Music Videos- Anyone remember the hey day of MTV and VH1

[jeffandnicole]

On my cable system, we have 3 Country Music Channels right next to each other...CMT Pure Country, CMT & GAC.  It appears the 3 channels (2 different networks) have it set up where at least one will be playing music videos at any one time, so if I'm in that country music video mood I can find something to listen to.

I wonder how long will it be when someone will chime in and state, "Remember when the Weather Channel had actual weather forecasts on it?"

What a disaster that channel has become.  One would think they would've had a wakeup call when DirecTV got rid of them, but instead of listening to *why*, they insisted that millions of people really cared about them.  They went on a huge campaign to get people to write in and say why they are needed.  A small portion did, but many of those that commented agreed with DirecTV's decision.  While The Weather Channel tried putting on their blinders and would publicize some of the positive comments, it really was a public relations disaster.  Their website is even worse: Some days, one can open their main page and see about a dozen stories that are National Enquirer-ish in nature; not one of them having to do with the weather.

If it wasn't for Comcast having an ownership stake in them, they probably would be hurting a lot more.

[amroad17]

MTV and VH-1 were great for music videos through the early to mid 1980's along with Night Flight.  During this time, friends and I would guess to see if a band or solo artist who had not done a video was ever going to do one.  Usually they would get around to doing one.

As far as strange videos are concerned, probably the "Leave It" video by Yes was at least a top 5 one.  In fact, eighteen different variations of the video were made.  The one that is considered the "official" video is the eleventh one where the band members are moving in different directions during the song.  The first one simply had them in the same position upside down.  I have seen some of the others in which they are right-side up in one and in another which had the instruments each member played in place of them.  Of course, this video was directed by Godley and Creme, who also had a strange video called "Cry."

Now with You Tube, we all, if we so choose, can re-live the hey day of MTV, although I like watching videos of artists who performed on The Midnight Special from the 1970's.  Remember that?

[Pete from Boston]

I have watched the whole Midnight Special infomercial, the performances were so good.  Is it or Don Kirschner's Rock Concert available on demand yet?

It's pretty amazing to reflect on how incredibly simple and plain some of the videos were, and we ate them up and asked for more.  Case in point:

http://youtu.be/9UaJAnnipkY

or:

http://youtu.be/CO1sQPs3U8k

[amroad17]

Agreed.  It is because music videos were new to us in the late 1970's-early 1980's.  Actually, before we knew these as music videos, these were called video promos.

As far as The Midnight Special, I did watch this in the 1970's.  I especially enjoyed that most of the performances were done live (and not lip-synched).

[nexus73]

Who of us that watched MTV still does not thrill to Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing"?  Without MTV, that song never ever comes into existence!

Later on a rightwing group would create a parody of this song and slam Obama's administration around.  No matter your politics you still have to admire the way the parody was carried off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuPUbV71DWQ

Rick

[roadman65]

Does anyone know the reason why Anheiser Busch got pissed at Neil Young for the video he did for This Note's For You?

I remember that the video for that particular song could not be aired shortly after production, because of some advertising BS or something else and it was yanked from being seen by the public faster than one could actually say Stop!.

[ET21]

I can thank VH1 back in the early 90s, believe my parents did subliminal messaging while I was an infant as I have home videos of me chilling in front of the TV with U2 on VH1 

[PHLBOS]

Does anyone know the reason why Anheiser Busch got pissed at Neil Young for the video he did for This Note's For You?

The song's title was a play on Budweiser's catch phrase, This Bud's For You.

Additionally one line of the lyrics contained, 'I don't sing for Spuds' was an intentional slam towards their Spuds McKenzie (the dog) commercials that were airing back then.

I remember that the video for that particular song could not be aired shortly after production, because of some advertising BS or something else and it was yanked from being seen by the public faster than one could actually say Stop!.

As previously stated, this song was viewed as a slam towards commercialization of rock-and-roll.

More can be found out here.

[jeffandnicole]

I can thank VH1 back in the early 90s, believe my parents did subliminal messaging while I was an infant as I have home videos of me chilling in front of the TV with U2 on VH1 

My parents didn't want me watching music videos.  Why waste the electricity watching music?

They actually weren't much of music listeners anyway.  My dad always listened to Big Band type music (40's or so).  My mom never listened to music, and preferred KYW 1060 News Radio (which I do listen to myself).  There was never 'modern' music blarring from the radio in the car when they were driving, so in turn I didn't listen to much music when I was young (say, under 10 or so).  And MTV was rarely if ever on.