Back during the 1980s, back before it was the channel of 48 hour "Road Rules" marathons, MTV had music videos. Some of them were quite good. One I remember quite well was "Vanz Kant Danz", the mid 1980s. It was by John Fogerty, the frontman from Creedence Clearwater Revival, off his landmark solo album Centerfield. Yes, that Centerfield, the one with the now ubiquitous title track baseball anthem ("Put me in coach...").
Mr Spock Pig
I remembered the video, featuring Will Vinton's "Claymation" work. Vinton is now probably best remembered for his California Raisins commercials. When videos started appearing on the web in Youtube and other sites, this was one I sought out. I never found it, perhaps because it was "rare", censored by someone, or I was searching under the wrong name.
It turns out that "Vanz Kant Danz" was really "Zanz Kant Danz", and a song about a pickpocketing pig was really a jav at a greedy record company executive.
From a comment on Youtube:
"The song "Zanz Kant Danz" was altered and re-titled "Vanz Kant Danz" a few months after the release of the album in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid a defamation lawsuit from Saul Zaentz, owner of Fantasy Records. The altered "Vanz Kant Danz" version of this song appears on all post-1985 pressings of the album." Zaentz had filed a lawsuit againt Fogerty claiming that one of the songs on "Centerfield" sounded like another Fogerty song. Fogerty won the defense.
Want it while you can, before someone censors it again. Mr Spock
appears around 2:50:
I guess that the record exec really and truly was a dick. I heard that he wouldn't even let Mr. Fogerty play his old Creedence songs (that he himself wrote!) in concert.
4 comments:
I can honestly say I have never heard this song, and I was a teeny-bopper in the 80's?
Then again, I was into metal, so that might explain. Do you remember Headbanger's Ball on MTV?
I think MTV hardly showed this at all.
I guess that the record exec really and truly was a dick. I heard that he wouldn't even let Mr. Fogerty play his old Creedence songs (that he himself wrote!) in concert.
And now he will be remembered as a pig with a radio.
Post a Comment