5.16.2018

WATCH "Dog Police" - Memphis' Strangest Song/Video (Where are you comin' from? Nobody knows who you are!)





I thought this clip was lost for eternity.





I'm forever grateful and thank you for this gem. - this puppy is from Memphis, Tennessee - the old Shoe Productions - I was there!

this is indeterminately from Memphis. some of this band can still be seen in Memphis playing locally, the lead singer is actually a drummer... but i still think this video is awesome but I'm bias cause I'm known the singer my whole life!

THAT'S RIGHT, IT IS A MEMPHIS TWANG!!

Please give Memphis and these Memphis boys credit. Anyone that lives and plays music knows how little of that we do get!

Shoe Productions 485 Hollywood, Memphis.

These guys were crazy so we signed them and did the video.

We also did Disco Duck (Rick Dees).

Musicians that hung out: Duck Dunn, Willie Hall & Steve Cropper - (Blues Brothers). They were Booker T and the MG's-played/co-wrote "Mustang Sally", "Hold on I'm Coming" and 100's of hits in the 60/70's.

Also: Lou Rawls, Dr, John, Paul Butterfield, Jimmy Griffin (Bread) & many more.

I'm in LA now but have loving memories of those days at Shoe in Memphis.

So was that William H Macy on the keyboard and vocorder?

Never heard of William Macy.

Tony Thomas was on keyboard - Sam Shoup on Bass and Tom Lonardo sang and also plays just about everything.

Again - from Memphis, TN.

Recorded for Shoe Productions at Shoe Studios in about 1982-83.

There actually is an entire album of satirical songs called simply "Dog Police".

I still have an unopened 33 rpm. Thanks for responding so fast.

OH the days of the small studio before I thought I would make a career of this insanity loll. Duke Street, Vancouver, Canada was my Shoe Productions.

HOLY SHIT. Thank you. I only half-remembered ever seeing this ONCE, and I never found ANY information on it anywhere, so I'd started to convince myself I'd imagined it and it never really existed.

Thank you for this! Although it's creepier than I remember it.
I've been trying to explain this video to people for about 1,000 years. Thank you for confirming the fact that my brain did not make this song and video up.

The keyboard player looks like William H. Macy.

My god. It's like Hurra Torpedo, Devo and Blue Öyster Cult got together for a side project.

THIS is my YouTube account. We all know that furriers are flapping it to the dog-girl in this video.

HOLY CRAP!! I have not seen this video since 198-freakin'-4!

I actually came to think that I had just imagined the whole thing.

Thank you for providing me with proof that I was not nearly as deranged as I thought I was! i just shat myself in fear I remember "1 800" also. I thought I was the only one in the world who remembered this video?

IIRC, it took 2nd. place behind RAIL in the MTV Video Contest back in like 1982?

THAT DOG CHICK WAS HOT AM I RITE GUYS?

she was a cat no you are in fact quite wrong my friend. I didn't watch this video since '82, 24 years ago and I was 13!!!

It makes me remind La Máquina del Rock in Lima city, Perú.

Thanks! i do member this.. but i still don't get it i do like the drug fragrance though they said they were the ART BARF FAR ARR

This was the video that SHOULD have won the "MTV's Basement Tapes" contest back in about 1982.

It is so crazy and imaginative! Instead, some heavy metal group made up of 10 year olds won. GAG... how "cute." It was such a rip-off. This video is a classic! But it came in second place. That has made me mad for all these years. Hopefully these artists have had success elsewhere.

The band was honestly called: "The Dog Police!" The band they lost to was called Trak. I remember them because they were featured in LIFE magazine's edition on teenagers in 1984.

Google them and the name Derita, because Trak was like a Leif Garrett butt-gawk Partridge Family.

I can't find a thing on them. Digney Fignus and Guadalcanal Diary also had entries that year. Dog Police was ROBBED, I tells ya. I totally agree!

DP were robbed! The basement tapes were voted in by callers - the band that won had their entire community on the phone that night hitting the redial button. hen this video first came out and MTV was cool, a bunch of us single bachelors had this as our theme song. Woof Woof Woof...were they think-in? glad i was born when DA 80s was nearly over.

reminds me of fat weird cartoon cop dog "scruff gruff" 'take a bite out of crime' now we just need someone to post the video for "1-800."

Oh man, I never forgot this video,

I can't believe I got to see it again.

I can die happy now. Totally fucked up, but happy. Truly amazing. MTV used to be so ahead of its time. Basement tapes are YouTube Music 24 years before YouTube ever happened.

Dog Police forever!

Nobody knows who we are! HOLY SHIT, 20 bloody be damned years i've been looking for this video

No shit. I saw this way back in the day and used to tell everyone about it and could never find it. This kicks my uncles ass.  actually cut (edited) this song and produced the video and hes in it when the dog police are walking in the bar hes the one dancing all crazy on the far left wow cool!

I've totally giggled at him a million times. he actually did a lot of stuff back then he was a camera man for the Mikey mouse club and he did all the audio for hustle and flow and he is currently working on black snake moan fortunately the departments he work in don't make him fa-mouse Are you talking about Andy? Yes I know Andy & Linda very well.

Tell him "Wags" said hello. No the work that we stagehands do carries no fame or solaces but quite often, at the end of the day, we end up making more than the performers and, ask your uncle, WE ARE GOD. If I don't like you one little turn of a dial can make your audience not like you tee gee.

All you Dog Police fans will be pleased to know Andrew Sullivan linked to this.

OH MY GOD! I can't believe it! I've been looking for this for years. GOD BLESS YOU! I was starting to think I made this up in my head. Dear god.

I suspected that I'd imagined this for years because I saw it as a tyke and when I tried to explain it to people they would do little but blankly stare at me. I've had the chorus of this song running through my head since 1983. me too. ;) that makes 3 of us. That makes 4 of us. These guys are now playing with The Jumpiness Chi Chi's That is the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life. Just straight up weirdness. For reals Is this supposed to make women feel badly about themselves?

Like the theme of this is 'have a poor self-image' I think. Like you're so ugly you should be arrested. I've been looking all over for an mp3 of this song. Can anyone help me out? i have an MP3 of this song give me your Email and i will send it to you it'd LOVE AN mp3 OF THIS TOO....BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS VIDEO FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW

I actually finally roistered YouTube just so I could echo all the sentiments posted...I thought it was a figment of my imagination also. I'm also glad to see some people remember 1-800 also. The singer looked like a babushka with a corncob planted. Fay and lame. Was there another video from the 80's that has people wearing dog faces? I swear I vaguely remember another video (other than dog police) that involved people dressed like dogs singing.

If someone knows what I'm talking about, please tell what the song was called.

this video actually WON 1st prize in an MTV contest for unsigned bands. they were supposed to get a record contract out of the deal,which they probably did, but were then just told to forget it. At the time, everybody was shocked to see that they had won compared to more serious entries. But it was a people's vote that put it there, so go figure.

Try not to take it too seriously. it's more at home on Dr. Memento or something. i saw that once back in the 80's and never thought it'd see that again. thanks for posting! i remember that... so trash so cool!!

I never realized how much this sounded like Devo!

I remember it.

Dog Police, where are you comin' from? Dog Police, Nobody knows who you are!

This also played on Night Flight, where I first recorded it. MTV (Mars candy company TV....those that were there will remember the Quincy Jones war against MTV's biggest advertiser, MARS, because they weren't playing enough Michael Jackson and it was ALL downhill from there)sucked only marginally less than it does now (except for Al TV). thanks for the video! The hubby pretty much thought I was retarded for singing about the Dog Police (he had never heard of them)...now he just pretty much thinks I'm retarded.

yo solo se qe si no entiendes lo qe dizen esto es una mierda pintxada en un palo seko.  Saluted.

I remember watching this on USA's Night Flight - way back in the day.

Thanks for posting!

It came close to winning MTV's "Basement Tapes" contest, but it didn't win.

Digney Fignus won.

His video is posted on YouTube. Just search for his name and you'll find, "The Girl With the Curious Hand."



Very 80s song, too, but "better"

The Wikipedia page for dog police is in trouble. everyone who remembers and loves this song should go and save it. and the Friday night Video fights, remember them?

OH YES! The phone numbers were 1-900-720-1501 and 1502 :D

they are from Memphis, tn though and the lead singer in the song is actually a drummer for the  chi chis and Diane price and her boyfriends

Wow, this video is barktastic!!!!

woolly este video lo vi ache mas de 20 largos años...q Buenos q lo postseason :)

Oh that is funny! What isn't funny was a had a date like that in real life and kept looking over my shoulder for the Dog Police....unfortunately, they didn't show. But I don`t want to watch stupid houd police! I want to watch my scary scary cartoon from Japan, NO!

fuuuuuuunnnnnnnyyyyyyyy. where has that munchkin come out in b4?? looks like horns-waggle... This was my FAVORITE...with She Wont French Kiss. This was entered in a video contest MTV had. I voted for it!!! These were/are definitely from Memphis, TN.

They actually were in a jazz group called the Tony Thomas Trio and did this as a lark. Keyboard player is Tony (yellow outfit) Bass player is Sam Shoup. Don't remember the singers name. I wonder whatever happened with this poor woman. Is she still curled in the corner of a lonely room somewhere, crying, "Dog police, dogwood poliiiiice. . ."


I only WATCHED this abomination, and I want to cry. I too think that that is Bill Macy. Bill Macy is a pretty unique looking guy for it not to be him.

DOG POLICE WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM

Can someone tell me that this is NOT Hugh Laurie from "House"!!!!

Lead Singer? I'm almost certain that is NOT Hugh Laurie from House. He's British first of all, and played in all of the Black Adders with Rowan Atkinson at this age. This is the worst song I've ever heard!:)

Is the keyboard player not William H. Macy? Or am I loosing my mind? We've got a 2 out of 3 vote here and the third has no idea who Bill Macy is.

Dog Police Rules!! I saw them at their sold-out show at the Forum. Wow!!!! Yeah! Basement Tapes should a-beers! Man, Trek were so lame compared to these guys (though my fave Basement Tapes contenders were easily the Nelsons from Bullock, TX). I can't believe that I remember this, but wasn't the name of the Nelsons entry called "I Don't Mind"? WTF! woof if you like this crap you be got rabies and should be shot. wait till Rosenberg and ga2lic get you guys are fucked.i think i just shit myself. The lead singer looks like a white Ray Monday with a fake beard and raven-chevalier is right about the Gilliam h Macy thing as well. Was this a fake band? OK.... let me see if my info fits in : Dog Police is actually the name of the band and this single. The song was their ONLY "semi" hit .... I believe this band was from Memphis Tn .... and you gotta realize this was the 80s - you could get away with almost ANYTHING ..... ( Remember Boy George ???? .... Exactly ) For so many years, this video was like the mythical holy grail. And now, it's back in my life. The ENTIRE reason for the Internet's existence is finally clear. aha this is great. my aunt knew the guy in the pink in college. these guys are from Memphis, tn who had a vived imagination. they lived in midtown Memphis...go figure. does anyone know where i can find this in a MP3? I didn't have cable way back then but I remember it from the local TV stations in Memphis playing the video over and over again after it won the contest. Me and all the other kids were barking up and down the hallways at school for weeks! It was a sickness. Strange, in my memory it was a much better song. take that stairway to heaven~! Got flea dip? Oh My God! Just for the hell of it, I put Dog Police in the search engine, and here it is!!holy crap, i saw this with my sister once when it came out and we about died laughing. you know how it is in high school. pretty awful in retrospect but the chorus has stayed in my head all these years despite every attempt to flush it out. Martha Quinn on MTV first introduced this campy classic in the summer of 1984 during its amateur video week. I remember catching these guys on their world stadium tour in the early 80s. They played for 2 hours and still couldn't fit in all their hits. But what a show. If I beat her, would I get cited for animal abuse and assault? So is her perfume urine scented? Also why is that bitch being arrested? He's the one trying to fuck a dog... They're arresting her for the crime of being a dog. But they're dogs. So, um, yeah.

Shes a cat stupid -.2:09 2:16 -

why did those two have puppies??

I don't know, i didn't even see any puppies :P

he mentions how he should have noticed her milk bones and her affinity for whizzing on tires.

I remember this video. Back around 82 or so, MTV had a show called The Basement Tapes, which was basically a "battle of the unsigned bands" type show. You had to call a 900 number (cost ya 50 cents) to vote for which song you wanted to win.

I believe Dog Police was one of the other Basement Tapes winners?

I recall there was one band that had a song with the chorus "1-2-3-4 What are we living for? ROCK N ROLL!" loll at the disgust on the faces of the other memberships from 2:09 inwards 2:16.

You know, who let the dogs out will remember this.