It’s The Talking Heads “Wild Wild Life.”
Video here .
I picked out some people from the band, and John Goodman and Sam Kinison, but are the other people well known?
Apparantly:
From the Wikipedia article.
I suppose we could leave it to the reader to locate which cast members.
Ok, that was weird.
Most of the video appeared to be that one slightly chubby guy doing bad impersonations, with the odd shot of a young John Goodman in there.
WTF is this supposed to be?
From what I can tell:
(Unknown heavy set girl in yellow at 0.15)
Billy Idol (impersonation) (0.29)
(Unknown impersonator who looks a little like Rosanne Rosannadanna at 0.37, but then she pulls off a wig and I can’t remember that being part of RR’s shtick).
(Unknown black man at 0.46)
(Unknown suave pencil mustache guy at 0.50)
Hair-band singer of the day (maybe the singer from Whitesnake, or Ratt or Poison at 1.05)
(This is where the *actual *John Goodman comes in at 1.15)
(Unknown wet skinny gut at 1.32 -isn’t this the real lead singer?)
(A poorly done) Sam Kinison (impersonation) at 1.40
(Unknown twitchy guy at 1.47)
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat (impersonation) (1.53)
Bobcat Goldthwait (?) (impersonation) at 2.01
Prince & (I assume) Shiela E (impersonation) (2.14)
(No idea who is at 2.30)
(No idea who is at 2.42)
Madonna or possibly Cyndi Lauper (impersonation) (2.49)
(No idea who is at 2.57)
Jerry Lee Lewis (impersonation) at 2.59 ??
One of the Beastie Boys (impersonation) at 3.03?
That weird wet, skinny guy again at 3.11
(No idea who ia at 3.24)
Just some quick repeats after this…
That was TH lead singer David Byrne in disguise
Yes, David Byrne again
Doing a pretty good David Byrne impersonation
Pretty sure that’s TH guitarist Jerry Harrison
TH drummer Chris Franz
Pretty sure that TH bassist Tina Weymouth, I think one of the unknown men is her too, if my memory of the hype around this video at the time serves me correctly.
DB again, I’m pretty sure
Chris Franz and David Byrne again
I’d never heard of True Stories. I’ll have to read that article.
The Wiki article is incorrect in that the music video, while similar to the WWL performance in True Stories, is also a bit different, with more appearances by TH bandmembers and fewer appearances by actual cast members from the film itself. I believe the lyrics are also a little different, and the version from the movie doesn’t have the typical MTV-style editing that the video does. Compare the video to this song from the movie to compare what the two styles are (the WWL song from the movie is presented more like the latter).
The Billy Idol impersonator is definitely Jerry Harrison, and I’d be willing to bet the “bald” lady is Weymouth.
My favorite song from the film (though they cut it off a little too soon).
I have so got to rent this movie.
The lead singer appears a lot, in different guises, he’s a chameleon. Times the lead singer appears:
30 seconds
50 seconds
1 min 33 seconds
The twitchy man at 1 min 46 seconds is NOT the lead singer
I think that’s David Byrne at 1 min 54 seconds
2 mins 42 seconds
2 mins 56 seconds
3 mins 10 seconds
Then various flashes of the performances, including several of David.
That was the real Sam Kinison. I think the real Bobcat was in one of the Talking Heads videos, as well. (He was doing a lot of cameos at the time.) I don’t think that was a Madonna or Cyndy Lauper impersonation, wasn’t that the chick from Private Benjamin?! Did you catch the sly digs at the First Lady of the time, and her impact on fashion? She wore a lot of red, and was stuffy. (Mrs. Bush senior.) Or, was that digs at Tipper Gore?
For those who are skeptical of the lead singers powers of disguise, check out one of his more recent works, “Miss America”.
Adding, at the time that video was being played on MTV it was common knowledge that David Byrne wore various different getups, that was part of the promotion, David Byrne: The Chameleon.
Actually, Nancy Reagan was the 1st Lady when TS came out.
No, this is Jerry Harrison, TH band member
Again, Jerry Harrison
This might be Byrne, but I really really doubt it
Not Eileen Brennan, this is Tina Weymouth, TH bassist.
You’re right! And she did look more like that. Brainfart! :o
That is David Byrne at 50 seconds, take a look at the faces. Compare what he looks like with a mustache in Miss America. He’s a chameleon too. That is also David Byrne at 1 min 33 seconds, go look. You’re right, the 2 min 42 second one isn’t David. (The bone structures are very close in that lighting, but I think I’ve got the knack a bit of telling them apart now. David’s face is a bit longer/thinner seeming, and he doesn’t have the lines between the eyebrows.) The leopard print/huge bow getup was an homage to the tacky Seargant in Private Benjamin maybe? 2 mins 56 seconds is David, as is 3 mins 10 seconds. I think that’s almost all David in the Miss America video, including in the striped stocking cap, in the suit with the contacts, and with the mustache. Miss America is a solo work. Yes, that is him with the mustache in the sleazy suit. The fellow standing by David at 2 mins 46ish seconds of the Miss America video has different hair than the sleazy seventies mustached character from earlier, and a younger face.
I’ll concede that some of the ones that you (and others before you) described as Byrne often were.
But not at 0:50 nor at 1:54 and I’m very doubtful of 2:42.
Re-read my previous post. I agree 2 min 42 IS NOT David, ETA 2: and the same for 1 min 54 secs but I ask that you watch both the video in the OP again, and the Miss America (sorry about the quality, only one I could find) video to see what I am pointing out, please? ETA: That really is David at 50 seconds.
Adding, I re-watched the videos myself, to see your point. I just pulled up the 50 second mark again. That, IS David!
Sorry, I meant 0:30 (as indicated in my longer thread). 0:50’s very obviously Byrne.
Sorry for the confusion.
Heh, s’ok. I was confused on which first lady was being satired last night. :o I was a young fangirl of The Talking Heads, and had a child’s attention for some political things. I was more occupied with extra-curricular sports at that time. (Though I did recycle and things like that.)
The “poorly done” Sam Kinison Is actually Meatloaf.