The Truth About De-Evolution
Encyclopedia
The Truth About De-Evolution (full title: In The Beginning Was The End: The Truth About De-Evolution) was the first music video
for the band Devo
, directed by Chuck Statler. Filmed in May 1976, it contains two separate songs: Secret Agent Man
and Jocko Homo
. It won First Prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival
in 1977, and was routinely screened before Devo live concerts. It is included as an extra on the Criterion release of Island of Lost Souls (1932).
). Members of Devo in its quartet stage are seen in blue workmen's suits, operating machinery, until one notices it is time to go. All the band members wear clear face masks, except for Mark Mothersbaugh
, who appears in his Booji Boy
mask. The members leave work and get into a car. They pull up in front of the burned out Kent bar The Water Street Saloon which was two buildings down from JB's in Kent, Ohio
. The next clip shows them entering the front door of JB's, carrying instruments. A sign on the door reads "Tonight: 15-60-75", a reference to The Numbers Band
, which Gerald Casale
played bass for at one point. The Secret Agent Man performance begins, featuring Bob Mothersbaugh
on guitar, Gerald Casale on bass, Jim Mothersbaugh
on electric bongos, and Mark Mothersbaugh
/Booji Boy on synthesizers. The performance routinely cuts away to bizarre visuals, such as two men in monkey masks spanking a woman with ping-pong paddles, or a punk playing a double-neck guitar plugged into a space heater. The segment ends with a fadeout of Mark Mothersbaugh in a John F. Kennedy
mask.
The Jocko Homo segment begins with Booji Boy running through a parking lot off of Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls. He enters a building through the fire escape to meet with General Boy
. They exchange papers, and General Boy makes a statement: "In the past this information has been suppressed, but now it can be told. Every man, woman, and mutant on this planet shall know the truth about de-evolution."
Booji replies with a famous line: "Oh, dad, we're all devo!"
A series of rapid-fire cuts of the letters in "Devo" appears (with the music of "Mechanical Man" found on Hardcore Devo: Volume One
), and then we cut to Mark Mothersbaugh in a Kent State classroom (actually the Governance Chambers), delivering a lecture. As Motherbaugh delivers the lyrics to Jocko Homo, the classroom enters a frenzy of excitement, ending in a near riot.
The film ends with a scene of Booji Boy being stabbed and his mask removed. Then the credits play in a style similarly to the title with an extremely distorted version of "Because" by The Beatles
playing. The film ends with a shot of the word "Devo" in neon flashing off.
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the band Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, directed by Chuck Statler. Filmed in May 1976, it contains two separate songs: Secret Agent Man
Secret Agent Man (song)
"Secret Agent Man" is a song written by Steve Barri and P. F. Sloan. The most famous recording of the song was made by Johnny Rivers for the opening titles of the American broadcast of the British spy series Danger Man, which aired in the U.S. as "Secret Agent" from 1964 to 1966...
and Jocko Homo
Jocko Homo
"Jocko Homo" is the B-side to Devo's first single, "Mongoloid," released as a single in 1977 on Devo's own label, Booji Boy Records and later released in the UK on Stiff Records. The song was re-recorded as the feature song for Devo's first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! on Warner Bros....
. It won First Prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival
Ann Arbor Film Festival
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor in the U.S. state of Michigan. Established in 1963, it is the third-oldest film festival in North America ; and the oldest experimental film festival...
in 1977, and was routinely screened before Devo live concerts. It is included as an extra on the Criterion release of Island of Lost Souls (1932).
Synopsis
The film begins with an extreme close-up of a television, switching between channels while odd gibberish noises play in the background. The film title is superimposed over the television screen. The scene fades to a shot of a factory (filmed at the Goodyear World of Rubber in Akron, OhioAkron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
). Members of Devo in its quartet stage are seen in blue workmen's suits, operating machinery, until one notices it is time to go. All the band members wear clear face masks, except for Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
, who appears in his Booji Boy
Booji Boy
Booji Boy is a character created in the early 1970s by American New Wave band Devo. The name is pronounced "Boogie Boy"—the strange spelling "Booji" resulted when the band was using letraset to produce captions for a film, and ran out of the letter "g"...
mask. The members leave work and get into a car. They pull up in front of the burned out Kent bar The Water Street Saloon which was two buildings down from JB's in Kent, Ohio
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
. The next clip shows them entering the front door of JB's, carrying instruments. A sign on the door reads "Tonight: 15-60-75", a reference to The Numbers Band
The Numbers Band
The Numbers Band are an American blues rock and experimental rock band formed in Kent, Ohio, United States in 1969. They are part of the 'Akron Sound' that sprung forth from their home state.-Career:...
, which Gerald Casale
Gerald Casale
Gerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
played bass for at one point. The Secret Agent Man performance begins, featuring Bob Mothersbaugh
Bob Mothersbaugh
Robert Leroy "Bob" Mothersbaugh, Jr.,, or "Bob 1", is the lead guitar player and occasional vocalist for Devo and younger brother of lead vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh...
on guitar, Gerald Casale on bass, Jim Mothersbaugh
Jim Mothersbaugh
Jim Mothersbaugh was the second drummer for Devo, replacing Rod Reisman who only played for a single show. Jim joined Devo with his older brothers, Bob and Mark.Jim appears on several early Devo demos...
on electric bongos, and Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
/Booji Boy on synthesizers. The performance routinely cuts away to bizarre visuals, such as two men in monkey masks spanking a woman with ping-pong paddles, or a punk playing a double-neck guitar plugged into a space heater. The segment ends with a fadeout of Mark Mothersbaugh in a John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
mask.
The Jocko Homo segment begins with Booji Boy running through a parking lot off of Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls. He enters a building through the fire escape to meet with General Boy
General Boy
General Boy is a character created around 1975 by New Wave band Devo. He is usually seen portrayed by the father of both Devo's lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh and lead guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh, Robert Mothersbaugh, Sr....
. They exchange papers, and General Boy makes a statement: "In the past this information has been suppressed, but now it can be told. Every man, woman, and mutant on this planet shall know the truth about de-evolution."
Booji replies with a famous line: "Oh, dad, we're all devo!"
A series of rapid-fire cuts of the letters in "Devo" appears (with the music of "Mechanical Man" found on Hardcore Devo: Volume One
Hardcore Devo: Volume One
Hardcore Devo: Volume One is the first of two collections of demos released by the post-punk/new wave band Devo. It is currently out of print.-Overview:...
), and then we cut to Mark Mothersbaugh in a Kent State classroom (actually the Governance Chambers), delivering a lecture. As Motherbaugh delivers the lyrics to Jocko Homo, the classroom enters a frenzy of excitement, ending in a near riot.
The film ends with a scene of Booji Boy being stabbed and his mask removed. Then the credits play in a style similarly to the title with an extremely distorted version of "Because" by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
playing. The film ends with a shot of the word "Devo" in neon flashing off.
Miscellany
- Devo has claimed, occasionally, that the film contains subliminal messages, which allowed it to win at Ann Arbor.
- The ping-pong paddles shown in the Secret Agent Man segment have images of Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and Chairman Mao ZedongMao ZedongMao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
on them. - The "Shine On America" mural shown in the pre-Jocko Homo segment also appears on the cover of The Akron Compilation, an album of songs by Akron area bands.
- The synthesizer music featured in the pre-"Jocko Homo" segment was sampled by the French electronic group JusticeJustice (French band)Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...
for the song "Stress", from their 2007 album †† (album)†, alternatively known as Cross, is the debut album of the French electro house duo Justice, released on June 11, 2007. It was certified as Silver in the UK March 13, 2009 for sales of 60,000 copies.-Recording history:...
. - The opening of the "Secret Agent Man" video features an early version of "Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA."