The Gap Band - Party Train

What this video is

Released in 1983, 'Party Train' arrived at the height of the Gap Band's commercial and creative power, when Black funk acts were navigating the post-disco landscape and the newly dominant MTV platform. Notably, MTV faced significant criticism in 1983 for its limited rotation of Black artists — making Don Letts, a Black British director with deep roots in both reggae and punk cultural crossover, a particularly…

Why it matters

A canonical example of early-80s funk music video aesthetics, 'Party Train' exemplifies the genre's reliance on communal performance, outdoor spectacle, and choreographic competition as visual language. The video's fast-cut editing synchronized to a high-tempo funk groove helped establish…

The director

Donovan Letts (born 10 January 1956, London) is a British film director, DJ, and musician. He rose to prominence directing music videos for The Clash and went on to direct approximately 400 videos for artists including Bob Marley, Musical Youth, The…