Today’s Music Video Monday is keeping the peace. The dog peace. 
The 1980s were a strange time. Many elements in today’s music culture were born in the crucible of the Regan era. Many things then thought ephemeral have unexpectedly lasted. Music videos rose to prominence with MTV. Synth pop, which was relegated to a joke by the end of the decade, is now the default setting for 21st century pop.
And then there was Dog Police, the Memphis synth band combo of Tony Thomas, Sam Shoup, and Tom Lonardo, who, influenced by Devo and a sense of general New Wave insanity, created a novelty hit out of their band’s theme song. Music Video Monday is always searching for earlier and earlier Memphis music videos, and this one, directed by Joe Mulherin in 1984, is among the earliest. The production values on display here, from the videography to the makeup and staging, are pretty impressive, and the song…well, the song will probably get stuck in your head for a while. You can thank Music Video Monday later.
Music Video Monday: Dog Police
If you would like to see your work featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com
