Friday, March 23

Friday Random Ten: So long, suckers!

This afternoon I'm flying up to New York and staying until Tuesday, so posting is likely to be pretty sparse between now and then -- assuming there aren't any travel disasters like there were the last time I went up there. With any luck, I might actually catch a plane on the first try.

In the meantime, Josh made me recall a question that was bouncing around my office the other day: What was the first music video you can remember having seen on MTV?

Mine was in 1984 -- I was six years old, we'd just gotten cable, and some afternoon I happened to catch some MTV that the babysitter was watching:



Now that I think about it, this video was also probably my first introduction to the thong. Thanks, Mr. Idol!

Anyway, the Ten.

1. R.E.M., "Falls to Climb"
2. Moby, "Everloving"
3. Air, "Kelly Watch the Stars" (Moog Cookbook mix)
4. Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, "An American in Paris"
5. Jakatta, "American Dream" (Afterlife mix)
6. Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy"
7. Massive Attack, "Risingson"
8. Fatboy Slim, "Love Life"
9. Sting, "Dream of the Blue Turtles"
10. The Farm, "Suzy Boo"

Your Random Tens and first MTV memories in the comments.

17 comments:

Shan said...

First video I saw on MTV was in 1981,and Fleetwood Mac's "Hold Me." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr86jfdsSHU&mode=related&search=

Shortly after that, I recall writing a feature article for the HS newspaper about the cultural impact of this new fangled "music video" thing. While I was quite accurate in my predictions of how this new "art form" would revolutionize how artists approach the music business and reaching kids and customers, I think I missed out on the fact that the channel airing the videos would devolve into a wasteland filled with drunken teenagers having threesomes in a hot tub (and forget about those video thingees).

Still, that article garnered a best feature prize for the state of Georgia, and the awards ceremony was at the Grady School in The Classic City -- thus providing my first visit to UGA and setting me on my path to Bulldogdom. So in a strange way, Stevie Nicks in a slinky red dress set my life in motion.

Josh M. said...

I think most people are going to go the "Thriller" route (at least most people in their early 30s like me), but I think the first videos I remember were The Police's "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and Duran Duran's "New Moon on Monday." Good nominees for next week's H.I.F.L.W.A.K.A.M.V!, in fact.

Kanu said...

"Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1sf2CzEq0w

I'm guessing it was '82 maybe, and at someone else's house no less- we were not the first {or 50th} people in the hood to get cable. {but when we did Fraggle Rock was definitely in the motherfuckin' house on the regular}.

OK, the 10:

1. "Zora (Interlude)", Outkast. Idlewild
2. "Flake", Jack Johnson. Brushfire Fairytales
3. "Mr. Bobby", Manu Chao. Proxima Estacion: Esperanza
4. "Who Do You Believe In?", Tupac. Better Dayz Disc 2
5. "Let's Go Through The Motions", Jodeci. Diary Of A Mad Band
6. "Bulldog March Medley", UGA Redcoat Marching Band
7. "Milky Cereal", LL Cool J. Mama Said Knock You Out
8. "Everything Is Everything", Lauryn Hill. The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.
9. "STP", Sublime. Robbin' The Hood
10. "Y", The Pharcyde. Labcabincalifornia.

Have fun in Nueva York, Senor Doug.

jkelsofarrell said...

"Don't Come Around Here No More" Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1985 (the year my family got a satellite)

"Marla" The Dust Brothers
"Eleanor Put Your Boots On" Franz Ferdinand
"Anyone Can Play Guitar" Radiohead
"Polaris" North Mississippi Allstars
"Norwegian Wood" Beatles
"Every Gentle Soul" Blackeyed Susans
"Sylvie" Saint Etienne
"Habanera and Carmen" Georges Bizet (Trainspotting #2)
"All Cats Are Grey" the Cure
"For Tomorrow" Blur

JasonC said...

I know this wasn't the first, but I can still remember "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes coming on one night when the babysitter was over.
A pretty crazy video, too.

The Fashion Diva said...

Let's see, it was 1982, I was 8 going on 9, and I was at my sister's house. Back then, you couldn't get cable outside the city limits where I lived so her house was the only place I could watch MTV. "Video Killed The Radio Star" by the Buggles and "Bringin On The Heartbreak" by Def Leppard are the two I remember first seeing. I wanna say "Pop Musik" by M fell in there somewhere too but I can't remember if that one was actually made into a vid in the early 80s or late 80s when it was re-released.

My random 10:

1.) "Dream Lover" - Hackett
2.) "Superman - Holy Ghost (Holyland Remix)
3.) "Stand Up Straight" - C5 Joyriders (Free Funk Mix)
4.)"Somebody Told Me" - The Killers (Mylo Remix)
5.) "I Like The Way" - Bodyrockers
6.) "Love On My Mind" - Freemasons Feat. Amanda Wilson
7.) "Run To You" - Pascal vs. Bryan Adams (Red Kult Mix)
8.) "Open Your Heart" - Lee S Feat. Danielle (Hardino Mix)
9.) "Totally Hooked" - DJ Peter Presta Feat. Bonse
10.) "Grace Of God" - One Hit Wonders

Anonymous said...

1. Wild Cherry, “Play That Funky Music”
2. Dave Matthews Band, “Ants Marching (Live at Red Rocks)”
3. Sarah McLachlan, “Dirty Little Secret (Thievery Corporation Mix)”
4. Little Shop of Horrors Broadway Cast, “Somewhere That’s Green”
5. Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, “Stay”
6. Massive Attack, “Man Next Door”
7. Paul Simon, “The Boxer”
8. U2, “The First Time”
9. Cake, “Sheep Go to Heaven”
10. Erasure, “Who Needs Love (Like That) – Hamburg Mix”

The first two videos I remember seeing were both from 1983, so I'm not sure which was really the first - Michael Jackson moonwalking down the light-up sidewalk in "Billie Jean" or the drenched dancer in Irene Cara's "What a Feeling" from "Flashdance."

Anonymous said...

We didn't get cable until the Bears played a game on ESPN in 1988. We shamed my Dad into not cancelling it the day after the game. I don't remember the first video I ever saw, it was probably Thriller and it was probably at Aunt Annie's house. She was, and still is, an early adapter of any new technology. Aunt Annie, now 63, owns an iPod.

Anonymous said...

I won't give my age, but I was in college and Video Killed the Radio Star was the first video I saw (about a week or so after it was the first video played on MTV, my cable market got MTV early but not until a week or so after it came out.)

NCT said...

First video I saw on MTV? Well, first off, I'm old. errr, but not as old as bill from jc.

I think I first became aware of MTV in 1980 or '81. From then through high school (class of 1984) I was glued to MTV far too much for my own good. "White Wedding" certainly comes to mind, as does a song called "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" by Todd Rundgren's Utopia (PLEASE check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IDEMzGbMv4).

Anonymous said...

Well NCT (or may I call you gramps?) MTV hit the air in 81, so it must have been then. I remember at first it only had about 20 videos so it just rotated them over and over. Along with the Buggles one original I recall was The Who's "You Better You Bet" I didn't ever get to just sit and watch it though as I was in college and managing a bar at night. Now all you young whippersnappers get off my lawn.

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah, and every woman I have ever dated has fallen miserably short of Martha Quinn!

NCT said...

Hey, bill, I met Martha Quinn (and a number of other personalities - but she was the only original there) when I won an MTV contest back in 1991 ("Trip with the Doors on the Sunset Strip" in conjunction with the opening of the Oliver Stone movie).

People really win on MTV.

Universal Remonster said...

I think the first video I ever saw was "Freefalli" by Tom Petty. Hot chick skateboarding. Yeah. That's the one. Also like that you threw in the Moog Cookbook mix of that Air song in your random 10. The Moog Cookbook mix of "Black Hole Sun" is the funniest damn thing ever. Sweet.

Anonymous said...

NCT, that I didn't end up with Martha just proves that the world is a cruel and unfair place

Anonymous said...

I think I probably first saw it in late 82 or early 83 when it first arrived on our cable system. I don't remember the first video I saw which makes me think it was something like Kansas or whatever.

It wasn't that long since we had moved to the States, and I was still fascinated by songs going into general release in the US months or years after they had been on release in the UK and Holland - so I seem to remember that some of the videos were already familiar from either Top of the Pops (BBC) or Top Pop (Hilversum 1 in NL).

Jason said...

Waaaay OT, but I just want to point out that in an amazing bit of irony, the ad currently showing up on the top of your page for me is:

USA Body Armor. Body armor for civilians and professionals.
"An Investment In Your Safety".

Are you trying to tell me something?