Just when we thought they couldn’t get any bigger, Van Halen soared to all new heights on January 2nd, 1984, the day MTV debuted the video for the band’s brand-new single “Jump”.
Just over two years after launching, MTV had gone from a struggling upstart only available to households in parts of New Jersey to a pop culture phenomenon. For Van Halen front man David Lee Roth, this new medium was a dream come true. After all, who better to put in front of a camera to promote a single than the most charismatic lead singer in the game?
“Jump” debuted at number 47 on Billboard after it was released to radio on December 21st, 1983. With the video becoming a huge hit and aired in regular rotation daily on MTV, the song reached the top of the charts on February 25th, 1984, where it stayed for a total of five weeks.
Here’s a look back at the making of the video along with some very cool behind-the-scenes footage always worth revisiting!
“Jump” Video Fun Facts:
- The music video for “Jump” (the first from the album 1984) was produced by Robert Lombard and directed by Pete Angelus. It was a straightforward concept, much like many of the hard rock videos of the time. It shows the band performing the song at a mock concert. It was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards and won “Best Stage Performance” for the video.
- It was filmed using 16mm hand-held cameras at The Complex in Santa Monica, CA. Although David Lee Roth claimed the total cost was only $600, the actual cost was much higher
- The audio in the video differed slightly from the album version. (During the keyboard solo prior to the final refrain, David Lee Roth is heard (and seen) yelling out. He did this during the band’s mock performance for the video’s filming, and it is believed that afterwards he overdubbed this yell especially for the video version since it is not present in the song to begin with). Sharp-eyed viewers will also notice Eddie’s keyboard is quite dusty.