Geoff Downes, co-author of the classic 'Video Killed The Radio Star', gives a brief history and performance notes . Filmed at Castle Studios by John Tribe.
Pure genius. Bruce Wolley, Buggles, Yes, Asia. There will Never be music like this again. Thank you Mr. Downs. It stopped after 1989. Today’s music... isn’t
Thanks! I was 14 and fondly remember watching this air for the first time on MTV. Always loved this song and now I'm learning how to play and perform it myself.
+petefaders Came out in 79 and was a hit so it is 70's + 80's as also charted in o ther countries in 1980 but then it also featured on MTV a'lot so it is 70's + 80's
Very interesting! Geoff is one of my all time fave keyboard players! He seems really cool and down to earth, as a person. Strangely enough, i wasn't all that keen on the song at the time (i was 13 years old), but i love it now! I simply love The Buggles, and i simply love all of Asia's work!! Nice one, Geoff! You are a (video) star... (:o)
Just added this to our set list after seeing you guys play an updated version with ASIA in 2017. One of those songs that I had a hell of a time memorizing the words.
Thanks for posting. Wish i could see exactly which notes you are playing in each hand.. i've almost got it but not quite. Loved the coda at the and of this tune too, which they never seemed to play on the radio.
@GothamBusCompany You're hairsplitting ... Video TOTALLY killed the radio star ... Song was totally prophetic .... Look for the slow version, on here, sung by Glenn Hughes ... and listen to the lyrics, you'll get a big shiver
The vast majority of young people today (2019) haven't got a chance of doing something truly creative, they spend waaay to much time waiting for and/or looking at useless messages on their phones!
Put the blame on VTR !!!.... (VTR as in Video Tape Recording / Recorder) The VCR is one type of VTR. But the original lyric is "VTR". Geoff Downes is one of the great keyboard players of all time..
pictures came and broke your heart, put the blame on vcr....i used to sing that line alot for some reason, people at school didnt know i had to explain..its off that song yknow.
Guy is brilliant! His coda on this song is beautiful! I remember I was used to the video version and the first time I heard it. it blew me away! Huge Fan! Especially his work with ASIA! One thing though.. They needed to kick the noisy "Hendrix" wannabe jackhole out of the room! Love the look Geoff gives him at 6:19! QUIET while the Legend is talking dumbass!
Thank you! Could be a hard job on those gears that time. Don't you mind if I ask something - here? Well it is about the final sound of the mixdown (Video Killed The Radio Star) Was it mastered mostly naturally by a bit over-driven tape (or all tapes) or was it built with compressors / with multiband / was multiband actually in use that time or all this final mastering was based on the tape sound?(in short) / and with simple compressors? Thank You! (replying here will alert me in my inbox)
Please look at AngharadMusicDotCom she has a page on here under the same name. She regularly works with Geoff who produced her song Someday Soon. please look and rate :)
I'm actually working on a "reply" to "video Killed", called "Generation X Wants its Video Star Back" Just tried to find geoffdownes.net but the site doesn't seem to be up... Anyone interested in working on it with me, drop me a line simon@classicalbanksy.com
I'm actually sitting up at 10:00 at night watching this guy earnestly boast about how the chord in this 35-year-old song that "a lot of people" thought was a straight F sharp chord was, in fact, a F sharp 9 chord instead. Kind of hard to know what to think about what says about me or the world.
No sorry. I liked the original sound better. It sounded cheap in '79, but it was just great. Simply BECAUSE it didn't choke everything with this multitude of sounds.
Pure genius. Bruce Wolley, Buggles, Yes, Asia. There will Never be music like this again. Thank you Mr. Downs. It stopped after 1989. Today’s music... isn’t
I was 13 when I saw VKTRS on Mtv in 1981. Geoff Downes was my first music video crush! Great song and iconic video.
You are a legend, Mr. Downes.
2:51-3:11... Makes me cry. You can feel the warmth, the spirit, the soul in this piece. Fantastic chords. It really blows me away. Great harmonies!
2019, and this song is still a masterpiece.
Written in D flat, with lots of 9ths- brilliant. Genius.
man, I hope you are rich. brilliant, I don't wanna imagine a world of pop music without this gem!!!
He played it beautifully! :)
brilliant. Nothing left to chance, all thought through. With a fabulous result
Thanks! I was 14 and fondly remember watching this air for the first time on MTV. Always loved this song and now I'm learning how to play and perform it myself.
Doesn't matter how old this song is its always new to me
First time i heard the song i knew it was going to make number 1 🎶 Then came the album , w💫w , couldn't get enough of The Buggles ...
I had the pleasure of meeting Geoff when Asia tour in Seattle last year. A very cool and non-pretentious down-to-earth guy.
80's pop written in 78. Awesome!!
+petefaders Came out in 79 and was a hit so it is 70's + 80's as also charted in o ther countries in 1980 but then it also featured on MTV a'lot so it is 70's + 80's
I meant the song writing style, not the exact years.
Good Day
This is one of a few Songs that gets stuck in My Memory for a Day or two each Time I hear it!
I still have the Vinyl Single of it.
An amazing and classic piece of music :)
Totally underrated musician. Always my idol Mr. Downes!
+MRMONOPOLYization Underrated ..... hahaha ..... good joke.
To each his own.
Massively brilliant. Thanks!
The first video shown on the new cable medium MTV 1979. The end of disco and the beginning of New Wave, piercings, tattoos and renegade outcasts.
3:01 Classic Downes progression - goose bumps every time!
Very interesting! Geoff is one of my all time fave keyboard players! He seems really cool and down to earth, as a person. Strangely enough, i wasn't all that keen on the song at the time (i was 13 years old), but i love it now! I simply love The Buggles, and i simply love all of Asia's work!! Nice one, Geoff! You are a (video) star... (:o)
Of course, that song is most famous for being the first video ever played on MTV when it debuted two years after the song came out on August 1, 1981.
One of the best keyboarders and musicians and composers ever. I loved his live performance with ASIA.
Mr. Downes...
From Brazil ...
You are the WIZARD's Keyboards
Great !
Cool stuff Geoff.
Thanks Geoff for being such a friendly person the time I met you at a small concert, you were Great! :)
An absolute LEGEND!! Love you Geoff!
"Video Killed The Radio Star" - Keyboards - Definitely on the Mark, Super!
love this song. first record I ever bought. was like a drug.
The first video ever played on MTV... back when the "M" in "MTV" actually meant something...
Awestruck by how complicated this well known song actually is.
2:43 beautiful chords
Just added this to our set list after seeing you guys play an updated version with ASIA in 2017. One of those songs that I had a hell of a time memorizing the words.
Interesting, I always loved this song
Geoff is one of the best
I like the guy who's tuning while Geoff is talking at the end. That's ballsy
Magician.
Thank you so much for giving insight into one amazing song I wrongly thought was a simple hit.
Awesome tune
Magical
A true master Geoff!
Brilliant, thank you for helping me learn this.
"We spent 3 months on that one song". Today's pop artists won't spend even 3 minutes in one...
You are a legend Geoff!
V interesting stuff.
i love this song, i used to dream with all the keyboards shown on the video. nice
WOW The Sound of Music!
Listening to his great LIGHT PROGRAMME album right now...good memories of those 80's.
Geoff you ROCK, but please get some sleep!
Genius
The Buggles ！ great!
Video Killed The Radio Star
SAW GEOFF PLAY LAST NIGHT WITH YES. I HOPED HE COULD SIGN MY BUGGLES ALBUM... WUSB.FM NY
AMAZING ARTIST!!!☆☆☆☆☆
Stunning.
Wonderful song, I think.
The song was written above a monumental stone mason's in Wimbeldon Park London in 1978.
Thanks for posting. Wish i could see exactly which notes you are playing in each hand.. i've almost got it but not quite. Loved the coda at the and of this tune too, which they never seemed to play on the radio.
oh no. It would be great to have the MIDI file, but GeoffDownes.net is out.
Master
Legend
@GothamBusCompany You're hairsplitting ... Video TOTALLY killed the radio star ... Song was totally prophetic .... Look for the slow version, on here, sung by Glenn Hughes ... and listen to the lyrics, you'll get a big shiver
Reel to reel all the way.
"I'll slow it right down" 3:45
The vast majority of young people today (2019) haven't got a chance of doing something truly creative, they spend waaay to much time waiting for and/or looking at useless messages on their phones!
Nice one Geoff! See you in Raglan 2009 hopefully...
Put the blame on VTR !!!.... (VTR as in Video Tape Recording / Recorder)
The VCR is one type of VTR. But the original lyric is "VTR".
Geoff Downes is one of the great keyboard players of all time..
Love That Song in So Beatle
i own the same bass model as trevor horn used then!
I bet the original synths used on it are long gone.
genius ...
❤
The first video ever played on MTV, yet ironically, MTV killed the video star.
pictures came and broke your heart, put the blame on vcr....i used to sing that line alot for some reason, people at school didnt know i had to explain..its off that song yknow.
Keyboard Wizard
Guy is brilliant! His coda on this song is beautiful! I remember I was used to the video version and the first time I heard it. it blew me away! Huge Fan! Especially his work with ASIA! One thing though.. They needed to kick the noisy "Hendrix" wannabe jackhole out of the room! Love the look Geoff gives him at 6:19! QUIET while the Legend is talking dumbass!
Unfortunately, geoffdownes.net isn't around anymore. I was hoping to get the midi files!
Love this song thanks to GTA Vice City ❤️
brill ....
Thank you!
Could be a hard job on those gears that time.
Don't you mind if I ask something - here?
Well it is about the final sound of the mixdown (Video Killed The Radio Star)
Was it mastered mostly naturally by a bit over-driven tape (or all tapes) or was it built with compressors / with multiband / was multiband actually in use that time or all this final mastering was based on the tape sound?(in short) / and with simple compressors?
Thank You! (replying here will alert me in my inbox)
Now, I want an explanation of the lyrics. I know what they say, I want to know what inspired them.
first video on american MTV. MONEY FOR NOTHING dire straights the first on EURO MTV
Is the ending coda really all that different from most of the song we're familiar with? You know, that part we never get to hear on MTV?
He sings "VCR"
Ufo
"Great" keiboard Group ° YES °
Reality killed the Video Star...................
Does anyone know the keyboard he's plying here?
+Matthew Mann It sounds exactly like the "Romance Layers" combination on a Korg Triton... I bet that's what the Keystation is MIDI'd to.
You could very well be right about that. I was only responding to the question about the actual keyboard he's playing. :)
What's the name of the dark-haired singer? She has a very nice voice!!
What is the keyboard`?
+Jan Martin Ulvåg M-Audio Keystation Pro 88!
I recognized it immediatley, I play mine every day. Heavy as hell, too, but the action is amazing.
3 bloody months??? why so long?
Please look at AngharadMusicDotCom she has a page on here under the same name. She regularly works with Geoff who produced her song Someday Soon. please look and rate :)
3 months on one song?
I'm actually working on a "reply" to "video Killed", called "Generation X Wants its Video Star Back" Just tried to find geoffdownes.net but the site doesn't seem to be up... Anyone interested in working on it with me, drop me a line simon@classicalbanksy.com
I'm actually sitting up at 10:00 at night watching this guy earnestly boast about how the chord in this 35-year-old song that "a lot of people" thought was a straight F sharp chord was, in fact, a F sharp 9 chord instead.
Kind of hard to know what to think about what says about me or the world.
No sorry. I liked the original sound better. It sounded cheap in '79, but it was just great. Simply BECAUSE it didn't choke everything with this multitude of sounds.
He is mumbling at the beginning... did he say the song was written about the stone masons in London?
+Eric Blair He says the song was recorded above a monumental stone masons
D flat