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18 June 2011

Video Killed The Radio Star as played by a reunited version of The Buggles in 2004. Apparently it's even the same backup singers as in 1979.→[More:]

Trevor Horn is kind of a hero of mine, but I think of him more as a producer, a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. (Though I know he used to be in Yes and all that.) Seeing him singing onstage like this is really cool.

post by: BoringPostcards at: 00:04 | 23 comments

The original. Which is so amazing in its own way.

posted by BoringPostcards 18 June | 00:20

What a great performance.

posted by arse_hat 18 June | 00:20

Now that I'm looking, there are a lot of cool performances of this song... check this out. This one is probably lip-synced, but still. My lifelong crush on Trevor Horn just goes crazy here.

posted by BoringPostcards 18 June | 00:28

I used to do a cover version of this in Japanese (^_~)

posted by gomichild 18 June | 00:48

That was one tight band (2004). I am glad that performance was captured.

posted by Ardiril 18 June | 01:17

You know what's awesome? Seeing the next generation play the song.

posted by BoringPostcards 18 June | 01:19

Though of course, that last link is kind of what the song was predicting, back in '79.... Robbie Williams? What? Can he sing? Okay, he can sing a little, but more importantly he looks good on camera. He's not a genius music geek with a weak chin like Trevor Horn, who wrote the song and also influenced the world of pop music for two decades through his production work. But he has nice eyebrows.

posted by BoringPostcards 18 June | 01:31

This is the first time I actively listened to something by Robbie Williams, and this is why I live by a strict no-radio/no-tv policy. I never have to listen to british or american top-40, ever, unless by choice.

posted by Ardiril 18 June | 01:40

The idea of Gomichild singing this IN JAPANESE makes my head explode. That might possibly be the best thing ever. By which I mean.... DO IT. DO IT.

posted by BoringPostcards 18 June | 01:56

I'm not sure my friend ever videoed me doing it....

posted by gomichild 18 June | 03:46

The original release of that song corresponded with the first time I quit the radio business, so I love it ironically. (Still, the instrumental bridge is one of my favorite earworms)

For more Trevor Horn/Buggles goodness, here's the song they immediately followed with in that Prince's Trust concert: "The Plastic Age". Then Trevor brought out a bunch of groups/performers/songs/hits he'd produced, including Grace Jones*, Art of Noise**, Yes***, Pet Shop Boys, Seal**** and Frankie Goes to Hollllllywood. Penicillin-Resistant Nostalgia for me!

*reminding us that Madonna isn't the only one Gaga stole her act from
**Trevor on bass, not sure who else from the original recording was there
***but without my neighbor Jon Anderson doing the vocals? THAT'S JUST WRONG
****he also did my all-time favorite Seal song, the NOT-Gnarls "Crazy", but nobody uploaded to YouTube, dangit.

posted by oneswellfoop 18 June | 04:01

Ah, Grace Jones. I swoon.

When I was 13 my parents thought I was a big 007 fan because I collected all sorts of View to A Kill memorabilia.

Nope, just the beginnings of a healthy lifelong crush on Grace Jones.

posted by Hugh Janus 18 June | 07:30

Wow, watching this made me tear up for some reason.

posted by Stewriffic 18 June | 09:01

I love this song. That was a great performance in 2004! Wow! I can't believe I missed this for seven years.

The video cuts off on the last note, still good stuff!

posted by LoriFLA 18 June | 09:12

FYI the whole concert was packaged for TV as a video called '25 Years Of Pop: Produced by Trevor Horn' as well as a DVD called 'Slaves to the Rhythm"

posted by rollick 18 June | 10:20

O.M.G. Grace Jones!

Anyone remember her appearance on the Mike Douglas Show? She did two numbers, one wearing a dress that was about 50 feet tall. She must have been standing on a ladder but there she was, atop a flowing yellow dress, high above the stage.

Her chat with Mike featured her wearing a gold record as a hat.

That was a watershed gay moment for me. I'll never forget it.

posted by MonkeyButter 18 June | 13:12

That gave me goosebumps, BP, thanks!

posted by deborah 18 June | 14:55

Thanks for the tip, rollick.... the "25 Years" DVD is winging its way to me from Amazon at this very moment.

posted by BoringPostcards 18 June | 19:41

Also, foop, those links are awesome. The Frankie "Relax" performance was just... wild.

posted by BoringPostcards 18 June | 19:42

Oh, that was good! Thank you!

Both this song and M's Pop Musik came out that same year and , somehow, made it into rotation on one of the radio stations in Terre Haute (This was back in the day when the local dj's actually decided what they were going to play.) It was a like huge red flag being hoisted announcing that something had definitely changed.

posted by Thorzdad 19 June | 08:29

Oh, and did anyone else notice the very subtle lyric change in the live performance? Trevor changed the final line from "Pictures came and broke your heart, put the blame on VTR." to "...put the blame on VCR."

posted by Thorzdad 19 June | 09:25

I was setting up a new computer yesterday so I couldn't listen to this when I first saw it (no speakers hooked up). Good tune.

posted by Doohickie 19 June | 14:52

Thorzdad, I caught the switch from "VTR" to "VCR," too. :)

posted by BoringPostcards 19 June | 16:58

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