iPod is A-Ha's Take on Me. On repeat.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:43:38 -0800

Isn't it time you grew up from this "my band is cooler than your band" bullshit? Especially when your band isn't Boards of Canada.

By: wendell

wendell — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:58:30 -0800

I liked how A-Ha defined themselves by their group name as "the act so lightweight you don't even have to use your vocal chords to say its name". Similar to Air Supply. Truth in record labeling. I had the odd fortune of spending a little time behind the scenes of KROQ Radio in L.A. (one of the stations that, for better or worse, defined "80s Music") in '84-'85. There were some serious internal battles there over what the "ROQ of the 80s" sound would be... by the time I got there, Rodney Bingenheimer and the Local L.A. Punks had already been pretty much squashed, and Richard Blade and the BritPop gang had the ears and short-hairs of Legendary PD Rick Carroll (but they didn't abandon the "Put Any Song in Hot Rotation for 3 Weeks if It has the word "Sex" in the Title" rule until '87 or '88). But I hear that even Blade turned the studio monitors down when "Take On Me" came up on the playlist. I just hope this video does not lead to an out-of-control meme... replacing the RickRoll with the HaRoll would be a step backwards.

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:59:42 -0800

Well, ROU_Xenophobe, only if it's this photo of Lemmy, which my boyfriend has informed me he would like blown up for our living room wall as a kind of litmus test when people come over. Also, to reiterate and possibly give jonmc that stroke tkchrist is predictin' -- hey, guess what? I think Morten Harket is hot. (Sorry, couldn't resist). Also, since I dyed the top of my hair blonde, every morning when I wake up with goofy hair (which is pretty much every morning), the first thing I hear in my head is Flock of Seagulls "I Ran." Dang.

By: wendell

wendell — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:05:38 -0800

A Flock of Seagulls Hair?!? Have you seriously considered shaving it all off. Seriously. It's an option.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:05:44 -0800

I'd be disappointed if jonmc ever missed an opportunity to explain how our favorite bands suck. It's fun, and I'm not just saying that. It reminds me of my record store years--guys like him were how I learned how to enjoy music on multiple levels.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:26:01 -0800

I've been struggling not to do this, but I have failed. I am sincerely not proud of this, but the urge has become unbearable: (see, this proves I have depth!) Everyone does when Lemmy's through with them.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:34:08 -0800

guys like him were how I learned how to enjoy music on multiple levels Yeah, like the enjoyment you get from playing something only because you know the other guy in the store can't fucking stand it.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:37:45 -0800

Oh yes, but I credit them with my bizarre love for Steely Dan, and surely at least one of them has fond memories of that first Bikini Kill record.

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:37:52 -0800

Here is a barometer for you're "feminism" data, jon. A quick poll of my wife found ... wait... that's POLL, not pole... but that gives an idea for later... any way SURVEYING my wife I find this: Morten Harket = Hot in the 1980's. Still Hot. Bruce Springsteen = Hot in the 1980's. Hotter now. Jonny Depp = "My god Pirates of Carribean or not take my pants off now." Micheal Phelps = "Mouth shut. Shirt off. Hot. Otherwise: No"

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:37:58 -0800

Could be worse, Wendell. I could have Dexy's Midnight Runners hair or Shane MacGowan teeth.

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:38:38 -0800

Oh. And. Circa Rocky Horror Tim Curry = " So hot my pants exploded."

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:13:25 -0800

My revenge was to stay until after they all left, help the chicks clean up, put on Depeche Mode, and fuck his girl friend to it. Twice. Just when I though that story couldn't get any better, you kick it up a notch. Well played, sir.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:35:55 -0800

A-Ha's Take on Me, but done literally Loved that.

By: OneOliveShort

OneOliveShort — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:21:24 -0800

How come the Motorheads have a Lemmy, but the Lemonheads have no Moty?

By: exlotuseater

exlotuseater — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:29:55 -0800

Shit. My colleagues are going to think I'm crazy tomorrow when I keep singing "PIPE WRENCH FIGHT (pipe.wrench.fight)" all day.

By: Samizdata

Samizdata — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:44:55 -0800

Ummmmm, Morten Harket is still hot? He looks like he's got some Robert Z'dar (GIS link) action going on. But, he can hold a note. And the literal video was a hoot. I can only hope that takes off as the major new meme. Unfortunately, after a single traumatic exposure, Dee Snyder = Strangeland forever for me.

By: Samizdata

Samizdata — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:47:08 -0800

Oh, and I remember going to one of the dates on the very last Ramones tour. Old men take a long time to heal mosh bruises, BTW.

By: ysabella

ysabella — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:16 -0800

Aw, this was amusing, thanks. I went to see a-ha in Oberhausen, Germany in 2000, with another American friend. The hall was really filling up, and I said "Wow, they are popular here!" and my friend said, "So is David Hasselhoff." Ouch! Here's Morten Harket singing in Norwegian: Tilbake Til Livet

By: rodgerd

rodgerd — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:01:02 -0800

Synthpop still sucks. The great thing about sweeping statements like this ("Rap is crap!") about music is that you can then safely ignore anything else the person says on the topic, secure in the knowledge that you aren't missing anything interesting.

By: weston

weston — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:13:36 -0800

Synthpop still sucks. jonmc, I normally dig your rock and common man talk and all, but you've done yourself a disservice by doing pretty much what the indie snobs do here. A-Ha were teenybopper pop with synths, nothing more. I don't think you know of which you speak. If you were to accuse them of being overly emotive or dramatic and often a tad or more short of truly finished lyrical content, I might believe you'd listened to more than the top 40 radio hits, but underneath that tip (and admittedly the hair, and the cheekbones...) they've got an iceberg body of work, some of which has some pretty decent songwriting, and certainly not all of which is light or lightweight.

By: dabitch

dabitch — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:15:20 -0800

Where do I sign up to be woman #4 carrying child number six?

By: Nattie

Nattie — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:33:29 -0800

I hate that song, and I hate that video... but I liked the literal version. Haha!

By: darkstar

darkstar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:40:02 -0800

Contrasted with when Dead or Alive sang "Spin Me Round". That's pretty much what they did in the video. I mean, they spun around, and stuff. Ah, the good ole days of truth in advertising...

By: DecemberBoy

DecemberBoy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:43:34 -0800

Synthpop still sucks. Jesus, this guy is so tedious. Perfect example of what happens when the guy with the totally boss Camaro full of dubbed Bob Seger cassettes and the jean jacket complete with Judas Priest back-patch decides he's Knowledgeable About Music(tm). RAWK N' ROOOOLLL! Fucking yawn. Anyway, this video was totally hilarious. I pretty much lost it somewhere between "pipe wrench fight" and the diner waitress grumbling during the instrumental break. I miss these 80s videos that were completely obtuse and had nothing to do with the song and would therefore lend themselves to something like this. Hell, I miss videos. Do they still make them? Are any of them anything besides more of the lame pop-rap formula videos that The Roots expertly parodied over 10 years ago?

By: rodgerd

rodgerd — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:06:52 -0800

Hell, I miss videos. Do they still make them? Are any of them anything besides more of the lame pop-rap formula videos that The Roots expertly parodied over 10 years ago? Blur's video for The Universal is probably a little old to satisfy your complaint (and Green Day used to do some fun videos). Fur Patrol's Precious is pretty, um, odd and only tangentally related to the song.

By: Mastercheddaar

Mastercheddaar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:47:49 -0800

Band Montage! I was surprised this was actually funny.

By: cavalier

cavalier — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:55:16 -0800

Whew! This thread got exciting. Flunkie I wanted to chime in and agree on second viewing that yeah, hey wait a minute, he's being threatened with the helmet dude's pipe wrench.. not his own.. which leads more dramatic tension to the idea that he's in terrible danger and she must rush home to see what happens to him. You know, though, I bet they saw this too but somebody came up with "my own wrench" and it's just so delicious that they had to keep it/reinvent it.

By: 23skidoo

23skidoo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:02:46 -0800

A-Ha were teenybopper pop with synths, nothing more. It doesn't matter what instruments you play, and it doesn't matter who your fanbase is. All that matters is the music. So strip away the instrumentation, and the musicians, and the arrangement, and the fans, and all the other cultural baggage attached to the song, what you are essentially left with is that "dunna na nuhnt-duhnt, DUHNT DUHNT da nunna-nunna" hook, which is totally awesome. (pipe wrench fight)

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:26:53 -0800

You're gonna have to fight me for him first, dabitch. WITH A PIPE WRENCH.

By: stargell

stargell — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:16:36 -0800

Synthpop doesn't suck.

By: jack_mo

jack_mo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:11:55 -0800

Indeed it does not.

By: cereselle

cereselle — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:14:54 -0800

I lay awake till 2 am giggling about this. Assfull of pipe wrench indeed. Awesome. When the video first came out, I did think that Morten had his own pipe wrench, but the more I watched it (and believe me, I watched it over and over and over) I came to believe that the panel showed Morten being menaced by the other guy's pipe wrench. But that's a minor quibble, and I'm willing to go back to my original impression. Because without that, there'd be no pipe wrench fight. Piiiiiipe wreeeeeench fiiiiiiiiight (pipe! wrench! fight!)

By: cereselle

cereselle — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:18:10 -0800

Also, if I were smarter, I'd come up with a literal song for this, because WTF?

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:57:07 -0800

That doesn't match the WTF of the Hurra Torpedo version.

By: jack_mo

jack_mo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:58:12 -0800

cereselle wrote: Also, if I were smarter, I'd come up with a literal song for this , because WTF? Yeah, I can't imagine anyone writing lyrics that would fully convey the raw unadulterated WTFness of the section where the fencer removes his helmet, then removes it again and it turns out to be full of piss. (Also, I could've sworn there was a live bear dressed as a choirboy at some point in that video, but it appears not. My childhood mind obviously decided it wasn't weird enough, and thought inserting the memory of an extra bear would liven things up a bit!)

By: edman

edman — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:07:59 -0800

As long as we're talking about the 80s, heres my 270 video song playlist from the 80s. One 80's video that a youngun pointed out was disturbing was Oingo Boingo's 'Little Girls' video. I dunno, back in the day (80s) that concept didn't seem disturbing, now you wonder if you'll be meeting up with Chris Hanson while listening/watching that video. (The lead singer of the said band went on to be come a well-known composer of music and television soundtracks)

By: Michael Roberts

Michael Roberts — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:54:36 -0800

Oh. My. God. I remember seeing that Turn Around Bright Eyes video when it first came out, and somehow only now do I see how unfrickinbelievably WTF it is. A literal version would probably kill me laughing. Also: I like A-Ha and am male. Neener neener I win.

By: ericb

ericb — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:01:21 -0800

I like A-Ha and am male. Neener neener I win. I like Morten Harket and am male. Neener weiner I win!

By: trulyscrumptious

trulyscrumptious — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:36:11 -0800

"if you know anything about our band, you know that one band in particular shaped our path and our future" that's right. it's little chris martin and "one of the greatest keyboard players of all time" - "mags"

By: cavalier

cavalier — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:51:20 -0800

I like the Reverend Horton Heat and I'm ... not in the right thread.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:38:58 -0800

I think Bright Eyes was the first video I ever watched. Also, Little Girls is freaking the hell outta me. WTFPEDO?!

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:17:02 -0800

but she was in a Billy Idol video Am I the only one that still thinks Billy Idol's music is actually pretty good and holds up well? Dude could snarl.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:53:50 -0800

You know, I'm realizing that I'm really relieved Morton Harket turned out well and looks good for his age. Because his face kinda reminds me a smidgen of Jan Michael Vincent for some reason. Who... ummm... reaaallllly didn't fare so well.

By: inigo2

inigo2 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:10:30 -0800

Am I the only one that still thinks Billy Idol's music is actually pretty good and holds up well? Dude could snarl. Saw him live 2 or 3 years ago. Dude can still snarl. And Rock.

By: sculpin

sculpin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:39:33 -0800

And I'd probably add Billy Idol to that list of pop stars who've gotten better looking with age.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:51:01 -0800

The 80s where not Depeche Mode and Blue Sunshine and Culture club. They where awful, Boston-ish jam bands and hair metal. Please remember this.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:32:37 -0800

They where, where they? Were that it were so.

By: Tenuki

Tenuki — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:29:03 -0800

How about a little Tears for Fears "Head over Heels".

By: Lucinda

Lucinda — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:03:11 -0800

How about a little Tears for Fears "Head over Heels". Is that Dave Coulier?

By: wendell

wendell — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:08:14 -0800

It is ALWAYS Dave Coulier. And "Heads Over Heels" is head-and-shoulders better and funnier than "Take On Me", possibly because he source material is already kind of self-aware-ly silly.

By: oddman

oddman — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:22:39 -0800

Tears for Fears is one of my absolute favorite bands. The literal-video treatment was great.

By: edd

edd — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:58:24 -0800

Two new ones: Under The Bridge and Head Over Heels. Lacking pipewrench, but still excellent.

By: edd

edd — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:01:13 -0800

Oh and somehow I missed one of them's old. But still, Under the Bridge.... I'll just go now.