Music Monday: Best Cover Versions – Video Killed the Radio Star

Original Artist: Bruce Woolley & the Camera Club
Cover Version by The Buggles & The Presidents of the United States of America

What was the very first video aired by MTV? Yep! On the 1st of August 1981, British New Wave duo, The Buggles, got the honor to declare the “birth” of the used-to-be-a-music-channel, MTV (which is now more like eMpty-TV), into the world by showcasing the video of their biggest hit ever, Video Killed the Radio Star. Pretty ironic choice, isn’t it?

Once again, I got it all wrong by thinking that this song was originally by The Buggles. While actually it's not! It was Bruce Wooley and the Camera Club who recorded and released it first. Despite the fact that Wooley used to be the “mentor” of The Buggles, he was never "an official member" (using his own words he’s merely “on the design team”). Bruce Wooley and the Camera Club recorded and released the song for their 1979 album English Garden. Bruce Wooley is more of behind-the-screen musician as composer and producer to various singers (Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, Cher, etc.). Maybe that’s the reason I never heard about Bruce Wooley and the Camera Club before.

Bruce Wooley and the Camera Club

The Buggles consisted of Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn. When he was younger, Trevor Horn was the keyboardist in The Camera Club. (You see the connection, right?) Actually, this number was released 2 years prior to that MTV historical moment, as a single from The Buggles’ debut album, The Age of Plastic (released 1980). Their version, with a strong taste of 80’s New Wave (just like Bruce Wooley’s version), got the biggest success in the charts (reach #1 in UK and some European countries). And VH1, put this song in number 40 in the list of VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80's.

The Buggles

The Presidents of the United States of America (PUSA) is a 90’s rock alternative band from….Err…America? Off course! Seattle to be exact. Their version of Video Killed the Radio Star is the first version that I heard. I got it from their Pure Frosting album (released 1998) and love this track right away. But then, during writing this post, I learned that PUSA were originally recorded this cover as part of The Wedding Singer Soundtrack that was also released in the same year as Pure Frosting (huh?). As a 90’s alternative music fan, who grew with and in it, I gotta say that this one is still my favorite version.

The Presidents of the United States of America

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