When New York City club/dance music group Deee-Lite released the hit single and video for “Groove is in the Heart,” it helped to mark the transition from the ’80s to the ’90s, which actually hearkened back to the ’60s. Given what was happening in the world at that time, it makes sense.
In November 1989, the Berlin Wall came down as communism crumbled in Central and Eastern Europe. There was a ’60s-like spirit of peace and love in the air. And, as in the ’60s, the ’90s aesthetic included highly colorful fashion and imagery. Deee-Lite embraced that look.
The video for “Groove is in the Heart,” with Deee-Lite looking very groovy, also featured rapper Q-Tip, legendary saxman Maceo Parker, and funk bassist Bootsy Collins superimposed over psychedelic backgrounds. It looks a bit like an episode of “Laugh-In.” But it’s happy and that’s what the world needed in 1990.
If you have a suggestion for a Throwback Thursday Video of the Week that you’d like to see, please send us an email.
