Tune into “Saturday Night Live,” these days, and the musical guests will doubtlessly not be pushing any envelopes in any meaningful capacity. At some distant point, the booking policy started adhering rather strictly to already-established, mainstream artists who were promoting brand new albums. Ultimately, it became less about introducing audiences to new and different music and solely about shifting units and selling product.
Suffice to say, `twas not always thus.
Turn back the clock to the show’s earlier incarnations, and you find an entirely different scenario. SNL gave a stage to bands who’d otherwise never have gotten that kind of broad exposure, from Devo, Sun Ra and Gary Numan to Frank Zappa, Laurie Anderson and well-pre-Let’s Dance-era Bowie (when he was still pretty damn freaky). And, of course, let’s not forget FEAR.
Below is another perfect example. Clips from this episode have been on and off YouTube for years, but someone recently uploaded both numbers from that evening, and they are a revelation.
Dating back to April of 1980, here are the mighty Specials in their kinetic prime. Introduced by veteran character actor Strother Martin (his last television appearance prior to his death), the Specials launch into “Gangsters” and “Too Much Too Young” with their signature, nattily-dressed aplomb (note that they change outfits between songs). Even within the cramped studio, the band loses none of their high-stepping frenzy. Simply put, NOBODY moved like The Specials.
Enjoy it while it lasts. This is how it’s done, kids.
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