The Cars - Dangerous Type

What this video is

Recorded during The Cars' Candy-O touring cycle in September 1979, this performance-clip is a primary document of the American new wave movement at its commercial apex. The Cars occupied a unique liminal position between post-punk austerity and mainstream arena rock, deploying synthesizer textures and streamlined arrangements that anticipated the coming MTV era. Captured on NBC's 'The Midnight Special' — a…

Why it matters

Represents the transitional moment when American new wave performance culture entered the broadcast television mainstream via variety programs, setting the template for the performance-clip format that would define early MTV programming. The Cars' color-coordinated visual discipline and controlled…

The director

Gerald Vincent Casale (born July 28, 1948, Ravenna, Ohio) is co-founder, bassist, and lyricist of the seminal new wave band Devo, and an award-winning music video and commercial director. He directed the majority of Devo's groundbreaking videos in the late…