Video Program

Del Amitri has released 4 video tapes to home video; Waking Hours - The Videos; Change Everything - The Videos; "Let's Go Home"; "Hatful Of Rain. The Best of Del Amitri. The Waking Hours and Change Everything Videos are both simple, effective, classic releases of 5 music videos each, run in their entirety. "Let's Go Home" is more of a documentary / production piece.

Subtitled, "Legends Of The Mall", "Let's Go Home" is a document of the band's travels across America. With notable stops in Kentucky, and Chicago. It also features 5 videos, but they are intercut with new footage and sound effects akin to changing the channel. There is an attempt at interviews with their manager, record company execs, fans, backstage crew and disc jockeys. There is an interesting moment at the beginning when Justin begins playing "Hammering Heart" on guitar.

Following the release of Hatful Of Rain The Best of Del Amitri, Mercury Records put together almost all the Del Amitri videos and put them on one compilation tape. They then went above and beyond the call of duty by tacking on the hour long concert film "No Better Location".

Also making the collectors circuit.....
A German production has the band giving a "tour" of Glasgow from 1996. There has also been a 1995 appearance on German television of an 45 minute concert. This concert was the source for part of the "Swimming With Your Boots On" bootleg.

There have been other full length television appearances, a program taped at The Town & Country Club in 1989 is one such appearance. It features Waking Hours material as well as some b-sides.

What follows is quick descriptions of the Del Amitri music videos.

Kiss This Thing Good-bye #1

Directed by Tony Vanden Ende
"Waking Hours Videos" (A&M)

The first Del Amitri video. The band in what appears to be the lobby of some large marble building. The camera floats past the band members miming the song and their instruments. It must have been a little strange for David Cummings to mime to the songs he didn't help record. And, while he had to learn them in order to play them live, it still must have been awkward to mime to someone else's music.

Kiss This Thing Good-bye #2

Directed by Doug Nichol
"Waking Hours Videos" (A&M)

The video put on American televison, featured the band in a daylight filled bar. The chairs are all put up, the tables full of used plates and glasses. There's a tape deck "recording" the band as they perform in the middle of the bar. A much more laid back and less staid video performance from the band. The band laughing and missing ques, and featuring Justin playing the piano.

Move Away Jimmy Blue

Directed by Neil Abrahamson
"Waking Hours Videos" (A&M)

A concept video to be sure, following, in slow-motion, Jimmy Blue as he wrestles his way through life to his predestined end. Shots of the glue factory, stolen stereos, and a drunk mother. The band is just there. They play no part in the video, just occasional shots of Justin miming the words, and the rest of the band looking out of place.

Stone Cold Sober

Directed by Sam Hodgkin
"Waking Hours Videos" (A&M)

This video shot in a television studio, is example of what to do for a quickie video. Very little thought as to shots, movement, and purpose. It is however, Del Amitri performing "Stone Cold Sober", so it's not that bad!

Nothing Ever Happens

Directed by Michael Geoghegan
"Waking Hours Videos" (A&M)

With what begins as Justin and Iain sitting on a staircase with their acoustic guitars stumming madly away, ends with Justin and Iain sitting on a staircase with their acoustic guitars stumming madly away. It's a video that is more about the song than it is the visuals. "Nothing Ever Happens" could have been a "Move Away Jimmy Blue" type video, but for one reason or another, the camera stays on the performers, as they watch what happens. Simple and effective, it somehow works. More than a few were attracted to the song and the video.

Spit In The Rain

Directed by Michael Geoghegan
"Change Everything Videos" (A&M)

While we don't see anyone actually spitting, it is definitely raining. Albeit, fake rain.

Inside a cozy house with winding staircases, and small rooms, the band walks through miming their latest single. Everything ends up in the street...guitars... bathtubs...and David Cummings.

Always The Last To Know

Directed by Pedro Rombanyi
"Change Everything Videos" (A&M)

One of the most memorable videos of the 90's. With multple layers of the band on screen all at once, there's more than the eye can take in. Justin may be singing into the mic up close, but in the background he's playing bass, while Iain is around the corner picking up a guitar. Shot in warm black & white, this video, coupled with "Always The Last To Know" makes for a great marriage of perfect pop music with its new medium; the music video.

Just Like A Man

Directed by Neil Thompson
"Change Everything Videos" (A&M)

The "Just Like A Man" video starts with a false start. The band "rehearsing" in very cramped quarters starts up the song, but it shuts down, after Justin accuses Andy of making a mistake. Andy looks surprised at the accusation. The band is actually plugged in and playing. Until the "real" video takes over. Then it's back to miming to the record.

Shot in black & white on grainy film stock, it starts out looking a little like a student film.

Be My Downfall

Directed by Doug Nichol
"Change Everything Videos" (A&M)

Featuring a moping Justin in a hotel room above a train station. As is becoming the norm, the band looks bored throughout. The video does not follow the song, it's just in the same vicinity. The video looks as if it would fit "Whiskey Remorse" better than it does for "Be My Downfall".

When You Were Young

Directed by Zachary Snyder
"Change Everything Videos" (A&M)

Mimed in empty streets in an industrial district.

Here and Now

Directed by Wiz
"Let's Go Home" (PolyGram Video)

The video for "Here and Now" features friends getting together and apparently taking some kind of hallucinagenic. As the Justin character finds himself getting lost in swirling sights, excellerated motion, and acute paranoia. Finally finding comfort in the woman that is with him the whole time, watching his hallucination happen around him. At times, disquieting, but nonetheless intriguing.

Roll To Me

Directed by Rene Eller
"Let's Go Home" (PolyGram Video)

One of the most bizarre Del Amitri videos. With overly saturated video, overly made up models, and babies with overly large heads. Utilizing computer editing skills, the heads of the band members are placed on the heads of babies in strollers. They are then wheeled around downtown by the models, while the "babies" perform the song from their strollers.

The video works, because it makes you watch, you remember it, and you remember the song. That's what a video is supposed to do.

Driving With The Brakes On

Directed by Pedro Rhomhanyi
"Let's Go Home" (PolyGram Video)

Filmed on a dry lake bed, a old convertible being driven by a young couple drives back and forth in front of, behind, and past the band members. There are no musical instruments to be found in this video. At times, the couple are seen sleeping, ignoring each other, and disappearing into the bed.

On the Let's Go Home video, new footage is edited in with the original video.

Tell Her This

Directed by Adolfo Doring
"Let's Go Home" (PolyGram Video)

Justin Currie has said that he was extremely hung over the day of this video shoot. Which works, because all he's asked to do is walk from a bedroom, downstairs, out the door, and into a barbershop for a shave. Iain and David are in the barbershop, and Ashley is outside the door, tapping out a rhythm. A video event that never becomes anything. It goes nowhere, which is good, as apparently there was nowhere to go.

Start With Me

Directed by Hamish Barbour
"Let's Go Home" (PolyGram Video)

While this video was not released in any other form, it's included here because it is one of the better pieces on this video compilation. Shot during the load-in at a gig in America, it features the backstage crew miming the words instead of the band.

Not Where It's At

Directed by Steve Hanft

It's hard to make a band video when you don't have a band. After the making of the album, Ashley and Jon left the band. Just in time to cause trouble for the making of the videos.

Mark Price, having been recruited to join the band, is in fact hiding in the shadows of this story-based video. The story really has no obvious connection to the song. Justin plays a cab driver, who picks up and delivers a woman to her destination. He's reading the paper while she goes on. At the end of the video, it turns out that the woman is the sheriff of the small town he's in.

Medicine

Directed by Hammer and Tongs

Loosely based on a fairy tale, the story actually has something to do with the song! A man has fallen asleep in his easy chair. Mouth agape, a spider falls into his open mouth. As the man awakens, he tries to remedy the situation, by getting a bird to go into his mouth to fetch the spider. And then a cat in to fetch the errant bird. And then a dog to bring out the cat... You get the idea.

So, what about the band? They're on the TV performing "Medicine" looking every bit the mid-60's supergroup that they would be if they had been that age.

The video ends with a pest control technician about to be pulled into the malay inside the unfortunate gentleman. The video is as funny as it is absurd. Another wonderful Del Amitri video.

Some Other Sucker's Parade

Directed by ?

This video consists of Justin walking down a city street, stopping in various shops, etc.

Don't Come Home Too Soon

Directed by Billy And Alan

The video for Don't Come Home Too Soon has been voted as the most popular of the 'football' song videos by the fans themselves. It features Justin and Iain (along with the Scotland squad) in an airport as they kick a soccer ball around.

Cry To Be Found

Directed by Billy And Alan

Set in a trailer park. Lots of brilliant color, slow motion, and telling moments about how people relate to one another.