Southport: Wonderful Life

The Great British Seaside Resort: sun, sand, piers, funfairs and donkey rides. But that is only part of the attraction. If you love being beside the seaside, talk about it here!

Moderator: dave771

Southport: Wonderful Life

Postby Gary » 03 Aug 2008, 14:14

Time to chill.

This MTV video of Black's sublime "Wonderful Life" methinks was shot in Southport circa '87..

I'll stand corrected though.

Great song. Great times. Great resort.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iyfu_mU-dmo

Gary
Please pass through the turnstiles if you are riding again.
Gary
 
Posts: 537
Joined: 26 Jan 2003, 21:45
Location: St Helens

Postby dave771 » 04 Aug 2008, 16:16

The two rides featured in this video, Looping Star and Bounty, were at Margate's Dreamland in the 80s. Doesnt mean to say similar rides were not elsewhere at this time. Like you said though, great song!
User avatar
dave771
 
Posts: 545
Joined: 17 May 2003, 18:12
Location: Margate, Kent

Postby Gary » 04 Aug 2008, 16:27

The plot thickens! :)

A Looping Star was at Southport circa '87..as was a Galleon (From BPB)

..It was the shots of that tractor on the beach (I think it collects the brown shrimps from the water) and what looked like marram grass on Ainsdale dunes.

I suppose they could be anywhere though.

I must admit the seaside shelters didn't look too familiar either..unless they were the pier shelters??

..and that big ship steaming on by...???..

I'm confused..Can you tell?
Please pass through the turnstiles if you are riding again.
Gary
 
Posts: 537
Joined: 26 Jan 2003, 21:45
Location: St Helens

Postby kevinashe » 04 Aug 2008, 17:52

it was a strange one because the cableway from blackpool was featured on the cover,i think the shelters were along beside the giant slide park and the kiddie park on the other side(the road ran from the prom up to the town) the proms pretty destinctive and it looks like the tidal wave which perhaps was still at blackpool at the time of the video also im sure there was another picture on the album cover that was from blackpool but i cant remember what it was
kevinashe
 
Posts: 305
Joined: 14 Feb 2007, 20:42

Postby Gary » 04 Aug 2008, 19:43

Googling the info I got this courtesy of Wikipedia:

Southport Pleasureland featured in the video for the pop single Wonderful Life, by Liverpool band Black, which was also shot at other parts of the Sefton and North West coastline.

I loved the Looping Star.

Pleasureland - according to the rumourville at the time - had plans to move the ride from its car park to the main hub of the park..but allegedly there wasn't the room.

So that was that and it was sold :(

Looping Star can just about be seen on the right of the image below - in the car park.

What looks like The Galleon is there too (more central) but I can't remember Kevin the exact year it moved from Blackpool.

Any ideas?

Image

Gary
Please pass through the turnstiles if you are riding again.
Gary
 
Posts: 537
Joined: 26 Jan 2003, 21:45
Location: St Helens

Postby kevinashe » 05 Aug 2008, 21:11

gosh it even shows the old outdoor pool,that must be about right for the tidal wave possibly could have been its first year sad to see the area in its current state.Ps im going to m&ds in the next couple of weeks so ill take pictures of blackpools tidal wave now and post them here
kevinashe
 
Posts: 305
Joined: 14 Feb 2007, 20:42

Postby EAS » 05 Aug 2008, 21:19

Yes, the pic shows a 'classic seaside resort' doesn't it... oh no silly me, there's a woodie and an outdoor pool and not a Matalan in sight. Can't be!
User avatar
EAS
 
Posts: 1886
Joined: 18 Sep 2006, 09:09
Location: North

Postby mrjimlowe » 06 Sep 2008, 14:49

The sequence at the beginning shows an Art Deco shelter which looks like New Brighton to me, as does the lighthouse. There was a looping star at the front entrance area of Pleasureland Southport at the time as well. The beach looks like Southport as well.

The New Brighton shelter as it looks today

Image
Regards

Jim Lowe

Website and Forum: http://www.northwestseasidetowns.co.uk
User avatar
mrjimlowe
 
Posts: 104
Joined: 21 Mar 2008, 02:34
Location: Birkenhead Merseyside UK

Postby kevinashe » 09 Sep 2008, 19:14

well done for working that one out jim,it looks to be the same one to me
kevinashe
 
Posts: 305
Joined: 14 Feb 2007, 20:42

Postby RadioactiveKiddie » 27 May 2011, 19:22

And all these years I thought it was filmed at Dreamland Margate coz of the Looping Star & Marie Rose (Galleon). Even quoted it to peeps: "You know that Black video, it was filmed in Margate don't-cha-know..." :oops: :oops:
RadioactiveKiddie
 
Posts: 8
Joined: 08 Oct 2007, 19:12

Postby dave771 » 27 May 2011, 22:54

From Wikipedia - The music video was shot in black and white around the English seaside resort of New Brighton, near Black's hometown Liverpool, and features New Brighton Lighthouse and Promenade. It was directed by Gerard De Thame, husband of Rachel De Thame, and won an award at the NY Film Festival in 1988.

The record was released in 1986 and in this year Dreamland at Margate did have that model of Looping Star and also a Pirate Ship (Bounty). So what my research has told me is that the Margate Looping Star was there from 1981 to 1995 and there was an identical model at Southport from 1985 to 1987 which would tie in with the release of this track. The Southport model did visit 7 other locations according to the rollercoaster database. www.rcdb.com is a great site for researching coasters past and present !
Please dont waffle our Walter !
User avatar
dave771
 
Posts: 545
Joined: 17 May 2003, 18:12
Location: Margate, Kent


Return to Seaside Forum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests

cron