Jazzin' for Blue Jean: Difference between revisions

Jazzin' for Blue Jean
Jazzin' for Blue Jean
	North American VHS Video Cover
Directed by	Julien Temple
Screenplay by	Terry Johnson
Story by	David Bowie
Produced by	Lana Topham & Paul Flattery
Starring	David Bowie; Louise Scott
Music by	David Bowie
Production; company	Nitrate Film Production Limited (Nitrate Films)
Distributed by	Sony Home Video, EMI/Picture Music International, Pioneer Artists
Release date	1984;
Running time	21 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

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Jazzin' for Blue Jean is a 21-minute short film featuring David Bowie and directed by Julien Temple.^[1] It was created to promote Bowie's single "Blue Jean" in 1984^[2] and released as a video single.

The film won the 1985 Grammy Award for "Best Video, Short Form" (later renamed "Best Music Video"), which proved to be Bowie's only competitive Grammy Award during his lifetime.

Background

Jazzin' for Blue Jean was shot in August 1984 and features Bowie in dual roles: as Vic, a man with his eye on a girl and as Screaming Lord Byron, a flamboyant rock star whose forthcoming gig provides the man with a date. Bowie performs "Blue Jean" as Byron towards the end of the film; a shorter music video for "Blue Jean" was shot a few days later. Jazzin' for Blue Jean led Bowie and Temple to work together for the movie Absolute Beginners (1986).^[3]

Plot

The film depicts the adventures of the socially incompetent Vic (played by Bowie) as he tries to win the affections of a beautiful girl by claiming to personally know her favourite rock star, Screaming Lord Byron (also played by Bowie). Rightfully disbelieving him, she challenges Vic to introduce her to him. They make a date for a Screaming Lord Byron show, where Vic attempts to sneak backstage to convince a cowering, paranoid Mr. Screaming to come say hello to him and the girl after the show.

Screaming does come to Vic's table after the show and says hello to him and the girl, but the girl and Screaming Lord Byron have already met (in Peru), and she leaves with the rock star instead of Vic. As they drive off, Bowie breaks the fourth wall and asks the director why the story changed from his concept.

Track listing

"Don't Look Down" (from Tonight) [soundtrack only]
"Warszawa" (from Low) [soundtrack only]
"Blue Jean" (from Tonight) [music video]

Cast and crew

The main cast and crew of the film:^[4]

Cast

Screaming Lord Byron / Vic - David Bowie, with Screaming Lord Byron being a dual-allusion and parody of Lord Byron and Screaming Lord Sutch.
"The Dream" - Louise Scott
Screaming's Band - Paul Ridgeley, Richard Fairbrass, Daryl Humpries
Bowie's stand-in - Ian Ellis
Ticket girl - Eve Ferret

Crew

Director - Julien Temple
Conceived by - David Bowie
Screenplay - Terry Johnson
Choreographer - David Toguri

Production

Shot at the Prince Alfred pub in Maidavale then the Coal hole pub on the strand WC2 then Savoy Theatre, Carting Lane London WC2.

Production notes

Three different Bowie songs are played during the video, namely "Don't Look Down," (from Tonight), "Warszawa" (from Low) and "Blue Jean" (also from Tonight).^[4] The video footage playing in the pub is from the performance in the club at the conclusion of the film.

Releases

The film was released on home video on VHS and Betamax formats by Sony Home Video in North America, EMI/Picture Music International in the UK, and on Laserdisc by Pioneer Artists in Japan (12" and 8", with analog stereo sound) and North America (12", digital and analog sound). The home video version was first converted to PAL for the UK, with the speed increased from 24 frames per second to 25fps, giving it a run time of 20 minutes. The NTSC (North America, Japan) version, converted from PAL, maintains the 20 minute run time.

The video later appears as an easter egg hidden on the Best of Bowie DVDs. It is slightly modified: in the club where the girl is watching a Screaming Lord Byron video, the screen originally showed footage of the very same concert she and Vic would later attend. On the DVD version, a different promotional video for the song is overlaid on the screen – this is also the trigger for another easter egg, which is itself that alternate video.

The portion of the movie where Screaming Lord Byron performs the song "Blue Jean" in front of the crowd was used as the standard-length music video and clocks in at just over three minutes. This short music video is a straight edit out of Jazzin' For Blue Jean and later appeared on 1993's David Bowie - The Video Collection.

References

Pegg, Nicholas (2016). The Complete David Bowie (revised and updated ed.). London: Titan Books. ISBN 978-1-78565-365-0.

^ Nicholas Pegg, The Complete David Bowie, page 525, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2004, ISBN 1-903111-73-0
^ David Bowie: Best of Bowie (2002)
^ Pegg 2016, pp. 641–642.
^ ^a ^b Kamp, Thomas (1985), David Bowie: The Wild-Eyed Boy 1964-1984 (1st ed.), O'Sullivan, Woodside & Co.

External links

David Bowie - "Jazzin' For Blue Jean" on YouTube

[1] Nicholas Pegg, The Complete David Bowie, page 525, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2004, ISBN 1-903111-73-0

[2] David Bowie: Best of Bowie (2002)

[FOOTNOTEPegg2016641–642-3] Pegg 2016, pp. 641–642.

[Kamp-4] Kamp, Thomas (1985), David Bowie: The Wild-Eyed Boy 1964-1984 (1st ed.), O'Sullivan, Woodside & Co.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 | name           = Jazzin' for Blue Jean
 | image          = Bowie_JazzinForBlueJeanVHS.jpg
-| image_size     = 100
-| border         = yes
 | alt            = The cover of the VHS video box, showing 1984-era Bowie singing in character make-up as "Screaming Lord Byron"
 | caption        = North American VHS Video Cover
@@ Line 9: / Line 7: @@
 | producer       = Lana Topham & Paul Flattery
 | writer         =
-| screenplay     = Terry Johnson
+| screenplay     = [[Terry Johnson (dramatist)|Terry Johnson]]
 | story          = David Bowie
-| based on       =
+| based_on       =
 | narrator       =
 | starring       = David Bowie<br>Louise Scott
@@ Line 19: / Line 17: @@
 | studio         = Nitrate Film Production Limited (Nitrate Films)
 | distributor    = Sony Home Video, EMI/Picture Music International, Pioneer Artists
-| released       = 1984
+| released       = {{Film date|1984}}
-| runtime        = 20 minutes
+| runtime        = 21 minutes
-| country        =
+| country        = United Kingdom
-| language       =
+| language       = English
 | budget         =
 | gross          =
 }}
-'''''Jazzin' for Blue Jean''''' is a 20-minute short film featuring [[David Bowie]] and directed by [[Julien Temple]].<ref>[[Nicholas Pegg]], ''The Complete David Bowie'', page 525, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2004, ISBN 1-903111-73-0</ref> It was created to promote Bowie's single "[[Blue Jean]]" in 1984<ref>[http://www.dvdmg.com/bestofbowie.shtml David Bowie: Best of Bowie (2002)]</ref> and released as a [[VHS#VHS_single|video single]].
+'''''Jazzin' for Blue Jean''''' is a 21-minute short film featuring [[David Bowie]] and directed by [[Julien Temple]].<ref>[[Nicholas Pegg]], ''The Complete David Bowie'', page 525, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2004, {{ISBN|1-903111-73-0}}</ref> It was created to promote Bowie's single "[[Blue Jean]]" in 1984<ref>[http://www.dvdmg.com/bestofbowie.shtml David Bowie: Best of Bowie (2002)]</ref> and released as a [[VHS#VHS single|video single]].
-The film won the [[27th Annual Grammy Awards|1985]] [[Grammy Award]] for "[[Grammy Award for Best Music Video|Best Video, Short form]]" (Later renamed "Best Music Video"), which proved to be Bowie's only competitive Grammy Award during his career.
+The film won the [[27th Annual Grammy Awards|1985]] [[Grammy Award]] for "[[Grammy Award for Best Music Video|Best Video, Short Form]]" (later renamed "Best Music Video"), which proved to be Bowie's only competitive Grammy Award during his lifetime.
+==Background==
+''Jazzin' for Blue Jean'' was shot in August 1984 and features Bowie in dual roles: as Vic, a man with his eye on a girl and as Screaming Lord Byron, a flamboyant rock star whose forthcoming gig provides the man with a date. Bowie performs "Blue Jean" as Byron towards the end of the film; a shorter music video for "Blue Jean" was shot a few days later. ''Jazzin' for Blue Jean'' led Bowie and Temple to work together for the movie ''[[Absolute Beginners (film)|Absolute Beginners]]'' (1986).{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=641–642}}
 ==Plot==
-The film depicts the adventures of the socially incompetent Vic (played by Bowie) as he tries to win the affections of a beautiful girl by claiming to personally know her favourite rock star, Screaming Lord Byron (also played by Bowie).  Rightfully disbelieving him, she challenges Vic to introduce her to him.  They make a date for a Screaming Lord Byron show, where Vic attempts to sneak backstage to convince Mr. Screaming to come say hello to him and the girl after the show.
+The film depicts the adventures of the socially incompetent Vic (played by Bowie) as he tries to win the affections of a beautiful girl by claiming to personally know her favourite rock star, Screaming Lord Byron (also played by Bowie).  Rightfully disbelieving him, she challenges Vic to introduce her to him.  They make a date for a Screaming Lord Byron show, where Vic attempts to sneak backstage to convince a cowering, paranoid Mr. Screaming to come say hello to him and the girl after the show.
 Screaming does come to Vic's table after the show and says hello to him and the girl, but the girl and Screaming Lord Byron have already met (in Peru), and she leaves with the rock star instead of Vic. As they drive off, Bowie breaks the [[fourth wall]] and asks the director why the story changed from his concept.
 ==Track listing==
+* "Don't Look Down" (from ''[[Tonight (David Bowie album)|Tonight]]'') [soundtrack only]
-# "Jazzin for Blue Jean (Video)" - 20:00
+* "[[Warszawa (song)|Warszawa]]" (from ''[[Low (David Bowie album)|Low]]'') [soundtrack only]
+* "[[Blue Jean]]" (from ''Tonight'') [music video]
 ==Cast and crew==
+The main cast and crew of the film:<ref name=Kamp>{{Citation | last1=Kamp| first1=Thomas | title=David Bowie: The Wild-Eyed Boy 1964-1984| publisher=O'Sullivan, Woodside & Co. | edition=1st | year=1985}}</ref>
-===Cast<ref name=Kamp />===
-* Screaming Lord Byron / Vic - David Bowie
+===Cast===
+* Screaming Lord Byron / Vic - David Bowie, with Screaming Lord Byron being a dual-allusion and parody of [[Lord Byron]] and [[Screaming Lord Sutch]].
 * "The Dream" - Louise Scott
 * Screaming's Band - Paul Ridgeley, [[Richard Fairbrass]], Daryl Humpries
 * Bowie's stand-in - Ian Ellis
+* Ticket girl - [[Eve Ferret]]
-===Crew<ref name=Kamp />===
+===Crew===
-* Directory - [[Julien Temple]]
+* Director - [[Julien Temple]]
 * Conceived by - David Bowie
-* Screenplay - Terry Johnson
+* Screenplay - [[Terry Johnson (dramatist)|Terry Johnson]]
-* Choreography - [[David Toguri]]
+* Choreographer - [[David Toguri]]
+==Production==
+Shot at the Prince Alfred pub in Maidavale then the Coal hole pub on the strand WC2 then Savoy Theatre, Carting Lane London WC2.
 ==Production notes==
 Three different Bowie songs are played during the video, namely "Don't Look Down," (from ''[[Tonight (David Bowie album)|Tonight]]''), "[[Warszawa (song)|Warszawa]]" (from ''[[Low (David Bowie album)|Low]]'') and "Blue Jean" (also from ''Tonight'').<ref name=Kamp>{{Citation | last1=Kamp| first1=Thomas | title=David Bowie: The Wild-Eyed Boy 1964-1984| publisher=O'Sullivan, Woodside & Co. | edition=1st | year=1985}}</ref> The video footage playing in the pub is from the performance in the club at the conclusion of the film.
-Bowie takes the opportunity at several points in this film to poke fun at himself and his career – particularly his history of drug abuse, his relationships with groupies, and the commercialization of his music ("You conniving, randy, bogus-Oriental old queen!  Your record sleeves are better than your songs!").  Kinder self-references are also present, such as the song "Warszawa" being played backstage to soothe Mr. Screaming while he's applying his makeup.
 ==Releases==
-The film was released on home video on VHS and Betamax formats by Sony Home Video in North America, EMI/Picture Music International in the UK, and on Laserdisc by Pioneer Artists in Japan (12" and 8", with analog stereo sound) and North America (12", digital and analog sound)
+The film was released on home video on VHS and Betamax formats by Sony Home Video in North America, EMI/Picture Music International in the UK, and on Laserdisc by Pioneer Artists in Japan (12" and 8", with analog stereo sound) and North America (12", digital and analog sound). The home video version was first converted to PAL for the UK, with the speed increased from 24 frames per second to 25fps, giving it a run time of 20 minutes. The NTSC (North America, Japan) version, converted from PAL, maintains the 20 minute run time.
 The video later appears as an [[Easter egg (virtual)|easter egg]] hidden on the ''[[Best of Bowie]]'' DVDs.  It is slightly modified: in the club where the girl is watching a Screaming Lord Byron video, the screen originally showed footage of the very same concert she and Vic would later attend.  On the DVD version, a different promotional video for the song is overlaid on the screen – this is also the trigger for another easter egg, which is itself that alternate video.
@@ Line 65: / Line 72: @@
 ==References==
+*{{cite book|last=Pegg|first=Nicholas|title=The Complete David Bowie|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LqFkDQAAQBAJ|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|location=London|edition=revised and updated|year=2016|isbn=978-1-78565-365-0}}
 {{reflist}}
-{{David Bowie}}
 == External links ==
 * {{YouTube|DXvAaNcXNzI|David Bowie - "Jazzin' For Blue Jean"}}
+{{David Bowie}}
+{{Grammy Award for Best Music Video}}
 [[Category:David Bowie video albums]]
-[[Category:1980s short films]]
+[[Category:1984 short films]]
+[[Category:1984 films]]
 [[Category:Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video]]
 [[Category:Music videos directed by Julien Temple]]
+[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
+[[Category:English-language short films]]

v t e Grammy Award for Best Music Video
Video of the Year (1981−1982)	Elephant Parts – Michael Nesmith (1981) Olivia Physical – Olivia Newton-John (1982)
1983–1986	"Girls on Film" / "Hungry Like the Wolf" – Duran Duran (1983) "Jazzin' for Blue Jean" – David Bowie (1984) "We Are the World" – USA for Africa (1985) "Brothers in Arms" – Dire Straits (1986)
Best Concept Music Video (1987−1988)	"Land of Confusion" – Genesis (1987) "Fat" – "Weird Al" Yankovic (1988)
1989–2009	"Leave Me Alone" – Michael Jackson (1989) "Opposites Attract" – Paula Abdul (1990) "Losing My Religion" – R.E.M. (1991) "Digging in the Dirt" – Peter Gabriel (1992) "Steam" – Peter Gabriel (1993) "Love Is Strong" – The Rolling Stones (1994) "Scream" – Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson (1995) "Free as a Bird" – The Beatles (1996) "Got 'til It's Gone" – Janet Jackson (1997) "Ray of Light" – Madonna (1998) "Freak on a Leash" – Korn (1999) "Learn to Fly" – Foo Fighters (2000) "Weapon of Choice" – Fatboy Slim featuring Bootsy Collins (2001) "Without Me" - Eminem (2002) "Hurt" – Johnny Cash (2003) "Vertigo" – U2 (2004) "Lose Control" – Missy Elliott featuring Ciara & Fatman Scoop (2005) "Here It Goes Again" – OK Go (2006) "God's Gonna Cut You Down" – Johnny Cash (2007) "Pork and Beans" – Weezer (2008) "Boom Boom Pow" – Black Eyed Peas (2009)
2010–present	"Bad Romance" – Lady Gaga (2010) "Rolling in the Deep" – Adele (2011) "We Found Love" – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris (2012) "Suit & Tie" – Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z (2013) "Happy" – Pharrell Williams (2014) "Bad Blood" – Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar (2015) "Formation" – Beyoncé (2016) "Humble" – Kendrick Lamar (2017) "This Is America" – Childish Gambino (2018) "Old Town Road" – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (2019) "Brown Skin Girl" – Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & Wizkid (2020) "Freedom" – Jon Batiste (2021) All Too Well: The Short Film – Taylor Swift (2022) "I'm Only Sleeping" – The Beatles (2023)