Gregg MacPherson Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 (edited) To me this little MTV clip from Neuvelle New Zealande is a lasting beacon of originality. Somehow the Black Eyed Peas, who I have enjoyed, to fair, overwrote this word, Elephunk, with their later moment in history....Very hard to find, but luckily NZ On Air saved it... https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/elephunk-in-my-soup-1984 Their text...."The playful ‘Elephunk in my Soup’ was the result of experimentation by Phil Bowering and Steve Garden during spare studio time. The video was directed by artist William Keddell (now based in Florida) while Chris Barrett was responsible for the cinematography and the Len Lye-influenced animations (some scratched directly onto 16mm film in Lye’s style). Made in the days before a local music video industry had really established itself, it was a finalist in the NZ Music Awards. Phil Bowering is on the couch and, of course, he’s got his wash-hose..." I knew Willie and Chriss well enough, worked with them once or twice.... Nowadays, 2017, there are so many people now aspiring to make film, but reaching for so much less. The over-normalization of form in the narrative cinema is assumed as the unavoidavoidable reality... So I wonder what people think of Elephunk. Hopefully we won't get an academic response referring to early experimental american film. I think the Kiwis felt they were fiercely separate, though of course, none of us are... Edited May 7, 2017 by Gregg MacPherson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregg MacPherson Posted May 7, 2017 Author Share Posted May 7, 2017 Searching my memory, this may not be the original version of Elephunk. And I'm wondering if the text by NZ on Air is accurate. I'm wondering if Chriss B did an earlier, more rootsy, less polished version... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Keith Walters Posted May 9, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted May 9, 2017 Searching my memory, this may not be the original version of Elephunk. And I'm wondering if the text by NZ on Air is accurate. I'm wondering if Chriss B did an earlier, more rootsy, less polished version... I was living in NZ when this came out, and yes, I seem to remember a different version was played on the radio. The narrator/singer whatever sort of had more "pathos" in his performance in that as I recall. There was a kid I worked with who particularly liked the track , and he immediately became re-christened 'Wash-hose", which is probably why I remember it. (I don't recall it ever doing too well on the charts). I don't recall ever seeing that particular music video though, and that was when the redoubtable Karryn Hay was running the show, so it would have probably gotten an unreasonable amount of airtime :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregg MacPherson Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 Good for you Keith, just for being there.... I mistakenly refer to NZ on Air but obviously it is NZ on Screen... I'm convinced now that I have seen an alternate video...whether the song was slightly different I don't know. The alt video was a bit less slick, if that makes any sense, and there was an image of a face spinning, as if on a turntable, but we assume the camera was spinning of course. I think the alt video version may have been an early pet version by Chris or Willie. I asked one of the Low Profile musicians and he can't remember it... Speaking of the loss of cool videos. Andrew Fagan (Mockers) had a really exquisite pixilated/animated video, mostly just abstracted images from him dancing while possibly singing, made I think when he was in Britain....couldn't find it for the life of me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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