The Music Video for Soul Coughing’s “Circles”
Contents
The official music video for Soul Coughing’s “Circles”. The song is the lead single from the band’s second album, Irresistible Bliss.
The Concept
The music video for Soul Coughing’s “Circles” is a stop-motion animation that was directed by Peter Glantz. The video features a man and a woman who are in a relationship that is not going well. The woman is trying to leave the man, but he keeps pulling her back in. The video represents the feeling of being in a relationship that is not healthy.
The Idea
The idea for the music video was to have the band play in a stark white room with the camera spinning around them in a circle. The result is an otherworldly and dreamlike effect that matches the ethereal quality of the song.
The Execution
The album cover for Ruby Vroom, the band’s debut album, is a picture of a yellow car on a desert road. The video for “Circles” is an interpretation of that album cover. The video features the band driving around in a yellow car in the desert. The desert imagery is intercut with footage of the band performing in a studio.
The Music
The music video for Soul Coughing’s “Circles” is a montage of footage from the band’s live performances, with some additional footage of the band members added in. The video is cut to the tempo of the song, and the editing gives the impression that the band members are playing their instruments in time with the music. The video also features some on-screen lyrics, which are displayed in a way that makes them look like they are being typed out on a computer screen.
The Band
Soul Coughing was an American alternative rock band active from 1992 to 2000. The band consisted of lead vocalist and lyricist M. Doughty, keyboardist Sebastian Steinberg, drummer Yuval Gabay, and trombonist/keyboardist Mark de Gli Antoni. Their musical style incorporated elements of jazz, hip hop, rock and roll, poetry, and psychedelia. They were often compared to bands such as Living Colour, Morphine, Fishbone and Primus.
The Song
“Circles” is a song by American alternative rock band Soul Coughing. It was released in 1997 as the third single from their second album, Irresistible Bliss. The song became a hit in the United States, peaking at number two on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song’s music video, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, features lead singer M. Doughty walking through various circles superimposed over footage of Los Angeles.
The Video
The video is a single continuous shot of a woman in a red dress (played by Miho Hatori) walking down a city street. The camera follows closely behind her, sometimes in front of her, sometimes to the side.
The Director
The video was directed by Stéphane Sednaoui.
The Location
The video was shot in various locations around New York City, including the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire Fulton Ferry Park, and an apartment in Brooklyn.
The Shoot
The video for Soul Coughing’s “Circles” was shot in one day, on location in Brooklyn. It was directed by Peter Care and featured the band performing the song in various settings around the city.
The video begins with the band performing in a dimly-lit room, which is gradually revealed to be a bar. As the song progresses, the band is seen playing in other locations around Brooklyn, including an abandoned warehouse and an outdoor market. The video culminates with the band performing on top of a roof, as the sun sets behind them.
The Release
The video was released in March of 1997 and was directed by Chuck Roven. The video features the band performing the song in a nightclub. Intercut with the performance are shots of people dancing and enjoying themselves. The video was well received and helped the song become a hit.
The Response
Released in 1997, the music video for Soul Coughing’s “Circles” was an instant hit. The innovative video, which featured a rotating cast of more than 60 famous faces, was lauded by critics and went on to win multiple awards.
The video’s success quickly made Soul Coughing one of the most popular bands of the late 1990s, and “Circles” remains a fan favorite to this day.
The Legacy
Soul Coughing’s “Circles” was not only a great song, but the music video was ahead of its time. It used stock footage and creative editing to create a visual representation of the song’s lyrics. The video was directed by Paul Hunter, who would go on to direct videos for artists like Eminem, Justin Timberlake, and Beyonce.
The video was nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Editing and Best Cinematography. It won Best Art Direction.
