Synopsis
Toni Basil performs "You Gotta Problem" in a surreal, highly choreographed setting that treats the song as a showcase for movement rather than a conventional narrative. Basil is surrounded by an eccentric ensemble of dancers, with street dance, ballet and Irish step dancing colliding in quick, theatrical passages. The playful staging, exaggerated gestures and unusual character work give the performance a deliberately offbeat, avant-garde feel, turning Devo's nervous new wave song into a colorful dance spectacle.
Factoids & Trivia
- "You Gotta Problem" is Toni Basil's retitled version of Devo's "Pity You." It appears on her 1981 debut album, "Word of Mouth," alongside two other Devo covers: "Be Stiff" and "Space Girls."
- The video was part of Basil's ambitious "Word of Mouth" video album, a visual project built around seven conceptual videos rather than a single promotional clip. The collection was issued on VHS and Betamax.
- A version presented as part of Basil's first BBC special in 1982 features Shabba Doo of the Lockers, Spaz Attack, Royal Ballet dancers and Irish step dancers from the United Kingdom.
- Basil used the performance to combine dance traditions that were rarely presented together in mainstream pop videos. Street dance, ballet and step dancing are treated as equal parts of the arrangement.
- The song was released in the United Kingdom in 1981 as a double A-side single with "Time After Time" on Radialchoice, distributed through Virgin.