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Michael Baldwin (died October 2014) was a British artist, writer, director, designer, actor and filmmaker who had a long and varied career ranging across theatre, film, TV and music video.
Baldwin was primarily known for his work in costume design for theatre, film and TV in the UK. His earliest known screen credit as a costume designer/consultant was for a 1963 TV adaptation of the play A Hole in the Head . His subsequent screen credits include the costumes for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1968), the 1973 Vincent Price black comedy Theatre of Blood , the 1972 Bette Davis film Madame Sin , and numerous British TV series including Special Branch (1973), Within These Walls (1974), Mind Your Language (1978), Dick Turpin (1979), the sci-fi miniseries Quatermass (1979), an episode of Tales of the Unexpected (1980), the children's fantasy series Worzel Gummidge (1981), for which he was nominated for a BAFTA award, and the movie-length pilot of the cult TV series Max Headroom (1985). One of his last screen credits as a costume designer was for the Richard Stanley sci-fi film Hardware (1990).
Baldwin also worked on the London theatre and burlesque scene as a writer, costume designer, director, actor and artist, as well as working in the theatrical agency business. He directed an erotic short film called Bronze and was a second unit director on the Australian WWII historical drama series Tanamera – Lion of Singapore (1989).
Baldwin worked extensively on the burgeoning UK pop music video scene of the 1980s, frequently acting as the costume designer for videos directed by Australian filmmaker Russell Mulcahy, who later formed the prominent video production partnership MGMM.
In addition to his celebrated design work, however, Baldwin gradually acquired a peculiar pop-culture notoriety (albeit anonymous) because he began making cameo appearances in some of the music videos on which he was working. Baldwin in effect became a kind of visual "trademark" of the Mulcahy/MGMM videos; he can be easily recognised in nearly all his appearances by his receding grey hair, grey beard, and glasses, and he was repeatedly cast in authority roles such as a judge, a teacher, or a parent. However, his identity remained unknown to the general public until a year after his death, when writer Christopher Bickel published an article about him on the Dangerous Minds website, in which Baldwin was finally identified. [1]
One of Baldwin's first known appearances in a pop video was in Ultravox's "Vienna" in 1980. Between 1980 and 1983 he is known to have appeared as a featured extra in at least nineteen different Mulcahy/MGMM music videos, including Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart", Billy Joel's "Pressure", ABC's "The Look of Love", XTC's "Ball and Chain" and "Love Song" by Simple Minds.
XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in a variety of styles that ranged from angular guitar riffs to elaborately arranged pop. Partly because the group did not fit into contemporary trends, they achieved only sporadic commercial success in the UK and US, but attracted a considerable cult following. They have since been recognised for their influence on post-punk, Britpop and later power pop acts.
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their self-titled 1975 debut album included the single "White Punks on Dope", while their 1983 single "She's a Beauty" was a top-10 U.S. hit and its music video was frequently played in the early days of MTV. The band also performed in the 1980 film Xanadu, singing the rock portion of the cross-genre song "Dancin'" opposite a big band.
Ultravox were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which was their 1981 hit "Vienna".
William Lee Currie is a British multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Huddersfield, England. He is best known as the keyboard and strings player with new wave band Ultravox, who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1980s.
Visage were a British synth-pop band formed in London in 1978. The band became closely linked to the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement of the early 1980s, and are best known for their hit "Fade to Grey" which was released in late 1980. In the UK, the band achieved two Top 20 albums and five Top 30 singles before the commercial failure of their third album led to their breakup in 1985.
Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, home furnishings and clothes. He also designed costumes for theatre and films. As a friend of Eric Clapton, Princess Diana, Whitney Houston, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Madonna, Elton John, Tupac Shakur, Joan Collins and many other celebrities, he was one of the first designers to link fashion to the music world. He and his partner Antonio D'Amico were regulars on the international party scene. The place where he was born and raised, Reggio di Calabria, greatly influenced his career.
James "Midge" Ure is a Scottish singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in bands including Slik, Thin Lizzy, Rich Kids, Visage, and as the second frontman of Ultravox. In 1984, he co-wrote and produced the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", which has sold 3.7 million copies in the UK. The song is the second-highest-selling single in UK chart history. Ure co-organised Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8 with Bob Geldof. He acts as a trustee for the charity and also serves as an ambassador for Save the Children.
Icehouse are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1977 as Flowers. Initially known in their homeland for their pub rock style, the band later achieved mainstream success playing new wave and synth-pop music and attained Top 10 singles chart success locally and in both Europe and the U.S. The mainstay of both Flowers and Icehouse has been Iva Davies supplying additional musicians as required. The name "Icehouse", adopted in 1981, comes from an old, cold flat Davies lived in and the strange building across the road populated by itinerant people.
Black Sea is the fourth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released 12 September 1980 on Virgin Records. It is the follow-up to the previous year's Drums and Wires, building upon its focus on guitars and expansive-sounding drums, but with more economical arrangements written with the band's subsequent concert performances in mind, avoiding overdubs unless they could be performed live.
"Vienna" is a song by British new wave band Ultravox, released on 9 January 1981 by Chrysalis Records as the third single and the title track from their fourth studio album of the same name. Featuring Midge Ure on lead vocals, the new wave ballad is regarded as a staple of the synth-pop genre that was popularised in the early 1980s and remains both the band's signature song and their most commercially successful release.
Michael Philip Batt is an English singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, director, and conductor. He was formerly the Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry.
Gerry Laffy is a British singer and guitarist who has played in the bands Girl, The London Cowboys, Sheer Greed, John Taylor, and Ultravox among others. Girl are still cited as an influence by many major artists twenty years later, even though they disbanded after only three years, allegedly due to their record company and mismanagement. In total Gerry Laffy has released 30 albums; he has played in venues as diverse as Wembley Arena, Taipei Hard Rock Cafe, the Reading Festival.
Mummer is the sixth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released on 30 August 1983 on Virgin Records. It was the first XTC album to be recorded following the band's retirement from live performance in 1982. The album's title and artwork refers to a Mummers' play, in which the identity of the players is hidden. A working title considered for the album was Fruits Fallen From God's Garden.
David Victor Mark Mallet is a British director of music videos and concert films. He was one of the most prolific directors of music videos in the 1980s.
Timothy Michael Pope is a film director most known for his music videos, for having directed feature films, and for a brief pop career.
Oxford Road Show is a music show that aired on BBC2 from 16 January 1981 to 29 March 1985. It was broadcast from the BBC's New Broadcasting House in Oxford Road, Manchester. The show featured live music, pop music news and competitions and was also presented as addressing issues for young adults by young adults.
Brian Grant is a British music video and television director and producer. In 1982 he co-founded MGMM Productions with Scott Millaney, Russell Mulcahy, and David Mallet. MGMM became the most successful UK production company of the 80's. He started his career as a cameraman and went on to become a noted music video director, he also shot many movies and television series. He is famous for directing episodes of British television series including As If, Hex, Doctor Who, Party Animals, Sinchronicity, Britannia High, Highlander: The Series, Queen of Swords, Clocking Off, New Tricks, Sinbad, The Worst Witch, Our Girl, Video Killed the Radio Star, Lennon's Last Weekend, No Room For Ravers. He has been BAFTA and Emmy nominated. He has also directed many commercials and notable music videos through the 1980s for Olivia Newton-John, Donna Summer, Peter Gabriel, Queen, The Human League, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Kim Wilde, Whitney Houston, Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran.
"Elton's Song" is a song written by Elton John (music) and Tom Robinson (lyrics). Recorded between August 1979 and March 1980 and produced by John and Clive Franks, the song first appeared much later on the 1981 album The Fox. The song is a rhapsodic ode with a theme of unrequited love.
Russell Mulcahy is an Australian director of film, television, and music videos. He began his career directing music videos for artists like Elton John and Duran Duran, before making his feature directorial debut with the horror film Razorback (1984). He achieved international prominence by directing the fantasy action film Highlander (1986), which spawned a multimedia franchise.
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