Nobody knows this but the original concept for the “Too Late To Say Goodbye” video was a mini-movie. From the moment I wrote the music (my pal, Fee Waybill wrote the great lyrics) I heard a Western theme. Maybe it was the twangy guitar solo I wrote when I wrote the song.
So when this one was chosen as the 4th single from “Repeat Offender,” I said, “Let’s make a Western movie.” Jim Yukich, the director who had done the “Right Here Waiting” video, along with countless other massively played vids on MTV, loved my concept (Based on the Steve McQueen film, “Nevada Smith”), which would have me as a young gunfighter being trained by an older man who was still as fast as could be.
I wanted the actor, Robert Conrad (who later starred as the sheriff in my “Hazard” video) to star in the clip with me. I wrote an opening dialog/action scene complete with bar fight, and Jim Yukich mapped out the rest of the story.
We were all really psyched about it. All of us except my record company. They wouldn’t fit the bill for our concept, and made the argument (not as lame as usual) that I was about to embark on a summer tour and the video should be me performing onstage to drive album and ticket sales. When my manager caved, I had to surrender, too.
Jim Yukich still shot the clip, and I loved that we augmented the stage show footage with clips of people from my past videos (including G.W. Bailey, Ava Fabian and Tawny “Angelia” Fere) but I never really got over the missed experience of making that little cowboy movie. I think it would’ve been badass. And crazy fun.
4 Comments
“this feeling won’t die”
I’ve always thought it would be pretty cool if the artist would be given a chance to reshoot their music videos as they would have imagined it. Kind of like a “director’s cut” kind of release. Has that ever crossed your mind?
Hi Richard, I have always loved this video. It’s so cool how you added the cameos. I love the shirt you’re wearing in the stage footage. Just curious, do you still have it?
Helen B.
Upstate NY
Richard, have you ever thought about releasing a DVD of all of your music videos and including an audio commentary special feature? I bet the backstories and memories would be extremely interesting.
Richard, Probably my favorite song of your’s honestly. Love the 44 in the night, love the beggining guitar. I wore out 2 repeat offender tapes that year and bought 2 more for backups, not to mention it was probably my first CD i ever bought, and yes I have 2 copies in case 1 gets ruined. Thanks for a great song…Gary