Self-Control
The Laura Branigan hit is highly unusual
I heard this in the grocery store last night and it’s been in my head ever since.
Laura Branigan made her career covering the songs of Italian songwriter Giancarlo Bigazzi . This one was co-written with Steve Piccolo and singer Raf. What makes this interesting is that Raf’s version and Branigan’s version were recorded and released around the same time. Raf’s version was also a big hit and at one point in Germany the song was at #1 for Branigan and #2 for Raf.
I didn’t hear Raf’s version until today and I wanted to talk about Branigan’s version so sorry Raf. Your version is in the post too and for all the European folks who know that version as the definitive, just stick with me.
Both versions were released in 1984. Jack White, who had produced Branigan’s previous hits stepped in again to produce with Robbie Buchanan, with Buchanan and Harold Faltermeier (better known as Axel F) doing the arrangement. Axel F plays synth on the track. A keyboard hook in Raf's version was changed to a guitar riff for Branigan's version and a vocal break was paired with a sharper and repeated percussive element. Branigan’s powerful vocal drives the track.
As for the video, it’s high concept around sexual desire, including a corps of contemporary dancers and mask work. The focus is a male figure that looks suspiciously like the Phantom of the Opera, black cloak and white mask. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical wouldn’t premiere for another couple of years and it seems this wasn’t the Phantom’s look before then, so maybe this influenced that iconic look?
I was struck by Branigan’s acting here and there are some obvious standing sets and a cast of extras, yet it looks like it was filmed on the cheap. Would love to know the story there.
It was directed by William Friedkin, already an established director best known for The French Connection and The Exorcist. Why he was directing a music video I couldn’t find out. He had directed Deal of the Century the year before and was probably in the middle of shooting To Live and Die in LA. The next video he would direct would be Wang Chung’s title track of that film. Maybe he wanted to get his feet wet in the genre? Maybe the label paid him a ton of money for a few day’s work?
It was also considered too risque for MTV but other channels played it in late night slots. (No problem in any other country, of course.) MTV demanded edits (probably around the simulated sex) and Branigan initially resisted but the label wore her down. By the time they were done, the song had slipped down the chart.
Here’s Raf’s version for comparison.
Enjoy your song of the day!
Fascinating stuff, MK! Only vaguely aware of only Laura's version, but never saw the video! Mid-'80s is my pop-cultural "black hole," as I had returned to college at 30 to make a sharp change in careers! So many videos I missed (I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining)!
I found Friedkin's directorial involvement fascinating, and as I found no hints online, I thought I'd take a stab at his motivation: With MTV only being a couple years old at the time, major (and successful) directors, I think, wanted to "try their hand" at this new thing called music videos! I think John Landis ended up directing a few, too. For the adventurous, I think the medium proved somewhat attractive and even provocative to some.
Instead of a 3-hour film, they could still be directing a "movie," just one that rarely went beyond 4 minutes! Plus, he could still charge a tidy sum for his services, while the artist and label (Atlantic in this case) could brag that they pulled in a "big one"!
Thanks again for helping to fill in a several-year musical black hole for me!
To 13-year old Mark, the video for Laura Branigan’s Self Control was a revelation! An instant favorite. I was vaguely aware that there was another version of the song. Branigan’s will always be the definitive for me but I enjoyed the Raf version also.