VINCENT ROCCO – RESCUE ME
Shot in a day and a night on a shoestring budget. Rescue Me was beautifully lit and photographed by August Jakobsson and Mark Racco with B&W 16mm Kodak reversal film. Back in 1991 this video quickly landed Vincent Rocco a record deal, who was signed by Elektra A&R man Perry Watts Russell. Described then as a cross between Matt Dillon and Charlie Sexton, Rocco’s booming vocals and brooding good looks are captivating. The night-time studio shots of performance set the mood with Vincent singing and playing drums., Then we hit the road to Joshua Tree in Vincent’s 56′ Caddy. The album cover photo for Vincent Rocco’s debut album Hell or Highwater is from this same video shoot as well.
Directed by Mark Racco
GUNS N ROSES – MR. BROWNSTONE
On May 11, 1991 Guns N’ Roses played a surprise gig at The Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, CA. They opened with Right Next Door To Hell, next was Mr.Brownstone… the crowd went nuts. The video for Mr. Brownstone captures the band, the energy of the room, and the mood of that night. The highly anticipated Use Your Illusion records were soon to be released, and here they were, the most dangerous band in the world just laying it down. Dust N’ Bones, Civil War then Pretty Tied Up. T
he audience, dumbfounded and elated were anxiously awaiting the new songs from two albums that nobody had ever heard before and they were just trying to keep up. Live and Let Die, 14 Years, Yesterdays hearts were racing… this is crazy. Racco shot the Brownstone video on 16mm Bolex, you could see him on the stage with them, his camera right in Axl’s face. Josh Richman contributed the Super 8mm footage that captured the concert, exteriors and some of the backstage vibe. All of this footage was meant to be vaulted but it was nicked from the band and turned into a music video in the middle of the night. Cut in the same edit room where You Could Be Mine would be edited just days apart, by the same team. Didn’t know it at the time, but this unofficial video was a game changer.
Directed by Mark Racco
INTO ANOTHER – MUTATE ME
In 1995 In
to Another signed a major label deal with the Disney-owned label, Hollywood Records. Rick Parashar known at the time for producing Pearl Jam’s Ten and Alice In Chain’s EP Sap took the helm, pushing the band’s sound through late night sessions at Seattle’s London Bridge Studios. From the darkness they emerged with a break-through album Seemless, that spawned the single Mutate Me. The Mutate Me video was directed by Fred Stuhr. A beautifully conceived stop motion animation and performance piece, he said was his first video to contain live action. Into Another performs in a haunted elevator that is hurtling through time and space… it appears they are sharing that elevator with apparitions from another time all while being observed by an animated robot. Fred makes a cameo in the video as the bellhop.
Directed by Fred Stuhr