Category: April 1999

Eye TV “Just The Way It Is”

1999-eye-tv-just-the-way-it-isWorst gig ever. Eye TV are playing at a party, but singer Sean is late and he can’t find a way to get into the party house. This leaves the rest of the band to do their best in his absence with just a bassist and singing drummer, like a pop version of Death From Above 1979. However, none of the partygoers seem particularly bothered. Perhaps they’re all desperate to be seen enjoying this two-piece band exploring new musical directions.

Meanwhile, Sean runs around the house, trying to find a window to get inside. It’s raining, with the rain artfully running down the windows, suggesting the building has poor guttering.

Sean gives up and heads over to the pool whereupon he blows up pool toys, chucking them in the water and having a splash around with a giant shark. This actually looks more fun than the party proper.

Ready to give up on the whole stupid thing, Sean finally spies someone going inside and gratefully chases after him. Finally the lead singer/guitarist is reunited with his band. But so powerful was his experience with the pool toys that he lures the partygoers outside where – OMG – pool party! It’s a low budget vid but there’s a sense of silly fun to the video.

Best bit: the dramatic rainy window action.

Director: Joe Lonie
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… prisoner number 710N4.

Che Fu “Waka”

1999-che-fu-wakaChe Fu gets romantic. The video starts with Che hanging out with his boys in Freyberg Place, being cool urban dudes. Suddenly a high-powered businesswoman (played by co-singer Teremoana Rapley) comes strutting past. Being a high-powered businesswoman, she’s talking on her cellphone, but the lads are most taken by her swagger and her salmon pink power suit.

Che is especially mesmerised by her and soon the distant sound of palau drumming emerges as Che begins to daydream of an idyllic Pacific Island location (which I’m going to assume is Niue*). He’s alone on an outrigger, clad in potu mats while tapa cloth sails flap behind him.

The video is directed by renowned film director Merata Mita, who brings an artistic eye to things. While sailing the ocean, Che dreams of his wahine, who has a salmon pink flower in her hair. Teremoana is lovely in her salmon pink lavalava, walking through a lush tropical forest. It’s not the cliche tropical paradise setting of sun and sand; it’s more earthy.

Che and Teremoana are not alone in their island paradise. We soon meet a line-up of male and female dancers, all decked out in the same shade of salmon pink, swaying to the tropical breeze.

But while Che has concocted this elaborate fantasy, his mystery girl remains elusive. She’s off in the forest with a friend while Che is out on his waka. Teremoana throws a salmon pink lei into the water, where Che finds it floating on the beach.

Back in the city, the mystery girl again walks past Che. He enjoys a laugh with his boys, seemingly happy to now let his fantasy girl walk on by. “Waka” is a sweet song with a video that paints a sweet picture.

* Actually, scrap all my Niue theorising. I think this video actually might have been filmed in Hawaii. Director Merata Mita was living there, teaching at the University of Hawai’i Manoa, and this video won Music Video of the Year Award at the 1999 Hawaii Music Awards. Aloha!

Best bit: the relatively exotic setting of Freyberg Place.

Director: Merata Mita
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… drums and bass.

Missing videos from 1999

February 1999

Bailter Space “So Am I”

“So Am I” was Bailter Space’s final NZOA-funded video from the ’90s. They took a break and showed up again in 2012.

D-Faction “Take a Little Piece”

After having all their videos online, it’s sad that D-Faction’s final video, “Take a Little Piece” isn’t around. YouTube uploader slydogmania notes the group “disbanded in late 1997 before this final single was ever released”

Head Like a Hole “Hot Sexy Lusty”

Head Like A Hole have “Hot Sexy Lusty”, another single from their sex album, Are You Gonna Kiss It Or Shoot It? Guys, in googling for this video, I saw things I wish I hadn’t seen.

Mika “Angel”

Mika, last seen in Jan Hellriegel’s “Geraldine” video, has his own single “Taniwha Angel”. Here’s a live performance.

Director: Kerry Brown
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

April 1999

Brett Sawyer “When It Happens”

Brett Sawyer has the song “When It Happens”. I’m most interested to discover that he and Pearl Runga sang New Zealand’s official millennium anthem, “I’ll Meet You There”, written by sister Bic and James Hall.

Director: Jonathan King
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Delta “Slather”

Delta! “Slather”! I saw them play a few times and I happily bought the “Slather” single. It was a fun burst of pop that should at least have enjoyed one-hit wonder success. But anyway, here’s Delta performing the song at a 2010 reunion show. Nice one.

Director: Garth Maxwell
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Ma-V-Elle “Angel”

Girl group Ma-V-Elle had lost a member (but weren’t renamed V-Elle). “Angel” was the first single from their new album as a duo. Here’s a Tangata Pasifika profile of the group enjoying their early days of success.

Strong Islanders “Shining On”

Kiwihits notes that Jonah Lomu’s cousin is in “Strong Islanders”. Their song “Shining On” is ok, but their main MC has a somewhat lacklustre delivery.

Director: Joe Lonie
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

June 1999

Ardijah “Do To You”

There’s no shortage of Ardijah videos from the ’80s, but the ’90s are AWOL, including “Do To You”.

Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Ma-V-Elle “Never Say Goodbye”

Ominous foreshadowing! “Never Say Goodbye” was Ma-V-Elle’s penultimate funded video.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Trip To The Moon “Sexual Healing”

The final NZOA-funded video for Trip to the Moon is their cover of “Sexual Healing”, a duet by Bobbylon and the ethereally voiced Rachel Weatherly. NZ Herald reviewer Russell Baillie dramatically described it as having “all the charm of a lavish STD-treatment jingle”.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

August 1999

3 The Hard Way “Front Back Side”

Well, I dunno. This song is on the list of videos that were completed, but I can’t find any sign of a 3 The Hard Way single called “Front Back Side”, or indeed any releases from this time. But there might have been some shuffling – there’s a 3 The Hard Way video for their 2004 single “Girls”. It’s set in the same sexy club world as “It’s On (Move to This”), only it’s so much cheesier.

Bike “Gaze”

Bike’s final NZOA-funded single is “Gaze”, which also appeared on the “Scarfies” soundtrack.

Brett Sawyer “Where We Wanna Be”

“Where We Wanna Be” is Brett Sawyer’s ode to his partner for sticking out a decade in Britain with him.

Fiona McDonald “Wish I Was a Man”

Fiona McDonald gets dirty and grungy with “Wish I Was A Man”.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Moizna “Summer Goodbye”

Moizna’s final NZ On Air-funded video is aptly titled “Summer Goodbye”, a sweet tale of a break-up.

Satellite Spies “Please Never Leave”

Satellite Spies apparently had a song called “Please Never Leave”, but it’s ungooglable.

TrueBliss “Freedom”

TrueBliss’s third single was a cover of the Wham song “Freedom”. I’ve found an 2001 Australian documentary about the “Popstars” phenomena that shows a short clip from “Freedom” at 8:01. It features the group dressed in red, white and blue costumes, performing on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

October 1999

DNE “Be There”

DNE was a “cyber collaboration” between Aly Cook and David Horizon – their name for the now commonplace practice of online collaboration. Their old bio at Amplifier promised a fabulous web experience with “CLUBDNE interactive”, and directed viewers to NZmusic.com to watch their video for “Be There”. Sadly all is but a cyber memory now.

Greg Johnson “Beautiful Storm”

Greg Johnson gets drench in meteorological metaphors with the upbeat “Beautiful Storm”. Nga Taonga describes the video as, “Greg Johnson tours an Asian city and sings “Beautiful Storm” to camera as the surroundings move rapidly around him.”

Director: Bernadine Lim
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Ma-V-Elle “Don’t Be So Shy”

Ma-V-Elle have “Don’t Be So Shy”, described by the Kiwi Hit Disk as a “cool slice of original, soulful pop”. It’s the final Ma-V-Elle track funded by NZOA. The duo was to eventually disband, with Lavina ending up in the Australian Idol final 12 in 2006, among other achievements.

December 1999

Ardijah “Way Around You”

I’m pretty used to Ardijah videos not being online, and indeed “Way Around You” isn’t available. It’s a breezy house jam

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Breathe “Sick & Tired”

“Sick & Tired” is another track from Breathe’s second album, the one that seemed really big at the time, but has now faded into history.

Fiona McDonald “Bury Me”

Described in a review I found on a vintage website as a “edgy, emotionally charged” song, “Bury Me” is another single from Fiona McDonald.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Garageland “Good Luck”

Garageland have the blusey “Good Luck”, another track off their second album “Do What You Want”.

The D4 “Come On!”

Another early track from The D4. “Come On!” is an typical piece of energetic rock. Here’s a fan video, setting the song to clips of rally cars sliding around corners.

Director: Alex Johnson
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

The Exponents “Big World Out Your Window”

“Big World Out Your Window” was the final Exponents track funded by NZOA. It was a single off their 1999 album “Hello, Love You, Goodbye”, a half-studio, half-live collection. There’s no sign of the “Window” vid, but I do know it was filmed on Mt Eden.

Director: Andrew Moore

Instead…

Here’s a video from the world of non-NZOA funding. Director Marc Swadel made the “Crystal Chain” video for Flying Nun group The Subliminals for “300 bucks and one re-used 100 foot reel of 16mm film”. As a NZ On Screen commenter notes, 100ft of film is only two minutes, 45 seconds. The solution? “A lot of repeats, keying over footage with footage, and other lo fi tricks”. It’s a moody delight.

Director: Marc Swadel
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision