Duran Duran - Electric Barbarella
The background:
Most of Sophie's music videos have been accompanied by some sort of problem or story. Her first ever music video was no exception, as it's quite possible you may have seen it much later than when it was originally released.
The video for "Electric Barbarella" was filmed in early 1997. It was the first single from the Duran Duran album "Medazzaland". However, the band had fallen out of favour, and found themselves without a record deal in their home country, the UK. As a result of this, the album and single were not released in the UK, and this video was rarely, if ever, screened on UK TV at the time. The single was released as an enhanced CD in the USA, featuring the video as the enhanced feature.
It wasn't until the release of a Greatest Hits album in 1998, that the single and video got a second bite of the cherry. The single was issued in the UK in 1999, and the video finally got shown on TV. A Greatest Hits video, and subsequent reissue on DVD, means you now have more opportunities to get hold of this video than some of Sophie's others, despite it's, at one time, rarity status.
Where to get it:
Duran Duran - Electric Barbarella
US Enhanced CD Single Capitol C2 7243 8 58674 0 8
Duran Duran - Greatest
VHS EMI 7243 492 1433 0
Video-CD EMI 921432 (Maylasian Only)
CD + DVD EMI 3116380
CD/DVD Dual Disc Capitol CAP 73378.2 (US Only)
[Obviously better picture quality on VHS/DVD than on CD Rom. In the Far East, it was also released on Video-CD, with less tracks than the video, which could be played on a DVD player or possibly a CD Rom. However, the quality on Video-CDs is poorer than a Video or DVD. CD + DVD release is a 2005 re-issue of the original CD version - the video is included on the DVD disc. The Dual Disc release is from the same year - the CD tracks are on one side, and the DVD featuring the video on the flip. I understand there is a 2011 CD+DVD reissue that differs from the one listed above in minor ways, but that the Sophie part of the package remains intact.]
Duran Duran - Greatest The DVD
DVD EMI 4907979
US DVD EMI 7243 4908259 (NTSC Region 0 or 1)
Japanese DVD EMI TOBW-3149
[2003 reissue of above VHS. Different cover, slightly different title. 2 discs, Sophie on Disc 2, but additional DVD features do not include any on set footage or alternate angles of this clip. Original UK copies shrinkwrapped, with Duran Duran competition sticker on rear. Video accessible via numerous menu screens, one of which has a very short title intro sequence before the clip.]
U2 - Last Night On Earth
The background:
Not too much to say about this one. Sophie's second video saw her play the star of the show, unlike the Duran video, and gain the credibility of starring in the same video as William Boroughs. However, it generally seems to be a rather forgotten song and video - being the third single release from U2's 1997 album "Pop", automatically means it received less coverage than the first single from the album, "Discotheque".
Where to get it:
U2 - The Best Of 1990-2000
DVD Island 063 510-9
US DVD Island 04400635119 (NTSC Region 0 or 1)
Japanese DVD Island UIBI-1003
["Last Night On Earth" is actually only one of the bonus tracks. Edited highlights featuring Sophie precede the start of the video, and it can be played with or without director's commentary. The defintive article should also include a booklet, circular insert, DVD catalogue and questionnaire.It is also worth noting that the 'Audio' version of "The Best Of 1990-2000" was also released for a limited time as a Triple Disc set, featuring 2 CDs and a DVD. The DVD was a 4 track disc, one track of which was a 'preview' for this release. Small clips from the "Last Night On Earth" were included, although the most you could see of Sophie was a leg and a flash of blond hair, which may even have been a body double!]
Elton John - Something About The Way You Look Tonight
The background:
It’s not widely acknowledged that Sophie features in the video for the biggest selling single in the world ever, partly as it’s on a technicality. But “Something About The Way You Look Tonight” by Elton John does have this claim to fame.
The video featured Sophie alongside a host of other models including Kate Moss and was filmed during the summer of 1997. It was due to be released as the first single from Elton’s “The Big Picture” album, and promotional copies of the single were issued prior to a planned release in September. The picture to the left features the photo used on the promotional sleeve. However, the death of one of Elton’s friends, Princess Diana, changed the course of history. Elton sang a re-written version of his 1973 song “Candle In The Wind” at her funeral (with suitably altered lyrics), and public demand decreed it worthy of an ‘official’ release. The decision was taken to issue a Double A side single consisting of “Something…” and “Candle In The Wind 1997”, the latter a studio recording as opposed to the funeral performance. Promotional releases of the originally planned version of “Something…” were recalled, whilst a handful of singles that were on their to record shops for commercial sale were also pulled. The single eventually appeared in a sombre Elton-less sleeve, although some European countries did issue “Something…” as a single in the promotional sleeve but without “Candle…” on the release. Unsurprisingly, the Diana tribute caught the public imagination and propelled the single to the top of the charts worldwide, even though it was actually the second track on the CD and Cassette Singles.
Elton did receive some flak for including “Something…” on the single at all, as it was claimed he was using the publicity to plug the new album, but the idea was to provide an alternative for radio and TV to play when it came to doing chart rundowns and the like, as no video was shot for “Candle…”. Some TV shows opted to produce their own video for the song, but others went with Elton’s plan and broadcast “Something…” where required. Nonetheless, it remains one of Elton’s more obscure videos - even more bizarrely, the 1998 Japanese reissue of "The Big Picture" features an edited version of the video on the enhanced section of the CD, which fades out before Sophie even makes it on screen! All of Elton’s various Video and DVD collections have neglected to include the song.
Where to get it:
Don't quote me, but a single track promo VHS copy is believed to exist, and at the time this page was uploaded (2008), was believed to be the only format on which it is available. All of Sophie's others videos are also believed to exist as similar one track promos.
Primal Scream - Swastika Eyes
The background:
After filming three music videos during her first year of modelling, it wasn’t until 1999 that Sophie filmed another clip, this time for Primal Scream. The band, whose origins were from the Indie scene in Scotland, were fast becoming tabloid friendly, helped in part by their association with the social scene – singer Bobby Gillespie was friends with Kate Moss, and she had appeared in their “Kowalski” clip in 1997.
“Swastika Eyes” was the first single to be lifted from their “Exterminator” LP. A remixed version of the song by The Chemical Brothers was chosen as the single version, as opposed to the slightly darker version of the song that the band would choose to play on stage. Both versions appeared on the album. The title caused controversy, and in some countries it was retitled “War Pigs”, although the lyrics, with a constant cry of ‘Swastika Eyes’ throughout remained unchanged!
The video saw the band appear as soldiers who run through fields to get to the front row of a catwalk show taking place outdoors in what looks like a battlefield. One by one, models come out of a tent to the delight of the band but the twist is that the models take it in turns to degrade and show their contempt for the band. The final scene belongs to Sophie – who emerges from the tent with gun in hand, and proceeds to kill off the entire band!
Despite the fact that the video is actually quite tame (there is no fake blood after the carnage!), MTV in the UK freaked out, and refused to show the whole video, fading the clip out before Sophie appeared on screen. It was even banned from being shown after the watershed. Other countries weren’t so concerned, and at the same time that MTV UK was banning the video, MTV in Germany were showing it uncut. It was rather strange that even though Sophie was the star of the clip, most people in the UK hadn’t actually seen her part. For all I know, it may still never have been shown uncut on MTV in the UK!
Even buying an official version of the clip, for a while, was awkward. It was for a couple of years only available on a Japanese Primal Scream ‘Best-Of’ CD as part of a bonus DVD given with initial copies, and these are now worth about £30-50. Keen Scream fans will notice the sleeve of the Japanese CD is very slightly different to the UK release of the same record, where the DVD was replaced with a bonus remix CD instead. The video has since been given a wider audience by being included as one of several "bonus" video tracks on a Primal Scream Live DVD, which interestingly omits some of the band's bigger hits, including the aforementioned Kate Moss clip!
Where to get it:
Primal Scream - Dirty Hits
CD + DVD Sony Music Japan SICP 450-1 (Japanese Only)
[DVD includes "Swastika Eyes" video. Originally shrinkwrapped, with two stickers on front of shrinkwrap. Inside, there are two booklets, one English, one Japanese and a 'Primal Scream' insert. Also comes with an 'Obi' with the DVD tracklisting on the rear of the strip.]
Primal Scream - Riot City Blues Tour
DVD Liberation LIB6057
[Primals gig, with 13 "bonus" promo videos, one of which is "Swastika Eyes". Most, probably all, originally shrinkwrapped although sticker on front is attached to the actual casing and not the shrinkwrap.]
