There are 22 videos missing from 1992, the most enticing being “Licence to Love” by metal band Scarf who had just come along just as the rawness of grunge was pushing out the extravagance of hair metal.
February 1992
David Parker “Get Down Tonight”
David Parker returns, sans Project, and with “Get Down Tonight”. I’m going to pretend this was a cover of the KC and the Sunshine Band song, only with the plinky early ’90s housey keyboards.
Spirals “Normal”
Fronted by Belinda Bradley, Wellington band The Spirals had the track “Normal”.
April 1992
These Wilding Ways “Set Love A Sail”
It’s the return of These Wilding Ways and their mysterious disappearing videos. What happened to the emotional rock track “Set Love A Sail”? Was it set a sail from the mortal coil of pop? (Should I not mix metaphors like that?)
June 1992
Debbie & Kim “Black & White”
Debbie & Kim was a pop project for Debbie Harwood and Kim Willoughby. Their only NZOA-funded video was for “Black and White”, a cover of the racial harmony anthem. The duo performed the song live on the 1992 Son of a Gunn Show Christmas special (in clip two).
DVS “Big Love”
There are no hints as to what happened to the “Big Love” music video, but the production of the song brought about events that would lead to the founding of the legendary York Street Studios.
Nine Livez “Take Me Back”
Nine Livez, a metal band that still has a small cult following, evidently made a music video for the rockin’ track “Take Me Back”. They need to use one of those livez and bring back their video from the dead.
Paul Ubana Jones “Special Request”
The official website of Paul Ubana Jones acknowledges that a video for “Special Request” exists, but there’s no sign of it online. I would like to make a special request to see this music video, please.
Ted Brown & The Italians “Swerve”
I’m not sure what’s going on here, but it seems that Ted Brown and the Italians released a song called “Swerve” in 1999. So what happened to the 1992 music video? Another mystery of the Bermuda Triangle of pop history.
August 1992
Kantuta “Linda Senorita”
Kantuta, performers of “Linda Senorita”, were slightly big in the ’90s, but now seem to have turned into a band for hire, specialising in weddings and corporate events.
The Warratahs “Tightrope”
You know what Warratahs’ song is on YouTube? The InterIslander ad. But “Tightrope” is absent. The song was originally listed as “Walking the Tightrope”.
October 1992
Bush Beat “Can’t Stop The Feeling”
Kiwihits reckons that Bush Beat was founded by keyboardist John Diamond in 1993, and yet there they are in 1992. They had the track “Can’t Stop the Feeling”, a sweet pop song about love.
Director: Matt Noonan
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Mahinarangi Tocker “A Christmas Sale”
A Christmas song? Well, that’s what Mahinarangi Tocker’s song “A Christmas Sale” seems to be. I like to think it’s about a poor child who doesn’t get his Christmas presents until 27 December because his poor parents buy them in the Christmas sales. Just one year he’d like to get them on the 25th like all the other boys and girls. Nga Taonga describes the video: “Mahinaarangi Tocker sings “A Christmas Sale” behind joined window panes hanging in an otherwise empty room, then in front a Christmas display shop window in the street. Back in the room Christmas tinsel is revealed in front of her windows.”
Directors: Angela Barnes, Helen Barnes
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Mighty Asterix “Sweetest Girl”
A Pakeha Rasta doing a cover of Scritti Politi’s reggae-ish song “Sweetest Girl”? This is the gift that the Mighty Asterix gave us.
Director: Clinton Phillips
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Scarf “Licence to Love”
Scarf were a big-haired metal band, dishing out stadium rock to an uncaring New Zealand audience. “Licence to Love” sounds like something from the soundtrack of a 1980s American film. A mind-blowing video exists for their earlier single, “Roseanne”. If only they’d been around about four years earlier. Nga Taonga describes the video: “Scarf perform “Licence” intercut with motorcycles being ridden.”
Director: Josh Frizzell
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
December 1992
David Parker “The Phone Is Ringing”
David Parker has “The Phone is Ringing”, a little Roy Orbisonish, with a futuristic Jack Johnson vibe. The IMDB profile of director Anna Wilding describes the video thusly: “Also of note the cutting edge video “The Phone Is Ringing” for Warners artist David Parker, using special colorization effects. The music video received the “most requested viewings” throughout Asia and Australia and New Zealand on its weekend of release and debut.” The single may have been a remake of a release by Parker’s earlier band, Rhythm Cage.
Director: Anna Wilding
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Greg Johnson Set “Baby”
“Baby” is about the turmoil of love. The song was the opening track of le Set’s second album Everyday Distortions. It was the last album before Greg Johnson ditched the set and went solo.
Director: James Holt
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Tracie de Jong “The Longest Day
The biggest claim to fame of Tracie De Jong’s cool, jazzy single “The Longest Day”? It was played on Shortland Street, back in its rabid New Zealand music supporting days.
Director: Margaret Henley
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Instead…
Here’s Pat Urlich’s pop band from the ’80s, Peking Man. He, sister Margaret and the band hang out in the legendary Cafe DKD and bring super cool 1986 Auckland style.
A search for Fuemana’s Rocket Love video brought me here. I agree the song was great and so was the vid; kinda kooky but really captivating. So anyway, I watched the Coup d’Etat vid you’ve embedded – my old man bought a car off the band’s drummer. NZ is such a small place – LOL
That’s a perfect New Zealand story!
Rocket Love was originally recorded by Matty J for Deepgrooves and was scheduled to be released as a single with an accompanying NZOA funded video. However, somehow, the recordings were “supposedly shopped around” and Matty J ended up being signed to another label just prior to the release. Kane subsequently refused to shoot the video or release the single. Apparently Kane and Mark (Tierney – who had recommended Matty) got into a full on fist fight over it, which resulted in Mark leaving the label not long afterwards. Philip Fuemana, a friend of all involved, mediated and agreed to re-record the track and release it as part of the Fuemana Family’s album. It was the first NZOA video to be “sort of transferred” to another artist. However, NZOA did stipulate that Matty must be in the video in some way, hence what we see in the video today.
have uploaded Rocket Love… http://youtu.be/fWr974wD-WA
Apparently Kane and Mark (Tierney – who had recommended Matty) got into a full on fist fight over it – Only partly true.