Once upon a time, the Albany-based rock band Blotto actually broke through and got mainstream radio airplay in the Capital District. Yes. Their song, “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard,” received spins on FLY 92 and 3WD and Rock 99, just as if it was a national radio hit. And in our area, it was.
And “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard” was one of the first music videos aired on MTV, way back in 1981.
Blotto released two four-song EP’s, “Hello! My Name is Blotto, What’s Yours?” and “Across and Down,” and songs like “We Are The Nowtones” and “My Baby’s The Star of a Driver’s Ed Movie” and “She’s Got a Big Boyfriend” got plenty of airplay.
Then came Blotto’s first full-length LP, “Combo Akimbo.” This featured the hit song “Metal Head,” which also had a music video.
Around this time, the LP and the two EP’s were combined into one full-length LP on Canada’s Attic Records – and Attic released the song “I Quit” as a 7-inch single. And yes, it had a music video as well.
Watch and be amazed.
| “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard” | “Metal Head” | “I Quit” |
After that, there was a greatest hits package and a collection of unreleased tracks (the “Then More Than Ever” compilation in 2000), and several concerts around the Capital Region.
And then came the news last night.
A new Blotto music video.
The first new production video by the Albany band in over 30 years.
So which song got the music video treatment?
It was a track from their “Combo Akimbo” album, a song called “Goodbye, Mr. Bond.”
Bond. As in James Bond. 007.
The song “Goodbye, Mr. Bond” is used as a mash-up soundtrack with images of various James Bond films, James Bond villains, and lots of James Bond imagery.
So you want to see the first new Blotto video in over a generation?
Sure you do!
Now I’m not 100% sure, but it looks to me as if every theatrical film featuring a James Bond character – including both versions of Casino Royale and the non-canonical Never Say Never Again – are in this montage. Really fun stuff.
But please, don’t make me wait until 2041 for a video of “When the Second Feature Stars” or “We Are the Nowtones.” Please, guys?
Chuck The Writer 
I still remember SUNY’s MAYFEST, I “believe” it was ’83 when Blotto was the headliner….boy that was a GREAT and UGLY day… 🙂
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“She’s got a big boyfriend” has some of the best lyrics of all time.
I had the driver’s safety course over the weekend, my wife and I were siging “My baby’s the star of a driver’s ed movie” all day.
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Love the video… I don’t know how you cannot consider this worth the wait, no matter how much anticipation there was!
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Blotto played at Albany High School in 1980. We set up the audtorium (just on the left of the main entrance. The kids from AHSCOM (the AV club, which I admit being a part of) ran the lights and stage. After the show, they came up to us, asked us how much money we made, and then proceeded to take every dime we took in, which was more than they agreed to. Never listened to them after that.
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Outstanding…. I hope TBS picks up on the song (FINALLY) the next time they have a Bond marathon…
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