# Mary J. Blige fans, I need your help **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [May 2, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727 "2026-05-02T16:26:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727/1 "2026-05-02T16:26:27Z")
In the mid- to late-1990s, I shot a music video starring Mary J. Blige. We shot for a day in a park in NYC with an orchestra on a raised stage. We then traveled to Sedona, Arizona. Spent the day shooting her on huge Red Rocks areas. Large plains of pure rock. Gorgeous. Then, as the sun set, she was dressed in an outfit that included a white fur short jacket. She sang as the sun set behind her, which made the deep red rocks turn black as the sky remained blood red. Quite beautiful. I can NOT find out the title of the song, so I cannot search out the music video. If you’re a MJB fan, can you help me and identify this video? Many thanks ! Cartooniverse, Steadicam Operator on this and many other hip-hop videos. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727/2 "2026-05-02T16:41:37Z")
Was it an actual music video or a recording of a live performance? do you remember anything about the song? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727/3 "2026-05-02T16:45:35Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Was it an actual music video or a recording of a live performance? Did she do many live performances on red rocks in the desert? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727/4 "2026-05-02T17:47:52Z")
If you can recall who directed the music video, you might be able to find it on their IMDB page. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727/5 "2026-05-02T18:21:01Z")
It was definitely NOT a live concert. It was a music video filmed in 35mm. The Director and Producer was Sean “Puffy” Combs. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727/6 "2026-05-02T19:29:22Z")
Then it must be [Be Happy.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvGbmEuV_lA) ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727/7 "2026-05-04T14:07:01Z")
How weird. The wide-open flatlands of rock? Yeah, that is where we were. I remember no helicopter on that shoot. And- for all of the cost of bringing me into Sedona, there are no Steadicam shots. Guessing that Puffy used a few distant shots from my video on this one. Again…weird. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727/8 "2026-05-06T15:28:27Z")
It’s also weird that there are no close-up shots in the desert footage. Is that really Mary J. Blige down there? Who would know if it wasn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mary-j-blige-fans-i-need-your-help/1029727/9 "2026-05-07T02:28:29Z")
Agreed. I know for a fact that I shot footage of MJB in relative close-up with the Steadicam out on those rocks. Not to mention the scene I am most keen to revisit, which is the sunset sequence.