For those of you that enjoyed this, I'm so happy. My name is Brad Sergi. I directed 4 vids of the B52s back in 1978 at Univ. of Georgia in Athens, GA. This was one of the songs. It was all students working on the shoot. Someone else came to me with the idea. The video has degraded terribly. I was able to preserve this song for the most part and edited it in 2008. One of the other songs that was great was "Devil In My Car".
+Brad Sergi , I love this band and think that living in Athens, GA, with this crew must've been the coolest thing in the universe! I'm 38 and was 1 year old when you directed them. It's funny how this band makes me want to go back to 1977/78 to enjoy their songs like a kind of a celebration of my own birth. The video gives depicts TheB52's' unique style, so congratulations for it. Do you still live in Athens and keep in touch with one of them? Are you planning on uploading any other video that you directed? Thanks a million!
yep im 47 and i have the first 2 albums on my memory stick in the and still crank em up who cares what anyone else thinks one of the very best EVER from the USA :)
I'm so happy to say that I saw them last night with my fiancé. Holy shit, what a show. They played Lava slower like this and the lights were dim and red and I couldn't help but smile and think about this video. Never thought the day would come.
Such a different sound than what they eventually worked into. Loving it. A johnathan Richmond modern lovers feel with a sprinkling of 13th floor elevators
lyrics music direction photography lights: after many years it is still current and performing . hot lava love from Italy 🇮🇹 my favorite band when i was teenager
@qdos10 Im with ya. Ive been to a lot of concerts in my life, seen a lot of big acts and big names perform, but NOTHING comes close to a B52s show. The energy level is amazing. Everyone, if you see the B52s are going to be performing near you: go see them. You wont be disappointed.
Original Comment from 2009 or so: "I agree, They were cool even before their first album was released. They still are cool and their first album is my favorite album, You can't beat it! Everything about it ROCKS!" ----- Now after 2 thumbs up to original comment: It is 2023, and I do not like the whole album anymore. If it's a sinful-endorsing lyric, it has no business in my home.
Bizarre! Fred reminds me of Joel Grey in "Cabaret," here...just saw the B's last nite(at DTE Music Thea., MI), & 40+ yrs. later, they still TOTALLY rock! & while they didn't do this song (actually my fave from the 1st album), they did tear up "52 Girls," & (of course) "Planet Claire" & "R.L." got done up for the encore. B52s Forever!
please, please, please post more from this film. This is absolutely the proof I've been searching for to show that the B-52s are indeed the best band EVER
I remember being a young teen when B52s came out in Georgia. There was like 5 of us in the whole state that got them. This is back when Lynyrd Skynyrd Aerosmith (Toys in the Attic) Foghat, Stillwater ruled the airways in Georgia. That they exploded out of Georgia during those times makes them all that more remarkable. The whole scene in Atlanta and Athens was incredible.
I saw them at Madame Wong's-Chinatown(LA) about '79 or '80 just before Rock Lobster went into heavy rotation, at KROQ. They had that great Talking Heads vibe but rocked a lot harder, I was hooked and those songs still hold up all these years later.
I love this version as well, its so smooth, you really feel the song... Hard to describe but this just pulls you in. Can't help but move to it! I see a lot of people talking about Cindy, but I can't take my eyes of Kate and that long beautiful hair. Such a good video!
@mtsn You're right about him not using two middle strings for Rock Lobster. The guitar was tuned like this: CFxxFF. (x means no string) I'm guessing he used the guitar seen in this video for the crazy album Rock Lobster tone. The guitar seen in this video isn't a baritone, Its within the regular scale lengths of a guitar and he modified it to accept a hybrid set of strings. He used bass strings for the lower two strings.
The best psicodelo move for that decade Remember each decade have self sounds Great for keep this History notable how B52 fix sounds and notes of this song great for Brad to keep part of they History.👍
Amazing! FYI I have two one minute clips from the same session! Devil In My Car and Hero Worship! I wish I knew how to upload the files! On Hero Worship, Kate is playing the guitar and singing a back-up vocal, very cool!
@tecdessus There's six strings but its hard to see the bottom two. Look towards the headstock, its easier to see them there (Or pause it at a frame and you'll see them in front of the frets) And yeah, I'm aware Ricky was known to play with only four strings but he must have still been experimenting here.
@101Volts the one in the private idaho is indeed a silvertone. The headstock solves the equation, the silvertone has some kind of a "crescent moon" shape, while the mosrite is almost plain.
@woowoo1967 I don't think he used any G strings on their first two albums, I think he occasionally used a D string (Like for Give Me Back My Man) There are pictures of him playing guitars strung with six strings but I'm not sure if he used all of the strings. I don't know what he played on their songs made after Wild Planet.
@tecdessus there are some baritones that are clones or based on the Mosrites, so he might have tried that, Mosrite has a baritone model as well but it's too weird to go unnoticed due to its design. I read about him using some long scale guitars, that's what a baritone has as well. Google "Ricky Wilson guitar tunings" and go to the mosrite forum link, there they talk about the tunings. My tuning for lobster was close but the F's of the higher strings.
@101Volts i tried to find some differences in the pickguards because they were indeed similar but not identical but couldnt spot any that was very noticeable so I assumed it was another Mosrite. I nearly thought it was a Danelectro 59 (like Page's) but the pickup didn't look much like the "lipstick" ones in the video (it looks thicker), another thing that made me think it was a Mosrite instead.
For those of you that enjoyed this, I'm so happy. My name is Brad Sergi. I directed 4 vids of the B52s back in 1978 at Univ. of Georgia in Athens, GA. This was one of the songs. It was all students working on the shoot. Someone else came to me with the idea. The video has degraded terribly. I was able to preserve this song for the most part and edited it in 2008. One of the other songs that was great was "Devil In My Car".
+Brad Sergi You did a wonderful job. It must be a lot of fun to think back how things were when you knew them before they became mega-famous.
+Brad Sergi , I love this band and think that living in Athens, GA, with this crew must've been the coolest thing in the universe! I'm 38 and was 1 year old when you directed them. It's funny how this band makes me want to go back to 1977/78 to enjoy their songs like a kind of a celebration of my own birth. The video gives depicts TheB52's' unique style, so congratulations for it. Do you still live in Athens and keep in touch with one of them? Are you planning on uploading any other video that you directed? Thanks a million!
Wow. So much different from their super energetic videos. Very enjoyable
This so cool, was a huge, huge fan of the B's from 78-83.. Love this so much. Thank you for posting.
Brad Sergi who was the crazy dancing chick behind them ??
Love Cindy's Pentecostal church girl look. Beautiful hair.
She's still a hillbilly to this day ❤❤
I can't get enough of ricky wilson on guitar. Such a loss!!!
Ricky Wilson ❤
Two of the most drop dead gorgeous women in the universe !
yep im 47 and i have the first 2 albums on my memory stick in the and still crank em up who cares what anyone else thinks one of the very best EVER from the USA :)
The birth of one of the greatest bands on this planet love em to bits!!!!
I'm so happy to say that I saw them last night with my fiancé. Holy shit, what a show. They played Lava slower like this and the lights were dim and red and I couldn't help but smile and think about this video. Never thought the day would come.
I'm going to see them at Webster Hall NYC for Halloween. Glad you enjoyed the show, I guess Keith Strickland isn't in this tour..?
Liz Hunyadi I hope you had a blast too. Unfortunately he wasn’t there, no. Still great though.
i love this drugged out drowsier version, drenched in reverb; sexy.
& yeah, cindy wilson is so amazing it hurts.
Such a different sound than what they eventually worked into. Loving it. A johnathan Richmond modern lovers feel with a sprinkling of 13th floor elevators
ricky underrated guitar legend! great version
His work is integral.
this is one of the best videos of the b-52's i have ever seen! it's hypnotic, reminds me of velvet underground...
Brand new for me, this performance is subdued, slower and sultry! 30 years of Lava Love!
OMG. Just found this. What a great version of this song. It has a bit of a Jefferson Airplane touch to it that I like.
lyrics music direction photography lights: after many years it is still current and performing . hot lava love from Italy 🇮🇹 my favorite band when i was teenager
this is of course common music on planet mongo in the outer star system, but no one else on earth sounded liked the B52s.
I glad that I have found it again after so many many years. There was also an instrumental piece of B-52's that was my favorite.
Wow! This has a great 60's beatnick vibe.
@qdos10 Im with ya. Ive been to a lot of concerts in my life, seen a lot of big acts and big names perform, but NOTHING comes close to a B52s show. The energy level is amazing. Everyone, if you see the B52s are going to be performing near you: go see them. You wont be disappointed.
Whole lot of attitude and artistic lava spillin on this great classic!
Man, I totally dig this version of the song. It has a '60s/psychedelic/California feel that works really well.
Voices!!! This performances oozes style
Wow,I love this versions' 60's beatnick vibe with lots of echo.
Original Comment from 2009 or so: "I agree, They were cool even before their first album was released. They still are cool and their first album is my favorite album, You can't beat it! Everything about it ROCKS!" ----- Now after 2 thumbs up to original comment: It is 2023, and I do not like the whole album anymore. If it's a sinful-endorsing lyric, it has no business in my home.
This is my favorite song!!!
Amazing, this was their first video!!! I realize it's bootleg but Wow!! Love the B-52's still amazing after all these years, the dj
My goodness, we were all so young-looking back in 1978.
An amazing document of an amazing band. Thanks Brad
Back to watch this fantastic video. If only they stayed this way for a while...
Bizarre! Fred reminds me of Joel Grey in "Cabaret," here...just saw the B's last nite(at DTE Music Thea., MI), & 40+ yrs. later, they still TOTALLY rock! & while they didn't do this song (actually my fave from the 1st album), they did tear up "52 Girls," & (of course) "Planet Claire" & "R.L." got done up for the encore. B52s Forever!
please, please, please post more from this film. This is absolutely the proof I've been searching for to show that the B-52s are indeed the best band EVER
Totally Kool B-52's rule,,Cheers
nice version and vid, they capture the real mood and potential of the song
Glad to see they are still together 30 years later with another cool album.
I remember being a young teen when B52s came out in Georgia. There was like 5 of us in the whole state that got them. This is back when Lynyrd Skynyrd Aerosmith (Toys in the Attic) Foghat, Stillwater ruled the airways in Georgia. That they exploded out of Georgia during those times makes them all that more remarkable. The whole scene in Atlanta and Athens was incredible.
10 years later and I am the only one who notices you put in Stillwater? Kid's on drugs
I saw them at Madame Wong's-Chinatown(LA) about '79 or '80 just before Rock Lobster went into heavy rotation, at KROQ. They had that great Talking Heads vibe but rocked a lot harder, I was hooked and those songs still hold up all these years later.
The B's are one of the fucking greatest things ever to hit this planet. Never forget it, and Funplex for '08! I'm at the mall on a diet pill!
Both the album version and this live version are great but I think I like this one more, Its more laid back and the guitar is tuned lower.
LOVE Kate's dress!!!!
LOVE this! So beatnicky
Too fantastic, Fred is so cute.
I love this performance of Lava it's so psychedelic
They were on one in this version I think it’s the best version.
The B-52's arer ALWAYS great!!!!
They still had that "garage band" vibe when this was recorded. B52's numbers defy imitation by anyone (at least on this planet)
My god, I miss Ricky.
I Love That Game!!!!!!!
Hot Lava!
The guy in the background (freak woman)....this band was total underground when they broke...They're the shit.
the first album was a masterpiece- how could they go wrong since??
holy crap this is amazing.
I love this version as well, its so smooth, you really feel the song... Hard to describe but this just pulls you in. Can't help but move to it! I see a lot of people talking about Cindy, but I can't take my eyes of Kate and that long beautiful hair. Such a good video!
I heart whomever posted this, ive seen em 3 times but not back in their yungin dayz! its trip/timewarp-lol!
Wow- what a cool, trippy, live version!
Amazing!
xoxo
The Clarences
@mtsn You're right about him not using two middle strings for Rock Lobster. The guitar was tuned like this: CFxxFF. (x means no string) I'm guessing he used the guitar seen in this video for the crazy album Rock Lobster tone. The guitar seen in this video isn't a baritone, Its within the regular scale lengths of a guitar and he modified it to accept a hybrid set of strings. He used bass strings for the lower two strings.
whoa!!! fred sounds like he's from Munchkinland!
But this is one of my favorite B songs
Man thats good! my favorite tune. thanks!
Wow! this is RARE! really early stuff.Thx 4 posting!
absolutely amazing footage! thanks for sharing.
In their prime no one could hold a candle to the b52s. LAVA wow lyrics and performance incredible. I wish they would have played the SUPERBOWL. 😜
Great vintage stuff!
Is it possible that many of those first songs consisted only of Ricky on guitar and Keith on those drums? I had no idea!
first gigs , BRAVO great !!! it´s a jewell
nice work, brad. good memories!
This is so fricken cool!!! Thanks for posting!!
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Holy Flashback!!!
fantastic footage. the girls are so subdued here, as opposed to later :D
oh my god, thank you so much for this video, wish i had seen them live that time.. they were so fuckin great!
I think I'm gonna jump a crater!
They were babies... ❤💛💚💙💜
I wonder if it could be restored at all. Thank you for this.
The best psicodelo move for that decade
Remember each decade have self sounds
Great for keep this History notable how B52 fix sounds and notes of this song great for Brad to keep part of they History.👍
Awesome.
sweet!
Never knew Lava could be so cool...
iconicshrubbery you are confusing cool with gay. Other than that, I'm with you. I never knew lava could be so gay.
must be an alpha male lover-Springsteen,Bon Jovi,or something like that...
+iconicshrubbery ack. Those are alpha males?
Happy Birthday Ricky Wilson (March 18)
Very unique version. Highlights Cindy's voice. Is that Ricky on guitar? Who is the third woman?
Mauna Loa is actively pumping out lava in a subdivision where people live right now!
Amazing! FYI I have two one minute clips from the same session! Devil In My Car and Hero Worship! I wish I knew how to upload the files! On Hero Worship, Kate is playing the guitar and singing a back-up vocal, very cool!
@tecdessus There's six strings but its hard to see the bottom two. Look towards the headstock, its easier to see them there (Or pause it at a frame and you'll see them in front of the frets) And yeah, I'm aware Ricky was known to play with only four strings but he must have still been experimenting here.
The best always, I love B52 s
Doesn't that Cindy look sooo pretty here?
I am glad to see they dropped the creepy dancing beaker later in their careers.
This is a total FACTORY feel to it. Yes; as in "Andy"...
@101Volts the one in the private idaho is indeed a silvertone. The headstock solves the equation, the silvertone has some kind of a "crescent moon" shape, while the mosrite is almost plain.
@woowoo1967 I don't think he used any G strings on their first two albums, I think he occasionally used a D string (Like for Give Me Back My Man) There are pictures of him playing guitars strung with six strings but I'm not sure if he used all of the strings. I don't know what he played on their songs made after Wild Planet.
Musical geniuses. LAVA . THIS looks early and great nand to two great feme voices. 👍
thanx 4 posting
this video seems to be outer from psychedelic 60's, the atmosphere looks so strange but cool
This reminds me of some of the early 4AD stuff. A combination of rockabilly surf drenched in reverb.
Vince Loves the B-52's
GREAT Video!!!
Ricky was such a badass
Trippy indeed
2:20 Using thick guitar strings.
@101Volts Ricky never used the middle strings ever as far as I remember.
1980 Ohope Beach New Zealand - we baked hot potatoes to this boom bang.
@tecdessus there are some baritones that are clones or based on the Mosrites, so he might have tried that, Mosrite has a baritone model as well but it's too weird to go unnoticed due to its design. I read about him using some long scale guitars, that's what a baritone has as well. Google "Ricky Wilson guitar tunings" and go to the mosrite forum link, there they talk about the tunings. My tuning for lobster was close but the F's of the higher strings.
@101Volts i tried to find some differences in the pickguards because they were indeed similar but not identical but couldnt spot any that was very noticeable so I assumed it was another Mosrite. I nearly thought it was a Danelectro 59 (like Page's) but the pickup didn't look much like the "lipstick" ones in the video (it looks thicker), another thing that made me think it was a Mosrite instead.
I have found someone who is going to attempt to rip some files of Hero Worship and Devil In My Car! We should have them soon!