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TL;DR:

  • The Foo Fighters’ Pat Smear was almost prevented from appearing in Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” video.
  • He explained why he was kept in the music video at the last minute.
  • “Raspberry Beret” almost reached the top of the chart in the United States.

The Foo Fighters were one of the most influential classic rock bands of the 1990s. During the 1980s, the Foo Fighters’ Pat Smear appeared in the music video for Prince’s “Raspberry Beret.” He revealed his interactions with Prince were bizarre.

The Foo Fighters’ Pat Smear was in Prince’s ‘Raspberry Beret’ video because he was punk

During a 2020 interview with Loudersound, Smear said he used to work as an extra in his early career. He got cast in film, television shows, and music videos when directors needed punk rockers for a scene. He was one of many extras who appeared in “Raspberry Beret.”

“They lined us up and they taught us a simple dance move they wanted us to do,” Smear recalled. “I couldn’t do it, I can’t dance for s***, so I was one of the people they kicked out, saying, ‘Nah, we can’t use you.”

As Smear was leaving the room, he got a tap on the shoulder. “I turn around and I go, ‘Yeah?’ and they turn around and go, ‘This one?’ and there’s Prince and he goes, ‘Yeah, that one.'” Prince wanted Smear to be in the clip because he thought there was something special about the future rock star.

Pat Smear discussed what it was like working with Prince and Lisa Coleman

Smear said he had an odd interaction with Prince and his collaborator, Lisa Coleman from Wendy & Lisa. “As I’m sitting on the stage, he walks up to me, facing me at eye-level and he’s looking right at me and he says to Lisa whilst he’s looking at me, ‘Tell him to move a little to the left,'” he said. “Lisa goes, ‘Move a little to the left.’

“So I move,” Smear added. “And he goes, ‘Tell him not so much.’ I’m like, ‘OK, you’re looking right at me and you’re talking to someone else and having them talk to me.'”

Related

What Prince Said About the Meaning of ‘Purple Rain’

How ‘Raspberry Beret’ performed in the United States and impacted pop culture

“Raspberry Beret” was a big hit in the United States. The tune peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 18 weeks. That track appeared on the album Around the World in a Day. The record reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for three weeks, lasting on the chart for 44 weeks in total. Around the World in a Day remains one of the most beloved Beatlesque albums of all time.

“Raspberry Beret” inspired a number of covers from notable musicians. Coldplay, Beck, and Warren Zevon covered the track. The fact that these acts covered “Raspberry Beret” shows that appreciation for the Purple One crosses genre lines.

“Raspberry Beret” is a great song even if Smear had a strange experience filming the music video.

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