Smuggler Blues: The Music Video

Smuggler Blues is a song by The Police, released as a single in 1983 from the album Synchronicity. The song was written by Sting and features him on lead vocals and bass. The music video for the song was directed by Godley & Creme.

Introduction

The Smuggler Blues: The Music Video is a must see for all music lovers. The video was directed by Brian De Palma and starred Tom Cruise as a young rock star who tries to smuggle cocaine into the United States.

The video is set in the early 1980s and was filmed in various locations, including Los Angeles, Miami, and the Bahamas. The music video features some of the most popular songs of the time, including “Smuggler’s Blues” by Glenn Frey and “Dreams” by Van Halen.

The Smuggler Blues: The Music Video is a great way to enjoy some of the most popular music of the 1980s, as well as to learn about the dangers of smuggling cocaine into the United States.

The making of the music video

Smuggler Blues was a music video directed by Roger Donaldson and released in 1984. It was based on the song of the same name by The Police. The video tells the story of two smugglers who are trying to get a shipment of cocaine from Florida to Los Angeles. The video was shot in various locations around the world, including the Bahamas, Los Angeles, and Mexico.

The concept

The concept for the “Smuggler’s Blues” video came from Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, who had previously worked with the band on their “One That I Want” video. Simpson and Bruckheimer wanted to make a short film that would be set to the song, and they brought in Bryan Gordon to direct.

Gordon came up with the idea of the video being a homage to classic film noir, with the band members playing characters in a criminal underworld. The video would open with a shot of Miami Beach, followed by a montage of the band members driving around in convertibles, intercut with shots of them playing poker. As the song progressed, the story would become more and more surreal, eventually leading to a shoot-out between the police and the band members.

Gordon pitched his idea to the band, and they agreed to go ahead with it. The video was shot over four days in March 1984. It cost $85,000 to make, and was one of the most expensive music videos made at that time.

The “Smuggler’s Blues” video was an instant success, and won several awards, including two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Direction and Best Cinematography. It was also nominated for Best Editing and Best Art Direction. The video helped to launch MTV’s ” dagger” award category for videos that were too controversial or graphic for daytime television.

The shoot

The making of the music video for Smuggler Blues was a long and difficult process, but the results were worth it. The video was shot over the course of two weeks in various locations around Los Angeles.

The first week of shooting was spent on the set of the club where the majority of the video takes place. The set was built to look like a real club, and it took a lot of work to get it just right. The second week of shooting was spent on location at an abandoned warehouse. This was where the majority of the action takes place in the video.

The shoot was challenging, but everyone involved worked hard to make sure that the final product was something that everyone could be proud of.

The editing process

Once the footage was collected, it was time to start editing the music video. The editor went through all of the footage and chose the takes that he thought best matched the song. He also took into consideration any special effects that were to be added later on.

After the editor had chosen the best takes, he then began to piece them together in a sequence that would flow well with the song. He paid close attention to detail, making sure that each cut flowed smoothly into the next.

Once the editing was complete, the music video was then sent to the special effects team. They added in any graphics or animations that were needed. After that, the music video was sent back to the editor for a final check.

Once everything was approved, the music video was then ready to be released!

The final product

After weeks of production, the music video for “Smuggler Blues” is finally complete. The video was directed by famed music video director, Michael Bay, and features a star-studded cast. The video tells the story of a group of smugglers who are trying to get their shipment of illicit goods past the authorities. The video features some of the most spectacular action sequences ever put to film, and the music is sure to get your heart pumping.

The critical reception

When “Smuggler’s Blues” was released as a single in early 1985, it reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The music video was also popular, receiving heavy rotation on MTV.

Critical reception for the song was positive. AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann praised the song, calling it a “great single” and a “clever chronicle of the sordid underside of the 1980s entertainment industry.”[1] radio.com placed the song at number 10 on their list of Glenn Frey’s best solo songs, saying that it was a “storytelling classic.”[2] In 2008, NBC placed the song at number 77 on their list of 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.[3]

The commercial reception

The commercial reception of “Smuggler Blues” was mixed. Critics praised the quality of the production values and the technical skill involved in making the video, but some felt that the video was too violent and dark for its own good.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Smuggler Blues music video is a work of art that is both aesthetically pleasing and informative. It tells the story of the illegal smuggling of cigarettes and cigars from Cuba to the United States, and does so in a way that is both entertaining and educational. We highly recommend this video to anyone interested in learning more about the history of smuggling, or simply wanting to enjoy a good music video.