Here is a newly restored version of this early ‘80’s promo video for Kraftwerk’s The Model, originally from the 1978 album, The Man Machine.
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The video is not the familiar “official” 1981 EMI promo readily available on YouTube. That video features 1950’s / 60’s black and white stock footage of catwalk fashion models, intercut with random 1981 Kraftwerk live footage.
This second early 80’s promo video features rehashed footage from several Kraftwerk sources: the 1977 Showroom Dummies promo, the 1978 The Robots promo and again some random live ’81 footage. Is it also an official EMI production or not? That is not clear to me. Either way, it is to my mind a more satisfactory video from the era for The Model than the more familiar official one.
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Forty years ago, on this day, 7 December 1981, EMI U.K. released Kraftwerk’s 1978 track The Model as a single. No doubt it was an attempt to cash in on the interest in the current trend of New Wave synth art pop acts, let’s call them. By February ‘82 The Model was number one in the U.K. singles charts, and went on to sell over 1/2 million copies.
I don’t remember, but it’s likely this was how I got to know about Kraftwerk. I was already a young fan of the aforementioned style of music – artists such as Ultravox, Human League, Japan, Gary Numan, Visage etc. Perhaps I’d already heard that Kraftwerk were an influence on these acts? Again, I don’t remember. But on the strength of The Model, I recall that it seemed clear to me that Kraftwerk were a precursor.
Rather than buy The Model single, I went to Beanos second-hand store in Croydon to look for an album. And there in the racks was a copy of The Man Machine. The sleeve totally baffled me – what was going on here, these guys look so weird?! It goes without saying I hope; I bought that copy of The Man Machine, and it was the start of my abiding love for Kraftwerk.
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Thanks to my friend at the excellent archive music video YouTube channel:
He generously shared with me the original file of this early 80’s broadcast.
I’ve edited and generally spruced up that file as best as I could, and then synced the result to a remastered audio.
Thanks for watching, hope you dig it!
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Credits
Video source unknown
Audio:
Kraftwerk The Model | from the 1978 album Man Machine | released on 19 May 1978 | recorded at Kling Klang Studios | Düsseldorf, West Germany | 1977-78
Kraftwerk
Ralf Hütter | electronics, keyboards, synthesiser, vocoder, voice
Florian Schneider | electronics, synthesiser, vocoder, Votrax
Karl Bartos | electronic drums
Wolfgang Flür | electronic drums
Produced by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider
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