the B-52's - Give Me Back My Man

What this video is

Released in July 1980 as a UK single from Wild Planet, 'Give Me Back My Man' arrived during the height of the post-punk/new wave moment and more than a year before MTV's August 1981 launch. Promotional video clips of this era were produced primarily for UK television programs such as Top of the Pops and for club/college circuit distribution, rather than for a dedicated music video channel. The B-52's occupied a…

Why it matters

This video represents one of the earliest promotional clips for a flagship American new wave act, produced at the precise moment the music video format was transitioning from a UK television novelty to a global promotional standard. The B-52's blend of post-punk energy, retro fashion…

The director

Mick Haggerty: British graphic designer, illustrator, and art director born in England, educated at the Central School of Art and the Royal College of Art, relocated to Los Angeles in 1973. Beginning in 1980 he directed some of the earliest music videos for…