August 1, 2021

20,000 vinyl LPs 301: The Buggles & the birth of MTV

 ~          
The Buggles ~ The Age of Plastic
vinyl LP back cover detail 
detail photo by Styrous®


At midnight, forty years ago today, on Saturday, August 1, 1981, the MTV cable channel was launched and they broadcasted the very first music video from One Astor Plaza, 1515 Broadway, Times Square, Manhattan, New York where it is still based.     
 
The song they blasted out to the world was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles from their second album, The Age of Plastic: the prophetic song would forever change the way we listened to and, indeed, watched pop music or any music for that matter.  
 
 

The Buggles ~ The Age of Plastic
vinyl LP front cover detail 
detail photo by Styrous®
 

Video Killed the Radio Star was written by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley in 1978. It was first recorded in 1979 by Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club (with Thomas Dolby on keyboards) for their first album and used again on their second album, English Garden. The later recording by British new wave/synth-pop group the Buggles, with just Horn and Downes, became the big hit version.     




In those early days of broadcasting, MTV was desperate for video to show so they showed just about anything they could get their hands on (link below); I saw some truly fantastic stuff. I still remember the network's "VJ's" I liked the best, Alan Hunter, Nina Blackwood and my very favorite, Martha Quinn: I thought she was the cutest EVER!     
 
 
MTV VJs top to bottom: 
Mark Goodman, Nina Blackwood, 
Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, & J.J. Jackson 
photo by Mark Weiss/WireImage)
 
 
I loved the song by Dire Straits, Money for Nothing, which references MTV with an iconic, echoey refrain (below).       




There is a terrific video of the first two hours of the broadcast on YouTube with some of the greats of rock at the time, commercials included (link below). This is a valuable documentary of a major music event and a whole lot of fun to watch. The one downer is, April Wine and Cliff Richard were short-sighted and objected to the use of their videos so they were cut from the documentary; too bad, their loss!   


promotion stamp
vinyl LP front cover detail 
photo by Styrous®










   
Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Living In The Plastic Age, written by Geoffrey Downs*, Trevor Horn - 5:12
A2 - Video Killed The Radio Star, written by Bruce Woolley, Geoffrey Downs*, Trevor Horn - 4:08
A3 - Kid Dynamo, written by Geoffrey Downs*, Trevor Horn - 3:27
A4 - I Love You (Miss Robot), written by Geoffrey Downs*, Trevor Horn - 4:55

Side 2:

B1 - Clean, Clean, written by Bruce Woolley, Geoffrey Downs*, Trevor Horn - 3:53
B2 - Elstree, written by Geoffrey Downs*, Trevor Horn - 4:27
B3 - Astroboy (And The Proles On Parade), written by Geoffrey Downs*, Trevor Horn - 4:48
B4 - Johnny On The Monorail, written by Geoffrey Downs*, Trevor Horn - 5:26

Companies, etc.

    Manufactured By – EMI Records Ltd.
    Distributed By – EMI Records Ltd.
    Published By – Island Music Ltd.
    Published By – Carlin Music Corp.
    Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Island Records Ltd.
    Copyright © – Island Records Ltd.
    Mastered At – Strawberry Mastering

Credits:

    Liner Notes [Essay] – Geoffrey Downes*
    Mastered By – Sean*
    Producer – The Buggles
    Written-By – Woolley* (tracks: A2, B1), Downes*, Horn*

Notes:

 Has inner lyric sleeve.

The label incorrectly states that track A2 "Video Killed The Radio-Star" as being 2:40 in length. (Actual length of the track is 4:13).
 
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Side 1 Stamped / Etched): ILPS 9585 A-2U 3(sideways) STRAWBERRY Sean
    Matrix / Runout (Side 2 Stamped / Etched): ILPS 9585 B-2U 42(sideways) D7H7
    Matrix / Runout (Side 1 Stamped / Etched - VARIANT 1): ILPS 9585 A-2U 7(sideways) STRAWBERRY Sean
    Matrix / Runout (Side 2 Stamped / Etched - VARIANT 1): ILPS 9585 B-2U 8(sideways) D7H7
    Barcode: NO BARCODE
 
Buggles* – The Age Of Plastic
Label: Island Records – ILPS 9585
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop   
         
Viewfinder links:        
         
Thomas Dolby         
Geoff Downes        
Trevor Horn        
Bruce Woolley        
        
Net links:        
        
CBS News ~ MTV turns 40           
Forbes ~ MTV At 40        
NBC News ~ MTV turns 40         
MTV website         
USA Today ~ MTV turns 40      
Variety ~ MTV Turns 40        
        
YouTube links:        
         
The Buggles ~ Video Killed The Radio Star         
CBS News ~ MTV turns 40 years old     
MTV turns 40 years old         
MTV's YouTube channel                 
USA ~ The Very First Two Hours Of MTV (2 hrs, 19 mins., 28 secs.) 
        
        
        
 

"I want my MTV!" 
  ~ Dire Straits
         
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Sunday, August 1, 2021       
       
















 

 
 
 

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