Who says religion and politics don’t mix? Paul Simon’s somber ode to the immigrant experience and the decaying American dream is sung to a chorale from Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion,” first performed in 1727. Simon has always acknowledged the debt, but it turns out he was following Bach’s lead in more ways than one. The German composer apparently swiped the melody from a love song written at the turn of the 17th century by fellow countryman Hans Leo Hassler, “Mein G’müt ist mir verwirret.” Hymnist Paul Gerhardt later translated Latin words of praise to go with the theme; “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” has been a church favorite ever since…
Feel free to watch Macklemore’s new video for entertainment purposes only–it’s closing in on 60 million YouTube views, so you’ll hardly be the first.
But that’s not the reason it’s posted here. I thought it interesting to note its staggeringly long list of credits. This “promotional film” must have had a budget to rival some independent feature films.
I’m not diminishing the song by saying this–plenty of worse tunes will see the top forty this year–but it does remind me a bit of the heyday of MTV, when a music video could drive a mediocre song to the upper reaches of the chart. When a haircut, a “look”, or a cleverly directed, technically ground-breaking or suggestive/sexually explicit bit of video could artificially propel a song’s chart performance. (cough cough…Robert Palmer! cough cough)
The video is spectacular and fun. I’m not here to diss it. I’m just saying that in the world of popular music and its video component, sometimes it seems the cart is placed before the moped.
_______________________________________
DOWNTOWN FEAT MELLE MEL, KOOL MOE DEE, GRANDMASTER CAZ & ERIC NALLY
Directed By
Ryan Lewis
Jason Koenig
Ben Haggerty
Written By
Ben Haggerty
Jason Koenig
Ryan Lewis
Executive Producer M&RL Films
Lead Producer – Honna Kimmerer
Producer – Jason Koenig
Co-Produced By VISION
Producer – Geoff McLean
Line Producer – Michele Lawrence
Production Coordinator – Kristi Heicke
Co-Produced By NxNW
Line Producer – Randy Kron
Production Coordinator – Diane Eve
Cinematography
Christopher Probst
Jason Koenig
Art Director
John Lavin
Assistant Art Director
Kaleo Quenzer
1st Assistant Director
John Nasraway
2nd Assistant Director
Isaac Mejia
Edited By
Ryan Lewis / Jason Keonig / Ben Haggerty
Assistant Editor
Phil Harvey
Movi/Drone Operator
Ryan Haug
1st Assistant Camera
Ryan Brown
2nd Assistant Camera
Chris Duerkopp
Camera Operators
Mitchell Overton
John Peterson
Location Manager
Alan Lee Baker
Casting
Jackie Ganger
Jenny Koenig
Nike Imoru
Kenny Parks
Wardrobe
Lucky Vintage / Caryn Cook
Lisa Caryl-Vukas
Makeup
Shannon Bisconer
Trista Jordan
Amy Bruscoe
Jeanne Kobayashi
Prop Master/Buyer
Emily Wood
Head Carpenter/Set dresser
Teo Shantz
Key Scenic Artist/Set dresser
Tenold Sundberg
Set Dresser/Assistant props
Blake Nelson
Carpenter
Finch Izatt
Gaffer
James Winters
Key Grip
Eric Budlong
Best Boy Grip
Dan Kerpluk
Grip
Kaiyoti Pesante
Randy Vega
Grip Assistant
Keaton Kinnaman
Grip Driver
Mike Rodriguez
Crane / Jib Operator
Greg Richie
Vehicle Wrangler
Craig Binkley
Jay Neilson
Layne Schmerin
Stunt Coordinator/Process Trailer
Jerry Buxbuam
Stunt Riders
Nick Cooper
Matthew McCoy
Byron Petretti
Austin Gerimonte
Craig Payne
Playback
Tyler Dopps
Lead Production Assistants
Layne Schmerin
Andrea Jewett
Jay Neilson
Jennie Pegouskie
Kyle “KJ” Johnson
Production Assistants
Jesse Lonchar
Ron Ridenour
Darrien Mack
Lindsay Johnston
Jared Greene
Ben Berkimer
Mackenzie Pierce
Hunter Ramp
Eric Feichtinger
Brandon Balmelli
Nina Wizner
Matt Weigand
Matt Alley
Alize Marsh
Hans Liezen
Aspen Edwards
Kelly Van Lith
Mason Van Lith
Gretchen Van Lith
Ali Johnston
Jackie Santin
Alex Roland
Becca Zabawa
Colorist
Taylre Jones
Benoît Côté
Kevin Adams
Jason Koenig
Ryan Lewis
Digital Retouching
Nate Taylor
Titles & Graphic Design
Hans Woody
Craft Service Lead
Justina Renoud
Craft Service Asstistants
Chandler Dill
Jordan Dill
Medic
Heather Dixon
Transpo
Thomas Olson
Roy Parson
Behind the Scenes Photography
Zoe Rain
Starring
Macklemore
Eric Nally
Kool Moe Dee
Melle Mel
Grandmaster Caz
Ken Griffey Jr.
Brysen Angeles
Terrance Guillermo
Tyler Andrews (XP)
Seth Welch
Brandon Foy (PHNK)
Jerome Aparis
Hocine Jouini
Alan Lee Baker
Brianne Thompson
Wyatt Forrest
Extras (in no particular order)
Kenny Parks, Jr.
Zach Quillen
Josh Dick
Ben Secord
Jennie Pegouskie
Sharayah Lane
Frank Hendler
Donnell Manning
Margaret Chen
Sye Holland
Dharma Martin
Jackie Ganger
Zoe Rain
Therese Lefebvre
Evander Cobbs
Damon Mentzer
D.R. Anderson
Darin Hilderbrand
Cedric Massey
Patrick McHenry-Kroetch
Joe Flores
Chadwick Platt-Kuhn
Josh Blakey
Victoria James
Jeremy Lindholm
Nicholas Tellez
Shanner Escalanti
Shawntelle Moncy
Heidi Lockhart
Charles Fletcher
Scott & J Whituer
Beanie The Dog
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis managed by Zach Quillen & Josh Dick
Special Thanks To
City of Spokane
Lucky Vintage
Empire Cycle
Two Percent Scooters
The Minions Scooter Club
Scoot About
Koerner Camera
Scott Lewis
Spokane Schools
Pat & Debbie Stimpson
Zola
Juju
Glenn Frey of the Eagles is facing major surgery, the band announced on Wednesday (Nov. 4). The group was supposed to attend and be honored at the 38th annual Kennedy Center Honors in December, but due to Frey’s health, they will not able to attend, and their recognition will be postponed one year…
Nothing has more of a negative impact on my workday than forgetting my headphones.
Like most people, music is a huge part of my life. I listen to the most music while I work, sifting through playlists, from neo classical to indie to electronica on what seems like a never-ending search for the perfect tunes to keep me in the zone.
We spend so many of our days at work, and so much of our workdays in front of a screen, that music has become indispensable in keeping us happy, motivated, and productive.
But are all songs made the same? Or are there perfect tracks for certain tasks?
Written by an 18-year-old Kate Bush and inspired by the novel of the same name by Emily Bronte (with whom Bush shares a birthday) “Wuthering Heights” was the lead single off the artist’s debut album in 1978.
Lines like “let me in, I’m so cold” take on ominous meaning when the listener understands the words are spoken from beyond the grave. Catherine, a ghost, begs entrance at a bedroom window so that she can be forgiven by her lover Heathcliff and freed from her personal purgatory.
Because of Kate Bush’s dissatisfaction with the cover art of the single, its release was delayed from November of 1977 to January 1978. This proved fortuitous as it prevented the song from competing with Wings’ “Mull of Kintyre”, which in December of ’77 became the biggest selling UK single of all time up to that point.
“Wuthering Heights” became a massive UK hit in its own right, spending four weeks at number one. Like all Bush’s work, it fared considerably less well in the US, where the song peaked at #108 on the singles chart, marking the contrast from the start between her star status in her native England and that of cult figure here.
A remixed version with newly-recorded vocals appeared on her 1986 compilation album The Whole Story. This is the version presented here.
Every Moment Has A Song 