Crocodile Rock: The Music Video
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Contents
- The making of the music video
- The song’s meaning and inspiration
- The video’s impact on popular culture
- The video’s influence on fashion
- The video’s place in music history
- The video’s influence on other music videos
- The video’s place in Elton John’s career
- The video’s legacy
- The video’s place in pop culture
- The video’s influence on music videos today
The Crocodile Rock music video is a must-see for any fan of Elton John. The video features Elton John performing the song in a number of different settings, including a duet with Kiki Dee.
The making of the music video
On June 16, 1982, the music video for “Crocodile Rock” premiered on MTV. It was directed by Tony Maylam, who would later go on to direct the horror classic The Burning. The video was made on a budget of $25,000 and used stop-motion animation to bring Elton John’s iconic crocodile costume to life.
The video opens with Elton John in his dressing room, getting ready for a show. He applies makeup, puts on his costume, and then steps out onto the stage, where he is greeted by a cheering crowd. The camera then cuts to footage of the band performing the song live, intercut with shots of the animatronic crocodile puppet.
Near the end of the video, the crocodile puppet begins to dance along with the band, and Elton John even gives it a kiss on the snout. The video ends with a close-up of the puppet’s face as it smiles and its eyes close slowly, giving viewers one last glimpse of its tooth-filled mouth.
The song’s meaning and inspiration
Crocodile Rock is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was released on John’s 1972 album Honky Chateau and as a single that reached number one in the United States, Australia, Canada and Ireland. The song was inspired by 1950s rock and roll. It pays tribute to artists such as Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.
The music video for Crocodile Rock was directed by Bruce Gowers. It features John performing the song with his band in a small venue. The video also features footage of 1950s rock and roll performers such as Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.
The song has been covered by a number of artists including Billy Joel, Neil Young, Weezer,Avril Lavigne and Phish.
The video’s impact on popular culture
Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” was released in October 1972, and the accompanying music video was an instant hit. The video features John and his band performing the song in a mock-up of a teen dance show, complete with teenage girls dancing in the audience. The video was an immediate sensation, and it helped to propel the song to the top of the charts.
“Crocodile Rock” is widely considered to be one of the first true music videos, and it helped to popularize the form. The video was also responsible for helping to make Elton John a household name.
The video’s influence on fashion
When the “Crocodile Rock” video was released in late 1992, it quickly became a sensation, not just for its catchy tune and danceable beat, but for its fashion. The video’s fashion had a big influence on ’90s style, particularly for young women.
The video features Elton John in a variety of flashy, colorful outfits, including sequined jumpsuits, feathered boas, and jewel-encrusted glasses. His style was outrageous and over-the-top, but it was also highly influential. Many young women in the ’90s began to adopt similar styles, wearing sequins, feathers, and other flashy accessories.
Elton John’s style in the “Crocodile Rock” video also had an influence on mainstream fashion. Designers began to create more statement pieces and experiment with bolder colors and patterns. This trend can still be seen today in the fashion industry.
The video’s place in music history
There is no denying that the music video for Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” is a classic. The question is, where does it fit in the pantheon of all-time great music videos?
On one hand, the video is a product of its time, and exists firmly within the era of MTV-style videos that were heavy on style and light on substance. On the other hand, the video is an undeniable visual feast, with a dizzying array of color, camera angles, and special effects that come together to create a truly unique viewing experience.
So where does “Crocodile Rock” stand in the history of music videos? It’s definitely a timeless classic, but it’s also a product of its time. Either way, it’s an essential piece of pop culture history.
The video’s influence on other music videos
The music video for “Crocodile Rock” was directed by Eric Blum. It was filmed in Los Angeles, California and released in October 1972. The video is a parody of the then-popular ” scantily clad women lip-synching to pop songs” trend. The video features Elton Johnlip-synching to the song while dancing with women in bikinis. The video was popular, and helped to increase the sales of the single.
The video’s influence can be seen in later music videos such as Madonna’s “Material Girl” and Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”.
The video’s place in Elton John’s career
“Crocodile Rock” was a song written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John and recorded in 1972. It was released as a single in October 1972 and became a huge hit, reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1973. The song remained at the top of the chart for three weeks.
The accompanying music video for “Crocodile Rock” was one of the first videos by Elton John, and it helped to launch his career as a video artist. The video features John performing the song against a backdrop of animated crocodiles dancing along to the music.
“Crocodile Rock” remains one of John’s best-known songs, and the music video is an important part of his legacy.
The video’s legacy
Since its release, the music video for “Crocodile Rock” has been hailed as a classic of the early MTV era. It was one of the first music videos to receive heavy rotation on the fledgling channel, and it helped to popularize both Elton John and the music video format.
The video itself is a simple performance clip, with Elton John and his band lip-syncing to the song in front of a live audience. However, the video’s use of exaggerated color filters and split-screen effects give it a distinctive visual style that set it apart from other performance videos of the time.
In recent years, the “Crocodile Rock” video has been included in several lists of the greatest music videos of all time, and it continues to be popular with fans of both Elton John and early MTV.
The video’s place in pop culture
Since its release, the video for Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” has become an iconic part of pop culture. The video features John and his band performing the song in a cartoonish setting, with John himself wearing a brightly-colored costume. The video was directed by Nigel Dick, who would go on to direct a number of other music videos for John.
The video was released in November of 1972, and received heavy rotation on MTV when the channel began airing in 1981. It has since been ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Music Videos by Rolling Stone magazine, and was inducted into the Museum of Modern Art’s collection in 2006.
The video’s influence on music videos today
Since its release in 1972, Crocodile Rock by Elton John has become one of the most iconic and influential music videos of all time. The video features John and his band playing at a high school prom, intercut with footage of John performing on stage. The video is notable for its use of special effects, including split-screen and stop-motion animation.
The video was an instant hit, and its influence can still be seen in music videos today. Many videos have replicated the split-screen effect, and stop-motion animation has become increasingly popular in recent years. Crocodile Rock is also credited with popularizing the use of live performances in music videos. Before Crocodile Rock, most music videos were simply footage of the band lip syncing to their song. Crocodile Rock changed all that, and today, live performances are a staple of the music video genre.