"In the Mood" video cast list?

[bbrighton]

Hello folks,

I come, hat in hand, looking for an information handout, should someone have it.

You see, completely out of the blue, a friend of mine noticed at about 4:10 into the "In the Mood" video as seen on YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImpSyGTzot0 ), one of the dancers has on a jersey labeled "Cleburne Co. Motors".

This is fairly unique, and possibly referencing a small town in Arkansas (Heber Springs, population ~5000, even fewer at the time the video was made).

Does anyone know who this gentleman is or what group he might have been affiliated with? If there is a connection to the town, there are several of us (residents/former residents) who would like to track it down for the curiosity value.

The board admin suggested I post here, and any leads would be appreciated.

Many thanks regardless,

-brad

[SteveAJones]

Aubrey Powell, the director, may have casting details on file. I'm intrigued of course, and will see what I can find.

I do know that the video for 'Big Log' was filmed at the famous Glass Pool Inn near Las Vegas as well as the ghost town in Calico, CA. So it's quite possible the video for 'In The Mood' was filmed in Los Angeles, in which case the cast member could have been an aspiring actor who at some point had made the trek to Tinseltown from Heber Springs and eventually found himself in a Robert Plant music video. I'm 99.99% certain it was not filmed in Arkansas, as Robert did not perform there during this era of his solo career, though he did years later.

[Aquamarine]

Plus Arkansas doesn't look like that!

[SteveAJones]

Plus Arkansas doesn't look like that!

Your right, there would have to be at least one Wal-Mart to be Arkansas.

Been a long while since I watched it, went from memory on the indoor breakdancing scene when I posted. Having just watched it now, the Green Back Films credit reminds me that company was formed in 1983 by Storm Thorgerson and Peter Christopherson of Hipgnosis along with Aubrey Powell (nicknamed "Po"), any of whom may possibly have casting details on file. It could have been filmed in Southern California, but then again it could possibly have been filmed in Ibiza, which is where the Sea of Love video was filmed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImpSyGTzot0

[ninelives]

Wasn't it "Big Log" that was filmed in Las Vegas? I feel like I remember hearing Robert talking about that on an MTV interview that was announcing some tour dates coming up. Could have the time frame wrong though.

[Aquamarine]

Your right, there would have to be at least one Wal-Mart to be Arkansas.

Very true, there certainly aren't any elsewhere in America.

[SteveAJones]

Wasn't it "Big Log" that was filmed in Las Vegas? I feel like I remember hearing Robert talking about that on an MTV interview that was announcing some tour dates coming up. Could have the time frame wrong though.

Big Log was filmed at the ghost town in Calico, CA and the famous Glass Pool Inn on the outskirts of Las Vegas, NV. The scene at the gas station was also filmed in NV. Robert had announced his upcoming North American tour dates on J.J. Jackson's MTV segment just prior to embarking on the film shoot at the Glass Pool Inn on July 4th 1983. He conducted

an interview for Los Angeles-based radio host Jim Ladd's 'Innerview' program while filming in Calico - it's very interesting.

[bbrighton]

Thanks for all of the discussion already. Based on this, the results will be interesting no matter the outcome!

AFA filming in Arkansas, I certainly would have doubted that (wasn't the Now and Zen tour the first to come to the area, LR, '87 or '88? I managed to catch that show...)

Of course, the lack of tour connections to the area makes the question about the jersey even more curious.

And finally, even if it were filmed in Arkansas, it is possible that there were no Walmart in the picture; they're only on every *other* corner. 50/50 shot and all that. ;-)

Thanks,

-brad

[georgio]

Robert's videos were so eighties...

[SteveAJones]

AFA filming in Arkansas, I certainly would have doubted that (wasn't the Now and Zen tour the first to come to the area, LR, '87 or '88? I managed to catch that show...)

Yes, he played the Barton Coliseum in Little Rock on Nov 10th 1988.

The song 'Nirvana' (on the 1990 Manic Nirvana album) was written in the dressing room while fighting off the boredom.

No, I'm not kidding.

[eternal light]

Big Log was filmed at the ghost town in Calico, CA and the famous Glass Pool Inn on the outskirts of Las Vegas, NV. The scene at the gas station was also filmed in NV. Robert had announced his upcoming North American tour dates on J.J. Jackson's MTV segment just prior to embarking on the film shoot at the Glass Pool Inn on July 4th 1983. He conducted

an interview for Los Angeles-based radio host Jim Ladd's 'Innerview' program while filming in Calico - it's very interesting.

Best time to visit there would probably be in winter or spring, unless it rains, as summers in the Mojave desert are hot enough to live up to the meaning of 'California', which is 'hot furnace'.

If it is raining then you must be wary of flash floods.

Edited January 27, 2010 by eternal light

[SteveAJones]

Best time to visit there would probably be in winter or spring, as summers in the Mojave desert are hot enough to live up to the meaning of 'California', which is 'hot furnace'.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Otp4N38ABC0

The gas station and Glass Pool Inn scenes were filmed in Nevada, most if not all other scenes were filmed in Calico Ghost Town (1983).

Also take notice the clock on the wall is set to eleven as Robert tears up photographs - "Pictures at Eleven" - while presenting "The Principle of Moments" in a ghost town. Absolutely brilliant!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_moments#Principle_of_Moments

Edited January 27, 2010 by SteveAJones

[eternal light]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Otp4N38ABC0

The gas station and Glass Pool Inn scenes were filmed in Nevada, most if not all other scenes were filmed in Calico Ghost Town (1983).

Also take notice the clock on the wall is set to eleven as Robert tears up photographs - "Pictures at Eleven" - while presenting "The Principle of Moments" in a ghost town. Absolutely brilliant!

http://en.wikipedia....iple_of_Moments

Video clip of Robert Plant's song big log.The song can be found on his second solo album called "The Principle of Moments" on the side two.

The video was shot at the following locations: Crystal Road, Crystal, Nevada (gas station sequences), the Amargosa Opera House, Death Valley Junction, California (driving and "feather" sequence), Calico School House (Calico Ghost Town) Yermo, California (schoolhouse sequence), Glass Pool Inn, Las Vegas, Nevada (pool sequence). The Bar sequence is believed to have been shot at a small bar in Shoshone, California (now the Crow Bar Cafe & Saloon) - though this is unconfirmed.

To reach Crystal from Las Vegas you would drive past Nellis Air Force Base and keep going west on Craig Road, then go north on the U.S. 95, and then turn left on Nevada Highway 160. It's about 70 miles give or take, and takes about and hour and 15 minutes. You would need to bring water though because it is desert, and a cell phone in case a rattlesnake bites you. I have not driven that far in that direction though, only as far as Elkhorn off the 95. :-)

Edited January 27, 2010 by eternal light

[SteveAJones]

To reach Crystal from Las Vegas ...

Outstanding find on those other film locations! I see a road trip in my future.

[eternal light]

Outstanding find on those other film locations! I see a road trip in my future.

But there is another Crystal, Nevada in Clark County in addition to the one in Nye County, that is located near Interstate 15 and the Valley of Fire Highway. To get there you go north on Interstate 15 toward Salt Lake City as you leave Las Vegas, pass the Craig Road and Speedway exits, then pass Apex and Arrolime. Go straight on I-15 and pass the exit to the 93 Great Basin Highway, pass Garnet and then exit on the Valley of Fire Highway to the east.

Crystal, Nevada in Nye County is the one where you will find Crystal Road though. It's a tiny place with a population of 9,484, with a density of about 20 people per square mile.

Crystal Spring, Ash Meadows is located in the Amargosa Valley.

Edited January 27, 2010 by eternal light

[jbfyipi]

First off, I have no information about the "In The Mood" video. Sorry

I was however the individual that posted the "Big Log" video filming locations information to the Wikipedia site a number of years back. I did a fair amount of research and actually visited devery one of these sites during my first visit to Vegas in 2003 ~ ironically the 20 year anniversary of Big Log's 1983 release. Going back in June for the 30th! Good god, where did 30 years go? I first learned about the Big Log video from a guy named Geoff Schumacher - he used to be the editor of the Las Vegas Journal. He actually lived in Crystal Nevada and witnessed some of the Gas Station sequences being filmed back in 1983! He recalls Robert saying something to the effect, "It's bloody ****ing hot out here!". Geoff was gracious enough to share this information in one of the articles he published for the Journal. For clarification, the gas station was in Crystal Nevada on Crystal Road. It was long closed down by 2003 when I visited. You can still see the open storage port (where Robert walks up and gets a drink from the refrigerator) and the concrete pads where the filling station was. A couple of other movies made use of the gas station (one was Delusion - 1991, starring Jennifer Rubin). The gas station was owned by Frank Maiolo (who has since passed away). Frank made a cameo in Delusion... If you drive on Rte 160 from Vegas, you reach a town called Pahrump, NV. Stay on Rte 160 past Pahrump for about 20 minutes - Crystal is on the left. There's a big sign - can't miss it, and only ONE road will take you there...

I then (by complete accident) discovered that the crew also used the Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction, CA. This is the scene where the guy is walking the girl past a spanish style colonnade looking building as Robert drives by and the room where Robert spreads feathers everywhere. I confirmed this by comparing the building in the video to pictiures of the building I had found online. I believe some of the desert driving scenes were filmed near there as well. I spoke to Amargosa owner Marta Becket about the Plant video in 2003. She confirmed that Plant and crew had filmed there. She recalled that they showed up one day, asked everyone if they could leave, and proceeded to kind of take over and film the sequences. She did not receive any money for the use of her Opera House and Hotel and she kind of scoffed when I mentioned it! She also recalled them filming something with doves - unused footage maybe? When I visited, the wood paneling that held the famous "11:00" wall clock during the feather sequence could still be seen! Directly across the street of the Opera House is an abandoned gas station where C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer filmed a portion of the movie "The Hitcher" - the part where Hauer throws the keys at him.

The Calico School House in Yermo California (off of Rte 15) was used, as was the famous Glass Pool Inn on the south end of the Vegas Strip.

I shot video footage of the Glass Pool Inn was it was still in operation in 2003, and I also got footage of them tearing it down in 2004 - about a year later. In a separate online article about the Glass Pool Inn, the owner claimed the Robert and crew stayed there during the video shoot as several of the filiming locations were within driving distance. Parts of the movie Indecent Proposal (Demi Moore, Robert Redford) were filmed there, part of the movie Casino, and a ZZ Top video also made use of the unique pool. Sadly, the little Inn could not compete with the massive hotels that are still being erected on the Strip - although the Glass Pool Inn sign was still there on the Strip when I last visited in 2011.

A friend of mine (Sharon Jensen) who lived in Crystal NV, thought that they shot the bar sequence in a small bar in Shoshone, CA. No way to confirm this. It is the ONLY location I have not 100% identified or verified. Uggghh...LOL. When the waitress turns, you can catch a glimpse of slot machines near the window - unknown if slots were legal in California in 1983 or if the bar was somewhere in Nevada.

That's the poop on the "Big Log" video. I hope this is helpful to someone. I guess I'm not the only one whose imagination was totally captured by this music video - so much so, I flew from New Hampshire and drove to these locations to see them for myself! It was worth every "hum of the mile". Anyone have any ideas on where the bar location was or might be? The missing jigsaw piece.... There is another "saloon" across from Jim Longstreet's Casino that I may check out during my trip in June. It is up the street from the Amargosa, not far from Death Valley Junction... I'll keep you posted

Edited April 10, 2013 by jbfyipi

[kenog]

jbfyipi,

Excellent post!! Really informative and enjoyable.

Edited April 10, 2013 by kenog

[SteveAJones]

jbfyipi,

Your post rates among my all-time Top Ten most interesting on this forum. Some of the details (Glass Pool Inn, etc) I already knew but some I did not. I have been putting together questions for another possible interview between Dave Lewis and the producer, Aubrey Powell, in the near future and we can definitely use the details you've posted to jog Po's memory.

Edited April 11, 2013 by SteveAJones

[jabe]

Big Log takes me back to the end of my college years and the demise of meaningful relationship.

She lives in Prague now and has married the same guy a second time.

I just watched the video again.

Damn.

Thanks for a few minutes of reflection.

And no apology about being off topic.

[SteveAJones]

Big Log takes me back to the end of my college years and the demise of meaningful relationship.

She lives in Prague now and has married the same guy a second time.

I just watched the video again.

Damn.

Thanks for a few minutes of reflection.

And no apology about being off topic.

If it's any consolation it sounds like she is miserable.

[jbfyipi]

Well thank you for the wonderful feedback peeps! Not bad for a "Newbie" huh?

"Big Log" is probably one of my favorite videos of all time - and the song is certainly in my personal top ten. I get the feeling I'm not alone. I recently watched it as well on YouTube - and was astounded to see 3,000,000+ Views.....That says a lot for a song and video that's 30 years old at this point. Timeless. They just don't put that kind of effort into Music Videos anymore. Storm and Aubrey did a fantastic job with this one - I know their resume is much more vast, but I really liked this one in particular. To me, it also represents the best point in MTV history (the early 80's); when they actually played Music Videos and we got to actually "see" a lot of the bands that we had only heard on the radio.

Sorry to get a bit off subject... Thanks Jabe and Kenog!

@SteveAJones. Thank you so much! I have toyed with actually doing a homegrown video documentary of the making of "Big Log". I would absolutely be interested in more detailed cast and production information - details that have alluded me all these years...LOL. I have pretty good info on a majority of the locations, but virtually none on the actors (Waitress, Bar Maid, Bar Patron, Man & Woman at the Amargosa, Tow Truck Driver, Woman who breaks down at the end, etc). At least I got to visit these places - and will again in June. I took a bunch of video footage in 2003 and 2004 - as well as still pictures of these places. I'll try and dig them out and share them here. BTW, the mobile home at the "gas station" in Crystal was still there as well. It was obviously in "newer" condition back in '83 and I think it's just a private residence now. Another person that may have information is Randy Maiolo, the son of gas station owner Frank Maiolo. Last I knew, he was still living in nearby Pahrump NV where his Dad was buried. I have to believe that he may have been around if he knew Robert Plant and crew were filming at his dad's gas station. I would be! If he was, he may have some inside scoop about the shoot and locations.

In the "bar" sequence, there is a poster on the wall to the right of Robert (as he's leaning against the wall with the string wrapped in his hands) that mentions an old railroad route or system (Badwater and Tonopah perhaps ?). That may hint at the general location or area ... When I visited the Crow Bar and Saloon in Shoshone.... it appears that it may be the same place; the bar is located along the left side. The interior decorating has obviously changed considerably - to be expected over the course of 20 or 30 years. In the Big Log Video however - there is a support pole between the bar and where the pool table was. In the picture from the Crow Bar there isn't - and no visible evidence in the ceiling that there was. I'm not 100% convinced that this is the same place. See below... The same relative size of this bar (coupled with the fact that it is about 25 minutes South of the Amargosa) has me really wondering. It's going to take some local resident that lived there 30 years ago to come forward and say "I remember that little place! It was......"

The quest continues... Oh yeah.....and I'm also VERY interested in the origins of "the car" Robert is driving. '57 Chevy maybe? It belongs in a museum as far as I'm concerned! LOL

The Crow Bar and Saloon in Shoshone, CA:

[SteveAJones]

I have pretty good info on a majority of the locations, but virtually none on the actors (Waitress, Bar Maid, Bar Patron, Man & Woman at the Amargosa, Tow Truck Driver, Woman who breaks down at the end, etc).

I suspect it could be the American actress Courtney Cox, who would have been 18 at the time. She definitely appears in Bruce Springsteen's promo video for Dancing In The Dark which was released in 1984.

I have a lengthy audio recording of an interview FM rock radio personality Jim Ladd conducted with Robert during filming on the set at the Calico Ghost Town. Jim explains the shoot ran long and those final few gas station scenes were never originally intended to have been filmed at night. IMHO as with every scene in the video it still works perfectly.

[jbfyipi]

Could very well be Courtney Cox... I'm sure the crew made use of "local" extras along the way - although that red-headed waitress in the bar looks really familiar (deadpan, gun-chewing). Awesome information. That radio interview sounds really interesting. Having been to all of these locations; I can see where shooting may have taken a bit longer as none of them are really close to each other. They're within driving distance - with long stretches of desert highway in between. You say the Calico shoot took place in early-July around the 4th? Makes sense timewise. I was always curious as to exactly "when" the video filming took place since it was obviously before the Principle of Moments was released on August 20th (I believe) - on or around Robert's birthday.

I would love to hear what either Aubrey's or Jim's recollection is - even 30 years later. Good stuff!

[SteveAJones]

Could very well be Courtney Cox... I'm sure the crew made use of "local" extras along the way - although that red-headed waitress in the bar looks really familiar (deadpan, gun-chewing). Awesome information. That radio interview sounds really interesting. Having been to all of these locations; I can see where shooting may have taken a bit longer as none of them are really close to each other. They're within driving distance - with long stretches of desert highway in between. You say the Calico shoot took place in early-July around the 4th? Makes sense timewise. I was always curious as to exactly "when" the video filming took place since it was obviously before the Principle of Moments was released on August 20th (I believe) - on or around Robert's birthday.

I would love to hear what either Aubrey's or Jim's recollection is - even 30 years later. Good stuff!

If I didn't mention before, on July 4, 1983 Robert announced his upcoming North American tour dates on J.J. Jackson's MTV segment "just prior to embarking on a video" film shoot. We know for certain the Glass Pool Inn scenes were filmed that night, and then much later the same night Robert was a special guest on Rockline, a nationally syndicated listener call-in format interview program. Unsure if he mentioned any filming details during that media activity. On July 8, 1983 Robert granted yet another interview to J.J. Jackson for MTV's 'Liner Notes' program. I believe all of the filming for the 'Big Log' promo video was completed by then, but unsure.

Robert's second solo album, 'The Principle Of Moments', was released July 9, 1983, According to my notes it was originally planned for release on June 27, 1983. Unsure what caused this slight delay.

Just to clarify, the recording I have of Robert's interview with Jim Ladd was conducted the same day as the shoot, right there in the Calico Ghost Town. You can hear crew setting up the film equipment and what not. I've always found it fascinating, and it concludes in the car on the long drive back to Los Angeles. I will try to get a link up. My source tape is in long term storage in the states but I'm fairly certain I sent copies to one or two internet-savvy Zeppelin enthusiasts.

As a by the way, Jim Ladd wrote a book years ago titled 'Radio Waves' about his experiences in free form radio of the 1970s. The book can easily be found on ebay nowadays and I guarentee anyone who loves artistic freedom or loves rock n roll will find it's an "I just can't put

this book down, compelled to read cover to cover in one sitting" tale. Truly outstanding!

Edited April 11, 2013 by SteveAJones

[clw]

Robert's videos were so eighties...

Robert's videos were so eighties...

Same with the haircut,I don't think the 80's was good to any of us