"Dancin' In The Streets"

I've seen some sites claim that this is in the top 10 list for worst video ever. It even made the "Morning Joe" show where they mocked it for dancing indoors in a hallway instead of in the streets. I hate it myself but what do you think?

From Yahoo:

DAVID BOWIE & MICK JAGGER - "DANCIN' IN THE STREETS"
This video managed to do the seemingly impossible: make two of the coolest rock 'n' roll legends of all time look completely UNCOOL. How did this happen?? Did all that coolness just cancel itself out or something? How could the rock 'n' roll stud who sang "Paint It Black" and the artist formerly known as Ziggy Stardust combine forces and wind up making a video as embarrassing as this? It's as painful as watching home-movie footage of two dorky dads doing the Macarena at a Bar Mitzvah. The mind boggles. And the eyes bleed: .

[Worst Videos Ever]

Definitely worthy of it's place in the top worst videos ever. Horrible song, horrible video.

Neither Bowie nor Jagger were particularly 'cool' by 1985, so it hardly mattered.

A bit of high-camp harmless fun.

If you want an example of a REALLY bad video which made Jagger look ridiculous, I'll raise you 'Lets Work'. And if you want to scrape the barrel even further, dig out the 'Top of the Pops' performance of the same song. I hid behind the settee with embarrassment when that one was on.

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Gazza
Neither Bowie nor Jagger were particularly 'cool' by 1985, so it hardly mattered.

...Good point - and furthermore: to these 80's standards, which were as campy as "hig-camp" can be, this video was way cool enough...

["I can hear the Bullfrog calling me..."]

Actually, when you look at some of the over the top poncing about Mick does in some 70s videos when the Stones WERE still considered 'cool' ("Silver Train", anyone?), this is pretty low down in the cringeworthy stakes by comparison.

80's were very difficult time for music and especially videos. Most of the stuff that was popular back then looks extremely funny and ridiculous today. To watch the Dancin' In The Streets video is very painful. The song itself (I mean this version) would not be that bad without the video, it would be a so-so version. But watching it I just think and hope they didn't mean it seriously. They probably did. Now I have to find the 'Lets Work' video.

I always found charts like that with the 10 worst whatever extremely stupid by the way. They are usually about the person who does them solving some of his personality issues. I mean the video is very very bad. But were there not more than 10 worse videos done around the world?

I dont think they meant it 'seriously' at all. The whole thing is done very tongue in cheek.

Oh, and (to get back to the original post) they did dance in the streets as well as in the hallway.

Here is the worst video and song Mick Jagger was a key part of:

I really hope it was not meant seriously - I mean when they get on the street, Mick dances obviously out of rythm, which MUST be intentional, the bottom shake at the end... But it was in the 80's... okay, I believe, it was just fun. But they shouldn't have done it anyway.

To the Let's Work - I found the video. It is also really bad, but I think I like Dancin' a bit less. The TOTP performance - I only found one version without sound, so can not compare that one.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-11-29 16:22 by Happy24.

I think it was made in a hurry for the live aid to raise money so i can forgive them for that. it was just a bit of fun and I didn't really think it was that bad anyway.

I can't believe I never saw that Let's Work video. Pretty dopey.

I thought it was hilarious. Just like the video of Start me Up was hilarious, and the
video of It's only Rock 'n Roll, or the video of Hey Negrita, or the video of Dancing
with mr D or the video of Far Away Eyes or....

Hell, come to think of it, Mick was hardly ever serious into the making of videos was he?

I bought the Let's Work cassingle JUST FOR THE B-SIDE. I knew it had to be better than the single...

SILVER TRAIN? ----Very cool, imo...Loved it when it was 1st played on tv...But it depends on the persons age at the time..
What my father thinks is cool may not be cool in my eyes...As what is cool in my eyes is not what's cool in my son's eyes....Or
even in Gazza's eyes!!! ha..

The above Bowie/Jagger was made to look fun, not cool.. Its a fun video!

Two superstars made this video in one night with the intention of raising money to help starving people in Africa.

Back in the 80's people looked at the 70's with horror...and the rear-view hipper-than-then game never ends.

And yes, they were having FUN! Two pros, two pals playing off each other...the first time I saw it (when it debuted during the Live Aid broadcast ) it reminded me of this famous clip:






The interaction between the two is priceless. Mick reminds me more of Dean, self-assured, and at the same time, self-mocking.

The laughs were intentional. Anyone who compares this moment of levity (for a serious cause ) with the rest of their work is either too young to appreciate the context...or too dim to get a joke.

Loog--well said!

yes, it should be remembered that the disc the video was promoting was for charity, not a career move. Agreed that it's not any sillier than the Stones' 70s promo films, which are mainly terrible, just with better haircuts.

I really like the Jagger and Bowie video..it was just the other week it was been shown in a Nightclub a few times that night on a giant screen and everyone loved it.My favourite Stone's video would have to be.. Waiting on a Friend..

It wasnt good but it was for a good cause and made in a hurry so we shouldn't be to hard on it. The worst for me is the video for Start me up which makes me cringe with embarrassment, though Keith Richards black eye is spectacular.

Is that Jeff Beck on guitar?
I liked the song (Let's work)
With Bowie he made a good couple too,Jagger had the biggest balls though.

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bluesinc.

You deserve a lifetime ban for posting offensive videos!

These videos go a long way explaining why Keith was so pissed off at him.

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Gazza

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bluesinc.

You deserve a lifetime ban for posting offensive videos!

thank God there's no audio on this youtube clip.


IORR............but I like it!

Yeah, its a pretty bad video. The song collaboration is one of my favorites. Jagger definitely over powers Bowie with the lyrics. Bowie has only a few solo moments.

Mick's rock, I'm roll.

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sweet neo con

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Gazza

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bluesinc.

You deserve a lifetime ban for posting offensive videos!

thank God there's no audio on this youtube clip.

It was lip synched, so we can provide our own soundtrack.

A bad horror movie of Ed Wood proportions.

The Susan Boyle sex tape...that's the worst

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Gazza
If you want an example of a REALLY bad video which made Jagger look ridiculous, I'll raise you 'Lets Work'. And if you want to scrape the barrel even further, dig out the 'Top of the Pops' performance of the same song. I hid behind the settee with embarrassment when that one was on.

Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up.....

JumpingKentFlash

I always thought that Jagger and Bowie seemed like cartoon characters in the Dancing in the Streets video... so over the top.

I think they probably snorted so much coke while they were making it that everything seemed like a GREAT idea at the time. That probably goes for the whole crew on that shoot...

In 1985 I was eager to watch anything that was Stones-related. There was much expectation in the air for a new Stones-tour (which, sadly, never happened). Talking about bad performances: my vote goes for the Richards-Woods-Dylan fiasco at the same show, Live Aid, where this video was aired for the first time!