Beyond the Silver: Eternal Bond of the Le Bons

I like posting about dynamic, lifelong couples on this blog (my post with the most amount of traffic happens to be one) and I find Yasmin and Simon Le Bon to be one of the most endearing. Here we have the quintessential rock star/supermodel pairing working in a way that's eternal. These two are so far from typical. Many other famously glamorous couples have tried, and few have outlasted these two. (Of course there are other exceptions like Keith Richards and Patti Hansen, who deserve their own post.) And 2011 marked Simon and Yasmin Le Bon's SILVER anniversary, believe it or not. :)  

For 25 years, this British couple has been going strong. Their 26th anniversary is coming up on December 27th. So here's to another happy holiday anniversary. 

Yasmin Le Bon was also emblematic in showing the world that a great model can continue to work (and be in high-demand) well after what could have been considered her prime. 

Simon Le Bon, too, deserves praise for his knack at commitment. When asked what keeps their marriage so strong, Simon Le Bon said:  "I wake up in the morning and for ten minutes or so I just get to look at her sleeping peacefully. That's kind of all you need to know about me... I guess I'm very lucky that I picked somebody really bloody good in the first place! She's great fun, fantastic, beautiful and we laugh all the time. It's not always easy at all. But I really want to stay married for life."  

Their love is very real and that's what resonates.

Aside from his long-term ties to his marriage and family, Simon Le Bon has also proven similarly committed to his career as front-man of Duran Duran, a relationship that was depicted so well in their recent video for the song "Girl Panic". The song and video are classic Duran Duran. (I find it especially adorable when YLB, as "The Guitarist", says in her most haughty tone: "I'm not a member of Duran Duran.") And with that, let's celebrate the holidays with a toast to the eternal bond of the Le Bons.

80's Obscure - 'Let's Go' by Wang Chung

This song-and-video combo makes me smile. Together, they're just so distinctively 80's. This also pops into my head frequently, since it's easy to think "let's go" in various capacities throughout the day. Or even "Wang Chung" for that matter. Just yesterday our cat, Jane, yelled what sounded like "Wang!" which led me to think about Wang Chung and invariably : "Let's Go". (Check out the hair and suits!)

Surprising Video Element –– Belinda Carlisle's 'Mad About You' (1986)

Belinda Carlisle's song 'Mad About You' is an 80's summer classic, and I discovered recently that the video for the hit song has a certain life of its own that lends well to the song's ultra romantic feel.

It's been well-documented in interviews, and in her memoir 'Lips Unsealed', that Belinda Carlisle has had her share of obsessive-compulsive addictions –– from drugs, to food, and any other number of dangerous leanings. Back when she led the Go-Go's to super stardom, the press was terribly unkind to the lovely Belinda about her weight. Although she is a phenomenally gorgeous woman, no matter what, she understandably felt disenchanted by the Hollywood image roller-coaster into which she was firmly planted. 

Carlisle has stated in interviews that when she made the video for 'Mad About You', she celebrated a newly slim, mature appearance. She's explained that she had never felt so beautiful before. This was right after she had kicked her massive addiction to cocaine for the first time. But the most interesting (and romantic) thing about the video is that it features her husband, Morgan Mason, son of the great actor James Mason. Carlisle and Mason were newly married and she attributes her desire to clean up her act to his love and support.

So when you see this video within that context and frame of reference, it takes on a whole new meaning. She says, 'I'm mad about you, you're mad about me, babe...' and it is clear how much they are in love. 

There is a sense of newfound freedom in it, evidence that he loves her unconditionally, whatever her weaknesses or frailties and that together they've created a solid foundation for their future. It is also charming that they seemed to have been such very different personalities –– he being the more subdued and quiet of the two, Belinda Carlisle clearly the wild-child rock star learning to grow up.

And they are still married, incidentally. It's always fun to discover a romantic story like that. See the video for yourself, below.

80's Obscure: 'Pale Shelter' (by Tears For Fears)

'Pale Shelter' is a great find on YouTube. It was directed by music video pioneer Steve Barron, better known for a-ha's 'Take On Me' and Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean'. Scrolling down Barron's list of music videos is impressive. I didn't realize the same person was behind many of them. But his style certainly had an impact. Several of my other personal favorites are his, such as Bryan Adam's 'Cuts Like A Knife' and Joe Jackson's 'Steppin' Out'. 

This Tears For Fears video has great use of imagery throughout, from paper planes to a giant steaming iron burn on an airplane runway. It's a mood piece and suits the tempo and feeling of the song extremely well. It also recalls those Sure deodorant commercials (about raising your hand, if you're sure.) 

I also love how Roland Orzabel and Curt Smith are dressed in soft, relaxed fabrics, in a best of the 80's kind of way. They wear classic shapes & could have been styled by (early) Helmut Lang. In many ways, this video stands as a clever time capsule of the early 80's.

80's Obscure | 'Love's Got A Line On You' (Scandal/Patty Smyth)

I've had a little thing for this video since coming across it on YouTube. I love the low-fi quality, the peppy song –– and most of all, I love Patty Smyth's pink, purple and white striped jumpsuit, in which she gets all jumpy. It's an energized combo that instantly puts me in a springtime mood. 

This was a demo to show record labels and there is a more official video for this song, as well - but I quite enjoy this simple version. They seem to be genuine, just having fun. You will also notice that Jon Bon Jovi makes an appearance here on guitar, despite not having been a member of the band. He sort of jumped into it to help out and it's all very charming in a makeshift way.

Speaking of 'Jump', Smyth was a contender back in the day to follow David Lee Roth's footsteps as the front woman of Van Halen after his departure. It's really no wonder she later became Mrs. John McEnroe - someone had to be able to keep up with his abundance of energy and who better for that than Patty, as you can see here.

I watched a lot of videos growing up. I definitely wanted my MTV whenever I could find me some, since we didn't have it at home. I've always especially loved the classic videos of the early 80's, when MTV was new, fresh & exciting. So it's especially fun to find obscure videos I haven't seen before via YouTube. 

And here is the official video for the song (which I had also not see before YouTube.)