We Cast Music: Cry

Song: Cry
Artist: Godley & Crème
Album: The History Mix Volume 1

Arguably one of the biggest changes that happened in the music business during the 80’s was the onset of the music video age. It created stars sometimes solely based on the visual images associated with the song, and sometimes helped get a band/artist more exposure than just simply the song would do. (Can you think of “Thriller,” “Sledgehammer,” or “Like a Prayer” without having those images come to mind?)

A good example of this was “Godley & Crème’s “Cry,” which was groundbreaking (in it’s time) for the way the faces singing the song morphed into each other. (Later perfected by Michael Jackson’s costly, slick, and controversial video for “Black & White.”) The duo directed the clip themselves.

Check it out:

Godley & Crème were members of the 1970’s band 10cc whom are most famous for their song “I’m Not in Love.” They left when their more avant-gard leanings didn’t fit with 10cc more pop direction. “Cry” became their biggest hit (no doubt helped by the above groundbreaking and attention-getting video) reaching number 16 on the US Hot 100.

Despite the video looking familiar I didn’t remember this song at all until readers Matt & Renato recommended it to me in their obscure 80’s picks. (Though… as a top twenty hit it’s arguably not that obscure.) Regardless, it was one of my favorites that I got to know from reader input. So thank you Matt & Renato!

While Godley & Crème only made one more studio recording, (1988’s “Goodbye Blue Sky”) the duo continued directing music videos in the 80’s, most notably “Every Breath You Take” & “Wrapped Around Your Finger” by the Police, “Rock-it” by Herbie Hancock, “Heat of the Moment” by Asia, “Girls on Film” & “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran, and “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung.

Enjoy.

Performing “Under Your Thumb” on the Top of the Pops