[Fernando Coelho]

A very popular TV show from the eighties brought pop music into viewers homes every week. That show was Miami Vice. Ever since the last first run episode aired the show has been in syndication across the world. A few episodes were released on video some time ago but that was as far as things went. Now with DVD box sets of dozens of television shows hitting the market you’d think Universal would jump on the bandwagon. Especially with Michael Mann supposedly working on a Miami Vice motion picture. Well, the answer is NO. Why? The music industry. Everyone wants a piece of the action and apparently releasing Miami Vice on DVD poses a royalty issue. Since so many songs and bands were featured on Vice it was already an uphill battle. Universal tried to get everyone to agree to the release but finally gave up. Although there is a tiny glimmer of hope. Rumor has it that Universal will be releasing Vice on DVD in Europe. For now, the only choices are to watch chopped up versions of the episodes from networks like TNN or purchase bad quality video copies online.

 

[SpecialEd]

Music from Miami Vice

You might want to check out the CD "Escape from Television" by Jan Hammer who did the original the music for Miami Vice. He also put out a coulpe records "Miami Vice I" and Miami Vice II." I haven't heard any of them but they are available in the usual places.

Ed

 

[SpecialEd]

Frank Zappa

I just thought of this, didn't I see Frank Zappa on MV once? I think he played a drug-pin or something.

Ed

 

[Fernando Coelho]

Re: Music from Miami Vice

You might want to check out the CD "Escape from Television" by Jan Hammer who did the original the music for Miami Vice. He also put out a coulpe records "Miami Vice I" and Miami Vice II." I haven't heard any of them but they are available in the usual places.

I have it. Not too long ago he also came out with a two CD set of Miami Vice stuff. I have the Miami Vice I and II CDs, along with three through ten. They were released in the UK as a follow up. They cover a lot of the songs from the series.

I just thought of this, didn't I see Frank Zappa on MV once? I think he played a drug-pin or something.

Yeah, he was in "Payback" during season two as a drug dealer. Roberto Duran was in that episode too. There were a lot of notable people on MV as guests:

Bruce Willis in "No Exit"
Glenn Frey in "Smugglers Blues"
Pam Grier in "Rites of Passage" & "Prodigal Son"
Esai Morales in "The Home Invaders" and "God's Work"
Little Richard in "Out Where The Buses Don't Run"
Frankie Valli in "Buddies"
Miles Davis in "Junk Love"
G. Gordon Liddy in "Back In The World" & "Stone's War"
Phil Collins in "Phil the Shill"
Ted Nugent in "Definitely Miami"
Jan Hammer in "One Way Ticket"
Danny Sullivan in "Florence Italy"
The Fat Boys in "Florence Italy"
Tommy Chong in "Trust Fund Pirates"
Liam Neeson in "When Irish Eyes Are Crying"
Laurence Fishburne in "Walk-Alone"
Willie Nelson in "El Viejo"
Bill Paxton in "Streetwise"
Wesley Snipes in "Streetwise"
Don King in "Down For The Count" (Episode where they killed Zito)
Lou Diamond Phillips in "Red Tape"
Melanie Griffith, Vanity, Capt. Lou Albano, George Takei in "By Hooker Or Crook"
Ben Stiller in "Amen…Send Money"
James Brown and Chris Rock in "Missing Hours"
Sheena Easton in a few episodes in season four
Frank Stallone in "Blood And Roses"

Hmmm.... Now that I'm in the mood I think I'll be watching an episode or two tonight

 

[SpecialEd]

Damn!

Damn Fernando! I can see how you spent the 80's. Remind me never to get in a trivia contest with you! At least not a MV trivia contest.

My now wife -- then girlfriend -- used to come over on Friday nights but only if I let her watch MV. I always seemed to be doing something else. Wednesday nights I had to promise to let her watch "Moonlighting."

Ed

 

[Fernando Coelho]

Okay… I admit it. I love the show and watched it every Friday night. I fondly remember driving around back then in an '85 Trans-Am listening to Phil Collins and a handful of other tunes from Vice wearing my RayBans.

Then there were my efforts as an aspiring actor to get on Vice. I lost track of how many times I bugged Bonnie Timmermann (handled casting for Michael Mann) for a shot at being cast on the show. All that led me to doing a film overseas, but that's a whole other topic

I still have a pet project I'll eventually get around to: building a black Daytona 365/GTB Spyder on a Corvette chassis. Even though McBurnie (company that made the original kit that appeared on Vice) was run out of business by Ferrari, there is still one company that offers the body panels and interior. All I need is a clean late seventies/early eighties vette, an LS1 crate motor from GM, and a lot of spare time. The thought of 500 horsepower and 500 ft/lbs of torque in a car that light. All for a quarter the price of a real Ferrari without having to worry about scratching it or having it serviced.

Now you've done it. The rest of my day is toast.

Miami Vice Quotes:

Gina: "You ever forget who you are?"
Crockett: "Forget who I am? Darlin', sometimes I remember who I am."

Brenda - "How do you go from this tranquility to that violence?"
Crockett - "I usually take the Ferrari."

 

[SpecialEd]

Kit Gun

Fernando, you either have to get yourself a Bren Ten or maybe while you're fixing up that car you can take a CZ75 and make it look like a Bren Ten with a dremmel :lol:

Ed

 

[Fernando Coelho]

Well... since you mention it, up till recently I had an FIE TZ-75 (with matching Galco Miami Classic shoulder rig) and a Dornaus & Dixon Marksman Special (.45 ACP version of the Bren Ten). My newfound lust for motorcycles, specifically the new Ducati 998 Matrix, caused me to sell them. I know I'll be kicking myself in the rear for years to come over that, but that Ducati with its metallic green paint and 998 styling has be all twisted.