Kool & The Gang - Fresh

What this video is

Released in November 1984, 'Fresh' arrived during the commercial apex of Kool & The Gang's pop crossover period, when funk and R&B acts were fully integrated into the MTV mainstream. The Cinderella-themed video reflects the era's embrace of high-concept, fairy-tale spectacle as a vehicle for aspirational feel-good pop — a format popularized by Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' (1983) and widely adopted by Black pop acts…

Why it matters

A landmark mid-80s funk-pop crossover single, 'Fresh' exemplifies the transition of African-American funk ensembles into polished MTV-era pop production. Its video demonstrates the adoption of high-concept theatrical narrative by R&B acts to compete in the visual-first MTV promotional landscape,…

The director

David Victor Mark Mallet (born 17 December 1945, West Horsley, Surrey, England) is a British director of music videos, concert films, and television. He co-founded the influential production company MGMM and became one of the most prolific music video…