Billy Squire Question

I always hear people say he went downhill after making the rock me tonight video but what would a video have to do with him making good music?Just because he danes around in it?

speed101 wrote:

I always hear people say he went downhill after making the rock me tonight video but what would a video have to do with him making good music?Just because he danes around in it?

I don't think it was his music that went downhill but rather his career unfortunately. He was perceived as being rather un-masculine after that vid and it killed his momentum and he never recovered. Billy had the last laugh though because he actually had one of the best contracts in all of the music biz and is a rich man because of it.

Squire released very solid music right until his final album, the acoustic/bluesy Happy Blue.



I loved that version.

Anyway, all his albums are good with a handful of great tracks. It's definitely unfortunate he suffered because of that godawful video. Too bad he listened to the director or marketer or whoever the hell thought it was a smart career move. But like most 80s rockers, his days were numbered anyway.

I wish he'd do a new album.

"Squier" people, not "Squire"...

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

"Squier" people, not "Squire"...

Beat me to it.

As for the "Rock Me Tonight" video, the sight of him dancing around (badly) in a "Flashdance" style cut off shirt most likely turned off a lot of his so-called "macho" hard rock audience...

Fat Freddy wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

"Squier" people, not "Squire"...

Beat me to it.

As for the "Rock Me Tonight" video, the sight of him dancing around (badly) in a "Flashdance" style cut off shirt most likely turned off a lot of his so-called "macho" hard rock audience...

That was obviously not his idea...it was the video director/label wanting to "modernize" him and make him video-current...same reason they had Pat Benatar dance in the "Love Is A Battlefield" video...clearly a bad idea.

But the video, worked for Pat Benatar where it sunk poor Billy Squier's career, at least began the sinking, if I remember correctly the album 'Signs of Life' still sold a huge number of copies.

manny wrote:

But the video, worked for Pat Benatar where it sunk poor Billy Squier's career

Well, who would YOU rather watch dancing around... Pat Benatar or Billy?

Fat Freddy wrote:

manny wrote:

But the video, worked for Pat Benatar where it sunk poor Billy Squier's career

Well, who would YOU rather watch dancing around... Pat Benatar or Billy?

You do have a valid point there, sir.

Billy made a lot of catchy music in the past. Some of his songs are iconic.

I think it was just a sign of the times as well. Making videos was still new-ish and 70's artists didn't know what to make of this new format. It wasn't enough to just stand there and play music. You took chances, listened to directors. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. 95% of videos from the early 80's look ridiculous to us now, but they were cool enough back then. Billy's took the hit pretty bad though.

And yes, I know Billy didn't have a hit until the 80's, but he cut his teeth in the music industry in the late 60's and 70's. For you younger kids out there, it seems hard to believe that MTV and music videos made such an impact on a generation of fans, but the music video destroyed just as many music careers as it helped develope.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I think it was just a sign of the times as well. Making videos was still new-ish and 70's artists didn't know what to make of this new format. It wasn't enough to just stand there and play music. You took chances, listened to directors. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. 95% of videos from the early 80's look ridiculous to us now, but they were cool enough back then. Billy's took the hit pretty bad though.

And yes, I know Billy didn't have a hit until the 80's, but he cut his teeth in the music industry in the late 60's and 70's. For you younger kids out there, it seems hard to believe that MTV and music videos made such an impact on a generation of fans, but the music video destroyed just as many music careers as it helped develope.

I agree. Michael Jackson's Thriller video made his song even cooler than it would have otherwise been.

THIS is what we expected and wanted from Billy

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x19i8x_billy-squier-everybody-wants-you_music

Cool bit of trivia here. My father was once in a band with Bobby Chouinard, Squiers drummer.