Next time you watch Rage late at night, or have a sleepless time viewing MTV, have you ignored what music was playing and were entertained by the video that came with it?
While hundreds and thousands of dollars are invested in production time and development to create the best sounding quality tune to listen to on your ipod (tastes are debatable), a few songs have more entertaining or visually stunning videos, which with popularity, get requested more on video shows, creating more spots in a music show playlist. But the music videos, while ‘artistic’, do come at a hefty price tag that can be more expensive than producing an entire album itself.
We look at what video clips have burnt a hole in the record company pocket, from success to downright “we’re going to go broke!”.
Busta Rhymes & Janet Jackson – What’s It Gonna Be?! (1999)
A standard RnB looped bed song, Rhymes and Jackson managed to get $2.4 million spent on this CGI-heavy clip that imitiates wet dreams and sexual innuendo. In a similar animated style to Terminator 2’s T-1000 and Lawnmower Man’s CGI, it’s the only thing that manages to keep you watching the clip, even though Rhymes looks like a horror alien when there’s a close-up in the silver. While made in 1999, this was state-of-the-art, showing some wear and tear these days.
Mariah Carey – Heartbreaker (1999)
A very tangy pop tune from the singing kettle, Mariah Carey plays 2 people – the light-haired girl who finds out her boyfriend (Jerry O’Connell) is cheating on her with a dark-haired doppleganger (played by Carey too) at the cinemas. Costing $2.5 million at 1999 prices and directed by future X-Men trilogy destroyer Brett Ratner, how on earth do you blow $2.5 million on a simple video? Other than the fact that Mariah is shaking her bum and boobs around, and a slight animated sequence in the middle, it’s a waste of coin, that’s for sure.
MC Hammer – Too Legit To Quit (1991)
MC Hammer was the ultimate Mr Cool. With major hits with U Can’t Touch This, Here Comes The Hammer and Pray, money was being thrown at him left right and centre. He was the rival of Michael Jackson for video clips (even though they were fans of each other). $2.5 million dollars was spent in 1991 to get this dance-a-thon up and going, even with a homage to a Michael Jackson look-a-like at the end to be challenged in a dance-off for the infamous rhinestone glove. Plus one cut-in of the father of soul – James Brown.
Puff Daddy – Victory (1998)
A highly over-the-top future action clip which is technically a short film, this $2.7 million video stars Hollywood Actors Dennis Hopper, Danny DeVito and rap artist Busta Rhymes, as well as ‘ghostly’ imagery of the late Biggie Smalls. With Puff playing “PD”, on the run from armed troops in the year 3002. Meh… All hype to cover a dull tune.
Aqua – Cartoon Heroes (2000)
With many lollypop songs and novelty video clips under their belt, Cartoon Heroes was lifted off their second album Aquarius, and given an expensive release of $3.5 million. With the whole theme of being cartoon superheroes, out to fight against the menacing one eyed octopus, the Danish-Norwegian dance group save the day with screaming vocals of the higher and lower octave. Makes you wonder with the heavy CGI underwater scenes, if it was really worth it, as their most sensible song was Turn Back Time, they lose any leftover credibility after that.
Guns N Roses – Estranged (1993)
Picture this: you’ve made a MAJOR hit out of November Rain. The music video was awesome. You’ve earnt MILLIONS of greenback. The studio wants another ‘November Rain’, but more break-up related. What do you do? Pay $4 million to make this chunk of dodginess. Also, feel free to add a dolphin and some water. And some Slash guitar solos. As you do. Their excuse to making it? It’s the final installment of the Del James trilogy (Cry and November Rain being the first and second installments).
Okay, the next three entries are by Madonna, so here’s the common reasons why they cost so much:
* Camera styles
* costumes
* heavy CGI
* futuristic set-up
* movie themed
So here’s the songs.
Bedtime Story (1995) – $5 Million
Express Yourself (1989) – $5 Million
Die Another Day (2002) – $6.1 Million
And last of all – the big landmark of all special and intriguing video clips…
Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson – Scream (1995)
A highly impressive song and video, Michael Jackson always set the benchmark for over-the-top videos, as well as developing new CGI and breaking records and development for styles and designs used. $7 Million was invested for this black & white anime inspired clip, which broke gravity defying jumps and gave young boys the jollies when Janet grabs her boobs. Oh yeah.
