WORLD PREMIERE! Choose "watch in high quality". I, Marc Friedlander, directed this video years ago and I have lost touch with the group. Hopefully, the band will see this youtube upload. This is a LONG LOST VIDEO I shot, live in two takes in a studio on a lowwww budget, that is only now getting its worldwide DEBUT, 27 years later! It was discovered recently in an ooolllllddd storage box along with a bunch of other of my old music video productions. I thought this would be perfect for an upload, now that youtube exists. The world can finally see the long-lost Neola video! Please leave a comment.

Neola is a true 80's supergroup, since they have more celebrity connections than Anthony Pelicano! One suspects the band's name is a combination of "Neo" (meaning "new" albeit pretentious-sounding) and LA, where they live, play, and record. Here's a list of the band members and their various connections:

BRIE HOWARD- lead singer, who has sung (and played drums/percussion!) with many other groups such as (mainly and currently) The Boxing Ghandis, American Girls, and the seminal first all-girl rock band, Fanny. She was on MTV a lot as the drummer/background singer (for Robbie Nevil) of the big hit "C'est La Vie" (hers is the voice that repeats "C'est La Vie") and sings background for Carole King on a very popular TV special. She was even the drummer on Robert Palmer's mega-hit "Addicted to Love". Her daughter is Playboy playmate Brandi Brandt who eventually married Nikki Sixx of Motly Crue. Apparently, Brie has performed with Nikki in a side project. Brie is also an actress who has even starred in a motion picture ("Android" with Klaus Kinski). She does a great acting job in this Neola video. She now goes by the name Brie Darling.

GLEN BALLARD- Neola's leader, songwriter, guitarist, producer. Glen has gone on to unbelieveable accomplishments, including writing "Man in the Mirror" for Michael Jackson, co-writing and producing the first major album by Allanis Morrisette ("Jagged Little Pill") for which he won THE most important (the last one, for Best Album) Grammy Award of 1995, and wrote a #1 hit for George Strait. He has worked with Quincy Jones, Kiki Dee, Celine Dion, Toto, Christina Aguilera, Natalie Cole, Aerosmith, Barbra Streisand, No Doubt, and Van Halen. He helped launch the careers of Alanis Morissete, Wilson Phillips, Paula Abdul, and the king of rock n' roll himself, Jack Wagner.

DAVEY FARAGHER- Neola's bassist and star of this video. He was in a family band called The Faraghers during the 70's. But during the 80's and 90's he was in various bands like Scott Baio and Cracker. Now he is the long-standing bass player in Elvis Costello and the Imposterss.

TOMMY FARAGHER- Davey's bro and member of The Faraghers, Tommy's a well-known music producer and studio musician.

CALEB QUAYE- He spent years as a featured member of The Elton John Band (along with most of the other members of Neola) and Hall & Oates. He also played with Townsend, Jagger, and McCartney over the years! Right after we shot this Neola video, Caleb retired from rock n' roll to become an evangelist!

JAY BRUCE- I don't know anything about Jay, but I assume he's done a bunch of stuff and worked as a studio musician. I'm surprised that Brie didn't play drums in Neola, but I guess Glen wanted her out in front.

This is Neola's only music video I know of, since the band disbanded and the members went on to many various successful projects. The video is funny, tells a story, and definitely sticks to the lyrics for the true meaning of the song. Funny aside: my cameraman who you can see at the very beginning was Carol Burnett's stepson, John Hamilton. Dave Kleinman plays the stagehand. Carol Everson did a GREAT job as my Assistant Director, keepin' it all together.

Leave a comment with your thoughts.

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