Episode Transcript

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[00:00:00] Intro Theme (Music by Danya Vodovoz)

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[00:00:30] Introduction and Greetings

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DJ Sir Daniel: and welcome to another episode of Queue Points podcast. I am DJ Sir Daniel.

Jay Ray: And my name is Jay Ray, sometimes known by my government as Johnnie Ray Kornegay III what's happening people

DJ Sir Daniel: Listen, it's about to go down another wonderful episode. We are talking about the most expensive videos ever made hands down ever on this particular episode and it's so appropriate Jerry. Well, first of all, before we get into that, how you feeling?

Jay Ray: I'm feeling great.

[00:01:02] Connecting with LGBT Detroit

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Jay Ray: Um, at the time of this taping, I just finished a conversation with our friends over at LGBT Detroit on their brother to brother lockdown. Um, and it's always great to connect with those brothers. Love that they, you know, we have the relationship, Counter Narrative Project has a great relationship with LGBT Detroit.

So I'm feeling very good. How are you feeling, man?

DJ Sir Daniel: I am sensational. I'm on the verge of another holiday weekend on the verge of another birthday, Jerry.

Jay Ray: It's that time.

DJ Sir Daniel: it's about that time of year. You know, I, I can't, um, shake the feeling that something great is coming in. We're coming. We're finally out of mercury retrograde and all that other good stuff that everybody's been talking about because things have been, it's been bananas around here in these streets, but Around here, we, Queue Points is your safe haven from all of that foolishness.

We are going to talk you through, just talk you through into the weekend. It's Friday Eve at the time of this recording.

[00:02:03] Engaging with the Audience

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DJ Sir Daniel: And, uh, Jayray, let the people know how they can maintain contact with us and keep that good feeling going after the recording of the show.

Jay Ray: Absolutely. So, first things first, thank you all for those who are joining live for this particular taping. If you can see us, if you can hear us, we appreciate you. That is the most important thing that you can do and it don't cost you nothing. It's absolutely free. You Can go ahead and do us a solid and you could subscribe wherever you are, wherever you like to listen or watch your thing.

Subscribe there. Also share the show with your friends, family, colleagues. If you enjoy Queue Points, chances are they will enjoy Queue Points as well. And we would love to meet them folks that you love too. So if you want to do more, Going over to our website at Queue Points. com and you can sign up for our newsletter.

You can read our blog, which we call Queue Points Mag. And you can even shop our store at store. Queue Points. com and get you some fresh gear. Heading into the fall, we got hoodies up there. So get ready to get your little hoodies out because it's about to get chilly.

DJ Sir Daniel: Yes, it's gonna be it's gonna be real fall not fake fall like what we have sometimes here in Georgia It's not gonna be fake fall.

Jay Ray: Can we talk about that? So y'all must have had it too. So up here last week, all of a sudden it was chilly. I had my hoodies out. Everybody had on a hoodie. All of a sudden people had on long jeans and you would like that's fake fall. Yes. Yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: I think that the high might have been 80. It was really comfortable, very comfortable last week. You didn't, um, the, the air conditioners, I'm sure had got some well deserved time off from working so hard, but, uh, this week, Oh, them jokers are cranked right all the way back up.

We are definitely in the nineties as far as the temperature is concerned. And you know, what else is in the nineties, this show two points podcast. Dropping a needle on black music history.

[00:04:16] The Impact of Michael Jackson

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DJ Sir Daniel: So at the time of this recording, it is the birthday today would have been the 66th birthday of the king of pop, Michael Jackson, Jay Ray.

Um, all the tributes were everywhere online. You know, what's your favorite Michael Jackson song, blah, blah, blah. But Jay Ray, we're here to talk about videos and if anybody can, can be the subject about State of the art videos, game changing videos. It's definitely Michael Jackson. And this list that we have here, he is mentioned not once, not twice, but five times, Jay Ray.

Jay Ray: Yeah, Michael Jackson is an absolute pioneer of music video as a format. So as we know, when, especially when we got into the thriller years. The Michael and his team were very intent on finding new ways to break through and a little video called Billy Jean with Michael Jackson walking on those light up sidewalks and it's, it's a classic eighties video where there's like an invisible sheets and there's all types of stuff happening, but it is, Really the beginning of an era where all of a sudden music videos were not just this kind of extra thing that you, that artists would do, but like a statement into themselves.

So Michael Jackson, uh, happy birthday, Michael. Michael is absolutely a pioneer in that space.

[00:05:55] The Evolution of Music Videos

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DJ Sir Daniel: So I would like to take it back just a little bit, take it back to 1894, where the very first, it is listed that the very first. Music video if we want to call that Um was ever made it was for it was the sheet music for a song Called the little lost child and that sheet music because instead of records at this point music wasn't recorded They would sell the sheet music so that you could play on your old piano at the house So in order to promote the sheet music they created a visual as the kids like to say now they like they created a little a little mini video and what it was is that they used a primitive slideshow um using still photos during a live performance of the actual song so somebody was playing piano while behind this you know somebody was working I guess their projector at the time and creating like a slideshow that went along with the sheet music called The Little Lost Child.

And that is the very first recorded, well, documented music video ever.

Jay Ray: Interesting, that is fascinating, you

DJ Sir Daniel: going to get a nugget here on Queue Points. Mm.

Jay Ray: I never knew about that. So when I saw that on the on the agenda tonight, I was like that is a factoid. I did not know, but it also speaks to the natural, the natural synergy of music being able to lend itself to like visuals. Yeah. If y'all are about to learn a factoid about J Ray, um, I see almost everything like a film.

It's just what it is. It is what it is. So even when I was a kid and I would listen to music, um, I would definitely see visuals. And so music videos definitely lended itself really well to that.

[00:08:00] David Bowie's Space Oddity

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Jay Ray: You know, what also came up for me, Sir Daniel, I remember when I first saw David Bowie's Space Oddity, but not the 1972 version.

I don't know if folks realize this. There is a 1969 version of David Bowie's Space Oddity. That legit is like one of the hottest music videos you will ever see. There's like, obviously, space. And, and, um, uh, uh, women because it's David Bowie and, um, it's giving very clockwork orange. So I think it was part, it ultimately was part of a film, but it was the performance of the song space oddity.

That is essentially a music video. So if folks go to YouTube. You can check out, it's a 1969 video of David Bowie doing Space Oddity and of course David Bowie is also a pioneer of music video. Those David Bowie videos in the late 70s and the early 80s were, helped MTV get started.

DJ Sir Daniel: Ah, perfect, perfect

Jay Ray: See how I did that?

DJ Sir Daniel: you, you set me up, and here I go for the alley oo.

[00:09:20] MTV and the Lack of Black Artists

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DJ Sir Daniel: So, thank you for mentioning David Bowie and MTV in the same breath, because we all know that David Bowie famously took one of MTV's journalists to tasks, tasks, to task, um, um, Asking them point blank, what's up with MTV and this lack of black performers, these lack of black music videos.

You all don't play any music videos of black artists on the show. What's up with that? And of course that started a discourse that we're still having to this day. Um, and it's so funny because MTV debuted August 1st of 1981 and in 1983.

Jay Ray: Michael Jackson?

DJ Sir Daniel: took two years. Jay Ray, 1983 was the very first time that they aired a music video featuring a black artist.

Do you know which who, which artist that is? Because it's not Michael Jackson. Mm-Hmm. Jay Ray, the artist that was featured. The very first black music group that was featured on MTV in 1983 was the UK import musical youth for their video past the Dutchie.

Jay Ray: Oh, those young men deserve their flowers. Look at them just groundbreaking on so many levels.

DJ Sir Daniel: They sure do. But here's the funny thing though, Jerry, the reason why they chose musical youth was because, um, they didn't, they weren't too threatening. They didn't really appear black enough. They weren't that black. According to the music execs

Jay Ray: Musical youth were really black.

DJ Sir Daniel: they were black, but they were just young and they, but they weren't.

But, and they were, the song was happy enough. Oh, look at these little darkies. I mean, these little black kids playing their guitars and their instruments singing about a Dutchie. Oh, we like this. This is non threatening. So yes. So that was the first music video by a black music group ever played on MTV two years after they had been in rotation and gotten their footing as a network.

Jay Ray: You know, okay. So, um, I very much, I think I've talked about this on the show before. I very much remember those early two years of MTV. So I was a kid. I've talked about this. Like my dad was very into cable on check our Instagram later. I'm going to find a picture of the cable box that we had. I'll never forget it.

Um, anyway. I would literally. Watch MTV all summer, like all, like during the summertime, it was literally the only thing I would watch. And what was hilarious about it is you literally only saw the same videos. So it was like a rotating, uh, crop of the same videos over and over again. Cause there were just weren't that many of them.

And most of them were from UK Rock X. That's how I got all of my, that's how I first discovered my love for rock and roll and my love for just kind of like UK, like new wave at the time. Cause they were the only music videos I could watch.

DJ Sir Daniel: That makes a lot of sense. Um, we'll see. First of all, you were fancy. Like I think I mentioned before, we did not, we didn't get cable in Brooklyn for years. And then, um, I didn't actually experience MTV until I moved down South. So I didn't get to experience any of the music cable, music cable channels until I moved down south.

But I'm speaking again of Michael Jackson. It took a son. I'm pretty certain you guys have heard this, but it took one of the Sony music executives to threaten the programmers over MTV. Like, look, we're going to pull all of our Sony artists. We're not going to, we're going to pull all our videos from your network.

Unless you get this Billie Jean video. And rotation on MTV, because at that point, it just didn't make sense. Jackson is a huge artist with music videos and MTV proclaims to be a video show, a video network, and they're not playing it. So yes. So they had to put their foot down.

Jay Ray: So, you know, and that of course comes from racism. That of course is the remnants of, uh, the disco Sucks movement, where, you know, they blew up all the black music and we do rock and roll, and that's all we do over here. Um, and the fact of the matter is like, once Billie Jean got on the air, everything changed after that.

DJ Sir Daniel: Every, nothing was ever the same after that.

[00:14:24] BET's Role in Black Music Videos

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DJ Sir Daniel: And, um, but I mentioned going down south and getting, um, introduced to the different music channels that also included BET. See. Now what I didn't realize is BET actually debuted back in 1980, so the BET,

Jay Ray: was regional. I think it was in like the DC

DJ Sir Daniel: the DC area. So they, while they didn't have the, um, the widespread, um, outlets as much as, uh, M-T-V-B-E-T was around started first in 1980, so.

And that was, of course, the home for a lot of, of course, Black entertainment videos, of course. That was January 25th of 1980. And so here we are with music videos, video outlet shows becoming a huge part of marketing, and to make music artists more visible. So I guess you, we understand why in the eighties it made sense to why videos became so popular, Our music video is still important to the industry, I guess.

[00:15:35] The Importance of Music Videos Today

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Jay Ray: Absolutely. As a car carrying member of the music video generation. I believe that music videos in any form that you can make them are really important because it does a couple of things it. Gives us an opportunity to immerse ourselves in the music that you are creating. So I'm speaking to new artists out there.

It gives us an opportunity to see how you want us to visualize the music that you are putting into the world. So that does not mean you need Hype Williams budget to create a music video. I know so many music videos for indie artists right now that, you know, they are making on their iPhones. It's incredibly creative and well done.

It's all about the vision. So I absolutely think music videos are important, um, to artists today. Mm

DJ Sir Daniel: this question just popped in my head.

[00:16:38] Performance vs. Concept Music Videos

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DJ Sir Daniel: Growing up, did you prefer videos that were full concept videos that had a storyline and, you know, costumes and actors and all that? Or were you a fan of performance music videos where the band is just like, it was a video taken from a performance somewhere. Or like one of my favorite examples is song peppers push it.

It was produced, but it was a performance video.

Jay Ray: um, I didn't have a preference. Um, I didn't have a, I didn't have a preference growing up because I used to watch so many rock videos because like I said initially use watching MTV the whole time and that all you will see was rock videos. Um, when videos did start to be produced. They were either really cheesy and like in a studio environment where it was like a backdrop and it was just like a rock and roller dancing or they were performance in some sort of way where it's just like the band on stage with like a bunch of people.

So Actually, some of my favorite and most memorable music videos, I feel like have a performance aspect. I think of, uh, Tina Turner's, um, Better Be Good To Me. Um, I think of, uh, George Michael's Monkey, which is one of my favorite videos to watch, cause he was on tour at the time. So you get like that whole energy.

You know one of my favorite 90s videos that's a performance video? TLC's, um, Diggin On You.

DJ Sir Daniel: Digging on you. Yeah.

Jay Ray: And it's a slightly different smoothed out version of that. So even smoother than the album version. And I love that they're on tour and they did that video. And I got to see T Boz play with the mic clip, which still, I don't know why that, I don't know why I remember her doing that anyway.

Um, that was my, so I didn't have a preference. What about you? Did you have a between the two? Concept video.

DJ Sir Daniel: not really, uh, but I, here's what I did. I liked seeing performance videos because I liked choreography. I liked, um, seeing, um, cameos of people. I liked seeing the crowds reaction to, to, to, to the song, to a lyric, whatever. So yeah, I didn't really have a preference, but I think those were the, you would either get a concept video or you would get a performance video.

And so concept, yes, a concept video. And speaking of which, so Jerry, are you ready to talk about, to let the people know what these most expensive videos are, because, you know, of course, we only talk about the black ones. I mean, it's, Queue Points. I mean, come on guys.

Jay Ray: We got to do a side. Maybe we'll do something where we do talk about the other ones because there are some other interesting ones in this list. But yeah, we talked about the black ones. So yeah, let's get into it.

DJ Sir Daniel: Well, um, let's start at the top. Well, yeah, let's just start at the top because we already know who's number

Jay Ray: know. We already know who's number

[00:19:37] Michael and Janet Jackson's 'Scream'

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DJ Sir Daniel: you saw the, the, um, our, of our, um, flyer for the show, um, the PSA leading up to this particular episode, we featured it as Michael and Janet Jackson scream at a whopping 13 million.

Jay Ray: And I think that's 13 million based on kind of just like today's number, but still incredibly expensive. It was 7 million at the time, which is nuts, nuts that they would spend. But here's the thing, Sir Daniel, here's the thing. That video is gorgeous. That video, that video looks like every bit Of seven million dollars.

Do you agree? Like, what are your thoughts on Scream?

DJ Sir Daniel: Do I agree?

Jay Ray: Yeah. Mm

DJ Sir Daniel: we, we don't expect anything less than a pristine video from the king and queen of pop, literally the first family of, you know, pop music. And so. That video, like you said, still holds up. It doesn't look dated. It doesn't look, um, I guess because it's been mastered so much, it doesn't look like it's lost any of its, um, what's the word that filmmakers use?

It doesn't look like it's lost any of its, um, sheen to it. It hasn't degenerated at all when you see it on television. Um, and it gives us what we need. We get, we get, um, acting, we get, um, some people, we get levitating. We, and of course the most important part of being a Jackson, we're going to get a boom cat breakdown.

Jay Ray: So two interesting facts, right? So I think folks may or may not know this, but the director of the video did not he was like, I don't do dance. I don't that's not a thing that I do and was like, But Michael and Janet was like, but we dance. So we have to dance in the video. But as you, as we see, there's the only the one section where there's like a dance break.

And I think that was a concession where it's just like, well, we can't, you can't do the video and it not be dancing in it. Cause it's just who we are. So that's an interesting fact. The other fact I that's for me personally, interesting about, uh, Scream is that Scream is the first time I realized that Music videos Are just music videos can just be a concept because here's the thing Scream never went to number one scream Went to number I think number five was its peak And it was down from there.

So this music video that is to this day still the most expensive video music video ever made was made for a song that never even hit the top of the charts.

DJ Sir Daniel: scream just wasn't something that you heard on the dance floor or you heard on the radio. It wasn't popping like that. And, but to your point, it, that's what makes the video aspect of the music industry so fantastic and adds to the, the price tag of being in the music industry and promoting records. But before you go to the next music video, Jerry, I just want to say one other thing that makes this video. Not just so, not the most expensive, but I think the most, um, precious and the most valuable is that it's Janet and Michael together

Jay Ray: Oh, yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: and, and seeing them together, playing together, um, in this video, which is something I'm pretty certain the fans had wanted for a very long time because we knew how close they were, is something that you just can't put a price tag on.

And then, and them holding, holding each other in defiance against the world at the very end is so powerful. It's such a powerful visual for Black music history, period.

Jay Ray: Yeah. Um, what's interesting? Yeah. Yeah. And it's also, and we don't realize this as much at the time, but it's truly the passing of the baton. Janet is at the top of her game. At that point, Janet Jackson has ascended. By that point had ascended to a level and that's why this song was also really important to Michael And they they talk about that in the janet documentary because that was even really cute watching them write together And apparently michael wanted to cuss the girls out in the song and jade.

It's like well, okay Okay You can't do that, right? You can't

DJ Sir Daniel: we can't do that.

Jay Ray: right So even watching these this brother and sister Play off of each other. I think in that way is great. But in a lot of ways, scream is like, Hey, all right, sis, go and take this thing. And now Janet is of course, still ripping stages to this day long after.

So, um, Michael Jackson, man. So of course, scream is the most expensive video ever made. Next up on the list.

[00:25:25] Michael Jackson's 'Black or White'

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Jay Ray: Of most expensive videos, the black ones, Michael Jackson's black or white directed by John Landis. John Landis also directed Michael Jackson's thriller. Um, and, um, great horror movie director, by the way, but he did a black or white.

So black or white adjusted for inflation, black or white costs 8, 947, 960.

In 1991, that was four million dollars. That's a lot of money. It's a lot of money kids. Um, but once again, uh, black or white looks every bit of four million dollars.

DJ Sir Daniel: They were using that, um, that new technology because that's the video where the people were morphing into each other.

Jay Ray: And famously, we know who's in that video. Tyra Banks.

DJ Sir Daniel: Now, you know, what's funny about that video. Now, the kids, I'll tell you the thing about the social media generation is they will mine for content and use it for whatever joke they need to today. And so, of course, um, with this whole, um, The election season here and Kamala, um, vice president Kamala Harris discussing our people, not even her people discussing her blackness.

Jay Ray: Uh huh.

DJ Sir Daniel: Oh, we're using that, that clip of the video where the people were morphing into each other, talking about some Kamala Harris, talking about her blackness and you know, dagnabbit. I had to laugh a little bit. I laughed a little bit at that cause it was, it was funny, but yes, but no, definitely groundbreaking.

Um, lent to Michael's, um, Michael always had a message though. Michael, that was his way of talking about racism. Um, nicely, even though I think he took it up a notch. Well, they don't really care about us. He was really mad on, they don't really care about us, but I'm black and white. He was, you know, he was talking his shit.

Jay Ray: But you remember the, uh, the controversy, remember? So after black and white premiered, so black and white is a Michael Jackson video. So, you know, it's like, bitch, it's a 30

DJ Sir Daniel: It's a television event.

Jay Ray: it's an event. So Michael turns into a panther.

DJ Sir Daniel: Ah, yes,

Jay Ray: Remember? And then Michael turns into a panther and he walks and he gets on the card and And Michael is he's got bats And Michael is like beating and he's dancing on the card.

He's grabbing his crotch. It's a lot happening

DJ Sir Daniel: part. Yeah. They, they really, people really had a meltdown. They were just scared. Because they weren't used to seeing their, their quiet, meek, Michael, but no, no, that's not an excuse. Michael does that during his shows. He's crotch grabbing and everything. So I still, to this day, don't understand what the hubbub was about regarding that part of the video.

Jay Ray: Listen, we had just come off Madonna. The people ain't know what to do. Remember a couple of years back, she kissed the black Jesus. We just don't know. Okay.

DJ Sir Daniel: Our boomer parents just didn't, couldn't handle it. They just, they were not able, they were not able.

Jay Ray: So the next Michael Jackson video that we want to talk about. Now, there is one. This isn't there's one in between. I'm gonna just mention it. But. You rock my world is also in that 4 million range, which is also great song. Not a huge hit.

DJ Sir Daniel: A dud. Yeah. It was kind of, it was supposed to be like, it's come

Jay Ray: That was supposed to be his comeback. Michael looked really weird. Yeah, it was a lot happening. Great song, not a hit. Um, but the video that we wanted to talk about is one of our absolute favorites.

[00:29:30] Michael Jackson's 'Remember the Time'

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Jay Ray: And it's, Remember the time when we fell in love from dangerous, which is my second favorite Michael Jackson album.

Um, that video was directed by John Singleton. Amazing. 2 million adjusted for inflation. That is four point, uh, four point. Uh, let me see. What does it say? 4. 3, what do we got? 4. 32. 4. 4 point 3 4 2 million dollars adjusted for inflation. I love that video so much

DJ Sir Daniel: Another, um, major television event during prime time because that came, it came on right after in living color. So, you know, we were all glued to the television on a Sunday night and it, it was star studded.

Jay Ray: Yeah, everybody every black Star was in remember the time if you weren't in it you wasn't that famous

DJ Sir Daniel: You weren't that hot. We had Iman, you had Eddie Murphy, of course, um, Magic Johnson. Um, who else? But

Jay Ray: more people

DJ Sir Daniel: I think the, I think the most important part, once again, the Jackson breakdown, Fatima Robinson,

Jay Ray: They did that.

DJ Sir Daniel: peed for that choreography, but that breakdown that do

Jay Ray: Do ya? Yep. Yes.

DJ Sir Daniel: it to the, to the nation.

Like everybody, I remember everybody in Atlanta was doing the Bart Simpson club excess and sharing secrets. It was a team, a team club dance. That's what I remember. Then all of a sudden it's on nationwide television. You know, Michael Jackson is doing the Bart Simpson on do you on remember the time.

Yeah. Okay.

Jay Ray: Yeah, everything about that video. was classic. It had the whole Egypt thing. It had a mysticism, Michael Kistimon, we think.

DJ Sir Daniel: was which was kind of everybody was kind of they talked a lot about that kiss the next day on the

Jay Ray: very weird.

[00:31:54] Michael Jackson's 'Bad'

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Jay Ray: Um, but to that point, Sir Daniel, I missed one in the middle that was more expensive, bad, Which also was star studded, Bad was directed by Martin Scorsese.

They paid 2. 2 million at the time. Video looks like it's worth every bit of its 2. 2 million. Adjusted for inflation, 5. 9 million dollars. Now this is You ain't bad, you ain't nothing! So I remember this was the second big music video. So Thriller was the first, Bad was the second. So one, Michael had disappeared.

Like we hadn't seen Michael Jackson for many years. Michael showed up with a completely different face on the subways of New York City in the 80s. That's the thing.

DJ Sir Daniel: wearing a trench and a hoodie. It was a good look. Wearing a trench in the hoodie, walking in the subways, and then boom, gang ran, ran up on him. Gang was like, what up, blood? What up? 'cause what's, what's that? You know, there's this, there's this, um, this theory going around because the gang element does appear a lot in Michael Jackson videos. There is this running theory that Michael Jackson was a crip. Did you know

Jay Ray: Really? I didn't know about that.

DJ Sir Daniel: There is this running theory that Michael Jackson is in fact a crip from, um, from Gary, Indiana, from the set out in Gary. And, uh, of course he lived in LA for many, uh, in Los Angeles for many years. So there is a slight possibility. There's a slight possibility because even in Beat It, Beat It, well, he had both sets in Beat It. He had the Bloods and the Crips in Beat It. And I think the only way that he could have, he could have, is the only person that could have orchestrated that was because of his ties.

Jay Ray: I immediately my brain immediately goes to Michael Jackson as a gangbanger. I don't know what that looks like. I don't understand but yeah,

DJ Sir Daniel: it's one of those, those famed fables that's out there.

Jay Ray: so bad. Listen, bad was a dope video every video. Listen, Michael Jackson know how to spend his money. You know what I'm saying? Like you're going to get your money's worth. If Michael Jackson is spending money on it, you're gonna get your money's worth. I will say that is not my favorite Michael Jackson album.

Like it doesn't it's the one of the albums I played least. Well, no invincible is like least, least, least, but I don't play bad that much. So it's interesting. Um, but bad had Wesley Snipes in it. out to Wesley Snipes. Um, Yeah, straight off of, uh, what was the movie with Goldie Hawn? That he was right, Wildcats.

He was off of Wildcats.

DJ Sir Daniel: it's the Spudder Kings, better than diamond rings. Football.

Jay Ray: Football.

DJ Sir Daniel: If you know, you know.

Jay Ray: What was that? Yo mama said you ugly.

DJ Sir Daniel: U G F

Jay Ray: Why you ain't got no alibi. You ugly. What were you ugly?

DJ Sir Daniel: For extra points, anybody in the chat that can drop who's saying that song that I was singing just now. Um, You get love from Queue Points, but if anybody can tell us who sang that song, um, you get cute extra Queue Points from us But, um, but yeah, that Michael had a really good run as the king of music videos.

But again, you know, the dynasty, the family legacy that doesn't jump far. Um, yes, Marcus Richards is in the chat. It was in fact, LL Cool J singing football and he was actually, was he featured in the movie? Oh, was it just the video? I think it was

Jay Ray: I think it was just a video.

DJ Sir Daniel: Yeah. But yes, Marcus, you're absolutely correct.

Correct. LL Cool J singing football.

[00:36:10] Janet Jackson's 'Doesn't Really Matter'

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DJ Sir Daniel: But, um, Janet Jackson doesn't really matter. And I forgot, I didn't put the money, the, um, price tag

Jay Ray: I got it right here. It was directed, Joseph Kahn directed it. They at the time spent 2. 5 million adjusted for inflation. That is 4. 6 million today. Yeah. It looks like it.

DJ Sir Daniel: well, it was all the things we

Jay Ray: Yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: We got her in Tokyo,

Jay Ray: Yep.

DJ Sir Daniel: which

Jay Ray: It was a lot of it was a lot of a Matrix II kind of moving cameras and zooms.

DJ Sir Daniel: was a lot of, um, chords hooked onto

Jay Ray: Yeah, because when they dance because she had to like go down the the pinball machine or whatever.

I don't

DJ Sir Daniel: There was lots of virtual, we saw a sign, we saw AI early signs of AI using that video, uh, virtual reality, all of the things. Of course, that music video, um, was the catapult for the nutty professor. Movie soundtrack. Um, and Janet, of course, starting the nutty professor and it was, um, yeah, it's one of those videos where of course, the one thing about that video for me is that Janet looks absolutely adorable.

I think she spent the whole time in that video, just being adorable.

Jay Ray: Well, you know, that was during her pop princess era. You know what I'm saying? Cause we were getting into the all for you. This is the pop princess era, Janet. So that video is definitely giving you that. Everything is a glow. Like Janet is gold. That video. Yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: I think they were using ring lights for the first because everything was a close up because you can see in everybody's Pupils you can see the reflection of the ring light. So the ring light was definitely a thing You know what? Our most valued listener, Mark is always in the building and Mark brings up a very good point.

Mark says in the chat, Acura helped pay for that video through product

Jay Ray: Yep.

DJ Sir Daniel: I think that's a very good point to make that that is when we started seeing a lot of, um, artists getting a lot of music, a lot of product placement and a lot of funding.

Jay Ray: Yep.

DJ Sir Daniel: from outside corporations trying to push their products because, you know, music videos, people, they finally got it.

It's like, this is the easiest way to help sell our products.

Jay Ray: Absolutely. You know, this is a sidebar this video ain't on this but I figured I would mention it. My favorite one of my favorite product placements is in Eve's tambourine that Chrysler 200 is prominent and I'm like, I don't think Eve is driving that car, but sure Chrysler was like she is now.

DJ Sir Daniel: Listen all the way to the bank.

Jay Ray: All the way. So what we got next Sir Daniel? Oh, yeah, this

DJ Sir Daniel: Well, we got Mimi.

Jay Ray: mm hmm.

DJ Sir Daniel: The heartbreaker video.

[00:39:20] Mariah Carey's 'Heartbreaker' and 'Honey'

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DJ Sir Daniel: Well, Mimi's got two videos, two videos on this list. The first one listed is heartbreaker, um, for inflation.

Jay Ray: Well, it's the same as Janet. So, uh, for inflation 4. 572, 2. 5 originally. So, her, she paid, I'm sure that was a contractual thing. Janet got this, so I need you to spend this on Heartbreaker. I wouldn't have spent that much on Heartbreaker. It's not my favorite Mariah Carey song, but sure.

DJ Sir Daniel: Now heartbreaker is the,

Jay Ray: remix kills. It's from, uh, it's not, it's from Rainbow.

DJ Sir Daniel: It's from Rainbow, was the original, that's the one with Jay Z on it, right?

Jay Ray: The one with Jay Z on it. Yep.

DJ Sir Daniel: So this is where we saw Bianca.

Jay Ray: Yes.

DJ Sir Daniel: Okay. So, so Mariah Carey is running around, uh, playing two people, one in a black wig, and very tight mini skirt, um, playing her alter, alter ego, Bianca.

Jay Ray: Does she fight Bianca in this video? Is that a

DJ Sir Daniel: have a fight in the bathroom.

They sure do. They get into scrapping in the ladies room. Yep.

Jay Ray: They got a scrapping in the ladies room. Um, we digress.

DJ Sir Daniel: you're right I like the remix a lot better

Jay Ray: The remakes goes Jermaine Dupri. It's got the Brad on it.

DJ Sir Daniel: Mm hmm, Missy

Jay Ray: Missy.

DJ Sir Daniel: Baby, I got the real thing.

Jay Ray: Yes, why you keep sweating me? Yes, that's a jam. So next up Mariah You know, what is a honey? Paul hunter which we have a name we've seen a lot Paul hunter directed that they paid 2 million for it 3. 7. Of course, we know honey famously produced by Diddy and team at the time. Um, and, uh, the locks are on that joint.

You know what I'm saying? They got a check, uh, from one of my favorite Mariah records, Butterfly. Butterfly is a hot, hot record.

DJ Sir Daniel: And we see Mariah busting some choreo

Jay Ray: She like, right.

DJ Sir Daniel: can't see it, but we're doing the little shoulder move that Mariah famously does in the, um, the honey video, the video that marks her emancipation from Tommy

Jay Ray: Exactly. Yeah. Cause she like broke out and like jump in a pool and she was like, she got on like a bar, like one of them things as a jet ski to get away.

DJ Sir Daniel: all while wearing stiletto pumps.

Jay Ray: course. How could she not?

DJ Sir Daniel: It's Mariah, but yes, you know, talking, reminiscing about these videos, these videos were fun.

Jay Ray: Yes. Yes.

DJ Sir Daniel: fun. The music was fun. It was a good time. We, we had to run to, um, the, the television, turn on the station. We had to see these videos. We had to absolutely had to.

[00:42:22] Busta Rhymes and Janet Jackson's 'What's It Gonna Be?!

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DJ Sir Daniel: All right. So wrapping up the black people list of most expensive videos, Busta Rhymes featuring. Janet Jackson,

Jay Ray: the Janet Jackson. Um,

DJ Sir Daniel: of Taurus energy in that video.

Jay Ray: Yeah, they were crazy. Speaking of Kiriakou said this for the, uh, doesn't really matter. They went real crazy on that green screen for this video. Like this video is in a universe that does not exist. And, um, directed by Hype Williams, of course, 1999, they spent 2. 4 on it. Then adjusted for inflation is 4.

4. Um, famously, Sir Daniel, I don't know if you've seen this, but Janet. Did kind of a recap of like her videos and this was one of the videos she talked about maybe this is like three or four years ago and she talked about the fact that this was in an era where they were putting like a diamond thing on her on her beauty mark and she said Well, no, she was like, there's a point in the video where I lick out and people think I'm doing like a sexy, I'm a lick buster thing.

[00:43:32] Unexpected On-Set Moments

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Jay Ray: And she's like, no, no, no, no, no, no. The thing started to like move down and I didn't want, this is a professional. I didn't want to mess up the take. So I licked my lips and I put it under my tongue.

DJ Sir Daniel: Wow.

Jay Ray: Time is money. Janet is like, no, I didn't want that to ruin the take. So I'd like did the lick thing, put it under my tongue.

She was like, it worked, but no, no, no. It was very practical. The little diet, the stud thing was moving. Yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: At one point, Busta Rhymes turns into what looks like sperm. Oh, it looks like swimming sperm. And, um, yeah, the chemistry between Busta and Janet was hot. Um, Mark brings up another point.

[00:44:22] The Mystery of C Rings

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DJ Sir Daniel: Is that the, um, the ring later on, we found out that all the rings that we saw on her outfit, um, turned out to be, how can I, what's another word that I can use?

Because there's another word for, um,

Jay Ray: Is there another word for them?

DJ Sir Daniel: types of rings. What is it? Hmm. We'll, we'll call them C rings.

Jay Ray: C rings. I like that. We are so YouTube right now. Yes, C rings.

DJ Sir Daniel: If you have ever, it's, um, something that if a gentleman is not wearing, chooses not to wear underwear, they can, they can use this to corral themselves.

Jay Ray: C

DJ Sir Daniel: Thank you. And keep it in, keep themselves in place. And, um, yes, so that's what the C rings are for us. There's some come in different sizes. Some are mostly metal, iron, and there are some now that are made with, um, elastic material, but for this video, Janet had them.

Adorning her outfit. Yes.

Jay Ray: her outfit and they were in her nails. This is a sidebar question for those of you who see ring seem really uncomfortable to me. Tell me about C Rings for those of y'all that are in the chat. Do you use them? Is it a thing for you? Like, as a separate show? I'm just curious.

DJ Sir Daniel: just looking and seeing a few people in this chat. I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts that they know a lot about seeing rings in this chat. But anyway, um, we are going to, to move on, but yes.

[00:46:03] Expensive Music Video Flops

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DJ Sir Daniel: Busta Rhymes, um, brings up the rear with the information with the, um, one of the most expensive videos, the black people version,

Jay Ray: Mm hmm.

DJ Sir Daniel: with what's it gonna be.

And so you made a really good point, Jay Ray about, especially quite a few of Michael's, um, videos didn't necessarily translate into charting well. And we in fact have, there are a couple of duds, that's what we're just calling them the duds. They spent a lot of money on these videos, but they did not reap the benefits from the music videos.

Jay Ray: hmm.

DJ Sir Daniel: And the first one on the list is, um, the good Dr. MC Hammer,

Jay Ray: Yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: that too legit to quit music video for inflation purposes, what 5. 3 million.

Jay Ray: yeah, they originally paid 2. 5 for it. It was the it was directed by Rupert Wayne, right? I don't know who that is But that's he looks like he would have directed that video that I've seen now that I've seen the director's name It looks like it was directed by a Rupert.

[00:47:21] MC Hammer's Rise and Fall

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Jay Ray: Ah This was the era where hammer was a pop artist.

He was where he had leaned into that for better or for worse. This was not, please hammer. Don't hurt him. This was not all of that

DJ Sir Daniel: This was Adam's family

Jay Ray: This was Adam's family. I forgot about that song. So yeah. Um, so this song was a dud. I just, it was too legit, too legit to quit.

DJ Sir Daniel: we got this out of it. We got that out of it. You know,

Jay Ray: We just did the to legit to quit and y'all I realize that if you're listening, you don't know what just happened.

DJ Sir Daniel: Yeah, sorry about that, but um, I don't know and it was like a cast of thousands in that video There were like thousands of dancers. It was just it was just a lot and I appreciated hammer for Hammer wanted to push Um, wanted to push the, the envelope with music videos. He, because he, he was just that person.

He was that dude. He was on the charts. Um, he liked employing people from the neighborhood, all of those good things, but it just, it just didn't translate to a hit. The song itself was not a hit. So that's that on that. Yeah,

Jay Ray: to quit who produced this song. Oh hammer produced this hammer produced this he did he did.

DJ Sir Daniel: he did everything in house, basically, and you know, for better or for worse, it's part of his history. He's still, he's still an unsung hero for all of his contributions. And, um, I wish he, I wish he was treated better by his peers and by, by us in general, so that we could all enjoy him now, because now he's like, Oh, y'all didn't appreciate, appreciate me back then.

So don't call me for 50th anniversary, hip hop stuff. I don't want to be involved because y'all weren't nice to me. Basically is what he said. Y'all weren't cool with me then. Ain't no, ain't no need in trying to, to blow my smoke up my behind right now. So yeah, it's just one of those, um, unfortunate. Things to come out of hip hop.

Jay Ray: Yeah, I mean, I understand. I mean, listen, everybody's got their own thing. I will say let's get it started as an album still goes off. Like that album goes so hard to me. So if hammer was like, I want to come out and I just want to do a show where I do all of them joints from that record. I mean, we got to turn this mother out.

Let's get it started. Cole goes MC ham, like all of them joints

DJ Sir Daniel: Listen, the, the original video for let's get started where they're in likes in somebody's club and everybody has on the troop jackets and the

Jay Ray: Next.

DJ Sir Daniel: I like seeing that video. I will watch that video before I watch to legit to quit, but onto the next dud.

[00:50:39] Puff Daddy's Costly Victory

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DJ Sir Daniel: And this is, you know, You know, come to find out this gentleman has been walking around the beach in Miami, you know, people are still wanting to take pictures with him, but Puff Daddy victory, 4. 84 million dollars. American. I didn't like the song.

Jay Ray: I didn't like the song either, and apparently nobody did 'cause it, it peaked at number 19 on the, the, the hot 100. It did go to number two on the, on the hip hop charts, but Sure.

DJ Sir Daniel: I think what we saw here is we saw Sean Really wanted to become the, uh, feeling himself because at this point, everybody's telling, Oh, you're, you're beautiful. You're amazing. You're talented, you know, gassing his head, which he is. He's he did a lot. He's definitely made a lot of contributions. He did. But I think he got to that point where he was feeling himself to be like, you know, what? I can be up front and this is where we got that. Um that album now puff daddy and the family But that solo album, um the first joint where he was public enemy number one with hurricane g and Yeah, and this victory song showed up with a with a with a posthumous appearance from the notorious big

Jay Ray: which was such a cash, like, I'm like, sir, no.

DJ Sir Daniel: going and let's not even mention that terrible song that he did with um, was it Robert Plant? Dun dun dun, dun dun dun, dun dun dun,

Jay Ray: yeah. I forgot about, I don't know what that, I don't know what that shit is called, but, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: Diddy was making some choices, definitely, he was definitely making some choices to further his, his, um, stardom, his stardom. And that's why, and that's what happens because that was not well planned. That was a waste of money.

Jay Ray: yeah, I, uh, yeah, I wasn't into the song. The only joint from this record that I really cared about is that Benjamin's joint, which I mean, for obvious reasons, been around the world was dope.

DJ Sir Daniel: the Family.

Jay Ray: That was, I think this is a no way, yeah, no way out. Is it that that album? Hold on. What's that? That was same album.

This was the fifth single from that album. Can you believe it? This was the victory song. So apparently, hold on.

DJ Sir Daniel: So what album am I thinking of, where he's in white, the

Jay Ray: that's the sec. That's the sec. That's the other. That's that records called forever.

DJ Sir Daniel: Uh, okay. What was on that? Besides the P. E. 2000.

Jay Ray: PE 2000 satisfy you. I don't know what that song is and best friend. don't know what that

DJ Sir Daniel: Uh, okay. Oh, so the victory was on No, okay.

Jay Ray: But it was yeah, it was the last single.

DJ Sir Daniel: ha ha.

Jay Ray: that's what I think we first got the puff. I think we first got the the Diddy scream vocal, which is also classic. Y'all can't touch this. That became kind of legendary.

[00:53:53] Iconic Music Video Directors

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Jay Ray: Um, Yeah, but one of the things that made all of these music videos happen Was the importance of the the directors, right? So so many of these videos The visions for these videos were the directors. Of course, the artists had their input. We talked about the fact that Scream, the director was like Uh, I don't do dancey things.

So there's not going to be a dancey thing in this. And then they were like, but Mark, we dance. So there has to be a dancey thing in there. So, so I think it's important that we wanted to just shout out and show love to some of our favorite directors that are known. Course, one of them, we just going to name them out.

Hype Williams, of course.

DJ Sir Daniel: Benny Boom.

Jay Ray: Boom. The legend, Ralph McDaniel.

DJ Sir Daniel: And y'all can't forget X. Remember

Jay Ray: I forgot all about X. X was directed and then listen, Billy Woodruff. You got to come over to Queue Points. We feel like

DJ Sir Daniel: Billy

Jay Ray: Billy Woodruff. Listen, there are so many beautiful LaFace Records videos that have happened because of Billy Woodruff. Tony Braxton has been like, oh my God, immortalized.

DJ Sir Daniel: Woodruff made black women in his videos. Look immaculate light. And people don't, you know, people don't give Billy Woodruff enough props. Billy, we have honey. We have Billy Woodruff to thank for honey.

[00:55:29] The Era of Video Vixens

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DJ Sir Daniel: And I said, I want honey, you know, so, but listen, so if we're going to talk about the, the, um, video directors in the, there came upon a rising star in the early two thousands that gained a life of their own, they were called video vixens.

Jay Ray. Video vixens, the, the, this generation is now finding out about video vixens because I'm seeing a lot of posts now about how video vixens were dancing the videos and whatnot, but there were, there came a time where video vixens were just as important. As the song itself and

Jay Ray: Oh, yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: if you didn't see Corinne Stephens, if you didn't see Gloria Velez, all of

Jay Ray: Melissa Ford, I think was in that list.

DJ Sir Daniel: Yes. Melissa Ford is an, is iconic. They, they even created a magazine around those women. Remember King

Jay Ray: King magazine. Yep.

DJ Sir Daniel: So we gotta give, we gotta show love to the, the video vixens, the video performers, all of them who were silent, but we all knew their faces. Faces. And they, I mean, they, those girls were painted.

They were wearing next to nothing. And sometimes they were painted in gold or black and all kinds of stuff. I can only imagine. Remember those videos where they were wet the whole

Jay Ray: the whole the whole video my guy. Yeah. Oh those women. I think BET at some point did a whole video vixen thing. Definitely go check that out on YouTube. But Sir Daniel as we wrap up this segment, we do we want you all to come back because we do have a couple things that we want to talk about with y'all.

Um, but.

[00:57:22] Favorite Music Video Artists

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Jay Ray: Who is your favorite music video artist?

DJ Sir Daniel: Okay. So I thought about this and I'm sure that there's going to be, there's lots of people that could come before this person and after this person and whatnot, but she just keeps, she kept coming to my mind every time I thought about the question and my favorite music video

Jay Ray: Oh, she's

DJ Sir Daniel: the very beginning, like when she hit us over the head with, um, I hate you so much right

Jay Ray: right now. Yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: And, you know, just the vibrant colors, the hair, the, the Hype Williams because she was a Hype Williams baby. Also like her videos, Hype Williams directed. They knew how to, you know, The fashions were in play and she was just really cool and beautiful to look at And then you know, she gave you she always gave you a new look in every new video The I just want to get the get along with you video

Jay Ray: my God. With the stop motion.

DJ Sir Daniel: Yes, the Tim Burton kind of um, video.

I don't know why people don't talk about that video enough. No other music video Especially with a black artist had ever done anything that groundbreaking Ever and then then when she came with her milkshake I mean and then when she cut her hair it was she made news just by cutting her hair

Jay Ray: Yep.

DJ Sir Daniel: And dying it black when

Jay Ray: Yeah.

DJ Sir Daniel: you know, doing the pterodactyl dance by the pool.

So yeah, she's just, she's exciting. Khalees made me excited to see her music videos. And I think that's so important. And that's what, you know, could really make a break of, uh, makes her my video artist ever. My favorite music video artist. Who is yours?

Jay Ray: Oh, I don't even want to, I had, I've been thinking about this. This is off the beat and path. I kind of, so

DJ Sir Daniel: we do around here.

Jay Ray: my favorite music video artist is yay. I just feel like yay. I loved watching the evolution of his. conversation that he was having through music videos over the years. Um, they went from very elaborate to stark, um, at different points, but I felt like he always had something interesting to say.

Um, so I wish Ye could have held it together, but, um, I think Kendrick Lamar is coming up. As being my, one of my new favorites. Um, I always am fascinated with like Kendrick videos. Um, even the videos that he does with other people. So, Ye is the artist that I will pick as my favorite music video artist. Um, that we haven't talked about.

So, yeah, that's who I

DJ Sir Daniel: Well, listeners, viewers, we want to put it in the chat. We want to see who is your favorite music video artist ever. Cause we, you know, we just want to see what you guys have and want to know what your taste is.

[01:00:54] Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts

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Jay Ray: Friends, thank you so much for hanging out with your boys here at Queue Points. If you want to stay connected to us, you are doing the thing. You are hearing our voices. You are seeing our faces wherever you are. Hit the whole hit a whole subscribe button so you can get all the information about Queue Points.

Follow us. We would love to hear from you. Send us inboxes. Let us know what you think about the show. We would love that. Share the show with your friends, family, colleagues. If you love the show, chances are they will love it too. Visit our website at Queue Points. com to sign up for our newsletter. You can read our Queue Points magazine.

You can shop our store at store. Queue Points. com. And most importantly, y'all. Just be awesome. Enjoy yourselves this, this, uh, Labor Day weekend. Um, have fun wherever you're going to do. I'm actually going to be lighting up the smoker on Sunday. I'm going to be smoking some chicken.

DJ Sir Daniel: Oh, okay. Please clear that up. Cause then

Jay Ray: Like not that smoker. I don't do that smoking.

I appreciate people that do, but, um, no, I'm gonna be lighting up the smoker this weekend. So, uh, whatever you're doing, do that. What you got, you got any, well, you celebrate your birthday. So what you, what you doing, sir, Daniel?

DJ Sir Daniel: Um, probably, uh, I'm going to a play. I'm going at the Alliance Theater, um, to see the new Katori Hall play at that. So I get to see a preview of that. Um, I'm going to hang out with my friends and do hood rat stuff on Saturday and Sunday. We're going to take it easy and, um, probably go to a food hall and just, you know, I'll allow people to buy me drinks, buy me lunch.

That's it. You know, adore me with gifts and whatnot. If you feel it in your heart to do so, you know, who, who am I to deny you to, to gift me on my birthday? No, but seriously, I'm just going to getting up there. I'm not doing a whole lot. Like I said, the streets are for the kids, but everybody, please be safe out there.

But what do I always say? J Ray in this life, you have the opportunity. You can either pick up the needle or you can let the record play. I am DJ sir, Daniel.

Jay Ray: My name is J. Rey, y'all.

DJ Sir Daniel: And this is Queue Points podcast, dropping the needle on black music history. I love to tour.

[01:03:18] Closing Theme

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music videos

Top 10 Most Expensive Black Music Videos Ever Made: Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson & More