A segment from the long running Australian music TV series Countdown, which aired on the ABC from 1974-1987.
This particular segment aired during the Countdown episode which originally aired on February 14, 1982, on the ABC.
This clip features an interview of British band Ultravox (at that stage consisting of lead singer Midge Ure, bass player Chris Cross, drummer Warren Cann, and keyboardist Billy Currie), conducted by Countdown Talent Co-Ordinator Molly Meldrum.
The interview begins with a discussion about where Ultravox's musical sound will go in 1982, which lead singer Midge Ure discusses, in the context of the band being categorised as part of the 'New Romantic' movement.
The interview then proceeds to discuss the film clip for their biggest hit, 'Vienna', and what they were seeking for the video clip.
Molly also asks the band if they enjoy the acting in the video clips. Molly also asks bass player Chris Cross about the confusion between himself and American singer Christopher Cross, which Cross jokes that he mistakenly gets paid the American Cross' royalties.
Molly ends the segment from the Countdown set, where he laments Midge Ure's criticism of British band The Clash, and then leads into an AC/DC video clip.
Note: The video clips played during the interview are from 'Vienna', 'The Thin Wall', and 'The Voice'.
Vaxfacts: Ultravox's biggest hit song, 'Vienna', never made it to number 1 on the UK charts. Instead, it stayed at number 2 for four consecutive weeks in early 1981, the first week kept out by John Lennon's 'Woman' (little more than a month after Lennon's assassination in Manhattan), and the subsequent three weeks kept out by American-born Australian singer Joe Dolce's hit 'Shaddap You Face' (which incidentally, Molly Meldrum appears in the film clip).
The film clip for 'Vienna' was filmed by renowned Australian movie and music video director Russell Mulcahy. Melbourne-born Mulcahy was without doubt the pre-eminent music video director of the era, directing many music videos for Ultravox, Duran Duran, Human League, Elton John, Spandau Ballet, Kim Carnes, Bonnie Tyler, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, and the Rolling Stones. Mulcahy also directed what is regarded as one of the landmark video clips in music history- The Buggles' 'Video Killed The Radio Star', which was the first video clip to be played on American music station MTV (Music Television) in 1981. An interview that Molly Meldrum conducted with Mulcahy on Countdown in 1986 in the lead up to the release of his movie 'Highlander' can be viewed at the following link:
• Countdown (Australia)-...