The English Beat – “Mirror in the Bathroom” (Go Feet/Sire, 1980)
Of all of the ska bands from England, the English Beat were the tightest outfit, with its instruments all working in strict tandem. In contrast to the Specials, which seemed to feature a looser, more improvisational feel to their sound, the English Beat utilized a very crisp interplay of instruments that is reflected in this track. A straight-ahead, cleanly shot performance clip, the video captures the band’s essence, which showcases the band as a hipster collective, reflected in the song’s namesake mirror.
As the camera washes over the band, the individuals stare back, demonstrating young, brash confidence that shows them to be all business. This is in marked contrast to the underground left bank hipster cavern in which the band is depicted in the lighter “Save It for Later”. As for bathrooms and their windows, they serve as windows to a character’s development if one considers the central role that the bathroom plays in Quentin Tarantino’s films.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five – “The Message” (Sugar Hill Records, 1982)
One of the most visionary songs of the era was “The Message”, Grandmaster Flash‘s plaintive plea documenting urban woe. “The Message” has held up, in part, due to the timeless nature of the appeal, and the stark, minimalist portrayal of street scenes in the clip doesn’t trivialize the underlying problem by providing easy answers or sensationalizing it through fictitious depictions of some type of cop and robber conflict.
The video has new relevance now during the depths of the current economic crisis, as millions of Americans get shoved under the poverty line. The song was also one by many Black artists that MTV ignored, given the network’s reluctance to play videos that did not fit the network’s purported rock-oriented programming. Sadly, the themes in this song are directly applicable now, particularly as the economy struggles with a jobless recovery and urban blight.
The timeless message of “The Message” is in marked contrast with the countless rap songs that glorify materialism and conspicuous consumption, including excessive gold-chains-and-bling songs by the likes of P. Diddy and Biggie Smalls demanding that one “Pass the Courvoisier” or that “It’s All About the Benjamins”. And in a sign that things come back—the problems of urban decay, homelessness, and ennui that we thought we outgrew in the 1990s. Guess what, it’s back.
Siouxsie and the Banshees – “Christine” (Polydor, 1980)
While goth music has fared relatively well over the years, there is always a danger with goth videos for embarrassment as performers grow older and the layers of pancake makeup are used to cover up other deficiencies. Too much makeup, and you’re defending yourself while transforming yourself into the Crow. Against this backdrop is Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees, one of the veterans of the punk movement, an inspiration to many, and an artist who has aged well.
Siouxsie Sioux was one of the pioneers of the post-punk movement, being one of the original members of the early punk scene that came together during the initial Sex Pistol shows. The Banshees had a natural affinity for the camera, represented in a series of groundbreaking conceptual video clips to singles such as “Dear Prudence”, “Wheels on Fire”, “Cities in Dust”, “The Passenger”, and “Peek-a-Boo”. “Christine” here looks really sharp, capturing the more minimalist look and feel of the earliest new wave videos.
Pete Townshend – “Rough Boys” (ATCO, 1980)
This video is taken from Pete Townshend‘s solo album Empty Glass, the track where Townshend absolutely rocks out on an LP dealing with loss and introspection and was seemingly recorded when the musician was hitting the bottle. While “Rough Boys” was not the hit that “Let My Love Open the Door” became, the song has become a staple of both live Who and solo shows. The promo readily addresses the challenge to classic rockers regarding whether they could adapt to the video medium. The fury released by Townshend in reaction to pent-up pressure, captured in black and white, gives this video an iconic status.
Howard Jones – “Life in One Day” (WEA, 1985)
This mash-up video was directed by award-winning directors Godley and Crème (notorious for their work with the Police, Duran Duran, Herbie Hancock, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, among others). At the time, it was one of the most creative concept videos, depicting product commercialization by placing the promo within a series of commercial TV ads. It starts out as a broadcast on a Top of the Pops-like show but then fades in and out of a hodgepodge of commercials, documentaries, and random clips, owing to the spotty TV reception.
The snips are all done in synchronization with the song. The poor reception serves as a pretext to allow the viewer to constantly switch channels, perhaps reflecting on the short attention span of the average TV viewer. The net result was a pirate radio or bootleg feel to it (perhaps anticipating what U2 would do, patching together different worldwide broadcasts for its Zoo TV tour in the early 1990s). Like his peers from the 1980s, Howard Jones would ultimately fade from the top of the charts, but “Life in One Day” is one of the few videos that stands up well to repeated viewings.
The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (Virgin, 1981)
This was one of the earliest video hits, and it has endured, largely because it covers a timeless subject: the doomed love affair of a mentor-protégé relationship in the “Star Is Born” scenario. The clip is shot on film, giving it a professional look, and it has a dramatic heft at the outset as the two lead protagonists offer alternating perspectives. Hearing the woman’s side of the story certainly reverses the flow of the narrative; what looked like faithless abandonment by the young lady now comes across as an overprotective mentor who can’t let go.
A surprising revelation comes along when the two characters step out of their roles, whereupon a wider view, the audience realizes it is watching two actors performing. But even as they step out, you wonder what other issues the characters hide. Do the actors have feelings for each other outside of their characters? Then it dawns on you that, wait, the actors are played by two of the lead singers in the band, and then you realize this little four-minute drama works on so many levels.
Heaven 17 – “Penthouse and Pavement” (Virgin, 1981)
The town of Sheffield in industrial North England was home to many electronic bands. One band, the Human League, produced an impressive body of work when you realize that the members of Heaven 17 split off from the former group early on. Heaven 17 never realized the major commercial success in the US the Human League did, though a number of their tracks did receive significant airplay in dance clubs. The group’s music videos are all dramatic pieces in their own right, with the band members playing prominent roles.
“Let Me Go” remains Heaven 17’s opus, a song reflecting on the lost opportunity within a teeming urban environment. However, “Penthouse and Pavement” best represents the band’s political bent, which was unyielding in its criticisms of Maggie Thatcher’s United Kingdom. In this clip, our hero (played by Martyn Ware) schemes and uses a foil to gather corporate espionage. Heaven 17 drew upon 1980s themes, such as corporate predatory conduct and career mobility, that not only stand the test of time but have newfound applicability to today’s predatory environment, set perhaps in a broader forum, the globalized economy.
If handled more clumsily, or if it made very 1980s specific references, “Penthouse and Pavement” might be on its way out to obsolesce. But as is, the video is a piece that offers a reminder of the past and a cautionary tale for the future in the wake of the financial crisis and continued inertia among the powers that be.
Sonic Youth – “Teen Age Riot” (SST, 1988)
“Teen Age Riot” is a seminal track from Sonic Youth‘s classic masterpiece, Daydream Nation, positing a world where Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis is President of the United States. The video resonates today as it documents a particular time when the No Wave music, film, and art movement, drawing upon a disparate range of genres, launched a period of creative collaboration in the mid to late 1980s. The video is a time capsule, deftly integrating snippets from a series of home movies taken by various band members and their friends. The clip captures the group doing what it does best — thrashing in rehearsals — shows them on the road, and features a who’s who of cameos that includes the likes of Patti Smith, Neil Young, Iggy Pop, Johnny Thunders, and Sun Ra.
Squeeze – “Black Coffee in Bed” (IRS, 1983)
This video is from one of Squeeze‘s last singles prior to their initial breakup. “Black Coffee in Bed” shows the band at its most mature, addressing one of the big timeless theories. It is also the group’s longest song at more than six minutes. Its leisurely pace, straightforward character-driven story, and backing vocals from Elvis Costello and Paul Young make this a capstone video. The video traces a couple through various phases in their life, including the inevitable heartbreak, betrayal, and splitsville. The clip had an ominous quality to it, as it seemed to reflect internal tensions within the band. Sure enough, Squeeze broke up shortly after that single, though the creative core of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook kept working, ultimately reuniting the group again in 1985.
Tears for Fears – “Pale Shelter” (Mercury, 1983)
This video from Tears for Fears‘ debut album, The Hurting, is profound in its terrifying imagery that probes into the subconscious. The band initially drew its name from Primal Therapy, a psychotherapy technique that draws upon repressed memories of childhood. The Hurting was rife with atmospheric, introspective tracks, which the group abandoned on subsequent albums for a more straightforward pop sound. Songs sung by Curt Smith including “Mad World”, “Change”, and this track, tended to exhibit much more pathos. The clip depicts heartbreak, ennui, and disillusionment from several vantage points, symbolized by the singular frustration of the boy throwing a paper airplane out the school window. The characters find internal peace in the end. But why, then, is that monster still flapping its gums at the end? Chilling.
This article was originally published on 6 October 2011.