Chicago Bears - Super Bowl Shuffle

Although I'd heard about the 1985 Chicago Bears' "Super Bowl Shuffle" song & accompanying music video, I never had the chance to see it in its entirety until now. And after watching this presentation from start to finish, I can say with much assurance that the "Super Bowl Shuffle" video has to be one of the silliest, most ridiculous musical productions ever put to celluloid! Now don't get me wrong: I had fun watching the likes of Jim McMahon, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, and Richard Dent trying out their rapping chops-- with varying degrees of success-- but ya can't expect me to think this thing is actually good in any artistic sense. It's kinda like listening to a William Shatner album: its hokey campiness is what makes it entertaining, rather than its... heh... quality. BTW how the heck did this manage to grab a Grammy nomination?! Maybe there weren't that many competitors in the same musical category that year?

Also included before and after the video are a few behind-the-scenes looks at the making of this bad-boy, featuring Singletary acting as the de facto choreographer for the rest of the Shufflin' Crew. Other than this part, I didn't find this "backstage pass" look inside the main event all that exciting. No offense, but watching Gary Fencik not staying in step with the rest of the guys on half a dozen takes doesn't exactly wow me, ya know? Uh-oh, Otis Wilson was out of step on that last take; looks like they'll hafta start over. The excitement is underwhelming...

Overall, I feel "The Super Bowl Shuffle" is a decent rental so long as you skip right to the music video itself and forget the rest. Unless you're a true-blue die-hard Bears fan, however, I don't see this one as a "keeper" for the pigskin fanatic's video shelf. Personally, I think this would have been better off as a neat special feature / Easter egg on NFL Films' Super Bowl XI-XX Collection DVD set (highly recommended by yours truly, available at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001WTWYM/qid%3D1099797048/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/102-8646183-3962510 ) than as a stand-alone release.

`Late

So sure that they were going to win the Super Bowl, the Chicago Bears filmed this masterpiece well before they were even close to the game! How cool is that? I was 12 years old, living in Chicago, when this first appeared. Loved it then. Love it now.

I may have only been five years old when the shuffle was done, but I still remember seeing it on TV and in my hometown of Chicago in 1986. Now that I'm grown, I'm happy to see that they've decided to put it out. I'm going to add this to my collection because it's sure to be an item to have for any football fan that remembers the Shuffle.

Who doesn't remember big 'ol Fridge rappin'. I can't wait for this to come out. I've still got my original VHS and 45 LP and soon to be added, the DVD.