Pop Clips
Encyclopedia
PopClips is a music video
television
program, the direct predecessor of MTV
.
Former Monkee
Mike Nesmith conceived the first music-video program as a promotional device for Warner Communications' record division
. Production began in the spring of 1979 at SamFilm, a sound-stage built and operated in Sand City, California
by Sam Harrison, a Monterey Peninsula College
instructor with a motion picture background.
With an infinity cyclorama as the background, set flats were made from the Styrofoam
packing used to ship laserdisc players and 3/4" video decks. The first "VeeJay" was Jeff Michalski. The director was William Dear
. Besides Harrison, the production team was made up of Bruce "Buz" Clarke, Keith Cornell, Marybeth Harris, and Leslie Chacon.
The program was broadcast weekly on the youth-oriented cable television
channel Nickelodeon
during much of 1981. The channel's owners at the time, Warner Cable, wanted to buy the name and idea, but instead, according to Dear, "they just watered down the idea and came up with MTV."
PopClips was preceded by the video Elephant Parts
(which won the first ever Grammy Award
for Music Video
), and a second series titled Television Parts
, both of which Nesmith hosted and produced.
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
program, the direct predecessor of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
Former Monkee
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
Mike Nesmith conceived the first music-video program as a promotional device for Warner Communications' record division
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
. Production began in the spring of 1979 at SamFilm, a sound-stage built and operated in Sand City, California
Sand City, California
Sand City is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, located on the shores of Monterey Bay, and surrounded on most sides by the larger city of Seaside. Sand City is located northeast of Monterey, at an elevation of 72 feet . The population was 334 at the 2010 census, up from 261 at...
by Sam Harrison, a Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey Peninsula College commonly called MPC is a public community college located in Monterey, California. Established in 1947, it is a part of the California Community Colleges system.-External links:*...
instructor with a motion picture background.
With an infinity cyclorama as the background, set flats were made from the Styrofoam
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company for closed-cell currently made for thermal insulation and craft applications. In 1941, researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab found a way to make foamed polystyrene...
packing used to ship laserdisc players and 3/4" video decks. The first "VeeJay" was Jeff Michalski. The director was William Dear
William Dear
William Dear is a film director, producer and screenwriter known for directing Harry and the Hendersons, If Looks Could Kill, Angels in the Outfield, Wild America and Santa Who?....
. Besides Harrison, the production team was made up of Bruce "Buz" Clarke, Keith Cornell, Marybeth Harris, and Leslie Chacon.
The program was broadcast weekly on the youth-oriented cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
channel Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
during much of 1981. The channel's owners at the time, Warner Cable, wanted to buy the name and idea, but instead, according to Dear, "they just watered down the idea and came up with MTV."
PopClips was preceded by the video Elephant Parts
Elephant Parts
Elephant Parts is a collection of comedy and music videos made in 1981 by Michael Nesmith, former member of the Monkees. Nesmith produced the video through his company Pacific Arts, using money he inherited from his mother, the inventor of Liquid Paper...
(which won the first ever Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Music Video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
), and a second series titled Television Parts
Television Parts
Michael Nesmith in Television Parts was a summer TV series run by NBC in 1985. It was a 30-minute comedy-variety series created by Michael Nesmith as a sort of continuation of his Grammy Award-winning video production Elephant Parts, and earlier series PopClips. The first episode was a stand-alone...
, both of which Nesmith hosted and produced.
Early videos broadcast on PopClips
- Split EnzSplit EnzSplit Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
-- "I Hope I NeverI Hope I Never"I Hope I Never" is a 1980 song by New Zealand art rock group Split Enz from their studio album True Colours. The album version of the song goes for 4:36, forty seconds longer than the single version. The song was later covered by ENZSO, a collaboration between Split Enz's Eddie Rayner and the New...
"
- Pretenders -- "Brass in PocketBrass In Pocket"Brass in Pocket" is a single by The Pretenders. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas.-Release:...
"
- Kim CarnesKim CarnesKim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner noted for her distinctive raspy vocal style. Some people have called her "The Female Rod Stewart" due to her raspy voice....
-- "More Love"
- Mike Nesmith -- "Rio"
- Huey Lewis and the NewsHuey Lewis and the NewsHuey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...
-- "Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later)"
- Huey Lewis and the NewsHuey Lewis and the NewsHuey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...
-- "Don't Ever Tell Me That You Love Me"
- Jo Jo Zep & The FalconsJo Jo Zep & The FalconsJo Jo Zep and the Falcons were an Australian blues and rock music band which featured singer, songwriter and saxophonist, Joe Camilleri . The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had several Australian chart hits, including "Hit and Run", "Shape I'm In" and "All I Wanna Do"...
-- "Security"
- The PoliceThe PoliceThe Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
-- "Walking on the MoonWalking on the Moon"Walking on the Moon" is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc. The song was The Police's second number-one hit single in the United Kingdom. It reached number nine in Australia but did not chart in the United States...
"
- Rolling Stones -- "Waiting on a FriendWaiting On A Friend"Waiting on a Friend" is a song by The Rolling Stones from their 1981 album Tattoo You. Released as the album's second single, it reached #13 on the US singles chart.-History:...
"
- The TouristsThe TouristsThe Tourists were a British rock and pop band, but are better known for two of their members who went on to achieve great success as Eurythmics...
-- "I Only Want to Be with YouI Only Want to Be with You"I Only Want to Be with You" is a rock-and-roll song by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. It was the first solo single released by British singer Dusty Springfield under her long-time producer Johnny Franz...
"
- MadnessMadness (band)In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
-- "One Step BeyondOne Step Beyond (song)12" vinyl-Chart performance:-Song appearances:* It is used in the episode "I'm with the Band" of the 2000-2001 show Freaks and Geeks when one of the characters, Sam Weir, streaks around the school while trying to avoid showering after PE....
"
- Split EnzSplit EnzSplit Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
-- "I Got YouI Got You (Split Enz song)"I Got You" is a 1980 song by New Zealand rock group Split Enz from their studio album True Colours. Split Enz's most commercially successful single, "I Got You" was written by Neil Finn and released in January 1980.-Music video:...
"
- Squeeze -- "Cool for CatsCool For Cats (song)"Cool for Cats" was the second single released from Squeeze's Cool for Cats album. It featured a comparatively rare lead vocal performance from Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford, one of only two occasions he sang lead on a Squeeze single A-side...
"
- The PoliceThe PoliceThe Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
-- "Every Little Thing She Does Is MagicEvery Little Thing She Does Is Magic"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" is a song by British rock group The Police from their album Ghost in the Machine. It was also a hit single that reached the top of the charts in the United Kingdom in November 1981 and hit number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart that same...
"
- The WaitressesThe WaitressesThe Waitresses were an experimental new wave band from Akron, Ohio. The group was led by guitarist/songwriter Chris Butler with lead vocals performed by Patty Donahue.-Career:...
-- "I Know What Boys Like"
- Mi-SexMi-SexMi-Sex was a New Zealand new wave rock band active from 1978 to 1984. Led by Steve Gilpin as vocalist, they were best known for their singles "Computer Games" in 1979 and "People" in 1980.-History:...
-- "Computer Games"
- Pearl Harbor and the Explosions -- "Drivin"
- TotoToto (band)Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
-- "9999 (song)"99" is a song by the American rock band Toto. The song appeared on the Hydra album in 1979. When released as a single, it reached #26 on the Billboard Charts....
"
- Thin LizzyThin LizzyThin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
-- "Waiting For An AlibiWaiting for an Alibi"Waiting for an Alibi" is a song by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, and the first single from their 1979 album, Black Rose: A Rock Legend. Black Rose was the only Thin Lizzy album recorded while Gary Moore was a member of the band, although he left soon after.The song was released as a single reaching...
"
External links
- Mike Nesmith of the Monkees, Ian Watson, first published in Melody MakerMelody MakerMelody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...