(Sex?) ... & Violence, Plagarism & the Minds of Youth

   Is Berlin's "No More Words" video based on the Bonnie and 
Clyde film?  "Definitely," the band's bassist John Crawford 
nonchallantly concedes from his comfortable surroundings in a 
posh New York hotel.  "A total ripoff."  Inspiration was behind 
the blatant plagarism.  The pretext - Berlin wanted the video to 
have absolutely nothing to do with the song.  "Because we did
three videos which were basically interpretations of lyrics," 
Crawford explains.  "Two of them had very sort of romantic 
overtones and we didn't want to do 'No More Words' as a love song.  
We wanted to get away from that."

   Why Bonnie and Clyde?  It has to do with Australia's fascination
with American history and in this instance, gangster lore.  The two 
fellows who directed the clip, The Rich Kids, - "they're poor," 
Crawford confides, are from Down Under and love all that Depression 
era shoot-em up stuff.  Additionally, Berlin is primarily known for 
its two main commodities, lead singer Terri Nunn and Crawford.  Both 
wanted that changed so other band members were equally represented.
"The idea of a gang, the Barrow gang in Bonnie and Clyde or the
Berlin gang from this video was really good because it brought the
whole band into a cohesive thing," Crawford says.

   The video was banned in London due to violence and "MTV gave us
a little bit of 'we're not sure of this' because of the guns being
fired," Crawford relates.  But the video was played.  "Words has a
little bit of violence in it, what we thought was just fantasy
violence.  It seemed so silly to us.  We couldn't see how anyone
could take it seriously.  People shooting from two feet away and 
missing.  Like 85 guys with shotguns start shooting at us and they
miss and we're just laughing and singing 'No More Words.'  If anyone
takes that seriously then I'm amused."

   Getting their "Sex" video aired was hardly a laughing matter.
The lyrics tended to preclude the song from being played on certain
radio stations.  Television was even more staunch.  MTV told the 
band's record company that a "Sex" video probably wouldn't be played
because of "those" lyrics.  Money was not allotted by Berlin's
record company for the video to be made.  But the band felt the video
was important as an artistic statement and to their career.  They 
dipped into their own pockets to finance the clip.  Eventually it 
was shown at dance clubs.

   Berlin's bassist and principal songwriter is a cerebral and quiet 
chap who holds no grudges against video music channels or shows that
refuse to air the "Sex" clip.  "It's their rules.  It's their show
It seems to me that they would develop some sort of system so that,
in their opinion, young kids aren't influenced in the wrong way.
It's perfectly understandable to me."

   A final question.  What did Crawford's parents think of their
son's song?  "Sex," with its carnal lyrics, is hardly a tune one
would croon at the dinner table.  Crawford gives a shrug of his
shoulders and a toss of his multi-color highlighted hair.
"We've never discussed it."