Leona Lewis also had her Bleeding Love video changed for US release, but continuing the Idol theme, Kelly Clarkson also hada couple of different videos for european release.

On the surface i admit, it seems like a waste of time and money, but thats just it. Record labels wouldn't do that. The different videos must be a successful method otherwise they wouldn't bother.

UK and US audiences are very different. We have a different sense of humour and certain things are more acceptable in each country. UK artists especially have to be marketed in a special way for a US audience. Its way easier for a US star to make in the UK then the other way round. 

I understand that they have different marketing strategies for each country, but it still doesn’t make it right.

They treat the American audience as if they wouldn’t appreciate a young attractive artist who wasn’t all about sex. That’s why I really liked the UK video, it has a fun vibe to it, and the slower tempo suites the song better.

Interesting article! In a way, like much of Brit VS US TV, sometimes the UK versions seem more gritty and the US versions seem more plastic. I prefer the US version of the Duffy video though, agree it seems more expensive. The other two, hmmm...no real leaning either way.

Interesting point you made CitizenErased about it being easier for US stars to make it in the UK rather than the other way around. Why is that? Is it because the UK is more accepting of other cultures? Same for music and TV,  e.g why does brit humour like The Office need to be translated to US market, yet US humour like Seinfeld works in the UK?

In Duffy's case i definitely prefer the UK version, and i have to agree with tootles that i think the changes are made purely from a commercial, marketing pov. the us vids are slicker and easier on the eye for a mainstream and larger audience. the "us-managers" are willing to sacrifice more in order to cater to more people. it also reflects in the movie-business, with ratings and stuff. Everything to get a pg-rating. too bad because i think the less polished stuff often looks true-er. instinct says more than market-research.

Don't dream it, be it.

Its sad to see the Northern soul dancing and vibe cut from the US video. I know that Northern soul came from obscure underground American artists who did not have success on home soil, due to the lack of support/market and promotion. Despite that northern soul was massive in 70's Britain and was adopted creating a cultural and social movement that still lives on today. Its just ironic that it was cut from the US video

Also i agree about the more sexualised content in the US version, not sure how that should be taken, are the British too uptight to get sexy? or are the Americans too easy? hmm

I prefer the lighting and the 'swishy' feel though in the US video and everything else about the UK version

Ohh the politics of music and image, its never just about the music :(

Personally I think that most people in the UK love a song for the song, not for the video. I think that's why video's are remade for the US audience because sex sells.. and I guess by sexing them up the US music industry feels that songs will sell better overseas.

I liked all the songs above and two of them I didn't even see the video, I heard it on the radio so that's gotta say something lol

I hope Duffy can do something in the states as it would be awesome for her to be recognised outside of the UK.  I have the album and it's growing on me really quickly.  I'm a little biased though as she's Welsh so I'm just happy she's flying the flag for Wales!

I think that US has a larger market since it is a bit bigger then UK :) so it is a bit more difficult to be noticed on the scene. BUT, being European I do think that everything has to be more sexual, more brutal, more plastic and much less honest to be noticed in US.

Let's not forget that while US products like to be exported they're not much for importing. Again it can be argued that US is so big that they have enough of their own. But I grew up listening to bands from UK, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Spain...

But the most important question is why do you translate Harry Potter books from british english to american english? Seems like such a waste of authenticity. Why would you sacrifice that feel you get when you read it like it's meant to be read?

I think that Americans are basically lazy in a way that they like to see things in familiar way and are not very open to different views. But I don't see how that could be avoided since, once again, I make a point of how big and homogenized US really is.

Still, European versions still work better for me... 

Awww that reminds of this, lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAbbXbZKph0

Yeah, I'm a hater, but she's soul like Joss Stone is soul, lol.  She kind of looks like a blonde Jemima Rooper in the video.  Jemima sings better though.

The versions we get of uk artists in New Zealand are more often than not the uk version. i guess us being an old brit colony has its good points because the usa remakes of some of the stuff i see is horrible! the office usa isn´t liked over here much, and we never got the americanised versions of harry potter!

we do get a huge mix of uk and usa artists though, and in my opinion the usa stuff we get sent over is glamourous and over the top. raw brittish is what i like!! (but give me house, heroes and scrubs any day hahaha)

I'm from the US, but I love Brit humor, TV and ppl think I'm fraking crazy. I like the UK version, more raw, less sexy. I'll make up my own mind about what and who is sexy, they don't have to force feed it to me.

WiS

www.myfandoms.com - visit us :)

But Duffy is just absolutely fantastic anyhow, she doesn't need a fancy 'pimped' video just to please the Americans. Her music speaks for itself and if a singer fails it is not due to her/his video...Probably the music isn't good enough or doesn't fit the audience. For example Robbie Williams is a bloody big superstar in Europe but relatively unknown in the States, not because his music isn't good enough because it is, but the American audience is not attracted to it. God knows why. US charts are dominated by mediocre rap music, those rappers aren't even in the lower regions of the Europian charts. It is just a matter of generalized taste and preferences.

Despite any video: Duffy is superb, I love her album and her voice is so distinctive but pleasant.

I liked the British Natasha Bedingfield version, but the American Duffy. I don't really see why they should need to do it, fundamentally the videos are pretty similar, as you said... Just one of those things?

I agree with someone who said that it seems that the UK (and Europe for that matter, since I'm not from the UK either) doesn't care so much for the videos as for the songs themselves, but in order to break in the US you have to be presented in a more posh and sexy way to the audience in order to be liked.

And I personally don't like the US versions simply because (especially in the case of Natasha Bedingfield) I think that the artists just lose the thing that makes them stand out, or in other words, I think that the UK versions have more personality...

I disagree with an earlier comment. There is loads of British musical talent right now and it's a really exciting time to see live British bands-they just don't export well. I definitely agree that European audiences accept other cultures better and as a result I think the UK charts are far more interesting and diverse than the American ones.

I often feel like the powers that be in the states make huge assumptions about what American people like and put artists into pigeon holes-given the chance I'm sure American audiences would actually be more accepting of different styles of music and video than there are currently given credit for.

As for the videos, I prefer the Briish Duffy (the US version seems dumbed down and too fast for the song), british Natasha (she is supposed to look pissed off) and I love both mis-teeq videos. The britsh mis-teeq song was made for a garage audience which doesn't exist in the US so in this case the re-make makes sense.

Most of the American videos out there are made to sell, so they tend to start looking alike (especially hip-hop, r&b, rap, and pop).  It's just how it is; it's all about business.

Personally, it doesn't matter where the video comes from.  I like videos that seem to relate to the song.  I prefer Duffy's US video because the song just seems more intimate than having five guys in the background dancing ten feet apart.   Mis-Teeq's UK video works because the song talks about going to a club not a fashion show.  Natasha's UK video is so much better than the US because the frustration is shown about not being able to find the words and being able to right them down (and I have yet to understand the dance stereo having anything to do with finding a way to say 'I love you').  

Having two video versions of a song can be cool though, because you can see different styles of directors, and have great discussions like this. 

...I prefer most of the British videos - although I think Leona's US video is better than the UK release.

I will say that although I don't think Duffy's original video is great, at least it's different: it's unique. The US version seems terribly generic - Duffy is suddenly just another one of the dozens of beautiful blondes pouting into a microphone.

I think her voice has enough power to escape the blandness, but the video isn't in any way memorable.

Also, I can understand British comedies being translated for the US market - some of our humour is also... rather unique!