Caffeinated Clint
While the peak of the music video lays somewhere between Max Headroom’s birth and Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” video, the visual promo clip for a band’s latest ditty is as necessary as ever. Sure, we’re not all sitting around watching the videos on a Saturday morning music program these days, and the videos aren’t premiering on prime time variety shows like they use to in the ’80s, but with the abundance of music video platforms – like YouTube and Vevo – the musically-inflicted short is still very much a thing.
If you’re a movie fan, you’ll notice there’s something missing from most of them these days though….
The stars of films appearing in music videos for the films they’re in!
Whether it’s the cast of “Ghostbusters” joining Ray Parker Jr in the vid for the hit 1985 movie, Christopher Lloyd reprising his ‘Doc’ Brown for Huey Lewis’s “Power of Love” video from “Back to the Future”, or Arnold Schwarzenegger out to terminate Guns n’ Roses in the “You Could Be Mine” video from “Terminator 2 : Judgement Day”, the days of stars fronting music videos to support their film releases has definitely dwindled.
Here’s 15 beauties from the past to refresh your memory!
“City of Crime”
Not only did Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks appear in the music video for City of Crime” – from the so-so comedy “Dragnet” – but they sang the song, too! This is definitely gonna make a comeback some day, you wait and see!
“When the Going Gets Tough”
For “Romancing the Stone” sequel “Jewel of the Nile”, Billy Ocean was brought in to help sell the soundtrack – and in the clip for this one he had some help from the films stars, Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny De Vito! (the movie still sucked).
”Twist of Fate”
For their big reunion movie “Two of a Kind”, “Grease” spunks Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta agreed to also appear in the music video, which Livvy sung. Travolta appears briefly at the end of the song – smiles and then disappears.
”La Bamba”
Having learnt how to straddle a guitar like a perfectionist the Ritchie Valens biopic, actor Lou Diamond Phillips joined Los Lobos in the music video for the film’s theme track. I dare you not to sing-a-long..
“Gangstas Paradise”
Coolio laid down the theme track to the 1995 movie “Dangerous Minds”, and the music video featured an appearance from the film’s star Michelle Pfeiffer. Clearly Catwoman had the directions to Gangsta’s Paradise – somewhere many of us having been looking for for years.
“Dream Warriors”
Patricia Arquette reprised her role as Kristen from 1987’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3” for the film’s theme, “Dream Warriors” by Dokken. The icing on the cake of a beautiful package.
“The Goonies R Good Enough”
The cast of “The Goonies” – including Sean Astin, Corey Feldman and Josh Brolin – reprised their roles for Cyndi Lauper’s music video for the movie. The kids of today will scratch their heads over this one, but what do they know!?
“Ghostbusters”
The stars of the 1985 film – as well as several celebrity friends – appeared opposite Ray Parker Jr. in the official music video for the film. Maybe if they hadn’t, they might’ve been able to afford a special effects budget…
“Princes of the Universe”
Christopher Lambert reprised his “Highlander” role of Connor MacLeod for Queen’s “Princes of the Universe” video, which appeared in the 1986 film. Sean Connery didn’t answer Freddie’s calls, apparently..
“Who’s Johnny?”
For the music video “Who’s Johnny?” from 1985’s “Short Circuit”, the clip serves as both a sequel to the film and a chance to see Stefanie (Ally Sheedy) and [the arm of] Johnny 5 again. Steve Guttenberg was off eating waffles that day, or something, so didn’t return.
“On Our Own”
Rick Moranis was the only ‘Ghostbuster’ to appear in Bobby Brown’s music video for “Ghostbusters II”‘s ‘On Our Own’ but it did also offer us a Trump cameo so there’s that. Ahem.
St. Elmo’s Fire
The stars of the 1985 film of the same name appear – if even briefly – in the music video by John Parr, and their smiles suggest they’ve not been burnt by St. Elmo at all.
‘Big Gun’
Arnold Schwarzenegger brought a big gun with him – made sense, ya see? – to the set of AC/DC’s ‘Big Gun’ video, which they recorded for the floppero “Last Action Hero”. It didn’t help sell the film.
“Cherry Bomb”
Lea Thompson reprised her role – and lent her lungs -to this music video from 1986’s unforgettable (snigger…) “Howard the Duck”. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” could’ve really benefited from a music video featuring the Duck.
“Addam’s Groove”
For the music video for MC Hammer’s “Addam’s Groove” – from “Addams Family Values” – Paramount threw Wednesday and Puggsley a few extra bucks to pop their head in – and pop Hammer’s head off. Press play to see what I mean…
https://youtu.be/jqQwzgixHAM
