Juice Newton — Angel Of The Morning

JUL 01 1981 · 12:00

Juice Newton — Angel Of The Morning (1981) Director: John Goodhue Era: MTV Launch Era (1981) - Early music video production coinciding with the inaugural broadcast day of MTV, representing the nascent intersection of country-pop crossover and the emerging visual medium of the promotional clip. Exceptionally high curatorial value as a historically verified 'first' — the inaugural country music video broadcast on MTV. Combined with its mainstream chart dominance, Grammy nomination, multi-decade cultural longevity (Deadpool, Promising Young Woman), and over 128 million YouTube views as of 2025, this video is an indispensable primary source document for the study of early MTV programming, country-pop crossover, and the music video medium's foundational period. Context: Released in 1981, Juice Newton's 'Angel of the Morning' music video occupies a uniquely pivotal moment in both music video and broadcast history. As the first country music video to air on MTV — broadcast on the network's very first day of operation — this video represents the initial convergence of country-pop crossover with the nascent music video medium. The song itself, written by Chip Taylor and first made famous by Merrilee Rush in 1968, was re-contextualized by Newton's version into an adult contemporary crossover smash that reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, earning Newton a Grammy nomination. The video's restrained, performance-oriented aesthetic reflects the early-MTV production norm of minimal narrative intervention, relying on the artist's presence and the song's emotional weight rather than cinematic storytelling. Director notes: Goodhue directed all three primary music videos from Juice Newton's 1981 breakout album cycle on Capitol Records, including Angel of the Morning, Queen of Hearts, and The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known). The Angel of the Morning video holds the historically documented distinction of being the first country music video broadcast on MTV, airing on the network's launch day in August 1981. The video's slow editorial pace (avg shot length 11.10s), intimate low-brightness staging (43.61/255), and warm color temperature (2.66) reflect Goodhue's performance-centric directorial approach, consistent with his broader early-MTV-era catalog of straightforward artist showcase videos. The production was released under Capitol Records Nashville.