Synopsis

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion perform "Wail" while suspended in midair, turning the band's already frantic live energy into an airborne stunt. Jon Spencer, Judah Bauer and Russell Simins thrash through the song as clouds, open sky and parachute imagery amplify the track's reckless momentum. The performance is interrupted by surreal comic touches, including a brief appearance from Weird Al Yankovic. Rather than following a conventional narrative, the video plays like a rock-and-roll fantasy in which the band literally takes its explosive sound off the ground.

Factoids & Trivia

• The central idea came from imagining the entire band playing in midair. The concept was taken literally, with the performers presented as if they were ready to jump from a plane.

• Weird Al Yankovic appears briefly in the video. According to his own account, the Blues Explosion insisted that he be included rather than remaining behind the camera.

• The video was made for "Wail," the lead single from the band's 1996 album "Now I Got Worry." The song was also issued in a distinct "Video Mix."

• "Wail" received heavy rotation on MTV and college-oriented music television in early 1997, helping expose the band's abrasive punk-blues sound to a broader alternative-rock audience.

• The UK single reached No. 66 on the chart in 1997. It was released by Mute in several formats, including gray and green vinyl editions.

• A US promotional VHS was issued by Capitol Records. The tape contained the video as a standalone promotional item, reflecting the period when music labels still circulated dedicated video singles to broadcasters and media outlets.

• Yankovic later said that directing "Wail" led to offers to make videos for artists including Sammy Hagar, Megadeth and Blues Traveler, although he turned them down because he was touring.