Flashback Friday
Why not? Maybe I'll make it a semi-regular category. There are so many evocative pieces of pop culture on the internet, particularly on YouTube, and I've found revisiting them with the perspective of a few decades can be fun (and, particularly with old TV commercials, often insightful for reasons I'll explain in a post to come). Since your host is in his early forties, most of this will probably be mid-1970's to late-1980's stuff. Feel free to submit your own candidates via email. If it reminds me of an old girlfriend or my first beer bong, I'll post it.
First entry: Where were you in 1979? This is still a great tune. And compared to the embarrassing videos that came out in the early days of MTV, this one is very basic but strangely cool.
First entry: Where were you in 1979? This is still a great tune. And compared to the embarrassing videos that came out in the early days of MTV, this one is very basic but strangely cool.
posted by The Cunning Realist at Friday, February 15, 2008
18 Comments:
I nominate the Wendy's Soviet fashion show commercial, one of the best Madison Avenue efforts of all time.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DWAKtYGJZSM
Um, TCR, I was 3 in 1979. Don't remember that at all!
I thought that Wendy's commercial was stupid. I had seen a few Russian immigrants by the early 1980s, and knew, by then, Russian women were hot.
I graduated from high school in 1979. The woman I married graduated from college in 1979. If I am not mistaken, MTV appeared on cable TV August 1981. A suggestion for the next FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Donnie Iris "Aleigh". Trivia Question: Do you remember the names of the V-Jay's when MTV first appeared on television? Thanks for the memories!
I was a freshman in high school in 1979...bring on the Elvis Costello, Pretenders, Clash, Police, Circle Jerks, X, The Germs, The Motels, The Dickies, Talking Heads, B-52's, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff and an endless passion for The Muppet Show.
Nice trip down memory lane.
I was 22 when MTV debuted. First MTV VJs: Alan Hunter, Mark Goodman or Goldman, the Chubby Checker-looking black guy, Nina Blackwood (blonde-hair with dark roots and heavy eyeliner), and the brunette Martha or Marsha Weiss or something? Obviously, what they looked like is easier for me to remember than their names.
I'm with missbliss on all her faves (um...but Muppet Show?). On the other hand, how 'bout that Human League? "Don't you want me, baby?" Flock of Seagulls, "And I ran." Gary Numan, "In Cars."
I too was a freshman in high school. I wasn't as hip as miss bliss, coming to most of those bands a couple years later. And I would like to add XTC, Talking Heads, Television.
This is a great tune -- I can't believe it is actually from 1979, seems more recent. I was a junior in college then.
Gotta throw some Prince in there CR. 1999, Little Red Corvette, Delirious.....
PurplePlano -- Martha Quinn is the name you're looking for, I think.
First MTV Video -- "Video Killed the Radio Star", by the Buggles. But you all knew that already ;-).
Whammer
When you're a good musician or singer with a good tune, all you have to do is serve it up. When you're not you have to dress it up so folks don't notice. All the early music videos had that simplicity. I think MTV died in the 85-87 era. Sad, but nothing ever lasts.
How about some Atomic Dog??
Violent Femmes, Liz Phair -- that's getting to mid-90s, but depending on when/if you got married, could remind you of some past girlfriends......
Whammer
PurplePlano -- I think it might be Martha Quinn you're talking about. I believe she was the daughter of the Quinn as in Quinn Martin Productions.
Oh baby...
'79? I was a sophmore in H.S.
This music is good and certainly tickles the nostaglia. I'll have to say though, there wasn't a huge choice of "cool" music to be had in say '78-'81. The really good new wave stuff didn't start kickin' in until about '82.
Speaking of '79... remember "The Knack"?
'79? Not even a gleam in my parents' eyes. Born in '83.
Thanks for this one--it's amazingly hypnotic.
I was in grad school then, and there was a big run in things that sounded like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_U4Jsp3nv0
Mostly because popular music was boring.
And you can always check out other countries:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkoljyF76U4
Hope those work....
I'll always have a soft spot for the first video I ever saw; Thomas Dolby's She Blinded Me With Science.
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In 1979 I was in the Navy stationed in Crete. We had little work and lots of fun. The music was more English, The Jam, The Clash, Elvis Costello, Kate Bush, Joy Division. For the Human League fans check out the documentary Made In Sheffield it covers the Sheffield music scene in the late 70's to early 80's. The bands include Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, ABC, Heaven 17, 2.3, the extras, pulp and believe it or not Def Leppard, how they survived in that group is amazing in it self.
I was 8 years old in 1979, growing up in Calgary. I mostly remember catchy tunes from old TV commercials. Most of these then were home improvement stuff and mall sales. When I started watching MTV in the 80s, Michael Jackson was the biggest thing. Oh, the memories.
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