TODAY IN ROCK HISTORY: MTV Went Live August 1, 1981

[g under p]

http://inagist.com/all/362808614592843776/

 

Today in Rock History.....MTV went live to those with basic cable. FirstStep time someone in Iowa, California and Florida could watch and listen to music at the same time. To me it was revolutionary.

 

Do you even remember this happening?

 

Peace

[EagleMoon]

I remember getting cable for the first time right after MTV started. I sat glued to the TV for hours at a time.

[BeOhBe Bob]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xo7bk_the-buggles-video-killed-the-radio_music

 

Video number 1, and I bet we can get the first 30 they played in heavy rotation...

[Principled Man]

I remember when it started. I lost a million hours of sleep waiting for Rush to be played.....

 

It was revolutionary......But then Michael Jackson appeared, and it was all downhill from there. :(

[g under p]

I remember when it started. I lost a million hours of sleep waiting for Rush to be played.....

 

It was revolutionary......But then Michael Jackson appeared, and it was all downhill from there. :(

 

I wouldn't say MJs videos caused a downhill spiral, I would if anything he raised them up a notch by showing how vital a well produced video can do for record sales. Look at the the buzz that came from Metallica's ONE video.

 

Btw does anyone know what was the first RUSH video that was shown on Mtv?

[drbirdsong]

Hours and hours of watching time. I can remember sitting glued to the TV all night sometimes. I can't recall the last time I watched anything on it. Maybe they should try playing videos again.

[ILSnwdog]

I remember feeling like I was left out of the party because we didn't have cable in 1981. :(

[Alex]

I remember feeling like I was left out of the party because we didn't have cable in 1981. :(

 

Even more back in time, my old high school history teacher said he was the first kid on his block to have colour TV, and apparently he went from average kid to the coolest kid on his street overnight

[ILSnwdog]

I remember feeling like I was left out of the party because we didn't have cable in 1981. :(

 

Even more back in time, my old high school history teacher said he was the first kid on his block to have colour TV, and apparently he went from average kid to the coolest kid on his street overnight

I had a similar experience when I was the first kid on the block to get an Atari 2600. :)

[Lerxster]

I recall MTV playing the Let It Be film. I was in a special Media class in HS, where they had a TV set, cameras, etc. And instead of doing my work, I was watching The Beatles on MTV. I got busted by the teacher, then shortly thereafter was kicked out of that program.

 

Thanks MTV

[Principled Man]

I remember when it started. I lost a million hours of sleep waiting for Rush to be played.....

 

It was revolutionary......But then Michael Jackson appeared, and it was all downhill from there. :(

 

I wouldn't say MJs videos caused a downhill spiral, I would if anything he raised them up a notch by showing how vital a well produced video can do for record sales. Look at the the buzz that came from Metallica's ONE video.

 

Btw does anyone know what was the first RUSH video that was shown on Mtv?

 

By downhill, I mean the transition from rock & roll videos to mainstream pop videos.

 

The video productions may have become much better, but the music itself went into the toilet....

[laughedatbytime]

I remember when it started. I lost a million hours of sleep waiting for Rush to be played.....

 

It was revolutionary......But then Michael Jackson appeared, and it was all downhill from there. :(

 

I wouldn't say MJs videos caused a downhill spiral, I would if anything he raised them up a notch by showing how vital a well produced video can do for record sales. Look at the the buzz that came from Metallica's ONE video.

 

Btw does anyone know what was the first RUSH video that was shown on Mtv?

Not sure what the first was, but I do remember tuning in for the WORLD PREMIERE of "The Big Money".

[Principled Man]

Btw does anyone know what was the first RUSH video that was shown on Mtv?

Not sure what the first was, but I do remember tuning in for the WORLD PREMIERE of "The Big Money".

 

I vaguely remember the premier of Distant Early Warning, which may have been the first Rush video on MTV. There were earlier videos, like Limelight, but I remember seeing it on Don Kirschner's Rock Concert.

 

The memory cells are ticking away.....D'OH!!!

[laughedatbytime]

Btw does anyone know what was the first RUSH video that was shown on Mtv?

Not sure what the first was, but I do remember tuning in for the WORLD PREMIERE of "The Big Money".

 

I vaguely remember the premier of Distant Early Warning, which may have been the first Rush video on MTV. There were earlier videos, like Limelight, but I remember seeing it on Don Kirschner's Rock Concert.

 

The memory cells are ticking away.....D'OH!!!

Was Subdivisions ever shown?

[laughedatbytime]

Found this on youtube.

 

[Lorraine]

http://inagist.com/a...08614592843776/

 

Today in Rock History.....MTV went live to those with basic cable. FirstStep time someone in Iowa, California and Florida could watch and listen to music at the same time. To me it was revolutionary.

 

Do you even remember this happening?

 

Peace

Yes, I remember it quite well, and I thought it was awful. It demeaned and commercialized rock music. It took its sixties/seventies "coolness" away from it. I don't know how to explain it any better.

[Lorraine]

It cheapened rock music. That's a good way to put it.

 

I think you'd have to be my age and have lived through the sixties to better understand what I mean.

[Principled Man]

http://inagist.com/a...08614592843776/

 

Today in Rock History.....MTV went live to those with basic cable. FirstStep time someone in Iowa, California and Florida could watch and listen to music at the same time. To me it was revolutionary.

 

Do you even remember this happening?

 

Peace

Yes, I remember it quite well, and I thought it was awful. It demeaned and commercialized rock music. It took its sixties/seventies "coolness" away from it. I don't know how to explain it any better.

 

I think if the videos had remained "performance videos", then everything would have been fine. Instead, video producers made it more about the imagery than the actual music. That's when the commercialization and cheapening occurred. Even worse, fans were conditioned to replace their own mental images of a song with the "official video image" that everyone saw on TV.

[g under p]

Btw does anyone know what was the first RUSH video that was shown on Mtv?

Not sure what the first was, but I do remember tuning in for the WORLD PREMIERE of "The Big Money".

 

I vaguely remember the premier of Distant Early Warning, which may have been the first Rush video on MTV. There were earlier videos, like Limelight, but I remember seeing it on Don Kirschner's Rock Concert.

 

The memory cells are ticking away.....D'OH!!!

Was Subdivisions ever shown?

 

Absolutely, all the time....that's how I found out back then homes in Canada were so damn close to each other. To me they were so close you to each other you could take aleak into your neighbors toilet and NOT MISS!

[invisible airwave]

I was 10 months old.

[invisible airwave]

1st :rush: I remember on MTV was Roll The Bones when I was 11.

 

Hours and hours of watching time. I can remember sitting glued to the TV all night sometimes. I can't recall the last time I watched anything on it. Maybe they should try playing videos again.

 

They do but it's early morning and it's Disney teenybopper and swag friendly crap. You know it's bad when their Idea of rock is wussy soccer mom crap like Maroon 5.

 

MTV get off the air! - Jello Biafra

Edited August 2, 2013 by invisible airwave

[Lorraine]

I was 10 months old.

What kind of a lame excuse is that?

[BeOhBe Bob]

Was trying to find a pic of the jerrold set top box that had like 16 SIXTEEN channels of analog cable

 

HA! and Comedy something or other

scrambled PORN a/k/a Spice

the local 2 4 7 (CBS NBC and ABC) 9(WOR) and 11(WPIX) of NYC television

 

13 WNET the PBS from Newark NJ

 

and

MTV

 

I kept an antenna hooked up on the roof to keep UNCLE FLOYD from UHF channel 68 comin in

Sadly it's so old there's no pics of the dang simulated oak box ::(:

[CygnusGal]

http://inagist.com/a...08614592843776/

 

Today in Rock History.....MTV went live to those with basic cable. FirstStep time someone in Iowa, California and Florida could watch and listen to music at the same time. To me it was revolutionary.

 

Do you even remember this happening?

 

Peace

I was in high school. I'd never seen anything like it. Pat Benatar is the image that sticks in my mind. From Rush, they used to show Subdivisions, TS and Red Barchetta (from ESL), Le Studio video of Limelight, Distant Early Warning and TBE when GUP came out. I learned to hate a lot of 80's pop on MTV - Haircut 100? Split Enz? Duran Duran? (although I finally warmed up to Duran Duran's Rio and Wedding album years later)

 

They used to run a concert movie on Saturday nights. I can remember one Saturday night recording ESL and making a tape of the show too since it had Limelight and the album version of ESL did not. I think I still have the VHS tape. That cassette tape is long gone, as are most of them.

 

The "M" in MTV used to stand for music. :o

[JohnnyBlaze]

I remember when it started. I lost a million hours of sleep waiting for Rush to be played.....

 

It was revolutionary......But then Michael Jackson appeared, and it was all downhill from there. :(

 

I wouldn't say MJs videos caused a downhill spiral, I would if anything he raised them up a notch by showing how vital a well produced video can do for record sales. Look at the the buzz that came from Metallica's ONE video.

 

Btw does anyone know what was the first RUSH video that was shown on Mtv?

Rush was already an MTV staple before the World Premiere of Subdivisions. I remember my brothers and I being excited about it. So, as a guess I'd say it was Tom Sawyer. I do remember them playing the Red Barchetta video after Tom Sawyer had already been around. Who knows the definitive answer though?