Night Flight: Take Offs I

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Eroticism

Hottt videos from heavy headliners Madonna, Rod Stewart, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Queen and Van Halen are highlights from this epic installment of Night Flight's "Take Off" from late 1984.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Country Jam and Duran Duran Video Profile

"Take Off" to Country Jam features Nashville faves such as Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakam, KD Lang, Hank Williams Jr and others. Following that is Night Flight's Video Profile of the most glamorous pop stars to come from Birmingham, England- none other than Duran Duran.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Academy Awards (1986)

Just in time for awards season, we're sharing Night Flight's "Take Off" special featuring video profiles on the 1986 Academy Awards acting and music nominees.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to European Rock

A classic "Take Off" episode highlighting European rock including videos from Peter Schilling, Nina Hagen, Scorpions and more.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to 80s Dance Classics

Classic dance videos from Robert Palmer, The Clash, Devo and more.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to African Sounds

Afro Beat: A look at Africa's music and politics. It's no secret that Rock and Roll is based on African Rythyms. Africa created tempo and 4/4 time, the basis for all our generation's popular dance music. Today, another sound is coming from Africa as the world turns to the political abuses on the continent. African-born musicians are crying out for their civil rights...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Comedy IX

In "Take Off to Comedy IX," enter Jackie Mason's mind with the brilliant compilation “The World According To Me,” Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi get Brian Wilson out of bed to go surfing in a long forgotten clip that was one of our most popular stories on the blog last year. Other gems include Divine’s “These Lips Were Made For Kissing,” Dweezil Zappa, Weird Al Yankov...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Freedom

Night Flight's celebrating Independence Day (in 1988 and today!) with a Red, White and Blue Take Off Special to Freedom. We'll take a musical look at the many faces of Freedom, at home and abroad with Billy Bragg, Robbie Robertson, Hulk Hogan, and Aztec Two Step.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Animation

"Take Off To Animation" takes a colorful look at the use of animation in music video over the previous few years in styles ranging from experimental camera technique to 'Saturday morning cartoon'. Many of the videos compiled for this episode first became well-known due to their repeat exposure on Night Flight. Bona fide Night Flight classics here include Tom Tom Clu...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Film Music 3

“Hot Music and Hollywood Movies are coming together in the new phenomena of Movie Music Videos” - Pat Prescott. Night Flight’s Film Music special is a bonafide who’s who of movie soundtrack anthems from 1984. Whether it’s a close look at Prince’s Purple Rain ("the hottest movie film of 1984)," a heartfelt Karate Kid soundtrack video from Survivor or Police guitarist...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Eclectic Ladies

Tonight, Night Flight Take’s Off to Eclectic Ladies in music in a 1994 syndication special. This Night Flight original episode is a tribute to female artists whose musical missions and video visions are what syndication host Tom Juarez refers to as “the most interesting, the most unusual and well… the most Night Flight.” Inquire within for music and videos from all ...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Guitar Heroes

Tonight we find out what gives a six string its zing! We look at the origin of some of the most soul-stirring, far out guitar sounds with a special "Take Off" to Guitar Heroes. We salute the creme-de-la-creme of guitar playing with a look at virtuosos like Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page and the Firm, Stanley Jordan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King and more on t...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Gothic Rock

Tonight we dive into the dark underworld of Gothic Rock! Rising from the ashes of late 70s punk, Goth Rock mixed the batwing style of Bram Stoker's Dracula with bizarre sentiments, black humor and a big beat. This classic episode (part of the Night Flight Series 'Twenty Years of Rock N' Roll Style') is a tour de force of goth bands and their myriad solo offshoots. F...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Hardcore

1988's "Take Off" to Hardcore (and more!)  You gotta hand it to the original Night Flight writers. Every weekend for over seven years, the team put together 8 hours of cutting-edge television—mixing a complex blend of avant-garde, undiscovered and obscure visual/audio art. The amount of work this took on a weekly basis back in the 1980s is staggering.   Tonight’s...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Acid Rock

Night Flight "Take's Off" to the once and future glory of Acid Rock. The original catalytic agent for Acid Rock faded away, but Night Flight tracked the visual cues and sonic elements of Acid Rock making a major flashback for the '80s through artists like S'Express, The Cult, The Psychedelic Furs, Nina Hagen and The Mission.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Big Bucks

Night Flight's take off special feels uniquely 80s in its exposure of videos from Madonna, The Talking Heads and more relating to the culture of wealth and excess that defined the time.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Animation 3

Night Flight takes off to Animation, Part 3! This segment features traditional Hollywood animation, stop motion, pixelation, and computer animation. Featuring videos from Cyndi Lauper, George Clinton, Jean Luc Ponty and more...

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Futurism

Tonight, we go back to 1988 to Take Off to Futurism in Music Videos. "The future is upon us, with Robots, Computers and new technologies" Pat Prescott informs us at the top of tonight's episode. Kicking off with Bonnie Tyler scored supercut of Fritz Lang's Metropolis this episode shows a multitude of visions of the future through music. Re-flex is "Hurt," the Earons...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Food

What’s on the menu for tonight? Fish Heads! Our 1988 “Take Off” episode of Night Flight is a special salute to… Food? “Whether you slice it or dice it, chew it or spew it” Pat Prescott proclaims, “you can’t live without it!” Kicking off with Weird Al Yankovich’s “Eat It,” and including tunes from The Fat Boys, Tom Petty, Barnes and Barnes and a myriad of food-relate...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Controversial Videos

"Viewer discretion is advised" Pat Prescott tells us at the start of tonight's 1988 Take Off episode to Controversial Videos. "Sex, Drugs, Religion, Politics..." what more can you want from Night Flight's curated collection of controversial music videos. Everyone knows that while other fledgling music networks from the era avoided controversy, Night Flight actively ...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Cover Songs

"All through the rich history of Rock N Roll, artists have claimed the material of others..." says Night Flight syndication host Tom Juarez at the start of tonight's Take Off to Cover Songs. The hour long episode salutes the great musical tradition in what turned out to be the golden decade of covers, featuring Fine Young Cannibals covering Elvis, Cyndi Lauper's bes...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Body Language

“In the ‘80s, America rediscovered the Body” Pat Prescott tells us. “We jogged, we danced, we exercised and put our bodies back into shape.” Right in time for that gym membership, we're kicking off another year of Night Flight Originals with "Take Off to Body Language," an excellent 1984 special featuring tunes from Thomas Dolby, Berlin, The Gap Band, Herbie Hancock...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Cameos

Tonight we Take Off to Cameos with “guest shot” appearances from Rodney Dangerfield, Milton Berle, Father Guido Sarducci, and more. Originally airing in 1984, tonight’s original episode features an eclectic music selection featuring the likes of Sons of Heroes, Tracey Ullman, Ratt, Ebn Ozn; all defined by their high-profile cameos.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Heavy Metal History (Black Sabbath)

“Their music was devil’s music: high decibel, tortured, frenzied songs about Death, Destruction and Black Magic.” Welcome to Night Flight’s 1984 Take Off to Heavy Metal History with a look at metal forgers Black Sabbath. We go back to the 1970s for classic Sabbath, trace the development of Ozzy Osbourne and Ronny James Dio from their days as Black Sabbath’s lead sin...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Canadian Rock

Get ready for an epic border-crossing original episode of Night Flight. In this Take Off special from 1985, Night Flight heads north for a special survey on Canadian Rock. Featuring Bryan Adams, Corey Hart, Platinum Blonde, Honeymoon Suite, Parachute Club, Idle Eyes, Rush, Loverboy, and Canadian super-charity-group Northern Lights. This episode is rich with Canada’s...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Dance 2

It's 1984. A Friday night. Maybe you're flipping through the channels thinking about how to crush it at the upcoming High School formal and BAM, you stumble upon Night Flight's special "Take Off to Dance," a special segment exploring dance in pop and rock through the ages. Featuring Electric Light Orchestra, Kool and the Gang and more, this episode is just what you needed. 

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Film Directors in Music Video

Music Video's directed by feature filmmakers for The Cars, Lionel Richie, The Art of Noise, Bruce Springsteen and more

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Androgyny

Night Flight's innovative "Take Off" series dispensed with playlists, bland VJ set-ups and the usual tired video countdown format and instead cleverly programmed music videos and performance clips by theme. The series regularly featured hits from Eighties pop icons juxtaposed against obscurities from many not-ready-for-MTV cult favorites. Original Air Date: 4-13-84 ...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to the Australian Invasion

This review of the early 80s Aussie rock scene on video features the likes of Jo Jo Zep, Men At Work, Divinyls, Midnight Oil, Inxs and New Zealand's Tim Finn (of Split Enz fame) and more. Night Flight's innovative "Take Off" series dispensed with playlists, bland VJ set-ups and the usual tired video countdown format and instead cleverly programmed music videos an...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Alternative Rock

Night Flight finally makes it to Alt Rock this weekend in a new addition to our “Take Off” features. This 1994 showcase appeared in the twilight (sorry) of Night Flight’s 90s syndication. The music videos and concert footage included (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Afghan Whigs, Rage Against the Machine, and more) is as accurate a snapshot of the era as one could ask for, ...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Country

Ya'll are watching Night Flight, the late night place to be. In this original episode, we saddle up and Take Off to Country Music with Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, the Judds and much more. Let Pat Prescott be your guide, reliving the classics and bringing you up to speed on peak ‘80s country and crossover.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Ireland

Night Flight looks at the roots of Irish rock 'n' roll tonight in this original “Take Off” special from the mid-1980s. With Bodhrán, Fiddles, Uilleann pipes and Irish Harps in hand, we kick off with the Chieftans' "Irish Anthem" before looking at the Ireland’s strong music tradition. Dating back to Celtic culture, when poets were elevated to the status of aristocrat...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Animation Vol. 4

Night Flight’s 1985 “Take Off” to Animation Vol. 4 is a perfect mid-decade snapshot of the remarkable evolution of technology and creativity in animation happening in the 1980s. Featuring super-group The Power Station's composited cutout acid trip for their T-Rex cover, Machinations rotoscoped “Pressure Sway” (above), Steve Miller’s early 3D animation effort “Bon...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Glam

On tonight’s episode of “20 Years of Rock ’n’ Roll Style” Night Flight covers Glam Rock. “Twilight fell on the grassroots hippie sixties, and it was time to put the glitz and glamor back into rock,” Pat Prescott tells us before introducing T. Rex. From there we travel through Freddie Mercury solo cuts, D.A. Pennebaker’s live video for Bowie’s “White Light, White Hea...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Academy Awards (1985)

Your perfect Oscar weekend companion has arrived... 35 years late. Tonight's Night Flight Original Episode is a preview for the 1985's Award's show! Ray Parker Jr. tells us about writing the Ghostbuster's theme, master filmmaker David Lean discusses Passage to India, up for Best Picture (lost to Amadeus) and much more.

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Guitar Rock (1994)

Night Flight's "Take Off" to Guitar Rock is a syndication special with host Tom Juarez from 1994. This video mix includes Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, John Lee Hooker and more. Roots guitar music was probably the last thing on a young person's late night TV mind in the grunge era, but Night Flight could always be relied on to celebrate culture and not follow trends. Right?

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Elvis

Welcome to Night Flight! Tonight, we “Take Off” to Elvis. Ever since his 1956 debut, Elvis Aaron Presley has provoked more passion, more controversy and more adoration than anyone else in the history of Rock. Literally, the King. Fine Young Cannibal's Roland Gift sits down with Night Flight to discuss the sacredness of Elvis and the riskiness of their cover "Suspicious Minds."

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Comedy in Music Videos

“What do you do when a guy puts Mayonnaise on your shoulder?... Do the Watusi!" — Howie Mandel circa 1986.  And so goes 3 minutes of towering cringe (even by '80s standards) in tonight’s "Take Off" episode to Comedy in Music Videos from 1988 that also features the legendary Max Headroom, Father Guido Sarducci, Bette Midler, Will Smith and more!

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Art in Music Videos

"One of the sturdiest trends in rock videos," Pat Prescott says, "is the use of 'high art' to elevate down and dirty Rock 'n' Roll." Tonight's original episode of Night Flight from the archives is a "Take off" to Art in Music Videos! The episode highlights art and music collaborations like New Order and William Wegman (and the dog supermodel Fay Ray), Grace Jones's ...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Drag

“Female impersonator Divine portrays women from the sleazy to the sublime,” Pat Prescott says at the start of Night Flight’s “Take Off to Drag.” The episode is another timeless Night Flight classic that also features Joey Arias, David Bowie and more. It begins with scenes from 80s Canadian Drag star Craig Russell in clips from the film Too Outrageous! (1987), also f...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Heavy Metal Comedy

"Boy isn't heavy metal a lot of fun!" says Mr. Bill at the start of Night FLight's special "Take Off" to Heavy Metal Comedy, (before an untimely death by anvil.) And Mr. Bill is right: Heavy Metal is a reliably comedic genre, intentional or not. This episode kicks off with Alcatrazz's "God Blessed," a satire of MTV that doomed its chances of airplay on that channel,...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Music Video Directors (1983)

“Millions have seen their work,” host Pat Prescott says, “but only a handful of people know who they are.” Tonight, we “Take Off” to Music Video Directors circa 1983 on Night Flight. The episode covers the music video work of two prolific leaders of the art form: American Bob Giraldi (Michael Jackson, Diana Ross) and British David Mallett (David Bowie, Joan Jett).

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Duets

This '90s syndication episode of Night Flight is dedicated exclusively to duets featuring a match made in art-pop heaven: Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, KLF and Tammy Wynette's idiosyncratic country/dance-pop hybrid of pedal steel guitar & drum machines "Justified & Ancient," UB40 & Chrissie Hynde, and finally, Cher hits on Butthead in "I Got You Babe," the mega-cross...Read More

Night Flight - "Take Off" to Day-Glo Rock

“They’re the flashiest bands in Rock ’n’ Roll” Pat Prescott says at the start of tonight’s new ‘Take Off’ arrival from the archives, “Musicians who express themselves as much through packaging as playing.” What follows is a high chroma, technicolor video mix featuring Fishbone’s “Modern Industry,” We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It!, Kid Creole and The Co...Read More