Comments on: 1988 Countdown #72: Kenny Loggins, “Nobody’s Fool” http://rulefortytwo.com/2009/02/05/1988-countdown-72-kenny-loggins-nobodys-fool/ The Self-Aggrandizing Website of Gavin Edwards Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:39:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: CHART ATTACK!: 9/24/88 | Popdose http://rulefortytwo.com/2009/02/05/1988-countdown-72-kenny-loggins-nobodys-fool/#comment-1100 CHART ATTACK!: 9/24/88 | Popdose Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:07:01 +0000 http://rulefortytwo.com/2009/02/05/1988-countdown-72-kenny-loggins-nobodys-fool/#comment-1100 [...] “Nobody’s Fool” was Loggins’ final appearance not only in the Top 10, but in the Top 40. That might be another reason why the song isn’t included. It’s actually a shame, because the chorus is pretty damn good. You can read more about the song and its video at Gavin Edwards’ Rule 42 blog. [...] […] “Nobody’s Fool” was Loggins’ final appearance not only in the Top 10, but in the Top 40. That might be another reason why the song isn’t included. It’s actually a shame, because the chorus is pretty damn good. You can read more about the song and its video at Gavin Edwards’ Rule 42 blog. […]

]]> By: Gavin http://rulefortytwo.com/2009/02/05/1988-countdown-72-kenny-loggins-nobodys-fool/#comment-633 Gavin Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:34:20 +0000 http://rulefortytwo.com/2009/02/05/1988-countdown-72-kenny-loggins-nobodys-fool/#comment-633 There's a whole category of "why do we have to make a high-concept video" videos, which also includes the extended version of "Owner of a Lonely Heart." You would be astonished (or maybe you wouldn't) to know how often I quote from the dialogue in the "Oh Sherrie" video. "The label loves ya, Steve!" I was friendly with a publicist who had worked with Journey back in the day. "I knew Sherrie," he confided. "Sherrie was a bitch." There’s a whole category of “why do we have to make a high-concept video” videos, which also includes the extended version of “Owner of a Lonely Heart.”

You would be astonished (or maybe you wouldn’t) to know how often I quote from the dialogue in the “Oh Sherrie” video. “The label loves ya, Steve!”

I was friendly with a publicist who had worked with Journey back in the day. “I knew Sherrie,” he confided. “Sherrie was a bitch.”

]]> By: Tom Nawrocki http://rulefortytwo.com/2009/02/05/1988-countdown-72-kenny-loggins-nobodys-fool/#comment-632 Tom Nawrocki Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:26:19 +0000 http://rulefortytwo.com/2009/02/05/1988-countdown-72-kenny-loggins-nobodys-fool/#comment-632 One of Kenny's biggest early hits, don't forget, was "I'm Alright," from what everyone now refers to as <i>Caddyshack I</i>. That lends this pathetic attempt a little extra poignance. And God knows, I don't want to link to it, but Steve Perry's 1984 video for "Oh Sherrie" deserves some props in the meta department. One of Kenny’s biggest early hits, don’t forget, was “I’m Alright,” from what everyone now refers to as Caddyshack I. That lends this pathetic attempt a little extra poignance.

And God knows, I don’t want to link to it, but Steve Perry’s 1984 video for “Oh Sherrie” deserves some props in the meta department.

]]> By: Chris M. http://rulefortytwo.com/2009/02/05/1988-countdown-72-kenny-loggins-nobodys-fool/#comment-630 Chris M. Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:41:44 +0000 http://rulefortytwo.com/2009/02/05/1988-countdown-72-kenny-loggins-nobodys-fool/#comment-630 This is an all-around excellent post. <i>Somewhere, former partner Jim Messina was gnashing his teeth and saying “Why not me?”</i> This is, basically, half the plot of this <i>Yacht Rock</i> episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTI8vg7A5U <i>It’s hard to pinpoint, but I think 1988 is the year that videos started including this sort of self-referential “how the video was made” footage. There had been backstage camera crews before, and parodies of other MTV clips, but I don’t remember seeing gaffers and teamsters on-screen before 1988, when suddenly including them was deemed “post-modern” and hence cool.</i> You may be right about it being omnipresent in ’88, but the trend definitely predates that year. In fact, I think we have to give the credit for the meta-trend to just one man: <b>Phil Collins</b>. As seen here (1985): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9xY_cPenSs And here (also 1985 -- no gaffers or boom mikes, but it's all about deconstructing video plots/genres): http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xev41_phil-collins-dont-lose-my-number And <i>especially</i> here (1986): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgnwnjviNho The difference between these three seminal Collins clips and what you're seeing in all the ’88 videos is the subsuming of the meta-trend into the <i>look</i> of the videos, the background. "Sweet Child 'O' Mine" and "Nobody's Fool" aren't <i>about</i> the making of the video the way "Invisible Touch" is -- the scenes of video-making are image-makers, just one more brick in the star-defining wall. (These images say: <i>I'm such a rock star, people build whole film shoots around me -- while models watch me read a magazine.</i>) It's <i>MTV Cribs</i> about 15–20 years early. This is an all-around excellent post.

Somewhere, former partner Jim Messina was gnashing his teeth and saying “Why not me?”

This is, basically, half the plot of this Yacht Rock episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTI8vg7A5U

It’s hard to pinpoint, but I think 1988 is the year that videos started including this sort of self-referential “how the video was made” footage. There had been backstage camera crews before, and parodies of other MTV clips, but I don’t remember seeing gaffers and teamsters on-screen before 1988, when suddenly including them was deemed “post-modern” and hence cool.

You may be right about it being omnipresent in ’88, but the trend definitely predates that year. In fact, I think we have to give the credit for the meta-trend to just one man: Phil Collins.

As seen here (1985):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9xY_cPenSs

And here (also 1985 — no gaffers or boom mikes, but it’s all about deconstructing video plots/genres):
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xev41_phil-collins-dont-lose-my-number

And especially here (1986):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgnwnjviNho

The difference between these three seminal Collins clips and what you’re seeing in all the ’88 videos is the subsuming of the meta-trend into the look of the videos, the background. “Sweet Child ‘O’ Mine” and “Nobody’s Fool” aren’t about the making of the video the way “Invisible Touch” is — the scenes of video-making are image-makers, just one more brick in the star-defining wall. (These images say: I’m such a rock star, people build whole film shoots around me — while models watch me read a magazine.) It’s MTV Cribs about 15–20 years early.

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