Notes on life, art, photography and technology, by a Danish dropout bohemian.
When you drink the water, remember the river.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
1984
Behind the scenes of Apple's famous 1984 commercial. (Sadly not very long or informative.)
13 comments:
Anonymous
said...
A couple of the visuals in the video reminded me of the cover art on the 12-inch LP of The Alan Parsons Project album "I Robot", from 1977.
Dwight, the man who fixes my computer whenever it needs it, and who runs his own shop selling & servicing computers & accessories was once an Apple Dealer. He gave it up about 2 years ago, and when asked why, replied, "They've never had more than five percent of the market, and the business community has never taken to them in enough numbers for me to make a good living at it, so I gave up on Apple. I have to go where the business is if I want to make a living from this."
No way, there was nothing in the 1984 ad that looked like Charles De Gaul (or is it Orly). That reminds me, should listen to it again.
It actually reminded me of THX1138, with all the shaved heads, and Brazil with the funky monitors. It also reminded me of that film which Richard Burton and Wm/John Hurt, can't think what that was called ;)
I didn't realize APP were recording into the 90's a co-worker lent me "The Time Machine". I never really got too into APP, but his I like PF from when he was their producer.
The same art was on the cassette and CD versions. I can neither confirm nor deny what was on the 8 track, if it existed. There are some albums which differ, depending on format, such as "Division Bell" by the Floyd, and most of the old Jive Electro Tangerine Dream albums got new art on re-release. For some reason the Blind Faith cover differs too.
I heard an interesting interview from the authors of a book about album sleeves. There was a fun background story behind that sleeve. The photographer saw a red headed teenager, and followed her home to ask if she would pose. The girl said no, but her younger sister said yes. I think the deal was for the price of a pony.
Can you imagine doing that now? You'd get locked up in a heartbeat. Still, it is a classic sleeve, an interesting piece of art.
Then looking at her will probably make me blind AND get me sent to Hell. On the express train, first class. ;-)
Anyway, I wasn't thinking of Onan's "crime". Aunt Muriel has very strict standards about mere nudity. She's embarrassed when a girl doll has her panties showing from under the skirt. No fib!
Interesting story, about that sleeve. I was positive it was just a talented drawing. It would be a pretty innocent photo, too, except that today what she's holding would get you locked up in less than a heartbeat of a terrified sparrow.
You can still see today such hood ornaments on lots of lebanese buses and trucks. Even WE aren't as paranoid-uptight as some prominent Americans.
On the other extreme of the scale, I must say that an image like the original Virgin Killer sleeve makes me more than a little uneasy. Many might say it's not "explicit", and technically that's true. But between the deliberate "pin-up" pose and the title associated with it... feels like an open advertisement for child abuse and murder. Not necessarily n that order! Yuck.
The hood ornament, I never realised it was until I read the wiki article, is from an Oldsmobile.
I sometimes wonder about nudity on album sleeves. Delerium have some interesting ones, Karma and Nuages Du Monde. FSOL have a very young implied nude on Lifeforms and The Isness has what looks like pinhole photography.
I remember being surprised by album nudity when I first encountered it about 20 years ago, but most of these are less sexual than some non-nude sleeves, like Beyonces' "Dangerously in love" or oh I give up.
Globally very few boy dolls have penis, and often dolls are molded with non body colour nethers. Indeed Barbie and many fashion dolls have breasts, but no nipples. I still can't get over a dad I encountered on-line who wouldn't let his 5 yr old watch Small Soldiers because of the near naked Gwendy dolls, he seemed to have no problem with a kid getting shot with a nail gun though!
The Virgin Killers sleeve does have its problems. It's a good picture, and an interesting social comment, especially where sexuality is pressed on girls of all ages, through beauty pageants and fashion dolls. Though it is overtly suggestive, how would you rank it against the typical St Trinians movies where the 6th formers are flouting their goods?
When I was little, I once had an anatomically un-mutilated baby boy doll. I loved the fact that it seemed NOT to state I was a total moron still believing in all of them cabbages and roses and stork stories. Little boys have a willy, by God's will. Removing it from dolls is like an omen of dark things to come. Like a Freudian slip saying "we, through the standards of society that we manipulate, will erase the very notion of sexuality from your life, aiming at your plasticine mind".
Regarding Beyonce, I think this is typically revealing (pun intended) of today's American society. There's been such paroxystic vilification of some perfectly natural things, they've become so strictly taboo, that people have found all sorts of ways to go around the bush (re-pun intended), very un-subtly confessing along the way how pent-up they are: "Anything that's not hetero coitus is not actual sex, it doesn't change the anatomical state of virginity." "I can take as much an explicit attitude as I want, as long as I don't actually show my naughty bits. I can also expose as much skin as I want if I just abide by that rule. The body's wicked, while the mind can do anything." "Phallic symbols of extreme bloody violence are permitted, as long as my sexually-connoted swearing is bleeped out or muted." "I can give the finger in a perfectly evident way, if it's pixelled by the studios." "Hell is a dirty word... if you're not a licensed professional religious preacher, that is!" "Body language is exonerated from censorship over blatant sexual messages." Basically, the USA seem to spend most of their time trying very hard not to think about what has become an obsession, and not to show that they ARE obsessed with "it".
"a dad I encountered on-line who wouldn't let his 5 yr old watch Small Soldiers because of the near naked Gwendy dolls"
Aw, dung! Crap! POOP! MANURE! I can't believe I watched that movie in my teens and missed getting myself all worked up over that scene. Didn't even pay attention at the exhibitionist prosti... I mean, female doll! Boo-hoo, what a wasted occasion for a big RUBBERY one! (That WAS a rubber doll, right?)
Never heard of the St Trinians movies before today. My general culture is really lacking!
"The Virgin Killers sleeve does have its problems. It's a good picture, and an interesting social comment"
I guess many social comments just NEED to be shocking in order to get noticed/heard...
How the heck did I miss the fact that there is a new St Trinians! Even with a quote from The Italian Job in it (You were only meant ot blow the bloody doors off).
Still, the head mistress is again played by a man.
All the St Trinians are "bad". They are a 60's response to the earlier Alistair Sim, Margaret Rutherford boarding school films. They fall into the loud, TnA, brash layered comedy which the UK seems to excel at. If you have seen Carry On (probably Carry On Teacher) you will pretty much be at a starting point for St Trinians. The last one I saw was The Great St Trinians Train Robbery. It was crass, and irksome, but still good fun. George Coles' character of "Flash Harry" the spiv, is a prototype for the later Arthur Daley of "Minder" fame.
British cinema and TV is so self referential that you will never find anything truly new, and the more of the old you know, the more in jokes you will get. Like having someone from LA point out the 60% of the jokes you miss in watching Hot Shots if you don't have an LA view point.
13 comments:
A couple of the visuals in the video reminded me of the cover art on the 12-inch LP of The Alan Parsons Project album "I Robot", from 1977.
Dwight, the man who fixes my computer
whenever it needs it, and who runs his own shop selling & servicing computers & accessories was once an Apple Dealer. He gave it up about 2 years ago, and when asked why, replied, "They've never had more than five percent of the market, and the business community has never taken to them in enough numbers for me to make a good living at it, so I gave up on Apple. I have to go where the business is if I want to make a
living from this."
Ray,
No way, there was nothing in the 1984 ad that looked like Charles De Gaul (or is it Orly). That reminds me, should listen to it again.
It actually reminded me of THX1138, with all the shaved heads, and Brazil with the funky monitors. It also reminded me of that film which Richard Burton and Wm/John Hurt, can't think what that was called ;)
I didn't realize APP were recording into the 90's a co-worker lent me "The Time Machine". I never really got too into APP, but his I like PF from when he was their producer.
For that sound, I think I prefer Camel.
Alex
"Dwight[...] was once an Apple Dealer."
As long as he didn't deal in Snow and Weed, I think "Apple" is legal stuff. ;-)
Alex,
France NEVER had a President named Orly. You should check your sources more carefully!
Pascal,
It was Charles De Gaul. Orly is is a smaller airport.
I trust my reference, John "Johnny" Jumpjet, he lived in Paris for a few years, and was interested in such music.
Alex
"cover art on the 12-inch LP"
The same art was on the cassette and CD versions. I can neither confirm nor deny what was on the 8 track, if it existed. There are some albums which differ, depending on format, such as "Division Bell" by the Floyd, and most of the old Jive Electro Tangerine Dream albums got new art on re-release. For some reason the Blind Faith cover differs too.
Bah. Airports all look alike anyway. ;-)
(I was making B.A.H.: Barely Amusing Humour!)
P.S.: That Faith girl doesn't look blind to me.
Of course, my auntie Muriel says that *I* could go blind if I look at her too much...
Careful, she was only about 13.
I heard an interesting interview from the authors of a book about album sleeves. There was a fun background story behind that sleeve. The photographer saw a red headed teenager, and followed her home to ask if she would pose. The girl said no, but her younger sister said yes. I think the deal was for the price of a pony.
Can you imagine doing that now? You'd get locked up in a heartbeat. Still, it is a classic sleeve, an interesting piece of art.
"Careful, she was only about 13."
Then looking at her will probably make me blind AND get me sent to Hell. On the express train, first class. ;-)
Anyway, I wasn't thinking of Onan's "crime". Aunt Muriel has very strict standards about mere nudity. She's embarrassed when a girl doll has her panties showing from under the skirt. No fib!
Interesting story, about that sleeve. I was positive it was just a talented drawing.
It would be a pretty innocent photo, too, except that today what she's holding would get you locked up in less than a heartbeat of a terrified sparrow.
You can still see today such hood ornaments on lots of lebanese buses and trucks. Even WE aren't as paranoid-uptight as some prominent Americans.
On the other extreme of the scale, I must say that an image like the original Virgin Killer sleeve makes me more than a little uneasy. Many might say it's not "explicit", and technically that's true. But between the deliberate "pin-up" pose and the title associated with it... feels like an open advertisement for child abuse and murder. Not necessarily n that order! Yuck.
The hood ornament, I never realised it was until I read the wiki article, is from an Oldsmobile.
I sometimes wonder about nudity on album sleeves. Delerium have some interesting ones, Karma and Nuages Du Monde. FSOL have a very young implied nude on Lifeforms and The Isness has what looks like pinhole photography.
I remember being surprised by album nudity when I first encountered it about 20 years ago, but most of these are less sexual than some non-nude sleeves, like Beyonces' "Dangerously in love" or oh I give up.
Globally very few boy dolls have penis, and often dolls are molded with non body colour nethers. Indeed Barbie and many fashion dolls have breasts, but no nipples. I still can't get over a dad I encountered on-line who wouldn't let his 5 yr old watch Small Soldiers because of the near naked Gwendy dolls, he seemed to have no problem with a kid getting shot with a nail gun though!
The Virgin Killers sleeve does have its problems. It's a good picture, and an interesting social comment, especially where sexuality is pressed on girls of all ages, through beauty pageants and fashion dolls. Though it is overtly suggestive, how would you rank it against the typical St Trinians movies where the 6th formers are flouting their goods?
Nuff of this gay banter.
"Globally very few boy dolls have penis"
When I was little, I once had an anatomically un-mutilated baby boy doll. I loved the fact that it seemed NOT to state I was a total moron still believing in all of them cabbages and roses and stork stories. Little boys have a willy, by God's will. Removing it from dolls is like an omen of dark things to come. Like a Freudian slip saying "we, through the standards of society that we manipulate, will erase the very notion of sexuality from your life, aiming at your plasticine mind".
Regarding Beyonce, I think this is typically revealing (pun intended) of today's American society. There's been such paroxystic vilification of some perfectly natural things, they've become so strictly taboo, that people have found all sorts of ways to go around the bush (re-pun intended), very un-subtly confessing along the way how pent-up they are:
"Anything that's not hetero coitus is not actual sex, it doesn't change the anatomical state of virginity."
"I can take as much an explicit attitude as I want, as long as I don't actually show my naughty bits. I can also expose as much skin as I want if I just abide by that rule. The body's wicked, while the mind can do anything."
"Phallic symbols of extreme bloody violence are permitted, as long as my sexually-connoted swearing is bleeped out or muted."
"I can give the finger in a perfectly evident way, if it's pixelled by the studios."
"Hell is a dirty word... if you're not a licensed professional religious preacher, that is!"
"Body language is exonerated from censorship over blatant sexual messages."
Basically, the USA seem to spend most of their time trying very hard not to think about what has become an obsession, and not to show that they ARE obsessed with "it".
"a dad I encountered on-line who wouldn't let his 5 yr old watch Small Soldiers because of the near naked Gwendy dolls"
Aw, dung! Crap! POOP! MANURE! I can't believe I watched that movie in my teens and missed getting myself all worked up over that scene. Didn't even pay attention at the exhibitionist prosti... I mean, female doll!
Boo-hoo, what a wasted occasion for a big RUBBERY one! (That WAS a rubber doll, right?)
Never heard of the St Trinians movies before today. My general culture is really lacking!
"The Virgin Killers sleeve does have its problems. It's a good picture, and an interesting social comment"
I guess many social comments just NEED to be shocking in order to get noticed/heard...
How the heck did I miss the fact that there is a new St Trinians! Even with a quote from The Italian Job in it (You were only meant ot blow the bloody doors off).
Still, the head mistress is again played by a man.
Next year the Sweeney remake hits the screens!!!
St Trinians is new to me. (Not being British, me.) Which ones are best?
All the St Trinians are "bad". They are a 60's response to the earlier Alistair Sim, Margaret Rutherford boarding school films. They fall into the loud, TnA, brash layered comedy which the UK seems to excel at. If you have seen Carry On (probably Carry On Teacher) you will pretty much be at a starting point for St Trinians. The last one I saw was The Great St Trinians Train Robbery. It was crass, and irksome, but still good fun. George Coles' character of "Flash Harry" the spiv, is a prototype for the later Arthur Daley of "Minder" fame.
British cinema and TV is so self referential that you will never find anything truly new, and the more of the old you know, the more in jokes you will get. Like having someone from LA point out the 60% of the jokes you miss in watching Hot Shots if you don't have an LA view point.
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