Re: VH-1 A-Z video history...

[Lazlo Nibble <lazlo@ariel.unm.edu>]

> Has anyone been watching VH-1's history of music videos?  I started
> watching at A, waiting patiently for some Kate Bush stuff to record.
> They were playing all of each group/person's videos, e.g. every David
> Bowie video, but they went from The Boggles (?) to David Byrne (!).
> Since Bush should appear between the two, I assume they are ignoring
> Kate.

They are most definitely *not* playing all of each group/person's
videos.  They're playing the ones that are best-known and most popular
by each artist . . . not necessarily even that artist's best videos.
(e.g.: they played "Satisfaction" and "Whip It" by Devo, but not
"Beautiful World"; Thomas Dolby only got "She Blinded Me With
Science".)

That's "Buggles", by the way.  Trevor Horn (Yes; producer of ABC, FGTH,
Malcolm McLaren; cofounder of ZTT Records) and Geoff Downes (Yes, Asia).

> I know Kate's stuff is not the most accessible stuff that VH-1 plays,
> but they've played over a half a dozen videos made by artists I have
> never in my life heard of!  I would think she has enough of an impact
> to appear!  Anyone have any comments?

The natural conclusion to draw is that in VH-1's estimation, Kate hasn't
produced any historically significant videos.  I would have liked to see
them play "Cloudbusting", but quite frankly I'd be hard-pressed to think
of any Kate vids that I could defend as important to anyone but a Kate
fan, simply because her stuff never got any play in this country in the
first place.  That's *their* limited definition of a significant video,
by the way -- not mine.  I bet they ignored Ebn-Ozn, Mike Oldfield, They
Might Be Giants, and Yello too.

                                                   Lazlo (lazlo@ariel.unm.edu)
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EINSTEIN has made the Universe!  But I can't tell you how long that will last.

From: Richard Caley <rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK>
Date: Sun, 18 Mar 90 22:40:50 GMT
Subject: Ken is the leader of the GLC!!!


   From: jsd@UMASS.BITNET (Jonathan S. Drukman)

   I almost barfed up a lung when I heard the opening beat and then those
   terrible Fairlight horns (what an inept arrangement!  what a lousy
   patch>!!)... but those LYRICS!  Kate shrieks, rattles and rolls!  She
   starts off with some unbelievably dumb and cliched couplet, but it's
   all uphill from there.  KATE IS SCREAMING THE LYRICS TO "RAWHIDE" IN
   THE BRIDGE!  Did you ever think you'd hear her say "Who's a funky
   sex machine?"  I sure didn't, but she does, and it's great.

See, told you it was wonderful. This, in case anyone hasn't triggered,
ws the theme to a "comic strip" film which cast Maggie's fight with
the greater london council as a cross between a spagetti western and a
bad blood & guts horrer B-movie.

Thus the track too is something of a piss take. IED had best not
listen :-). This is KT takeing it out of KT. Remember all those things
people say about Her? Screechy voice? Silly sampled tracks?
Meaningless Lyrics? They're all here. As Jonathan said, it is
hilarious.

In fact I am gonna play it now...

Oh yes, and _the_ laugh sounds great attached to this...

The lyrics ( minus most of the vocal gymnastics ), as well as I can
manage on my walkperson. Corrections? What the hell is that fourth
line? 

	Look to the Left and to the Right,
	We need help but nobody's in sight.
	Where is the man that we all need,
	????    to come and rescue me.	
	
	Ken is the man that we all need,
	Ken is the leader of the GLC.

	Now,
	Head 'em up,
	Rope 'em in,
	Move 'em out,

	Now,
	Oh can't ya see,
	That we need the leader of the GLC.

	Ken is the man that we all need,
	Ken is the leader of the GLC.

	Who is the man we all need?
		KEN!
	Who is the funky sex machine?
		KEN!
	Who is the leader of the GLC?
		KEN!
	Who is the man we all need?
		KEN!

	Now,
	Head 'em up,
	Rope 'em in,
	Move 'em out,

		KEN!

	Oh can't you see?
	We need the Ah! Ah! Ah!

	Ken is the man that we all need.
	Ken is the waaa-aaa-aaa-waaaaaa!

	Who is the man we all need?
		KEN!

		KEN!

	Ken is the man that we all need.
	Ken is the leader of the GLC.

I nearly missed this, if Tim Steele had not pointed out that it
was the B-Side to the 12" I would never have got it. Thanks Tim.

This is one to annoy the neighbours with. Sing it in the street. Did
it in Princes Street, got some very funny looks -- especially the
funky sex machine line. I mean; Ken Livingstone?