Finally, here come the Supergroove. Average age 18, they look so young in this video. Led by a fresh-faced Che and a mono-fringed Karl, the band lark about, channeling their pop forefathers The Beatles in “A Hard Day’s Night”. There’s a great energy coming from the video. It’s like they’re not trying to be crazy; they’re 18-year-old guys so they just are crazy.
The song is jam-packed full of everything. When Che is singing, Karl is yelling bits in the gaps, and vice versa. When one instrument quietens down, another blasts in the gap. The video is like this too. Non-stop goofball.
Contrast this with the second version of the “You Gotta Know” video, which I think was made for a later Australian release. It relies on one of Joe Lonie’s comedy video concepts – walking backwards, taking off their clothes – and it feels like they’re relying on a gimmick to make up for their natural energy.
In the funny mixed-up chronology of NZ On Air funding applications, “You Gotta Know” was the third Supergroove single. The second was “Scorpio Girls”, but that’s not coming up till later in ’93. The video also won Best Video at the 1996 New Zealand Music Awards – the second win in a row for co-director Joe Lonie!
Best bit: the hammer smash shot. Rock!
Director: Sigi Spath, Joe Lonie
Next… Uncle Ray gets smoochy.
Listened to that on headphones, I did not know they had a Muppets/Sesame St sample in the middle of that. Gosh.
I ended up seeing them on Saturday night – Che Fu’s voice is in extremely good nick. A lot of fun. (Although I can’t help mentally adding “feed your mind” or whatever the tagline of the campaign that used this was after the chorus – damn you, advertising! *shakes fist*)