An unnamed Domino Records band wants to shoot a music video in an empty pool in the L.A. area. They say it will take a good day of shooting, so it sounds like it will need to be a permission pool. I told the rep that it sounded like a lazy scam to find an empty pool to skate, but he assured me it was legit. They need skaters too, and there will be some sort of compensation involved. You can contact Robert Nell if you want to hook him up. In the mean time, let’s revisit a brief (incomplete) history of skateboarding in pool like structures in music videos. In the top row there are two shots from the current running band AFS (Arthritic Foot Soldiers) that has a video shot in a wooden bowl for the song “Chicks, Beer, Fame & Money” off the album Immature Nobodies. Check out the longboard guitar. It’s an interesting application, but not nearly as well done as the one featured on the cover of the Surf Punks first album My Beach. Then of course there is the grandaddy of all bowl riding skate videos, any of Agent Orange’s segments from SkateVisions. Another time tested favorite, the Netherland’s Urban Dance Squad video for “Deeper shade of Soul.” Watch them all after the jump.
UPDATE: I forgot about the very first one, Devo‘s Freedom of Choice from 1979. I’m an idiot.
A brief history of bowl Skating in music videos, in chronological order.
Devo – “Freedom of Choice” from Freedom of Choice – 1980
http://youtu.be/dVGINIsLnqU
Agent Orange in SkateVisions -1984
Still from the video shoot, found on Absolutzine.
“Possessed To Skate” from the Suicidal Tendencies album Join The Army -1987
Urban Dance Squad – “Deeper Shade Of Soul” from Mental Floss for the Globe – 1990
I’ll admit it. This video from 1990 made me buy the album, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Ben Harper video for “Ground on Down” from Fight for Your Mind – 1995
AFS – “Chicks, Beer, Fame & Money” from Immature Nobodies – 2009
Yeah, that guitar is OK, but the far superior version belongs to Drew Steele of the Surf Punks. It does appear in this scene from Urgh! A Music War, but it’s hard to see with all the compression. I don’t think there is a better picture of that. Maybe I’ll dig up the old vinyl copy and see. I love these guys. I’ve got My beach ion cassette, two different vinyl versions, and CD. I have a problem. One last thing, that sure is one clean cut “punk” crowd in the video shoot at the Whiskey.
15 comments
someguyatwork
I sent a message, and asked the guy if I was dreaming. A few more details come to mind now: I probably last visited the guy’s house in the summer of 1987. My family took a vacation to Maryland to visit friends and to eventually go to Ocean City. That probably would have been the visit. Anyway, I’ll report back.
kilwag
Someguyatwork – yeah, that would be great if you could track that down, I’m sure the band would like to see it too.
someguyatwork
I’ll try to track down the guy who owned it and see if he has any more details re: the board. Like I said, it’s been a long time. And I only saw the board once.
kilwag
Cheap Trick skateboard?
Here’s the word from their management:
I had all 4 band members with me as we were driving to the airport and they said none were ever made – and one of them would have definitely had one as Bun E. and Rick especially kept everything that was made.
Also, Rick said there is no way it was made in the 70s, because you are describing the “Uncle Dick” guitar Rick had made in the 80s, which first surfaced during the “Next Position Please” album.
Bun E. suggested that maybe a fan made it and gave it to the guy who told you about it.
kilwag
Oh, man, I love Cheap Trick, I love old weird skateboards… Now I have a quest!
someguyonbreak
In the ’70’s, a family friend who was a record promoter had a Cheap Trick promotional skateboard. It was a double-neck guitar skateboard. I recall that it had a cartoon image (uncle dick?) on it – i.e., the guitar necks were legs. It may have had eight wheels. Too long ago to remember all the details.
bobcat
not that it was a ‘band’ or anything – there was some skunky-skanky teen video a couple years back where they all drive down to a pool in matching VW bugs then dance in it while people skate around them.
Kilwag
Campbell – found it and added it. It was for Ground On Down.
RyGar
Wow, thanks for clearing that up – it was Urban Dance Squad. Memories of that video cross my mind every so often and I go crazy trying to remember who the band was. I remebered the video and the chorus, but always thought it was Living Color or Fishbone.
Campbell
ben harper had a video in a bowl… was it ‘faded’?
bobcat
nothing will ever, ever ever top “possessed to skate”
mantastra
the guy on the longboard guitar in the afs video is Carl, who is one of the main blokes behind the Middle age shred forum (http://www.middle-age-shred.com) and a skater.
Kilwag
THOR – No shit! I spaced on that one, and I’ve covered it already umpteen times it seems like. I’m going to add it. Thanks.
THOR
Don’t forget DEVO shot a Duty now for the future video in Marina Del Rey’s Dog Bowl . I believe Dave Andrecht, Bowman, Olson, and others were all in it. Might be the original pool skating video.
matt
Haha, I saw that Urban Dance Squad video on VH1. Too gnarly.