Marlene smoked on film often, so I imagine Wally would rate her as a smokin' babe. However, I focus on music and video here.
She starred in one of my favorite old films. I'm not thinking of The Blue Angel but Golden Earrings (I guess my fascination with gypsies shows up again). I don't remember any singing in that movie, so we'll go with perhaps her most famous song.
About a year ago, while gathering information for my "Great Individuals" feature of Ender's Review, I noticed that Olivia Newton-John had her birthday. For the last few years I have not used living people for "Great Individuals", instead honoring those who have passed to the next realm of existence, whatever that might be.
After coming upon Olivia's birthday, I scanned YouTube and watched a bunch of her old videos. It got me wondering and a few weeks later I posted my first Music Video Babe entry here which focused on Olivia. The particular YouTube video I picked "is no longer available," but one can usually find her classic "mirrors and rug video" in one or more postings there with a YouTube search.
I didn't make that first MV Babe entry on Olivia's birthday as I have tried to do for subsequent music video babes, so I'm revisiting Olivia today on her birthday with a special video I found, made from multiple performances of one of her earlier hits. I really like the video as it shows her passage through thirty years.
Chrissie fronts for The Pretenders. Besides singing, she also writes music and plays the guitar.
In the "golden era" of MTV, during the 1980s, her group had some hugely popular video hits. I like "Back on the Chain Gang" but my favorite by her and that band has to be "Brass in Pocket."
In the music video Chrissie plays a waitress, who, at least wearing that uniform, bears an uncanny resemblance to my first wife: Jean. Jean was a few years younger than Chrissie and I doubt they had much other than "a look" in common.
However, that look and the flirtatious nature of Chrissie's character in this video seem to me remarkably similar to Jean in her younger days when we met, married and tried raising a family. Back then, before I went back to college, Jean waited tables and I worked as a short-order cook, more than 5 years before "Brass In Pocket" became popular.
Jean and I had very little interaction over the last 25 years, since we divorced. She succumbed to cancer last month. As far as I know Chrissie prospers.
When the weather was colder I made a South Park character with the SP Studio tools, or more accurately, tools such as that site had then. The result looked like the image on the left, while a photo of me in the colder months, from a while back, looks like the image on the right. SP Studio made a reasonably good likeness.
However, I don't wear either a hat or long pants (if I can avoid them) in the summer. Also I get my yearly haircut in the spring or early summer, so I'm not nearly as shaggy now. It would be uncomfortably hot with all that hair in July.
With those considerations in mind, here's a new summertime South Park Tom E. with my preferred sidearm. (I GIMPed that in, along with the background.)
For those with a "light literary inclination" I published an amusing yet insightful SF story from South Park Bob late yesterday.
Posted by Tom Ender, who wonders if anyone out there recognizes the images on the wall behind Summer South Park Tom E. (one is an actual poster, the other could be).
Like a few other well known artists Kim Carnes was once a New Christy Minstrel. However, I wasn't really aware of her singing until 1980 when she sang "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer" (Lois and Clark fans might especially like the preceding video) in a duet with Kenny Rogers (another onetime New Christy Minstrel).
1981 proved the true breakthrough year for her singing career. Her album Mistaken Identity provided hits which also became music videos. The video for "Draw of the Cards," the second single released from the album, qualifies as truly surreal in its style. It even has a creepy clown or two for Wally. However, the first track became the biggest hit of 1981 --
Only Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" ranked as a bigger hit during the entire decade of the 1980s.
Sometimes seeing a piece of a film makes people more curious about it. Although I think Bob's post on Idiocracy caught the highlights very well, perhaps a sneak peek at the film could add something too. YouTube has many short pieces of Idiocracy online. However, I think I may have seen this segment from near the film's beginning first --
That much made me want to add the film to my collection. It really makes a good representative sample since it introduces so many things from the movie: the protagonist played by Luke Wilson, Brawndo ("it's got electrolytes"), the general societal milieu (more "fag talk," sorry); and also utilizes Justin Long ("I'm a Mac") in a small part.
Posted by Tom Ender, if nothing else this short film segment might add context for my earlier comment on Bob's excellent Idiocracy post.
Occasionally picking a video which won't get pulled from YouTube presents a challenge. Many cuts of Debbie's best songs might come and go from videoland.
Debbie fronted the new wave group Blondie doing the vocals for the talented band. I like almost anything Blondie did in their many varied styles, from the hip hop-ish "Rapture," through "Atomic" and "Union City Blue" to "Heart of Glass," but "Dreaming" stands out as my favorite. (In addition to Debbie it highlights several other band members, one a very hard working drummer.)
Ahhhh..... where to start with "The Goddess of Rock"?
Many of the Fleetwood Mac and solo MTV-era music videos have been removed from YouTube -- probably not at the request of Ms. Nicks -- but I can't be sure of that.
I don't have a single favorite "music video babe" but Stevie Nicks would be in any set of my favorites. Both her singing and her look from the heyday of Fleetwood Mac, as well as her solo career, make her a lasting image in any collection of mine showing off "female pulchritude" or talent.
I guess I'll start with a first easy recollection: my first wife and I almost named our daughter Rhiannon. I suspect that name has become more commonly given to girl children than it was in 1950.
After my first marriage dissolved, Stevie helped Olivia keep me me company on MTV while I stayed home either alone or taking care of the aforementioned daughter. The MTV-era "Gypsy" video ranked very highly with me then, but I can't find that online now. I did find this excellent photo collage to the same music.
In 1983 I saw Stevie perform live (Wild Heart Tour) at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI. That concert was one of the best I've ever attended. I remember Joe Walsh opened for her (excellent), but she blew the audience away with her set of songs. I ranked "Edge Of Seventeen" my favorite by her from that time period. This video has her commentary on that song laid over a live performance.
Videos seem to come and go at YouTube, but this one has survived a long time. It shows off Stevie at top of form from about the same time period as that Alpine Valley concert. Although originally performed by Fleetwood Mac, she "solos" here --
(At the end of that, one can hear the beginning of "Edge of Seventeen" starting.)
Stevie Nicks still tours performing her hits. (I'm now wishing for that Crystal Visions CD/DVD, oh yeah....!!!)
Judy Collins sings with a clear soprano voice. She had many hits in the late 60s and early 70s, selling many album collections. I particularly remember hearing the Wildflowers LP often back then.
Sheena Easton made a very early music video with her first North American top 40 hit "Morning Train (9 To 5)." It may not have broke much new ground musically, like some other Music Video Babes already featured and others yet to come, but I still liked it way back when....
Posted by Tom Ender, who once loved to ride on trains, especially the old Hiawatha and Zephyr trains that came through my home town, before the time of this music video.
Nancy Wilson made her fame with the rock group Heart. Beginning as early as the Dreamboat Annie album I liked Heart's music and enjoyed watching the band perform.
In those early days Nancy's sister Ann did most of the singing for Heart while Nancy mainly played acoustic guitar. However, she sang lead on the hit These Dreams which came out during the "big hair" era of the 80's. I consider These Dreams a fine song, but in the video Nancy has the "big hair" look. I like her look earlier (or later) better.
For those reasons I picked a different video for the main focus of this post. The video I chose has perhaps a bit more camera focus on Ann (the brunette), who sings lead, than Nancy (the ash blonde) who sings backup. However, the video opens with one of Nancy's signature acoustic introductions.
Plus she looks great in it, the way I liked her best.
Dreamboat Annie was one of Heart's "softer" numbers. I've always liked it a lot. Ann and Nancy still perform and have toured relatively recently.
Carole's Tapestry album resides on my short list of favorite recordings. It was an enormous hit in an era which gave rise to many. Carole's song writing had influenced popular music for a while, but Tapestry brought her performing out and showcased it also.
Picking one song from Tapestry would be impossible for me. However, choosing from videos makes it easier. One wants to grab something unlikely to be pulled by YouTube and also which shows off the artist.
Posted by Tom Ender, who still listens to
Tapestry,
in fact, right now I'm listening to Amarok on Kubuntu 6.10 play it while I make this blog entry. However, videos have obvious merits.
In the late 60s and early 70s a few artists went by one name, e.g. Dylan, Donovan, Cher (though then she was with Sonny) and Melanie. I liked Melanie's music since it often seemed to reflect my attitudes and those of my friends. Those times have remained important to me, as has Melanie's music.
She had other hits, one still gets a fair amount of air play: Brand New Key.
However, this video shows Melanie performing a song that rates as my favorite from her -
"Beautiful People" seems to capture the spirit of those times so very well.
Melanie self-identifies as a libertarian. In fact, the only time I saw her perform live was at a Libertarian Party convention. (I once did things like that.) Melanie still performs and tours. I recently received her Greatest Hits CD as a Christmas gift.
Happy Birthday Melanie.
Posted by Tom Ender who considers seeing Melanie the most memorable thing about that convention.
Of the beautiful Bangles, Susanna Hoffs got the most media attention. Born on January 17th: today is Susanna's birthday.
I liked the Bangles and often listened to their music in the 80's when they were one of the most popular girl groups. Their music and videos ranged from the whimsically comic through the sexually suggestive to the extremely romantic.
However, this video -- in which Susanna sings lead, sums up how many people feel about the beginning of the work week.
It remains one of my favorite songs. Happy Birthday Susanna !!!
Posted by Tom Ender who doesn't get quite as "manic" today as he did in the 80's. However, Mondays still don't rank as a favored day of my week.
"Promises in the Dark" may be my favorite Pat Benatar song. However, as a video, it really doesn't go much beyond a recording of a live performance.
Ms. Benatar, with help from her band (her spouse plays lead guitar), had many hits in the early years of MTV, but perhaps the most interesting video was this one
album resides on my short list of favorite recordings. It was an enormous hit in an era which gave rise to many. Carole's song writing had influenced popular music for a while, but Tapestry brought her performing out and showcased it also. 
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