Meet The Creator of MTV!
Wait – WHAT? According to Todd’s biography, our favorite artist created music television!
Time to tell the fascinating story!
First, if you follow me at all, you know I posted a story in early summer all about Todd’s new CD – AND his fascinating biographies written by Billy James. Here is that story, which you can link to HERE:
Part one of the biography delves into Todd’s early years with Nazz, his early solo success, and the formation of the first Utopia…the second book picks up with Todd’s incredible album “Hermit Of Mink Hollow” – and then digs into Utopia’s struggle to survive in Todd’s solo shadow!
Todd Invented MTV!
This fascinating hypothesis comes up on page 128 of “Vol. 2” in the bio books…did you know that Todd put a deposit down for a transponder on an RCA Satellite?
Todd was going to own a channel on SATCOM3, which was being launched into space at the end of 1979!
Todd TV In Outer Space!
According to the book, Todd and his manager Eric Gardner signed up thousands of hours of music performances, promotional videos and early music videos for the purpose of launching a satellite channel of all videos – yes, what would become MTV just a few years later!
We all know that Todd was a video pioneer, but unfortunately, a delay in the launch of the satellite caused all of the locked channels to lose their space – and Todd and Gardner were unable to convince Warner Brothers to back their music video channel…and there went Todd’s creation of MTV…
Of course, Todd created some of the earliest music vdeos ever made, like this one – let’s take a moment to enjoy “Change Myself”:
According to the note on YouTube, “this video was created with NewTek’s LightWave 3D modelling and rendering software and NewTek Video Toasters on Amiga computers. Todd released this video in the early 1990s, in support of what was pretty much the only “hit” single off his album “Second Wind.” It received very little airplay on VH-1. So little, in fact, that most Rundgren fans have never seen it.”
Great song, great story – if you haven’t read the bio books, they are available on Amazon, and they are terrific!
It’s fun to ponder this story about the creation of music television – and Todd’s early role in it, as MTV is celebrating its 30 year anniversary this week! The question of who, in fact, came up with the original idea for MTV may never be known!
Maybe A Monkey Did It!
Well, in fact, many feel that a “MONKEE” did create MTV! To read the story about Michael Nesmith’s claim to MTV fame, click HERE!
Todd Was On Hollywood Squares?!?!??????
And one more amazing story from the bio book: apparently, Todd was a featured square on the syndicated TV show “The Hollywood Squares” in the late 70’s!
That story is on page 120 of Vol. 2 – “it’s just a goof that you go through” is how Todd describes it – but he sat in a square and answered a couple of questions!
Best yet – he was a “Secret Square!” I wish someone had a clip of this!
And here is the story of MTV’s first day on the air, and Todd’s “Time Heals” was video #8 played –
Enjoy!
Categories: 70's Cinema, Books / Media, documentary films, Movies, Music, Restaurants, Talent/Celebrities, Technology, TV Show, Uncategorized
johnrieber 
MTV – 8th song played – “Time Heals”
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Lots of folks on the Todd Facebook blogs discuss this…some think they saw it earlier than that, but all of the official lists show that Todd was indeed the #8 video shown…thanks!
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Hello!!! I HAVE (on VHS) the clip of Todd on Hollywood Squares!!!! Seriously!
I have a handful of tapes with bits & pieces of “toddities”. I do remember that the question was political…and the answer was one of 3 Presidents & I believe he chose Calvin Coolidge & the ditzy girl didn’t believe him. Silly girl!!
Mo
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That is hilarious…thanks so much for sharing!
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What a great curiosity of Toddness to have on VHS. Can’t imagine the conversation where they talked him into doing Hollywood Squares, though. What was the upside for him? Winning a bet?
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“Two right!” — Todd on Hollywood Squares
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An impressive share! I have just forwarded
this onto a co-worker who was doing a little homework on this.
And he in fact bought me lunch because I found it for him…
lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
But yeah, thanx for spending some time to discuss this subject here on your
web site.
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too bad MTV went to crap. It used to be a music channel now its just garbage.
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I work in TV and it’s always interesting to see what certain networks do to their brand to “grow” it and how it usually alienates their real fans…happens over and over and over
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kind of like how Nickelodeon and cartoon network took all the fun out of saturday morning cartoons by making them too accessible…
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yes, virtually EVERY network does it at some point…most make it worse
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