Mark Kendall of Great White Talks with Doni
Great White has a pretty crazy history. Mark Kendall met Jack Russell in 1977 and Mark asked Jack to join his band. Later they formed their own band, Highway then Livewire. In 1979, Jack Russell got arrested for shooting a live-in maid in a robbery attempt and was sentenced to eight years in prison and Mark Kendall was left to start a new band (Dante Fox). Jack Russell got out of prison after serving 18 months (you can’t make this stuff up) and asked Mark for an audition… Dante Fox’s lead singer had left at this point. Jack ended up back in the band by a two-to-one vote (lastfm.com). shortly thereafter, their manager suggested a name change.
Late 80’s shot of Jack Russell (photo by Ken Settle)
How Great White Got Their Name
The band’s manager suggested they change their name to Great White after Mark Kendall stuck his head out of a car window while driving by the Troubador and someone yelled, “There goes great white.” Mark Kendall got the moniker from his signature look: white-blonde hair, white guitar, white jumpsuit, and white shoes.
Great White has toured the world with KISS, Judas Priest, and Whitesnake. They’ve sold more than eight million records worldwide. Their one consistent member is lead guitarist, Mark Kendall.
Pretty much everyone is aware of what happened at The Station in Rhode Island 20 years ago. Out of respect for the families, that’s not something I’m getting into here. Jack Russell is no longer with Great White, which is another story for another time. The bottom line is Great White still rocks.
What DID I talk about with Mark Kendall? Mark was cool and conversational so we had a conversation about coffee, cover songs, and Great White’s upcoming show at Smugglers Run in Wyandotte on Friday, May 5th, 2023. I really enjoyed speaking with Mark. It wasn’t a “Tell me about this part of your history” conversation. It was two fans of music (and coffee) having a conversation. Listen in and tell me I’m not right. lol
Doni’s Interview with Mark Kendall 0f Great White
See you at Smugglers Run!
The 8 Most Played Videos on MTV
Before we talk about the most played videos on MTV, do you remember the first video you saw on MTV? I do. It was “Rock the Casbah” by The Clash. My mind was blown. I have to give MTV credit for exposing me to music that I didn’t know existed. Because of this, I attribute my lasting love of 80’s-90’s Alternative Rock to my days of watching MTV.
As much as I loved my MTV, it was back in the early days when MTV really was MUSIC TELEVISION.. that’s when you had me, fools. One of our recent Throwback Thursday tracks, “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel, made me think about MTV and wonder… “What were the most played videos on MTV?”
My Money Is On Sledgehammer
“Sledgehammer” HAS to be on the list. In my opinion, this video was groundbreaking. It was one of the first to use stop-motion claymation. “Sledgehammer” had Stephen Johnson directing the video… he had given a similar treatment to The Talking Heads’ “Road To Nowhere” the year before.
These types of videos are not plentiful. I have to believe that the budget dollars and time required to put them together were all insanely high.
The “Sledgehammer” video cost a ton of money and had some crazy issues. Peter Gabriel kept getting electrocuted by his light-up suit. They had to Scotchlite tape HIM and THE ENTIRE SET to fix the problem.
I read that they also used model chickens for the chicken dances in the video. The chickens are postmortem. As a result, the shelf life was an issue. I’m going out on a limb and saying they went through a LOT of chicken models. I know. It is gross. Suddenly, the chicken dances seem less funny to me, but let’s move along.
At the end of the day, “Sledgehammer” was a ground-breaking video and well received. In 1987, “Sledgehammer” swept the MTV Video Music Awards.
What Were the FIRST videos played on MTV?
MTV debuted on August 1st, 1981. Chances are good you and I both know the first song: “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. I have recently rewatched Pat Benatar’s “You Better Run” video. It’s so great to see her at a time when she’s about to take off. Third: Rod Stewart’s “She Won’t Dance With Me.”
Oh, and a sidenote of trivia that I love, did you know that the first “rap” song played on MTV was Blondie’s “Rapture?” To check out more of the first day of MTV’s videos CLICK HERE. Now let’s find out which songs were the most played videos on MTV. My list is reflective of actual play on MTV.
The 8 Most Played Videos on MTV
