Music Videos

Come Clean Videos



In the multi-media world, music videos play a vital role in exposure for an artist. In the twenty-plus years since the media-mogul-risk-takers tapped into an undeveloped market and brought us MTV, music video programming has changed drastically. Programming choices were limited at first; there wasn’t a large stockpile of music videos available that had been recorded specifically for this format. Clips of musicians from concert performances and variety shows made up the playlist until the industry was able to catch up to this new innovation. Selections were left up to programming directors and the audience was at their mercy for this new wave of entertainment. Viewers could snail mail their requests in for favorite bands or pay long distance telephone charges to have their opinions heard.

More than 15 years later, personal computers and the explosion of the Internet forever changed the video concept, creating an infrastructure for instant voting polls for airplay, live on-demand viewing, downloading to your PC for access anytime, used as advertising mediums on radio station websites to promote the bands, and new CD releases. What was once limited to a single outlet now has these mini-movies playing everywhere, advertising billboards, mainstream television, video discs, even as bonus content on a music CD providing fans with much more than those who remember the days of vinyl could ever imagine.

Puddle of Mudd was in prime position to take advantage of all the wonderful things a video could accomplish for artists. Musicians have become actors in a sense, they must carry over a treatment concept that is not only believable, but relates to the song itself to be successful. If the song is great but the final cut of the video tanks, it can spell disaster for a band, music has become as much of a visual appeal as audio quality. The audience has changed and expects more to be fully entertained.

Puddle took their first foray into video production in the summer of 2001 in conjunction with the release of their first single Control. Fred Durst, who had many successful videos with his band Limp Bizkit, directed their first three videos. Each experience was a learning lesson for the band and before long, they were well rehearsed in video productions and turned out four amazing videos for the singles from Come Clean. The fans didn’t waste any time, voting .. to see these videos on VH1, MTV, and Canada’s Much Music channel. Cell phone users weren’t far behind; text messaging the music networks their choice. Puddle received a great amount of airplay, their videos were popular and they had succeeded in expanding their exposure beyond the audio only format.



Control 2001

Debut Date: 07-31-01

Puddle’s first video was for their new single Control, which had just been released to radio, debuted on MTV’s TRL program July 31, 2001. Wes and Fred were on hand in the MTV studio in New York City for the unveiling, which included a very short interview segment. Paul, Doug, and Greg who were in New Orleans for a scheduled Godsmack tour date (did not perform), were in a local T.G.I. Fridays telling everyone they were going to be on television. No one believed their claim and thought they were bogus until TRL came on.

Filmed in near 100-degree heat, the opening sequence depicts the love interest of lead singer Wes chauffeuring him on a long stretch of highway to his band’s gig. We soon realize something is amiss between the couple as the Ford pick-up screeches to a halt in the middle of nowhere. Wes bails out at the request of his other half to, “get out, loser,” and she doesn’t hesitate with a one-finger-salute to top it off. Retrieving his guitar case from the back, he is relegated to footing it the rest of the way, singing Control as he walks. Unable to hitch a ride from passing motorists to which he responds with ‘the bird’ as well, he arrives just in time at the club for his show where the rest of his bandmates are clearly dismayed as well as the club manager who announces, it’s time to go on stage. The frustration is evident on Wes’ face as the opening notes of Control ring out as his band begins their show in the club; he recognizes he is a prisoner in this relationship. The video flashes back to a beanie-clad, sunglassed Wes walking that lonely highway only to look up and see his girlfriend in the truck stopped ahead.

As he approaches, she primps in the mirror and appears to be genuinely sorry for having dumped him on the side of the road and offers a hug to make amends. Wes on the other hand has other ideas, not forgiving-and-forgetting so easily. Thinking things are fine, she enters the vehicle only to have Wes reach in to withdraw the keys from the ignition and close the truck door. Dangling the pink key chain with its yellow smiley face attached before her, he does the unexpected, pitching them high in the air into the surrounding woods where they eerily splash down in a puddle of mud. Satisfied that he has come to grips that this relationship is an unhealthy one, he walks away only to look back and smirk, ‘I’m outta here,’ and continues his walk to the club. Flipping between the road scene and the band playing on stage, this is the first glimpse many fans get of their energy and focus on stage, all the while Wes sings, “You’re not the one for me, no...” The club patrons seem very disinterested as the band performs, thinking their pool game is more important, yet the band plays on, ending to a few lone claps and whistles from the crowd.

Here are a few interesting facts about this video. The club scenes were filmed at a bar named Lillian’s in the Jacksonville, Florida area. A friend of Fred’s was the owner of the club, and Richard’s Furniture Store has since replaced the establishment. Fred had a cameo role in the video, acting as one of the club patrons. Just as Wes begins to open the door on the truck after his girlfriend stopped to give him a ride, if you watch Greg closely, you will see as he is drumming furiously he flips his right drumstick stick out his hand, yet keeps on playing never missing a beat. Wes had to throw the keys 50+ times as he kept throwing them too far out and the crew had to keep hunting for them. He later got just the shot the camera was after by going high-and-up. The highway scenes were filmed along Old Dixie Highway in the Jacksonville area and for the record, the guitar case was empty. This storyline was pretty true to life for Wes, having been dumped out by a girlfriend many years ago to have to walk home, only it was raining and she didn’t stop to pick him up.



Blurry 2001

Debut Date: 10-29-01

The song