In a nostalgic revelation, Pavement have released a previously unseen music video for their song “Summer Babe”.
Taken from their 1992 debut album, Slanted and Enchanted, this release comes over three decades after the video was originally filmed on a pier in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Interestingly, the video features only three of the five band members, as multi-instrumentalist Spiral Stairs and drummer Gary Young were in Stockton, California, at the time of filming.
The director of the video, Tanya Small, explained that the footage was captured using 16mm and Super 8 film and was edited on video. She highlighted that the video was shot in less than two hours and all original footage was lost, except for a VHS tape that contained this edit with its enduring timecode. The audio for the video was sourced from an unmastered cassette, adding a raw and authentic touch to the visual experience.
“The storyline for the video is the same as Grease’s but without a happy ending,” Small said in a statement. “Two people from different backgrounds — an indie rocker and a club kid — separately waxing nostalgic about their time together. Back then, it was unlikely a club kid would be caught dead with an indie rocker.”
The narrative explores the unlikely relationship between an indie rocker and a club kid, reflecting on their time together against the backdrop of differing social scenes.
“Summer Babe (Winter Version)”, the song featured in the video, holds a special place in the band’s history and in alternative music culture. It was ranked number 244 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
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According to lead singer and guitarist Stephen Malkmus, the song was an attempt to channel Lou Reed, focusing on “sad-boy stuff” and evoking the “suburban California summer” of their youth.
Watch the unearthed music video below.
