Dog Police
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Dog Police is a short-lived 1980s new wave band from Memphis, Tennessee that briefly gained notoriety for the music video of their 1982 single, "Dog Police".
Video
In the video, Tony Thomas plays the man on a date, picking up a beautiful woman wearing a dog mask. When the Dog Police show up, the three band members perform as hound-faced detectives in trench coats. The three are also seen on stage, singing in bright-colored outfits; at the end of the video, they mix the costumes, wearing the dog faces and hats but dressed as band members from the neck down.
The "Dog Police" music video was produced by Wayne Crook and directed by Joe Mulherin, with costumes and dog masks by William "Bill" Knopfler and cinematography by documentary filmmaker Larry McConkey. The club scene was shot in the Madison House, a Memphis club.
Dog Police got their big break on MTV's Basement Tapes, a late-night show that premiered in March of 1983, holding a monthly competition to select the best unsigned band. Bands were invited to submit video-cassettes of their performances, and viewers were given a 1-900 number to vote for their favorites. The "Dog Police" video won the semi-final round in January of 1984, winning five thousand dollars in equipment and the right to compete in the finals in April. The final prize was $25,000 worth of equipment and a recording contract with EMI. The band took second place in the finals.
Following the song's January win, the video was a minor sensation on MTV, and played in light rotation (two plays a day) during the month of February. The video also aired on USA Network's Night Flight on August 17, 1984, and MTV's Al TV on September 3rd.
