In a post about Amanda Palmer’s “The Killing Type” on Monday, I referenced ‘Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry,” linking to the original 1985 video which, up until that moment, I hadn’t watched in years.
What I didn’t know then was that the very next day, former ‘Til Tuesday frontwoman Aimee Mann would debut the music video for “Labrador,” a shot-for-shot recreation of the “Voices Carry” music video. Co-starring Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm as a feckless director (sending up the real and very competent Tom Scharpling) and Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster as her douchey/abusive boyfriend, Mann’s present-day rewind is an inspired hoot — especially the rat tail.
“Labrador” is the second single from Mann’s new album, Charmer, also released yesterday. If the clip above marks the first time Mann hasn’t been the dour singer-songwriter you imagined, check out her previous video for “Charmer” (co-starring Laura Linney as Mann’s robot double) and her Portlandia appearance. She doesn’t shrink from sending herself up.
If you’d like to watch the “Labrador” and “Voices Carry” videos side by side, your wish has been granted.
Purchase Aimee Mann – “Labrador” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.