This was the video proposal I submitted for First of the Gang... Obviously it never got made, but I think it would've turned out quite well, if I do say so myself.
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“The First of the Gang to Die”
Video Proposal
by King Leer (name changed to protect the not so innocent)
Copyright (c) 2004 xxxxxx xxxxx
A small, dusty border town, late afternoon. Main street, in front of a club with a very long queue out front. The camera tracks along the line of people. They are from all walks; white, Mexican, black, goths, middle-aged couples, teenagers, rockabilly types, etc. A neon sign above the entrance flickers: “MORRISSEY”.
Dissolve: inside the club. It’s jam-packed with people, crammed up against the stage. The lights are low, dark blue. Boz Boorer, Alain Whyte, Gary Day, Dean Butterworth, and Mike Farrell are already onstage. The crowd chants “Morrissey! Morrissey! Morrissey!”. The first chords of the song sound, as bright light illuminates the stage and Morrissey strides out to manic cheering. He begins to sing the song.
On the streets of the town, Morrissey walks down the center of the road toward the camera, holding a single long-stemmed rose. He sings the lyrics in sync to the live performance as we cut back and forth. As Morrissey walks down the street, various people shake his hand, pat him on the back, kiss him on the cheek...
The third element of the video involves the ghostly image of a young Hispanic man with an angelic face, wearing a white undershirt, jeans, and greased-back hair. His ghostly image appears in various scenes around the town, but nobody can see him: next to a group of tough teenaged boys; sitting on a porch next to an elderly lady in a rocking chair; behind the wheel of a parked muscle car; at a movie theatre next to a beautiful girl; in a photograph on the wall under a picture of Jesus. This is all intercut with the performance and Morrissey’s stroll. At one point the ghost tries to touch Morrissey, but his hand passes right through him. Morrissey feels his presence and nods in acknowledgment.
Back in the club, people clamor to get on stage as the song comes to an end. Morrissey waves and walks off as the band play the final bars of the song.
Backstage. Morrissey grabs the rose and opens the venue’s rear exit to blinding white light...
Slow motion: Morrissey places the flower at the humble grave of “Hector”.
END