three hours of MTV from 1983
Phoenix Comicon reminded me of the cons I went to when I was a kid, and reminded me of what cons could be -- and should be -- when they're run by people who care more about creating a good time for fans, than figuring out ways to separate fans from their money.
I'll have a full trip report later today, but until then, I have found something HAWESOME to pass the time, or at least listen to in the background while you work. Three hours of MTV, recorded on VHS in 1983, including wonderfully cheedy commercials. I've been listening to part one for about thirty minutes, and the nostalgia is starting to overwhelm me.
Generation X! Rejoice, while the damn kids today wonder why MTV is actually playing music videos.
(from Appelogen via boingboing)
Thank you so much for coming to Phoenix Comicon! I'm not on the staff (in fact, I'm the redhead that was with Michael from Farpoint Media). It was awesome quasi-meeting you, and I'm kicking myself for not suffering through my headache to go back Sunday and buy a book.
Posted by:Miss Eliza Sea | January 28, 2008 at 08:57 PM
Thanks for posting this Wil, it was an awesome trip back to eighth grade :)
The first two videos on part one are a great example how much music video changed in about nine months in 1983. You could tell "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" was just thrown together quickly on cheap film and pretty much. Compare that to "Heart and Soul," where production values were at an obviously much higher level and there was an actual plot. Not that having a plot is important, but even "Little Red Corvette" looked better than "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" in terms of being a performance video. In early 1983, "Billie Jean," "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Let's Dance" changed everything.
The Sessions commercial for the soft rock collection is a blast. Forgot what a big deal those compilation albums were :)
Posted by:Joey G | January 28, 2008 at 10:04 PM
So took me home in a way, you know if there was a video internet channel of this stuff I'd regularly watch it.
Posted by:Thomas | January 28, 2008 at 10:38 PM
I think I stopped watching MTV when they stopped airing concert dates ... wow, I'm old!
Posted by:nerdwerds | January 29, 2008 at 01:21 AM
"Dial 1-800-Hot-Raaaawk" :)
Posted by:MikeN | January 29, 2008 at 05:12 AM
Did you Matt Wagner Grendel sketch make it back in one piece?
Posted by:spazdogcomics | January 29, 2008 at 07:59 AM
OK, you often post super cool links, but this was by far the best thing I've seen in ages. Just listening to it has brought serious warm fuzzies and made my work day go so much better. I'm just finishing up the first part and I'm afraid to even start the second part because that will signal the end.
More people need to go through those old boxes and see what they can find. MTV circa '83 was, and IMHO, IS the best television ever had to offer.
Thanks Wil!
Posted by:Thane9 | January 29, 2008 at 09:02 AM
The very first video is Night Ranger?! That's awesome! They were my favorite band growing up. I still listen to them now. It does make me feel a little old, but thanks for sharing.
Posted by:Mike | January 29, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Didn't scientists once determine the densest substance known to man to be Mark Goodman's hair?
Quality, Wheaton. And thank you.
Posted by:thirtyhelens | January 29, 2008 at 01:41 PM
Wow. Thanks Wil, I've got this running in the background like an 80s streaming music station while I do some work.
I can't help but contrast MTV of my youth to now. The cynic in me goes "Feh, on current MTV we would have already had two gameshows between these two videos".
That makes me really sad for some reason.
Posted by:Jon C | January 30, 2008 at 11:17 PM