Faev snogs: Sparks, “I Predict”

You’re gonna watch
this video now
and then later, real soon—
I predict!

And here’s the official video version, directed by none other than David Lynch:

Cold beer and pretzels, takes care of cancer.

Don’t worry, it’ll work out!

(There’s some background info on the song & Sparks at All Music.)

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You can call me Pierre Boulez’s sole collaboration with Lorne Michaels

According to Paul Simon, the song’s inspiration came from a party he hosted:

Simon explained how he and his wife Peggy were having a party for some rock ‘n roll musicians. Simon had invited a friend who was fellow composer and Pierre Boulez, legendary French composer whom his friend was accompanying, to the party. After twenty minutes, Simon’s friend approached him, saying that Boulez wished to leave. According to Simon, in their goodbyes, Boulez said, “Sorry I have to leave, Al, and give my best to Betty.”

Also supposedly, this is the second video made for the song. Simon didn’t like the first one (a performance he did while hosting Saturday Night Live), so Lorne Michaels suggested this second version.

I’ve always been fond of it, although looking at it now, I can’t help but see the cracks. Why isn’t the camera more stationary throughout? And the framing’s thoroughly weak. (Look, for instance, at how high Chevy Chase’s head is in the frame 1:08–1:40.) But that’s also part of the 1980s charm, I guess; today it would be super-slick. And it’s such a great concept that the technical flaws don’t seriously detract.

It’s above all “very late 80s.” It was directed by Gary Weis, who seems to have made music videos only in 1986 and 1987. He shot a somewhat similar promo for George Harrison’s “Got My Mind Set on You”:

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