music has always been the great love of my life.it defines key moments in my existence and helps me recall them. it never ceases to amaze me that you can hear the opening notes to a song, and it takes you RIGHT. BACK. to that exact moment in time.
i've had a passion for music for as long as i can remember--it defines ME.
so when i woke up in the middle of the night the other night thinking about why i've always loved the song 'cry' by godley and creme & what musical influences MIAMI VICE had over me, i knew i must blog it.
i missed my prime-time miami vice window--my parents weren't into tv, at all, and i was watching moonlighting and days of our lives to be bothered with a show about two cops
but then i got a job at skywest airlines when i was 20 years old and my life changed.
i worked from 7am to 3pm most days, and was somewhat surprised to find that my favorite way to unwind was to watch crockett and tubbs finesse the gangstas AND the ladies in miami. the show played every day from 3:30 to 4:30 on cable, and i was immediately hooked.
i mean, really, what's not to love? they drove cool sports cars, wore bitchin' outfits like white sports coats over pastel tees and preferred their shoes with NO socks. plus, they ONLY worked cases that involved drug trafficking, prostitution, and/or gangsters. it was the holy trinity of television greatness:
but what got me, REALLY got me, was the brilliant use of music to tell the story. i read in later years that director michael mann was the first television series director to really push the music as hard as the story line. he was the pioneer in this style of directing, and i thank him for it because i am a full-blown SUCKA for it.
i remember being blown away when i watched this scene--i had it recorded on my vcr and watched it over and over. there was so much emotion, betrayal, and conflict, which was all illustrated perfectly by the song. PLUS, it has ted nugent. how much more greatness can one handle in an episode? really, take the time to watch these little clips--and just enjoy the glory of all things 80's. and yes, i know you are mocking me at home in front of your monitor....
other stellar examples of blending (albeit cheesy) acting and mtv music:
the end.
8 comments:
I kept getting errors when I tried to watch the videos - Dammit! Will come back to them tonight.
Um, Miami Vice was life defining for me! HELLO! The dance I did to get into danceclub my Senior year, was to the theme music!!
And that Crockett - so hawt!!
PS - I'm headed that way today. I'll email you later, but it's a dang fast trip so I might not get the chance to catch you......
Love that show. I loved it because as we were watching 2 undercover dudes bust drug dealers, my dad was an undercover COP. I imagined him driving a sports car and roughing up drug lords. I just wished he would have sported the cool threads. He just opted for polyg shirts :)
Totally AGREE!!!! It is for this very reason that I still LOVE the song Don't Give Up.
'Course I watched the Vice when it was first run. Cause that is how my parents rolled.
How extremely cool was Don Johnson? Didn't everybody want to be him?
God. I hope Ted Nugent got an Emmy nomination, if not the Emmy, for that death scene. That is the best flailing before dead acting I have EVER seen!
you inspire greatness.
p.s. i wanted to marry don johnson.
I find it interesting how much of the song they used, almost the entire song! These days they use 30 seconds or less.
Really? I've never seen this show, I'll have to youtube it now.
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