In our last post, we looked at the "Men In Black: The Series" opening. It featured custom-created animation and original music for a modern-day animated science fiction series.
And now for something completely different.
British comedy group Monty Python became well-known in 1969 due to their television show "Monty Python's Flying Circus". Running for a total of four seasons, the show featured live action comedy sketches by the group's members.
However, the show's opening featured animation by the single American Python member, Terry Gilliam. Gilliam's animations, also featured in the show itself, were bizarre, surrealistic, and satirical, and his openings, set to John Philip Souza's "Liberty Bell", set the tone for the show. In all, four different animated openings were created, one for each of the show's four seasons.
Dust off your silly walks, return that dead parrot, and enjoy!
Composer: John Philip Souza
Song: Liberty Bell
Animation: Terry Gilliam, Monty Python's Flying Circus Opening Theme Song
February 27, 2009
February 19, 2009
Men In Black: The Series - Opening
Up until now we've seen both music videos and music clips from movies. But there's another kind of Animated Music Video out there - television show intros!
Most Japanese anime shows feature fully custom-animated intros, set to either custom or contemporary music. However many animated TV shows in America, especially older ones, include clips from show episodes. This is primarily due to budget and time considerations, as it is both cheaper and quicker to re-use already-created animation for a show's intro sequence.
Some American animated series, however, have openings featuring completely custom animation and music. An example of this is 1997's Men In Black: The Series. MIB:TS's opening's beautifully-done animation is set to bizarre, futuristic techno riffs by composer Jim Latham, and it sets the tone for the series itself.
To paraphrase Agent J, "It makes this series look good." Click on the pic below to view the clip!
(Link to video on RetroJunk.com - embedding not available)
Composer: Jim Latham
Song: Men In Black: The Series - Opening Theme Song
Animation: Men In Black: The Series (original animation)
Most Japanese anime shows feature fully custom-animated intros, set to either custom or contemporary music. However many animated TV shows in America, especially older ones, include clips from show episodes. This is primarily due to budget and time considerations, as it is both cheaper and quicker to re-use already-created animation for a show's intro sequence.
Some American animated series, however, have openings featuring completely custom animation and music. An example of this is 1997's Men In Black: The Series. MIB:TS's opening's beautifully-done animation is set to bizarre, futuristic techno riffs by composer Jim Latham, and it sets the tone for the series itself.
To paraphrase Agent J, "It makes this series look good." Click on the pic below to view the clip!
(Link to video on RetroJunk.com - embedding not available)
Composer: Jim Latham
Song: Men In Black: The Series - Opening Theme Song
Animation: Men In Black: The Series (original animation)
February 7, 2009
The White Stripes - "Fell In Love With a Girl"
In 2002, the video for the White Stripes' song "Fell in Love With a Girl" off of their 2001 "White Blood Cells" album was released, causing an instant sensation. Directed by experimental director Michel Gondry, the video featured stop-motion animation consisting entirely of Lego blocks.
Though the concept itself was very simple and straightforward, it hadn't yet been seen in music videos, nor had it been done anywhere quite as cleverly as Gondry's clip. As a result, the video helped catapult the song - which was a hit in its own right - to the top of the charts, earning national awareness for the White Stripes.
As an interesting side note, the kid playing with the blocks at the beginning of the video is director Gondry's son. Enjoy!
Artist: The White Stripes
Song: Fell in Love With a Girl
Animation: Original
Though the concept itself was very simple and straightforward, it hadn't yet been seen in music videos, nor had it been done anywhere quite as cleverly as Gondry's clip. As a result, the video helped catapult the song - which was a hit in its own right - to the top of the charts, earning national awareness for the White Stripes.
As an interesting side note, the kid playing with the blocks at the beginning of the video is director Gondry's son. Enjoy!
Artist: The White Stripes
Song: Fell in Love With a Girl
Animation: Original
January 28, 2009
Paula Abdul - "Opposites Attract"
Many people know Paula Abdul from the hit reality TV show "American Idol". Many also know her from her string of hit songs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, far fewer know her as one of the early pioneers of animated music videos.
Though not nearly as experimental or surreal as the videos for "Sledgehammer" or "Yellow Submarine", the 1991 video for Paula's song "Opposites Attract" off of her 1988 debut album "Forever Your Girl" features a mix of live action and traditional drawn animation, with Abdul dancing and singing with an animated cartoon character known as MC Skat Cat. In this respect, the video is very similar to the 1988 animated film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", which was famous for its interaction between real people and animated characters.
The video won a Grammy for "Best Short Form Music Video" in 1991, and the song, like many others off of the "Forever Your Girl" album, was extremely popular. Over time, it has become a notable landmark in animated music video history.
Take two steps forward, take two steps back, and enjoy the video!
Artist: Paula Abdul
Song: Opposites Attract
Animation: Original
Though not nearly as experimental or surreal as the videos for "Sledgehammer" or "Yellow Submarine", the 1991 video for Paula's song "Opposites Attract" off of her 1988 debut album "Forever Your Girl" features a mix of live action and traditional drawn animation, with Abdul dancing and singing with an animated cartoon character known as MC Skat Cat. In this respect, the video is very similar to the 1988 animated film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", which was famous for its interaction between real people and animated characters.
The video won a Grammy for "Best Short Form Music Video" in 1991, and the song, like many others off of the "Forever Your Girl" album, was extremely popular. Over time, it has become a notable landmark in animated music video history.
Take two steps forward, take two steps back, and enjoy the video!
Artist: Paula Abdul
Song: Opposites Attract
Animation: Original
January 19, 2009
Lou Reed - "My Name is Mok"
Many people are familiar with the R-Rated animated film "Heavy Metal". Animated in Canada in 1981, the film became well-known for subject matter that went well beyond the typical kiddie fare.
However, far fewer are familiar with another Canadian-animated film called "Rock & Rule". Released in 1983, two years after Heavy Metal, it also featured an adult story line, as well as musical performances by Deborah "Debbie" Harry, Lou Reed, Cheap Trick, Earth, Wind & Fire and Iggy Pop. However, the film failed to perform well and nearly bankrupted its producer, animation house Nelvana.
As the name suggests, the story of "Rock & Rule" is sort of a futuristic, post-apocalyptic "battle of the bands." Lou Reed's song, "My Name is Mok", features a video where film's villain appears in classically self-aggrandizing fashion. The villain's full name is "Mok Swagger", and he is supposedly a parody of famous rock legend Mick Jagger - a fact which, at the time, didn't sit well with the Stones' front man's attorneys.
To paraphrase the villainous rocker, Rock & Rule and the "My Name is Mok" clip just might just be "the greatest things since World War III." Check it out!
NOTE: The music video itself only runs until about 2:03 in the above clip.
Artist: Lou Reed
Song: My Name Is Mok
Animation: Rock & Rule (feature film)
However, far fewer are familiar with another Canadian-animated film called "Rock & Rule". Released in 1983, two years after Heavy Metal, it also featured an adult story line, as well as musical performances by Deborah "Debbie" Harry, Lou Reed, Cheap Trick, Earth, Wind & Fire and Iggy Pop. However, the film failed to perform well and nearly bankrupted its producer, animation house Nelvana.
As the name suggests, the story of "Rock & Rule" is sort of a futuristic, post-apocalyptic "battle of the bands." Lou Reed's song, "My Name is Mok", features a video where film's villain appears in classically self-aggrandizing fashion. The villain's full name is "Mok Swagger", and he is supposedly a parody of famous rock legend Mick Jagger - a fact which, at the time, didn't sit well with the Stones' front man's attorneys.
To paraphrase the villainous rocker, Rock & Rule and the "My Name is Mok" clip just might just be "the greatest things since World War III." Check it out!
NOTE: The music video itself only runs until about 2:03 in the above clip.
Artist: Lou Reed
Song: My Name Is Mok
Animation: Rock & Rule (feature film)
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