Bette Midler - Beast Of Burden

What this video is

Released in 1984 at the zenith of MTV's cultural influence, this video exemplifies the era's appetite for high-profile cross-genre celebrity collaborations. Bette Midler — a cabaret-rooted performer who had successfully crossed over into mainstream pop and film — covering a Rolling Stones classic with Mick Jagger himself as co-star was a marquee cultural event. The track appeared on Midler's 'No Frills' album and…

Why it matters

A landmark example of the celebrity-collaboration music video format that defined early MTV programming. The Midler-Jagger pairing bridged cabaret-pop and classic rock, demonstrating the format's power as a promotional and cultural vehicle. Arkush's MTV VMA nomination for this video underscores…

The director

Allan Arkush (born April 30, 1948, Jersey City, NJ) is an American director and producer of films, television, and music videos. He trained at NYU Film School under Martin Scorsese, launched his career in Roger Corman's New World Pictures trailer department…