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Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature! Today Dave and Melanie are talking about Music Videos! Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments! Dave - The Buggles seemed to have ushered in a new age with the first video to hit the MTV airwaves "Video Killed the Radio Star". That wasn't really the beginning though, was it? Occasionally I'd see classic videos from Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix and the like that were basic performance clips with colorful, trippy backgrounds that always made me ask the question "Why?". There was no MTV back then. Why were they made? What were they played on? Melanie - So I can actually answer this one. Music videos has actually been around for many years before MTV. From the first known attempt in 1895 where Edison had slides of dancers next to a violinist, (which was lost for many years), through the 50's and 60's where performances or videos were made to play on shows where the band was unable to have a live performance, until the 1970s where a show from Australia actually had shows for teens that only played music videos - a format that made it to the USA in 1978 (3 years before MTV would launch) with Video Concert Hall which played several hours of music videos every day on the USA Network with no host Dave - That all brings us to today’s topic-- the evolution of the music video. There are varying opinions about which style is preferred. Some just like to see the band playing. Personally, I find those a little basic. I like to see something a little different but I do like it be from the band. It's their song, it should be their vision not the director’s vision of the song.
Melanie - That was definitely a different approach than bands in the UK had. Maybe it was a budget thing? I can't think of any UK bands that had music videos for every track - it was pretty much just the singles they were releasing and occasionally the "live" versions where footage was taken from actual concerts - which was a throwback to when that was pretty much the standard.
So while I am on that topic - we had a TV Station like MTV in the UK called "The Box". It didn't have VJ's, instead you called in and used an automated system to request the video you wanted and it was added to the queue. Which sounds great ..... but if you wanted to watch the uncut Robbie video you were generally out of luck. Call before 10pm and the video was automatically added as the family freindly version. Call after 10pm- and it would depend how many songs were ahead before it could possibly come on - and once the 5am threshold hit all requests reset to the family friendly version. Suddenly I am appreciating YouTube all the more! So Dave - is there anything you would like to see more of? Dave - One thing I don't think we see enough of is bands in the studio. We have the chance to see them perform in music videos, or see them live on stage, or even occasionally see performances at awards shows if they are popular enough. But rarely does a band release a video of them in the studio. I'm not just talking about a music video of them in the studio. A few bands have done that. One that comes to mind is Aerosmith "What it Takes". There were actually 2 versions of that-- a concept video, and a studio version. I actually like to see what goes into the making of the record. Behind the scenes, writing, rehearsing, tweaking, discussing arrangements. I don't just want to hear it; I want all the details! Yes, I am that much of a geek! Aerosmith did it with the Making of Pump, and Metallica did with 2 1/2 years in the Life. The first half covered the making of the Black Album, the second half covered the tour. Melanie - So a bit like my Guns N Roses video - but on a way larger scale. You will probably be pleased to hear that Paramount+ is reviving the Behind the Music series. I bet you will be watching that! Final thoughts? Dave - Since MTV has actually distanced itself from videos, bands are actually a little freer to expand on their visions in making videos since they are going straight to YouTube. No need to edit for time restraints. No need to censor is there is a bad word or 2 (or 12 if the case may be). We used to have to sit and wait for a world premiere video. Now YouTube reminds us when they are coming. Or we can check our subscriptions at our leisure. Melanie - That feels like the perfect spot to end! So tell us Musers - What do you think? Do you prefer to see a concept video or do you just want to see the band play? About The Writers -
DAVE - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies" MELANIE - Founder of Melanie's Muses - You should know who I am lol If not click - All about Melanie |
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