Inspired by EV Grieve's penchant for posting videos that display New York's vanished glory, herewith Freedy Johnston's 1994 heartstring-tugger, "Bad Reputation." This clip, which seems to strive for the same abstract, "Waiting for Godot"-vibe that helped make k.d. Lang's "Constant Craving" a hit, was at least half-shot on the streets of Soho (I think I recognize Crosby and Mercer in there) and below the Williamsburg bridge. The other half seems to have been shot somewhere in dystopian Long Island or Jersey or somewhere suitably dour. I can't say I've followed Johnston's career too closely beyond this, but I think this is just a great, great song.
But if it's music videos featuring great shots of NYC you're after, you should also seek out the Cult's endearingly pompous "Edie (Ciao Baby)", which features footage of our boys in CBGB, on the streets of Times Square and flouncing around the Financial district. There's even a fleeting shot of guitar-gunslinger Billy Duffy loitering outside of late, lamented Billy's Topless (which is now a bagel shop). And while I'm loath to recommend anything by the man in question, Billy Joel's "Matter of Trust" video features lots of footage of a since-rendered-unrecognizable St. Marks Place. Best to turn the sound down on that one, though. Morever, getting back to "Constant Craving" for a second, that song was notoriously ripped off by the Rolling Stones' "Anybody Seen My Baby," the video for which being also shot on the streets of New York, notably on East 27th street down the way from fabled swinger's club, La Trapeze and the Museum of Sex. And, yes, the girl in that video is Angelina Jolie, if that sorta bullshit matters to you.
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