19 January is For Videos: No Doubt – Don’t Speak

When No Doubt‘s album “Tragic Kingdom” debuted in 1995, underground ska punk rock bands everywhere got excited. The disc featured the hit singles “Just A Girl” and “Spiderwebs.” Hopes were high, as it seemed that ska (in an updated form) would have yet another rise to the top. For a moment they did. Bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish saw big time air play and commercial success. Lots of skacore, ska rock, and ska whatever bands popped up out of the woodwork. But when No Doubt released their third single “Don’t Speak,” this was a signal that were going to change. No Doubt was no doubt the biggest ska-influenced band and they were taking a step away from ska. They saw the future as being less ska and more pop. “Don’t Speak” has become a staple of 90s alternative music. Despite the dominance of heavily grunge-leaning music in that era, No Doubt was able to shine. Because their music was so different from the songs being broadcast at that time, it helped them stand out. The most famous member of the band is, of course, Gwen Stefani. Even at that early point in No Doubt’s career, the music video alludes to the somewhat inevitable future stardom of Stefani without the band. She has since gone on to make a solo career for herself. I like this video because it shows two different sides of Stefani: the polite, dressed-for-church girly singer, asked to sing for a garage band and the athletic, wrestle-with-the-boys, leader of a high energy band. The cuts between live clips and studio footage reinforce this dualism. I like the artsy opening and closing scenes too, which acknowledge Stefani’s relationship and break up with bassist Tony Kanal. The video also shows the band both loving the music and almost hating it at the same time, as I’m sure most musicians feel at some point. There are lots of things going on here, which makes for a good video.