Barbra Streisand — Emotion HQ!!

JUL 01 1985 · 12:00

Barbra Streisand — Emotion HQ!! (1985) Director: Richard Baskin Era: MTV Golden Era (1985) - Mid-decade pop crossover period when established adult-contemporary artists competed for MTV rotation with high-budget, narrative-driven videos High curatorial value as a documented intersection of Hollywood filmmaking pedigree (Baskin/Nashville lineage), major-label crossover ambition, and the mid-1980s MTV era aesthetic. The video is a time-capsule of 1980s production design, New Wave styling absorbed into adult pop, and the transitional moment when established artists began treating music videos as short films. Its companion making-of documentary and theatrical distribution make it an unusually well-documented artifact. Context: Released in early 1985 as the third and final single from Streisand's 23rd studio album, 'Emotion' (Columbia Records, October 1984), the video represents a concerted attempt by one of pop's most established artists to enter the MTV era. The song peaked at #14 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart but failed to break the Billboard Hot 100 top 40. Shot in the UK, the production incorporated London club and punk subculture as a visual backdrop, reflecting Streisand's effort to absorb New Wave visual codes while maintaining her glamour-pop identity. Streisand took on co-directing duties, continuing the directorial confidence she built on Yentl (1983). Director notes: The 'Emotion' music video was co-directed by Richard Baskin and Barbra Streisand and premiered March 1, 1985 (IMVDb). It was produced by Teri Schwartz (IMVDb). The video was shot in the United Kingdom and released under copyright to Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Columbia Records also produced a companion behind-the-scenes documentary, 'The Making of Barbra Streisand's Emotion,' which aired on video outlets in February 1985 and featured behind-the-scenes footage of Baskin directing. The video received limited theatrical distribution in the U.S. via the 'Music Motions' program, appearing on approximately 132 screens in Dolby stereo. The video features cameos from The Who's Roger Daltrey and Mikhail Baryshnikov, as confirmed by Wikipedia and the album's Wikipedia entry.