Video of Devo on SNL in 1978

Posted by David Pescovitz, September 23, 2007 7:20 AM | permalink

Here's a fantastic video of Devo covering the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" on Saturday Night Live, October 14, 1978.
Link (via Laughing Squid)

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#1 posted by Tits McGee

, September 23, 2007 7:48 AM

Bedazzled has some great footage of Devo playing Girl U Want, Gates Of Steel, Whip It & Uncontrollable Urge on ABC's Fridays. Definitely worth checking out.

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#2 posted by David Pescovitz , September 23, 2007 8:01 AM

Thanks, Tits! Great stuff.

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#3 posted by Bob W. , September 23, 2007 9:02 AM

I remember seeing that performance live and having my tiny little mind blown wide open. Pop music that was actually interesting and fun!

Plus I could never believe that Mick Jagger couldn't get no satisfaction any time he wanted it. Mark Mothersbaugh, on the other hand, looked like he might have some trouble with it.

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#4 posted by dbr

, September 23, 2007 9:07 AM

They also appeared on Fridays with full New Traditionalists tour regalia (Greek portico, treadmills), only online source for that I can find is on YouTube and of godawful quality unfortunately, anybody know of a better copy?

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#5 posted by River , September 23, 2007 10:11 AM

This would be a great segment for "Where Are They Now?"

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#6 posted by CommieNeko , September 23, 2007 10:29 AM

The thing that I liked most about Devo from that period was their "audio aninamatronics" inspired moves. Very disturbing. The Uncanny Valley in reverse...

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#7 posted by dgbellak , September 23, 2007 11:26 AM

This comment thread was worth it just to see David say "Thanks, Tits!"

I was always partial to Jocko Homo - don't hear too many songs in 7/8 time on MTV these days.

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#8 posted by BlackAndy , September 23, 2007 11:39 AM

You know it's going to be a good day when you roll out of bed, check BoingBoing, and see a link to a DEVO performance from almost 30 years ago. Thanks!

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#9 posted by Thorzdad

, September 23, 2007 11:56 AM

Wow. Great time trip. I had just discovered DEVO a few months before this aired, and remember it well. Great, great stuff. Amazing how well a lot of their music still holds up.

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#10 posted by MrIntolerant , September 23, 2007 1:20 PM

Just yesterday I had Devo songs stuck in my head and I was almost prepared to dig my VHS copy of The Truth About De-Evolution out of storage. It has been 8 years since I last watched it, so it could be buried deep.

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#11 posted by David Pescovitz , September 23, 2007 1:24 PM

(#7) dgbellak, at least I didn't say "Tits! Thanks!" : )

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#12 posted by EH , September 23, 2007 2:22 PM

Much like Bob W., I saw this the first time it was on. I was 10 and it pretty much set the stage for my music tastes. Good thing Dad let us stay up!

@DGBELLAK: Funnily enough, their other performance in this SNL episode was a showing of the Jocko Homo video/movie!

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#13 posted by Miss Underestimated , September 23, 2007 2:38 PM

Reason number 1,982 why I love DEVO: because even though most of the band's members have had successful careers apart from the band (Mark Mothersbaugh has become a motherfacking millionaire as a film/tv composer), they still tour as DEVO and are producing new music. They came to my tiny, backwater burg last year and played to a tiny, backwater (but very enthusiastic) audience and actually seemed to enjoy it. I really admire and appreciate that.

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#14 posted by justin(pusha)

, September 23, 2007 2:49 PM

My mom used to sing devo's "whip It" in front of my friends to embarrass me:) She still does but it's not so embarrassing now that I recognize what geniuses they were.

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#15 posted by lava

, September 23, 2007 3:33 PM

ehhhh, gulp! I remember seeing this live!

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#16 posted by Marble River , September 23, 2007 3:37 PM

Yeah, I remember that performance so well. I set up my Super-8 (with sound) movie camera, aimed it right at the screen and "taped" it. The resulting film was truly strange, and I think Devo would have liked the odd strobo-scopic effect. Projecting it room-size and sending the audio through a decent home-stereo was a total-emersion experience (sorry about all the hyphens). Someday, I'll digitize it. TVOD!
MR

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#17 posted by strider_mt2k

, September 23, 2007 3:59 PM

I remember watching that broadcast as a kid also!

Wow. They were so ahead of their time.

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#18 posted by Mark Frauenfelder

, September 23, 2007 4:11 PM

Another example of why the 1970s was a much better decade than people give it credit.

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#19 posted by darryl ohrt

, September 23, 2007 4:17 PM

Thanks for this! I totally remember seeing that broadcast - and went out and bought the Devo record the very next day. Been a fan ever since. Thanks for the refreshing trip down memory lane.

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#20 posted by agitprop , September 23, 2007 4:53 PM

I'm old enough to remember Devo on Saturday Night Live but I don't think I ever saw this performance. I thought they were trying too hard to be weird when I was a kid, but I do appreciate them more now.

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#21 posted by Shawn Wolfe

, September 23, 2007 5:37 PM

I remember vividly seeing that performance when it aired (i was 14) and how my mind was instantly and irrevocably warped. Thank god for Devo.

They played at the Puyallup Fair here in Washington on Friday night.

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#22 posted by Tits McGee

, September 23, 2007 5:40 PM

David! You're Welcome! :)

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#23 posted by Ben

, September 24, 2007 9:04 AM