Well, I thought it might be fun to have a thread on retro programming, mostly 80's but I'm sure the 70's has lots to offer.
I just recently heard a song I'd forgotten that I loved as a young girl . Laura Branigan singing "Self Control". Okay, go on and laugh but I have a soft spot in my heart for 80's pop.

Anyway, I look up the video and I'm like- Holy MK Kitten! This is some weird video! And the lyrics are pretty mind control oriented:

Oh, the night is my world, city light painted girl
In the day nothing matters, it's the night time that flatters
In the night, no control, through the wall something's breaking
Wearing white as you're walkin' down the street of my soul

You take my self, you take my self control
You got me livin' only for the night
Before the morning comes, the story's told
You take my self, you take my self control
Another night, another day goes by
I never stop myself to wonder why
You make me to forget to play my role
You take my self, you take my self control

I, I live among the creatures of the night
I haven't got the will to try and fight
Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it
That tomorrow never comes
A safe night, I'm living in the forest of my dream
I know the night is not as it would seem
I must believe in something, so I'll make myself believe it
That this night will never go


Anyhoo, this video's got the same elements we see popular today; creepy dolls, mannequins, masked people, orgies?

When she starts out following the masked man, she stops in front of a store front that reveals two mannequins suspended facing each other. Not sure what that means but it seemed intentionally placed in the background. She ends up at a seemingly normal party/club; people dancing and smiling and she, too, seems to be having a good time. But she follows the masked man down a corridor, through a door and downstairs it appears that a Contemporary Dance Co. is having a choreographed masked orgy! At one point, the masked dude removes her coat as she looks entranced at the "sex party".

While trying to find a show I remembered from grade school, I came across some super campy weirdo 80's t.v.; some of it I've never seen before. After watching the intros, I'm going to have to find some time and good herb(or magic mushrooms) and watch some of these shows(looking forward to Otherworld).

The Phoenix


The Otherworld(www.otherworldonline.org)


Tomes & Talismans:
In 2123 humanity is evacuating Earth for the White Crystal Solar System, due to an attack carried out by the nefarious Wiper race, a group of aliens that are determined to interfere with communication and data technology. A special group is preparing a complete library of all Human knowledge which is hidden underground. Here, all fiction and non-fiction books are sorted by an alphabetical and numerical ordering system but an important volume is missing. A desperate search for it begins in the library in the outskirts of the city. The library team leader Ms. Bookhart, played by Niki Wood, is stranded in her bookmobile and is suddenly metabolically suspended for 100 years by a being known only as "The Universal Being". She awakens in a world under the control of beings known as "The Wipers" and is discovered by another group of extraterrestrials in the form of four children known as "The Users". The children, along with Ms. Bookhart, rediscover the hidden library, and in the course of the series she teaches them how to use it. In turn, they discover how to defeat "The Wipers" and create a communicator to call the Human refugees back to Earth.


The show I was looking for turned out to be called Read All About It. This is one bizarre little educational show from my childhood.
From Wiki:
The show is set in the fictitious town of Herbetville, where Chris inherited his uncle Derek's coach house after a mysterious disappearance. Chris and his friends Lynne and Samantha started a newspaper called The Herbertville Chronicle in uncle Derek's coach house. The coach house contained two artificially intelligent robots: Otto, a device which communicated by printing its thoughts on paper; and Theta, a talking computer with an integrated monitor. The coach house also held a transporter which allowed teleportation to and from the galaxy of Trialviron, as well as transporting many literary characters like the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Merlin the Magician from King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable, and Captain Hook from Peter Pan into the coach house. The first season focused on the newspaper uncovering a conspiracy by mayor Don Eden (the alter ego of Duneedon, the ruler of the galaxy Trialvaron) who wants to claim King's Park as his own to get a rare mineral he needs to invade Earth. The second season revolved around various storylines: Samantha moves away, but the group meets a new friend; the kids engage in battle with General Isaac Brock during the War of 1812 (with a notable appearance of Graham Greene); they have to stop the Book Destroyer; and have a final confrontation with Duneedon.

I remember that video, K-bone

How about some zombie imagery along with some bondage, and a man about to slam his wife's head with a hammer? Dancing with Myself, Billy Idol:

Another Billy Idol video. White Wedding. Ceremony as a funeral with drugged bride.
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The White Wedding video, for some reason, reminded me of "Twilight Zone" Golden Earring video. Partial lyrics:

Help, I'm steppin' into the Twilight Zone
Place is a madhouse
Feels like being cloned
My beacons been moved
Under moon and star
Where am I to go Now that I've gone too far


When I think of the whole mood of the '80's, especially with the music videos, I remember a feeling of excitement about being on the brink of the future and the future was bleak, but very, very cool. In other words, embrace the darkness. Like the Laura Branigan living with the creatures of the night.

Interesting subject. Thanks. I know there are alot of examples of this.kind.of.stuff.

Oh, yeah, I just loved Billy Idol when I was a girl! I was actually going to post White Wedding but had forgotten how strange Dancing with Myself is! Crazy video! The part where he grabs those rods and starts shooting out electric balls o fury!

It also makes me wonder if the same set decorators and costume designers worked on these videos together, Everything has a very "Beyond the ThunderDome" look to it. Oh, I believe Duran Duran hands down has some of the weirdest videos of the 80's. Grim, transhumanistic...some odd stuff going on in Union of the Snake and Wild Boyz(not sure which one is weirder but I'm leaning towards Wild Boyz).

Union of the Snake:


Wild Boyz:


Doesn't the water torture "wind mill" kinda look like a swastika?

K-Bone wrote:
Good tune actually, I remember it well.
There's been a remake of it recently with infernal.(they did that paris to berlin one)

K-Bone wrote:
That part reminded me of this video, "Nowhere Girl" by B Movie:


Transhumanistic is a good word for Duran Duran.

Don't ask me why I remember this, but, I was reading a Rolling Stone article about them when they first came on the scene. It said that the two (Nick Rhodes and Andy Taylor?), the ones with the makeup and long hair, were the most popular with the teenage girls because they were safe, and that Simon Le Bon, even though he was the lead singer, was not so popular because he looked like a "functioning adult".

I just remembered something about Golden Earring, too, that relates to "Twilight Zone's" clone lyrics. The fist time that I saw them, they were on TV singing "Radar Love". They made a very striking appearance because they all stood perfectly still, staring straight ahead. No dancing around or anything.... all in unison and the only movements were the necessary ones, like strumming the guitar. They were all wearing light grey suits and maybe sunglasses, too.... As I remember it. And the camera was dead center, slightly above and completely stationary. So they looked like emotionless robots but in a catchy way.

Its funny the things that ya remember., but it goes to show how music and video makes imprints on the mind.

You might need four spliffs to slow yourself down a bit
Jack Hargreaves and his programmes were very informative about country traditions etc for a kid growing up in a city.
We only had 3 channels then

You do know those useless video games and stupid music videos will rot yer brain. This whole thing is just an expensive fad for stupid people willing to pay $200 for a Trash 80 or C-64 or even that damn Adam! Until they realize they're throwing their money down the toilet for nuthin'!

NOBODY can be THAT stupid!!

P.S. Carpal Tunnel is but a fabrication of the young, lazy people. Secretaries of past generations NEVER suffered the problem...oh,. no, no. *bullshit emo*

Especially on manual typewriters.....Those dumb women always complained, after all.

---

Hello! Born in the mid 60's here! Stupid and ready to go! Woot!

@Noseymutegirl
It does seem like there were many robotic-trance-like performances going on in the 80's. Remember the Robert Palmer video with all the look-a-like chicks as the back up band?

I also just remembered that Herbie Hancock video was pretty weird...

humanspirit wrote:
Wow- that's really cool! Thanks, I'd like to check out more of his videos...actually educational unlike most of the brainwashing garbage they put on t.v.

andyh wrote:
Very Cool! Personally, I like Laura Brannigan's version best. Here's the original:


The dancing in this is hilarious! Also, notice the Mickey Mouse Neon sign on the wall in the bar...

Coco wrote:
Yeah, there are all kinds of new disorders these days, right?

As far as video games go, I don't understand how people spend hours upon hours playing that shit! I heard there is a game where people make real money selling virtual property and weapons! I'm talking big money- like thousands! Who has that kinda money to throw away on property that doesn't exist?

K-Bone wrote:
Oh yeah, I remember those! How about Devo (de-evolution), I used to like them, had one of their albums. They had a futuristic theme, but from a mid-century standpoint. Not everyone's cup of tea. I've only known one other person that liked them too.

Gates of Steel lyrics:
Twist away the gates of steel
Unlock the secret voice
Give in to ancient noise
Take a chance a brand new dance
Twist away the gates of steel

Twist away
Now twist and shout
The earth it moves too slow
But the earth is all we know
We pay to play the human way
Twist away the gates of steel

A man is real
Not made of steel

But the earth is all we know
We pay to play the human way
Twist away the gates of steel

The beginning was the end
Of everything now
The ape regards his tail
He's stuck on it
Repeats until he fails
Half a goon and half a god
A man's not made of steel

Twist away
Now twist and shout
The earth it moves too slow
But the earth is all we know
We pay to play the human way
Twist away the gates of steel

A man is real that's how he feels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goV57pGmiCk

Beautiful World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3MxuDk7wqo

Time out for Fun - Devo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZUQ59UjCR0

noseymutegirl wrote:
I actually like Devo, too! Yeah, they really have the android thing down! I used to have a couple of cool old 80's DJ singles of Devo(PIL and some others) but they got stolen along with pretty much all of my CDs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_HH_jher3c

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

Hi-Five K-Bone!

That's Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGdCTy-Vm7o&feature=related

Man, you've reminded me of so much good music that I haven't heard in forever! I love that song! I've got to start downloading music...I am so sick of the radio stations we have here. They play the same shit over and over- and I swear there is an REO Speedwagon conspiracy against me! If I hear "Take it on the Run" one more time....

K-Bone wrote:
Here's one you don't hear everyday, KB.

Why Me?


(And, my guilty pleasure:))
Endicott - Kid Creole and the Coconuts

Salt in my Tears

Obscure but awesome 80's:

The Burning Sensations "Belly of the Whale". These guys played in dumpy little Los Angeles bars and got the place rockin'.

Coco wrote:
Awesome! I love the typically bizarre music video for "Why me?" Good tunes!