In 1985, Mick Jagger and David Bowie got together to release one of the most brutally mocked music videos of all time—their cover of Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street."
The original clip, which you can check out at the very bottom of this story, shows the 40-ish-year-old rock/pop superstars—one of whom is decked out in period-correct (and eternally incorrect) pastel-colored clothing—dancing like teenagers in a warehouse, in hallways and on deserted streets. They even shake their superstar asses in unison at one point.
How did this happen, you ask?
Well, it really doesn't matter at this point, does it? Or, as Peter Griffin says while discussing the video in an episode of The Family Guy, "That happened, and we all let it happen."
Anyway, a stop-motion animator named William Osborne has finally found a good use for the Jagger/Bowie clip: It gave him something to parody—using Legos. Osborne's new clip, which you can check out below, is a hell of a lot more watchable than the original. In fact, it's downright enjoyable. Here's hoping he makes Lego versions of other horrible Eighties videos.
In all fairness to Jagger and Bowie, their music video had to be put together quickly back in '85; director David Mallet reportedly got the call for the gig the day before it was scheduled to be shot.
“My only thought was I was trying to get a really great performance,” Mallet said later. “What was really important was to see them together in performance. Two really big stars, and people wanted to see them together. Choreographed on the spot. ‘We can go down this alley. We can use this warehouse'.”
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P.S.: Be sure to watch the middle clip, which shows Jagger and Bowie dancing around without without music in the background. It made the YouTube rounds a few years ago, but it's still pretty great.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
