Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time

What this video is

Released in 1985 at the apex of Eddie Murphy's cultural dominance — following Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and his Saturday Night Live tenure — 'Party All the Time' was the lead single from Murphy's debut musical album How Could It Be (Columbia/CBS). Written and produced by Rick James, the song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks. The music video's studio-set format directly addressed…

Why it matters

A landmark entry in the mid-80s celebrity crossover genre, 'Party All the Time' demonstrated that an A-list Hollywood entertainer backed by an established funk/R&B producer could achieve genuine chart dominance. Its synth-funk production epitomized the Rick James aesthetic applied to mainstream…

The director

Edd Griles is an American music video and television director active primarily in the 1980s. He directed high-profile music videos for major acts including Huey Lewis & the News ('The Heart of Rock and Roll', 'If This Is It', 'Stuck With You') and Cyndi…