Almost all the music I like today I first heard on a skateboard video. I started skating in the late 80’s when Powell Peralta, Santa Cruz, and Vision were the big companies, and few videos were produced. Powell Peralta always used custom made music that you couldn’t buy, but Santa Cruz used music from artists on the SST label. Exactly why, I don’t know, but that’s where my music tastes originated.
Dinosaur Jr., Firehose, Meat Puppets, Screaming Trees, Sonic Youth, Husker Du, The Minutemen, Bad Brains–these were all bands on the SST label, and man, I loved that music. I used to hook the VCR up to the stereo and record the skatevideos onto audio tapes. Then I’d basically listen to skate videos. Dinosaur Jr. was pretty much my favorite. I ended up buying all their music because of skate videos, and I still listen to all of it.
Even today, most of the new music I’m exposed to is through skate videos. Interpol, Hellen Stellar, and Doves are all new favorite bands I’ve found out about in the last year or two because of skateboard videos.
The relationship between skateboarding and music is an interesting one. Is there any other sport where music is such a dominating influence? We’ve even got bands known as “skate rock bands”, like JFA. Can you imagine someone saying “Yeah, we’re a mountain bike rock band.” And yet we’ve got that in skateboarding.
Music is such a part of skateboarding that the first time a video came out with hardly any music (Rubbish Heap from World Industries) it was the strangest thing ever, and interesting just because it was so unique. Some of you younger kids may have gotten the same feeling watching PJ Ladd’s part in Really Sorry. Sometimes silence really is golden.
One thing I’ve noticed is that skateboarding parts in videos and music can affect each other. That is, good music can make a bad skateboarding part good, and vice versa, and a good skateboarding part can make a song sound good even though you didn’t like it before. Have you ever heard a song and thought “This song bites” and then a year later you hear it on a skate video, and suddenly you love the song? And you think to yourself “How is it that I didn’t like this before but now I really do like it and I’m not even just fooling myself?” That happened to me with that New Kids on the Block song after I watched Land Pirates.
Some video parts are memorable in large part because of the music. When I first saw Natas skating to Brave Captain by Firehose in Streets on Fire, an old Santa Cruz video, I was completely blown away. Yeah, the skating was incredible, but the music just made it that much more so. That video part is still pretty incredible, and not just because of the hydrant spin.
What about Mike Vallely skating to Dinosaur Jr. in Speed Freaks? Tom Penny skating to Radiohead in a 411 the specific issue of which escapes me, Chris Miller skating to whatever that music was in Now n’ Later, Daewon skating to Love Child in the video of the same name, or Koston in Mouse skating to the tunes of Joe Bataan, etc.
For more info on skateboarding and music visit http://www.skateboardmusic.com
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I was wondering if anyone could tell me the name of a song and who sings it. It was a song I first heard in a Powell Peralta video back in the late 80’s along with the bones brigade. The video was called Public Domain. The song starts out – I am not a cool guy any more, as if I was before….
I heard this song again on an episode of Bams Unholy Wedding on MTV and I forgot how cool this song was… I want to find it again.
Thanks for your help.
That would be Coolidge, from The Descendents. And the video was Streets of Fire from Santa Cruz, if I’m not mistaken. Most, if not all, the music in Public Domain was done specifically for the video by Chuck Treece, if my memory serves me.
Love the article. The soundtrack is almost as important as the skating itself. If I don’t like the music, I don’t like the video. I know it sounds stupid, but that’s how it is. Tum Yeto videos have allways supported good soundtracks, they never dissapoint (exept for the Latin American 80’s metal song The Butcher had in good & evil, hehe). The coolest thing is when the song/lyrics matches the skater. Prime example would be Erik Ellington in Thrill Of It All, skating to Danzig – Mother. Another is Jerremy Wray in One step beyond, with the Van Halen song “ain’t talking about love”. When he’s doing the crazy ledge between the roofs, and the lyrics go: “i’ve been to the edge…there i stood and looked down.. I’ve lost a lot of friends there…”. I get goosebumbs every time i watch it.
My favourite soundtrack is Video Days’, but if I had to choose one song it would have to be Inch – For duty and humanity, taken from Daniel Haney’s part in “Duty now for the future”. Followed by the “Ned’s atomic dustbin” tune on Rick Howard’s part in Questionable. It’s called Grey cell green.
Basicly, I wouldn’t have had a 1000 albums on my iPod if hadn’t been for skateboardvideos. Those were the seeds, which turned into a giant tree with all kinds of branches.
Hi Im wondering if you can tell me who sings this track http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z6udfKcaUU
Its the song on Powell Peralta movie Public Domain, the scene with Ray Barbie, Chet Thomas, Steve Saiz and its black and white
That would be the one and only Chuck Treece.
I agree with this article! Music from 80’s skatevideos was very influential, in a way it steered me towards independent music. Santa Cruz video soundtracks were very good and H-Street’s ‘Shakle me not’ contained many good and strange tunes as well
By the way, about the Public Domain (Powell IV video) soundtrack: Does anybody know what band is playing (or the name of the song) in Mike Vallely’s bit? There are two songs, the 1st one is instrumental and the 2nd one has lyrics. I’m interested in the latter, the one with lyrics. The film just credits the band names and it doesn’t say which band plays which part.
Wow, just found this site. I’m in my early 30’s, skated from when I was about 10 until I was about 20, when I destroyed my right knee. Went to college shortly after, and the skating got lost somehow. I do miss it. I used to live and breath it, even skating my little fingerboard (remember those, do they still make them) on my books in class everday when I couldn’t skate for real. Used to run to my locker, get my board, which barely fit in there, and skate right down the hall and ollie down the four steps out. Just bought Black Flag Live ‘84 yesterday. I’m going through an ’80s punk music reniaissance right now, rediscoving some bands I’d forgotten about. Yeah, my first issue of Thrasher had Natas on the cover, that’s what got me started.
Which videos had The Smiths and Morrissey songs in them?
Who sings the song in Public Domain when Doug Smith’s skating in TJ? I’ve been trying to find this song forever!
“Take me back to the cumbre, i want another steak burrito, a nice ice cold Corona and a side order of carnitas”…..
I would also like to know the name of the song with the lyrics “i want another steak burrito”. I have been searching for years. It was also on Whiskey 3 during the Powell/Burnside Bridge piece. They dont print the video anymore and no one has a track list for it.
Any ideas?
i have been searching for about 15 years for a song from a santacruz strangenotes video that came out about 91/92 ish. no idea what it was called.it was a punk/hardcore song but with a hammond organ in it as well. i dont even know the name of the guy skating either but i can remember he was also throwing bricks and stuff through the walls in an abandoned house. ring any bells anyone. i would also like to know the name of the steak burrito song from public domain.
Anything from Public Domain is probably Chuck Treese (Treece?) stuff and might be hard to find.
Strange Notes during that era used a lot of Pegboy songs, but I don’t think any of their music had an organ in it, although it was fairly hardcore. You sure you’re not thinking of The Odd Numbers? They may have had some organ stuff in their songs, and it’s possible they were in some Strange Notes videos, although they were more widely used on the old New Deal videos.
I was just wondering if there is anywhere I might find a list of tracks and artists for the old Bones Brigade videos, Ban This, Public Domain, and Propaganda?
can i have a free copy of the video, and a skateboard too so i can try skating.
hey….
that song in the black and white section…
it’s My Weakness by a band called McRad
Question:
In the Speedfreaks video, what is the name of the song and band during Jason Lee? I think the lyrics go something like “it’s about boy, it’s about a bear, it’s about the world….” or something like that. By the way, that flick had the best soundtrack!
That was the Blind video entitled Video Days, not Speedfreaks, although Speedfreaks had one of the best skate video soundtracks of all time, and Jeff Grosso shaving his eyebrows, so it’s definitely a must-see. Jason Lee’s song in the Blind video was Knife Song by Milk.
Sweet! Thanks Joshua. Could have swore it was speedfreaks, but either way I got the answer. Take care.
Hey Sam I was watching old sk8 vids and saw your name pop up in one of my searches. What up bro. I knew it was you soon as you got to the knee part. I retired sk8ing in 2001 from a broken tailbone. Still mess around but stopped killing myself everyday.
Dino Jr. in Vallely’s part literally changed my life. Up to that point I didn’t care for music at all. Haven’t skated for years, but skate videos were where I found the music that gave me chills and taught me what music is SUPPOSED to sound like. Kinda bummed that Interpol is on new vids since I feel they’re one of the worst bands ever, and I hated when vids started having more rap and hip-hop in them, but I’m glad to see that skate vids are still inspiring people in more ways than just the skating aspect. Also, Operation Ivy in the H-Street videos was a major influence. Still love skateboarding as a sport and still have tons of friends who still skate, but I’m done… my joints can’t take it anymore. Don’t forget NOFX and Bad Religion either…
Jeff Grosso shaving his eyebrows: “Hey Mom, check out my new style, my new naation, I’m at the forefront of fashion.” “She’s all: ‘Jeff… What are you doing?’” “I don’t know, Mom, but I’m at the forefront of it.”
Still remember that $@#$…
anyone know song and artist for this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jBcbumjBPQ
^
leave a message under the youtube video. after a while someone will know what it is
Finally found the song another i was looking for both by Les Thugs, a french hardcore band. Already had the Pegboy and Oddnumbers tracks. thanks
I’m trying to find a track that I thought was on Rubbish Heap, but thanks to this thread, i know it’s not. might be on hocus Pocus. Chorus of the thrashy song has lyrics: I need you like i need a hole in my head, I need you like …(sounds like “exploding cat and bed”). Been trying to find this since i don’t kow when.
@Gordon: It’s from Useless Wooden Toys (New Deal), but for the life of me I can’t remember the band name. Think they had 2 songs on there. Knowing the video might help your search though.
I always thought it was “exploding cadillacs” for that line, but I don’t know for sure.
They also did the song on that vid, “if I were a rich man, if I were a millionaire…”
Conratulations on finally setting up your site. I am abiding the website will become a world wide web fable
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Anyone know the name of the song and band for Jeff Grosso’s part in Speed Freaks? That songs kicks butt. “today today today is payday!!! Something like that. Thanks!
Anyone know the group or song name in this video?http://www.surfline.com/video/featured-clips/tahiti-welcome-to-teahupoo_8202
Great article. I enjoyed it and the comments as well. I long for the days when skating soundtracks had the same kind of raw energy as the skating. I loved the old Santa Cruz vids, which had great soundtracks.
Anyone know the name of the song and artist in the Natas part in Strange Notes? Here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jBcbumjBPQ
Who Knows The Song That Tom Knox Is Skating to in the Video Speed Freaks 1989 Santa Cruz Skateboards
I know the song for Yom Knox part in rist it though. It’s clayfist by Kinghorse. Rad skating and rad song.