38 Special — If I'd have been the one

JUL 01 1983 · 12:00

38 Special — If I'd have been the one (1983) Director: Peter Israelson Era: Early MTV Era (1983) - Southern rock transitions to arena-ready AOR pop-rock at the height of early cable music video culture, timed to the November 1983 release of Tour de Force on A&M Records. High curatorial value as a confirmed, director-attributed artifact from the precise moment 38 Special achieved their commercial peak. The video's combination of performance and romantic narrative, its warm analog film aesthetic, and its MTV broadcast context (confirmed via IMDb company credits) make it an essential primary source for scholars of early music video culture, Southern rock evolution, and 1983-era AOR visual language. Context: Released in late 1983 as MTV was cementing its influence on mainstream radio and album sales, 'If I'd Been the One' represents 38 Special's deliberate pivot from their Southern rock origins toward a polished AOR sound engineered for crossover success. The video was produced alongside two other Tour de Force clips ('Back Where You Belong', 'One Time for Old Times'), signaling A&M Records' investment in video as a promotional vehicle. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart, making this clip a significant document of the Southern-rock-to-arena-rock transition and the commercial mechanics of early cable music television. Director notes: Directed for A&M Records as the promotional clip for 'If I'd Been the One,' the lead single from Tour de Force (1983). The video employs a mixed performance/narrative format consistent with prevailing early MTV conventions. IMDb lists the production year as 1983; IMVDb catalogs it under 1984, likely reflecting the video's MTV airplay window into early 1984. Confirmed cast via IMDb includes band members Don Barnes, Steve Brookins, Jeff Carlisi, Jack Grondin, and Larry Junstrom performing as themselves.