Virginia

Dave McArtney and The Pink Flamingos , Music Video – 1980

from the album Dave McArtney and the Pink Flamingos (1980)

After four years as part of Hello Sailor, guitarist Dave McArtney stepped out with his own band The Pink Flamingos — and found himself very much the centre of attention in this video made by TVNZ for the Flamingos' debut single. With only his guitar for support, he roams the streets of downtown Wellington stalking the object of his desire, who remains largely impassive despite his protestations — and all but obscured in a haze of cigarette smoke. Locations include an empty Cuba Mall (beside the bucket fountain) and Plimmer Steps. McArtney died in April 2013.

I made a demo of the songs on Hammond Gamble's four-track. It was my usual mix of unfinished ideas and 65 hooks in one song. But I took one song ... and trimmed it back to just a chug-along, verse-chorus, verse-chorus, middle-eight, and out-on-a-footy-team-singalong...
– Dave McArtney on Virginia, in his 2014 book Gutter Black, page 209