Elephant Parts is a collection of comedy sketches and music videos made in 1981 by Michael Nesmith, formerly of the Monkees. Nesmith produced the video through his company Pacific Arts. Elephant Parts is one hour long with parody commercials and comedy sketches, and features five full-length music videos, including the popular songs "Rio" and "Cruisin'", which featured wrestler Steve Strong and Monterey-based comic "Chicago" Steve Barkley.
There are various comedy sketches between musical numbers: The most notable sketches are "Elvis Drugs", "Neighborhood Nuclear Superiority", "The Tragically Hip" (which was the inspiration for the Canadian band the Tragically Hip and was featured as a pretaped sketch on a season six episode of Saturday Night Live), "Large Detroit Car Company", "Mariachi Translations", recurring comic blackouts that ended with the catchphrase "Just to prove a point!" and several series of bits with a lounge singer and a pirate, as well as a game show called "Name That Drug." The musical videos include "Magic", "Cruisin'", "Light," "Tonight" and "Rio." Director Bill Dear said they were doing "music videos before people even knew what they were... we approached them as mini-movies.... We always tried to tell a story and we looked for a lighter interpretation."[1]
Throughout Elephant Parts, Nesmith makes fun of his own works, with segments including a parody of his song "Joanne" called "Rodan", and comic promos for his albums Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma and Live at the Palais. Although Nesmith's solo career is punned or highlighted, he does not make any reference to or mention of the Monkees.
Elephant Parts won the first Grammy in the Music Video category. Billboard's review said it was "the cleverest exercise in original video programming to date."[2]
Two related series were PopClips for Nickelodeon, which premiered in 1980, and Television Parts for NBC in 1985. Nickelodeon's parent company, Warner Cable, wanted to buy outright the PopClips copyright to be expanded into an all-music video channel, but after Nesmith declined the offer, Warner Cable started work on what would become MTV.[3]
The title Elephant Parts refers to the parable of the blind men and an elephant where each man comes to a different conclusion about what an elephant is due to them touching only one part.[4]
Releasesedit
Elephant Parts was released on VHS (stereo) and Betamax (mono) in 1981.[5] It was ninth on Billboard's Top Videocassette Sales for 1981.[6]
When Elephant Parts was first released on LaserDisc in 1981, Nesmith recorded an esoteric commentary track which did not describe the content of the video. Later, Nesmith recorded a new commentary track which does describe the content, included as part of a DVD version released in 2003.[citation needed]
^"1980-1990 The Video Decade: The Decade in Quotes" (PDF). Billboard. January 6, 1990. p. V-12.
^Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1982-06-12). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll (1995) ISBN0-684-81044-1
^Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1998-09-26). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 24. elephant parts billboard.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^Simels, Steve (September 1981). "Michael Nesmith in Elephant Parts" (PDF). Stereo Review. p. 116.
^"1980-1990 The Video Decade: Sales" (PDF). Billboard. January 6, 1990. p. V-16.
^Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1983-02-19). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
Elephant Parts Playlist on Michael Nesmith's Videoranch YouTube channel
January 01, 1970
elephant, parts, collection, comedy, sketches, music, videos, made, 1981, michael, nesmith, formerly, monkees, nesmith, produced, video, through, company, pacific, arts, hour, long, with, parody, commercials, comedy, sketches, features, five, full, length, mus. Elephant Parts is a collection of comedy sketches and music videos made in 1981 by Michael Nesmith formerly of the Monkees Nesmith produced the video through his company Pacific Arts Elephant Parts is one hour long with parody commercials and comedy sketches and features five full length music videos including the popular songs Rio and Cruisin which featured wrestler Steve Strong and Monterey based comic Chicago Steve Barkley Elephant PartsDirected byWilliam DearWritten byMichael NesmithProduced byMichael NesmithMusic byFred MyrowDistributed byPacific ArtsRelease dateJuly 1 1981 July 1 1981 Running time62 minutes VHS DVD 60 minutes LaserDisc CountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish Contents 1 Overview 2 Releases 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksOverview editThere are various comedy sketches between musical numbers The most notable sketches are Elvis Drugs Neighborhood Nuclear Superiority The Tragically Hip which was the inspiration for the Canadian band the Tragically Hip and was featured as a pretaped sketch on a season six episode of Saturday Night Live Large Detroit Car Company Mariachi Translations recurring comic blackouts that ended with the catchphrase Just to prove a point and several series of bits with a lounge singer and a pirate as well as a game show called Name That Drug The musical videos include Magic Cruisin Light Tonight and Rio Director Bill Dear said they were doing music videos before people even knew what they were we approached them as mini movies We always tried to tell a story and we looked for a lighter interpretation 1 Throughout Elephant Parts Nesmith makes fun of his own works with segments including a parody of his song Joanne called Rodan and comic promos for his albums Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma and Live at the Palais Although Nesmith s solo career is punned or highlighted he does not make any reference to or mention of the Monkees Elephant Parts won the first Grammy in the Music Video category Billboard s review said it was the cleverest exercise in original video programming to date 2 Two related series were PopClips for Nickelodeon which premiered in 1980 and Television Parts for NBC in 1985 Nickelodeon s parent company Warner Cable wanted to buy outright the PopClips copyright to be expanded into an all music video channel but after Nesmith declined the offer Warner Cable started work on what would become MTV 3 The title Elephant Parts refers to the parable of the blind men and an elephant where each man comes to a different conclusion about what an elephant is due to them touching only one part 4 Releases editElephant Parts was released on VHS stereo and Betamax mono in 1981 5 It was ninth on Billboard s Top Videocassette Sales for 1981 6 It was later released on LaserDisc and CED and was the third best selling video laser disk in 1982 behind Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind 7 When Elephant Parts was first released on LaserDisc in 1981 Nesmith recorded an esoteric commentary track which did not describe the content of the video Later Nesmith recorded a new commentary track which does describe the content included as part of a DVD version released in 2003 citation needed See also editTelevision PartsReferences edit 1980 1990 The Video Decade The Decade in Quotes PDF Billboard January 6 1990 p V 12 Inc Nielsen Business Media 1982 06 12 Billboard Nielsen Business Media Inc a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a last has generic name help The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll 1995 ISBN 0 684 81044 1 Inc Nielsen Business Media 1998 09 26 Billboard Nielsen Business Media Inc p 24 elephant parts billboard a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a last has generic name help Simels Steve September 1981 Michael Nesmith in Elephant Parts PDF Stereo Review p 116 1980 1990 The Video Decade Sales PDF Billboard January 6 1990 p V 16 Inc Nielsen Business Media 1983 02 19 Billboard Nielsen Business Media Inc a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a last has generic name help Further reading edit Elephant Parts by Dear William American Cinematographer Vol 63 Issue 7 July 1982 Archived from the original on 2019 09 26 External links editElephant Parts at IMDb nbsp Elephant Parts Playlist on Michael Nesmith s Videoranch YouTube channel Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Elephant Parts amp oldid 1220127061, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
