Video Killed the Radio Star

Dear James,

Well this has been a very informative afternoon. After entertaining my neighbours to a loud rendition yesterday of one of my favourite songs off mother's Island Collection and the answer to a thousand pop quiz questions (as long as all 1,000 questions are "What was the first video to be shown on MTV?") I got to thinking "Whatever happened to that funny chap with the glasses?" Turns out, speccy here is Trevor Horn, the world famous producer! How did so much time pass without my knowing that little morsel of pop anorakia? Am I ignorant after all? Here's a whole load of stuff I never knew:

1. Trevor Horn is English, not American. How did they sneak that one past me?
2. Trevor Horn leant Bob Geldof his studio to record the "Do They Know It's Christmas?" single, and produced the b-side, which was the same song recorded by all the people who didn't make it to the first recording.
3. Trevor Horn was the man behind The Art of Noise.



4. He was also responsible for Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm, which was originally intended for Frankie Goes to Hollywood. No, really.
5. Grace Jones is still alive. And touring.
6. His wife's been in a coma since 2006.
17. He's the man resposible for TaTu.
444. Video Killed the Radio Star was the 444th UK number one.
There can be only 1. The video for VKTRS was directed by Russell Mulcahy, of Highlander Fame. He directed this video too. Feel the talent.

Afro

Dear Daniel,

There is a reason. I've been plugged in by Virgin. So I was searching for "Plug Me In" by Add n To (x). I thought you might like the fact that it featured a porn star. Unfortunately, it's just too damn smutty for YouTube to allow so the result is less than happy. It's here though. Anyway, I remember John Spencer did something with them at some point and that reminded me I haven't heard Afro for a long time.

His ability to build a reasonably successful career from shouting "Blues explosion!" repeatedly while flinging himself at a theremin is quite something. God knows, I've tried to do the same. My techniques were "shuddering" and "sweating" - both of which mirror the complexity of John Spencer's ideas but which failed to bring me the level of praise dumped on this man in the late 90s.

I am willing to admit that his moves, if not more cool than mine, were a bit more socially acceptable.

Dear James,
That's positively filthy. In fact I watched the plug-me-in video 2 hours ago and it's taken me that long to get back to here. It was a wet and wild voyage. So it would appear that any two women with a polaroid and a dildo can now be popstars? That's very empowering. It's like Tatu all over again. I've told Josefina, if she can find a friend I'll lend her the piano.

Oh, and John Spencer? Meh. Didn't you make me go and see him at the Leadmill? He was rubbish then as well. No MOR and no naked women, what kind of video is that?