Thirty-eight summers ago, Van Halen’s latest single “Dreams” reached all-new heights thanks to an unexpected collaboration with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. A recent online article from the website Simple Flying tells the story behind how this collaboration came to be.
Below is an excerpt from an article written by Simple Flying’s Mike Scanlon:
Shortly after [Van Halen’s album] 5150 was released, a Warner Bros. executive attended a viewing of [the Tom Cruise film] Top Gun, which was released just two months later, in May 1986. Not only did the WB exec leave the theater feeling the need for speed, but he also felt the need for a more aggressive soundtrack. The exec loved the movie, which relied heavily on its soundtrack, but thought the fighter aircraft scenes would’ve been even better with hard rock music, which gave him an idea.
A couple of music executives from Warner Bros. Music and MTV executives came to me two weeks before Liberty weekend after seeing the movie ‘Top Gun.’ They asked me if I could provide a Blue Angels video to air on MTV for Liberty Weekend. All of us selected the song ‘Dreams’ from the newest Van Halen album.
– Jim Cross, video producer, from an article in the Pensacola News Journal
Cross reached out to the Blue Angels for permission to use their footage in the video, and they were more than happy to oblige.
Of course, we didn’t have any objection .
– Lt. Doug Hocking, public affairs officer for the Naval Flight Demonstration squadron
Van Halen manager Ed Leffler gave the green light on behalf of Eddie and the boys, and McDonnell Douglas agreed to provide extensive archival Blue Angels footage from the previous ten years.
Within two weeks, all required parties were on board. Cross, with the assistance of producers John Moranville and Michael Polito, worked at a feverish pace, completing the video below in just three days, meticulously piecing together footage of the Blue Angels’ spectacular maneuvers to align perfectly with the rhythm and emotion of “Dreams.”
It’s the most dramatic visual thing to appear on MTV. It is designed for rock ‘n’ roll and is visually very exciting.
– Jim Cross, from an article in the Pensacola News Journal
According to comments made on avgeekery.com by Lieutenant Al Cisneros who flew with the Blue Angels from 1975-1977 and also appears in the “Dreams” video, the pilots appearing in the video are:
- Lt. Al Cisneros
- Cdr. Casey Jones
- Capt. Dan Keating
- LCdr. Don Simmons
- Lt. John Miller and
- Lt. Vance Parker
A dream come true for the US Navy
The video was scheduled to air on MTV four times per day, from July 1 – July 8, as part of the Liberty Weekend celebration in New York, which commemorated the centennial anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. Upon its debut, it quickly became a sensation. The overwhelmingly positive response resulted in “Dreams” airing on MTV for two additional weeks, more frequently than originally planned.
Phone calls have been flooding into the MTV studio in Los Angeles with questions like “Who are they?” and “Where can I get a copy of the tape?
– Lt. Doug Hocking, public affairs officer for the Naval Flight Demonstration squadron
Already enjoying a recruitment surge from Top Gun, a popular music video on MTV featuring one of the hottest bands in the country was icing on the cake as “Dreams” brought even more attention and awareness to the US Navy. The video was essentially free publicity.
” For something that costs the Navy nothing, we’ve had so much response from the public. It’s unbelievable .”
– Lt. Doug Hocking, public affairs officer for the Naval Flight Demonstration squadron
“I joined during an age where the movie Top Gun came out and the Blue Angels were making cool videos with Van Halen singing in the background.”
– Rear Adm. Linda Wackerman, Deputy, Naval Inspector General
“Dreams” was a win-win-win for all parties involved. The US Navy got a recruitment spike, Van Halen (and Warner Bros.) had another hit on their hands (reaching #22 on the Billboard Hot 100), and MTV had a viral video, which in those days meant people recorded it on their VCRs (“video cassette recorder” for our younger audience) and passed it around or invited friends over to watch it.