Greg Prato - MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video

MTV RULED THE WORLD

The Early Years of Music Video

By Greg Prato

Printed and distributed by Lulu.com

Published by Greg Prato

Book design and layout by Linda Krieg [myspace.com/lindakriegdesign]

Front cover painting by Theresa Dudley [theresadudley.com]

Book proofreading by Catherine Hensley [CLHediting.com]

Copyright 2010, Greg Prato. All rights reserved.

First Edition, November 2010

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form

or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage

or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-578-07197-8

Contents

Introduction

Cast of Characters

The Early '80s Music Biz

Todd Rundgren Has an Idea...

Bob Pittman/Preparing for Lift-Off

MTV's Theme Song/Launch of MTV

Initial Impressions

VJs

Early MTV

Some Struggle in the Video Age

Les Garland and John Sykes

I Want My MTV!

Success!

The "MTV Effect"

Fashion

MTV's Policies

The MTV Studios

Big '80s/Party Animals

The US Festival

"Billie Jean" and "Beat It"

Black Artists and MTV

Michael Jackson

Prince

Stories Behind the Videos: R&B and Hip-Hop

Duran Duran

The Police

Stories Behind the Videos: Punk, New Wave, and Alternative

Def Leppard (and Mutt Lange)

Van Halen

Stories Behind the Videos: Heavy Metal

Bruce Springsteen

Stories Behind the Videos: Rock

Madonna

Stories Behind the Videos: Pop Rock

Devo

"Weird Al" Yankovic

Stories Behind the Videos: Oddities

Fun at MTV

Bad Rockers, Good Rockers, Strange Rockers

Portrayal of Women in Music Video

Kiss Unmasks on MTV

1984 MTV Video Music Awards

VH1

"We Are the World"/Live Aid

When Music Video Attacks

PMRC and Censorship

Losing the Plot

The Team Breaks Up/ JJ Jackson Remembered

MTV Today

Where Are They Now?

Introduction

"You'll never look at music the same way again" was a slogan used by MTV early on in their ads. And throughout the early '80s, I couldn't agree more. When MTV appeared in my home in the summer of 1982 (a year after it was originally launched because Long Island, New York Cablevision didn't get MTV until then), suddenly, there was a new way to discover bands. Radio at that point had completely lost its pizzazz, and here was a new outlet that didn't seem to cater to one musical genre. If an artist submitted a video, it was played, and if it was good, it stuck around...or so it seemed to an impressionable young man like me. Men at Work, A Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran, Prince, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, Madonna the list is endless of artists who became household names thanks to their constant exposure on MTV during this era. But as the famous saying goes, "All good things must come to an end," and by the mid '80s, MTV had become as regimented and predictable as radio was before it. Instead of continuing to be a reaction of sorts against the standard, it became the standard. And when MTV decided that "hair metal" was the most happening rock genre in the late '80s, it was time for me to tune out. But in all honesty, I didn't completely tune out. Instead of going to MTV to constantly discover new bands as I did during their early days, it was more about trying to catch videos from bands I already liked, rather than just soaking it all in like a sponge. For me, the golden years of MTV were always 1981 to 1985, an era when Blotto and Barnes & Barnes were championed as much as Bryan Adams and Pat Benatar (well, not quite as much, but at least aired on a semi-regular basis!). And I've always wondered, why hasn't anyone done a book that focused on this MTV era and spoken directly to the people (both behind the scenes and the actual artists) that were there during the channel's formative years? The wait is now over, dear readers...

I want my early '80s MTV!

Greg Prato

p.s. Thanks to all my family and friends, as well as Nina Blackwood, Alan Hunter, Bob Pittman, and Les Garland for hanging in there during my seemingly never-ending list of questions.

p.p.s. Want to see what I'm currently up to (and check out info about my other books)? Go to myspace.com/gregpratopage. Want to let me know what you thought of the book or have questions? Email me at gregprato@yahoo.com.

Cast of Characters

Jon Anderson [Yes singer]

Pete Angelus [Video director: Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher," David Lee Roth's "California Girls," etc.]

Carmine Appice [Rod Stewart, Ted Nugent, Ozzy Osbourne drummer]

Art Barnes (aka Bill Mumy) [Barnes & Barnes singer/multi-instrumentalist]

Steve Barron [Video director: Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing," etc.]

Toni Basil [Solo artist, singer, dancer, dance choreographer]

Jello Biafra [Dead Kennedys singer]

Nina Blackwood [MTV VJ]

Eric Bloom [Blue yster Cult singer/guitarist]

Sergeant Blotto [Blotto singer]

Ricky Byrd [Joan Jett & the Blackhearts guitarist]

Gerald Casale [Devo bassist]

Ken R. Clark [PA to original VJs/manager of on-air talent]

Ken Ceizler [MTV director]

Phil Collen [Def Leppard guitarist]

Bootsy Collins [Parliament-Funkadelic bassist]

Stewart Copeland [The Police drummer]

Cy Curnin [The Fixx singer]

Chuck D [Public Enemy rapper]

Martha Davis [The Motels singer]

Paul Dean [Loverboy guitarist]

Warren DeMartini [Ratt guitarist]

John Doe [X singer/bassist]

Thomas Dolby [Solo artist, singer/keyboardist]

Geoff Downes [The Buggles, Yes, and Asia keyboardist]

Jonathan Elias [Co-writer of MTV's theme song]

Joe Elliott [Def Leppard singer]

Rik Emmett [Triumph singer/guitarist]

Lita Ford [Solo artist, singer/guitarist]

Les Garland [MTV executive]

Bob Giraldi [Video director: Michael Jackson's "Beat It," Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield," etc.]

Rob Halford [Judas Priest singer]

Daryl Hall [Hall & Oates singer/keyboardist]

Greg Hawkes [The Cars keyboardist]

Colin Hay [Men at Work singer/guitarist]

Alan Hunter [MTV VJ]

Debora Iyall [Romeo Void singer]

Oran "Juice" Jones [Solo artist, singer/rapper]

Bruce Kulick [Kiss guitarist]

Geddy Lee [Rush singer/bassist]

Julian Lennon [Solo artist, singer]

George Lois [Advertising executive, creator of "I Want My MTV!" slogan]

Dave Marsh [Music journalist]

Eddie Money [Solo artist, singer]

Angelo Moore [Fishbone singer/saxophonist]

Jeff Murphy [Shoes guitarist]

John Murphy [Shoes bassist]

Aldo Nova [Solo artist, singer/guitarist]

John Oates [Hall & Oates singer/guitarist]

Wally Palmer [The Romantics singer/guitarist]

Mike Pelech [MTV cameraman]

Bob Pittman [MTV CEO]

Roger Powell [Todd Rundgren/Utopia keyboardist]

Derek Power [Stewart Copeland's manager]

Marky Ramone [The Ramones drummer]

Richie Ramone [The Ramones drummer]

Herman Rarebell [Scorpions drummer]

Mike Reno [Loverboy singer]

Stan Ridgway [Wall of Voodoo singer]

Todd Rundgren [Solo artist, singer/multi-instrumentalist]

Michael Sadler [Saga singer]

Rudy Sarzo [Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, and Whitesnake bassist]

Mike Score [A Flock of Seagulls singer/keyboardist]

Rick Springfield [Actor, solo artist, singer/guitarist]

Frank Stallone [Solo artist, singer]

Frankie Sullivan [Survivor guitarist]

Mickey Thomas [Jefferson Starship singer]

George Thorogood [Solo artist, singer/guitarist]

Glenn Tilbrook [Squeeze singer/guitarist]

Tommy Tutone [Solo artist, singer/guitarist]

Kathy Valentine [The Go-Go's bassist]