Stand Back
I had an 80's flashback this past weekend while out at Roscoe's. They were playing 80's videos which were much more favorable to me than the showtunes scene over at Sidetrack.
I don't now what happened to me, but somehow the gene that is supposed to tweak out when musicals like "Wicked" come to town just never happened to me. I don't like Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli or Barbara Streisand.
I do however, have a penchant for some old Stevie Nicks' videos though. “Stand Back” was playing on one of the many suspended televisions in the bar. I immediately stopped what I was doing, which was probably nothing, but it sounds better that way.
Picture if you will for a moment Stevie Nicks circa 1983. A pagan priestess whose Wiccan ceremony is interrupted by backup dancers from "Solid Gold". Twirling and fanning her gossamer shawls in the air while they pop and lock in all their zippered, bandannas around the neck and feathered hair glory behind her.
The video starts with her spinning in slow-motion accompanied by an unseen wind and backlit halo behind her. Cut to the dancers reminding us that this is the 80's watch us, we're fabulous! Flashdance and Michael Jackson are in the public consciousness. Choreographed videos whether good or bad are a prerequisite at the moment.
Although Stevie never officially gets down, her movements are graceful and rhythmic and she holds her own in contrast to the spastic "SG" dancers in the background. They never dance together, but they do march towards the camera at the end of the video with Stevie leading the way. Maybe standing in a line? Who really knows.
Oh Stevie, what do the billowing white curtains and treadmill mean?
In a brief moment I was transported back to my childhood living room staying up late to watch Friday Night Videos as we were one of the homes that did not yet have MTV. One moment in 1983 old met new, street met Wiccan Queen while two worlds collided and something slightly magical happened.
I don't now what happened to me, but somehow the gene that is supposed to tweak out when musicals like "Wicked" come to town just never happened to me. I don't like Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli or Barbara Streisand.
I do however, have a penchant for some old Stevie Nicks' videos though. “Stand Back” was playing on one of the many suspended televisions in the bar. I immediately stopped what I was doing, which was probably nothing, but it sounds better that way.
Picture if you will for a moment Stevie Nicks circa 1983. A pagan priestess whose Wiccan ceremony is interrupted by backup dancers from "Solid Gold". Twirling and fanning her gossamer shawls in the air while they pop and lock in all their zippered, bandannas around the neck and feathered hair glory behind her.
The video starts with her spinning in slow-motion accompanied by an unseen wind and backlit halo behind her. Cut to the dancers reminding us that this is the 80's watch us, we're fabulous! Flashdance and Michael Jackson are in the public consciousness. Choreographed videos whether good or bad are a prerequisite at the moment.
Although Stevie never officially gets down, her movements are graceful and rhythmic and she holds her own in contrast to the spastic "SG" dancers in the background. They never dance together, but they do march towards the camera at the end of the video with Stevie leading the way. Maybe standing in a line? Who really knows.
Oh Stevie, what do the billowing white curtains and treadmill mean?
In a brief moment I was transported back to my childhood living room staying up late to watch Friday Night Videos as we were one of the homes that did not yet have MTV. One moment in 1983 old met new, street met Wiccan Queen while two worlds collided and something slightly magical happened.
posted by Chris at 7:32 PM
1 Comments:
Boy, I remember how great those videos were right then. We didn't have mtv either, but when I would go to someone elses house that DID have it, I swear I could have watched for hours. Now, when my kids are watching something on MTV, it makes me a little sad...what happened to the videos?
And they will never really understand how imporant THE BUGGLES were to a generation. Ok, maybe they appear now and then as a question in TRIVIAL PURSUIT.
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