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‘I put a raging dent in Neil Young’s forehead!’ Tim Pope on his riotous videos for the Cure, Bowie, Queen, Soft Cell and more
He dressed Freddie Mercury as a prawn, got Paul Weller to wear lipstick, put a camera in Robert Smith’s mouth and created a 75ft penis for Hall & Oates. Pope looks back on is wild adventures with titans of music
TL;DR
- Tim Pope is known for his trademark of putting famous clients in uncomfortable or dangerous situations in music videos.
- His memoir, 'I Shoot Rock Stars,' details his experiences directing videos for artists like Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Robert Smith (The Cure), Paul McCartney, and others.
- Pope's approach often involved unconventional and daring ideas, such as strapping a camera to David Bowie as he fell or running a camera inside Robert Smith's mouth.
- He rejected MTV's commercial "thou shalts" in favor of "defiant individualism" and rebellion.
- Pope recounts a difficult experience with Harvey Weinstein while directing the sequel to 'The Crow,' which left him with "mental scars."
- He believes the 'golden age of video' ended when MTV dropped 'Music Television' from its logo.
- Pope is currently working on a film called 'The Photographer’s Assistant' and a documentary about The Cure.