Sweet Dreams: How Eurythmics Shocked America and Made MTV I New British Canon

that the cow's presence was partly inspired by Luis Buñuel's film, L'Age d'Or. But the most striking element was Lennox's almost sadomasochistic appearance: close-cropped vibrant orange hair, a tailored men's suit, and wielding an office pointer like a riding crop. The accompanying line only added to his personality: “He was trying to be the opposite of the cliché singer. He wanted to be as strong as a man, equal to Dave and that's how I was perceived. Wearing wigs and taking them off again is about the affectations that women create to make themselves acceptable or beautiful to men, about taking off their masks and how none of it is real.” Androgyny in pop music wasn't new: Bowie had famously dressed up in his 1979 video for "Boys Keep Swinging," while Culture Club's Boy George was a staple of early MTV.

But Lennox's very masculine appearance

made

America's middle class lose their minds. Unfounded rumors circulated that Lennox had undergone a sex change, while MTV pulled the video for “Love is a Stranger” midway through its U.S. premiere after she removed her wig and MTV concluded that she was a transvestite and unfit to perform. transmission. The video, in which Lennox looks both feminine and masculine, was effectively banned until she could produce a birth certificate to confirm her gender. As such, his relationship with the press was strained at best. "She often seemed quite defensive and cold. She was provocative and wanted to make people think about gender issues.

But it was actually difficult to be called 'gender-transversing' because the press often used the term as a debilitating insult. The orientation of my sexuality was constantly at play.” But because of the hype behind the video, “Sweet Dreams” would displace Police from the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Lennox would appear on the cover of Newsweek with Boy George. She even performed “Sweet Dreams.” at the 1984 Grammys in. Complete male drag, with Elvis-style pompadour and sideburns, with Duran Duran, Culture Club, Thompson Twins and Wham! everyone, he had to turn down an offer to support Bowie on his Serious Moonlight tour. and released his next album, Touch, in November.

Written on the road using his lo-fi setup, the album was finished in three weeks and thanks to its set of MTV hits, it soon went platinum in the UK. United States, Canada and New Zealand. They released albums at a rapid pace throughout the rest of the '80s, totaling eight albums in eight years, 75 million albums sold worldwide, and twenty. -four singles in the UK Top 40. Eurythmics would leave him after the 1989 We Too Are One tour. "We went away saying maybe, maybe not. But to be honest, Dave and I had gotten pretty tired of each other. And I mean that in an affectionate way. "We overdosed on each other, didn't we?

Living together, then breaking up but staying together as Eurythmics, we had so many years in each other's pockets that we needed a lot of space." Lennox would later embark on his solo career, while Stewart would dedicate his time to various production jobs and writing projects. As one of the last British synth-pop bands to break through, their influence is felt more subtly than that of bands like The Human League, Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. But the DIY origins of “Sweet Dreams” became legend. That a song created with minimal equipment, in a room above a frame store, could go toe-to-toe with Michael Jackson's big-budget productions was an eye-opener for a new generation of bedroom producers. “Sweet Dreams”’s disregard for pop structure, simply a trance-like obsession with a synthetic beat, would become a stepping stone between “I Feel Love” and Chicago House.

While female pop stars who have worn suits on stage, from Madonna to Self Esteem, have probably taken style cues from Lennox. The Eurythmics are also one of only three British New Pop bands to have been inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, along with Depeche Mode and Duran Duran. “Sweet Dreams” has become a standard, artists of all genres willing to be consumed by the song, whether covering it or sampling its seductive essence. Most are more than happy to overemphasize the moodiness of the piece without being able to compete with the nihilism of the original song.

It was a song born from their struggles with the musical machine that launched them to the highest levels of the international charts, formed by the purest despair, depression and debt. And yet, when that beat hits the club, at the wedding reception, even at the grocery store, you hit the dance floor. If you can. If you can. Who are you to disagree? Thanks for watching. If you liked this video, give it a like, subscribe and why don't you do me a favor too and share it with a couple of people. It really helps. Also watch the second channel, the link is on the screen and in the description.

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