Beastie Boys Revive 1998 ‘Hello Nasty’ Infomercial
The ‘Hello Nasty’ 25th anniversary reissue will arrive on September 8.
Ahead of the Hello Nasty 25th anniversary reissue, Beastie Boys have revived their iconic infomercial, streaming exclusively on their YouTube channel.
Originally released in 1998, the video offered a multi-use product you could use to wash your hair, polish your car, clean your kitchen counter, and be used in the bedroom. The number to call on the screen was 1-888-711-BSTE.
Calling the 1-888 number that appeared throughout the 30-minute ad let viewers pre-order Hello Nasty. The clever film was directed by Tamra Davis, who used to be married to Beastie Boys icon Mike D.
In an interview with Dangerous Minds, Davis recalled the innovative thinking behind the spoof ad.
“Ian Rodgers (Grand Royal’s president of new media) was working with the Beasties on how to direct sell and market using the internet. This was all super new, and I definitely remember us all thinking about how crazy it would be if you were at home watching TV in the middle of the night and this came on. We thought it would be hilarious.”
The Hello Nasty infomercial was originally left out of the Beastie Boys Criterion Edition Video Anthology but is now available on the band’s official channel.
The Hello Nasty reissue is set to arrive on September 8. The highly sought-after and long out-of-print limited deluxe edition 4LP box set was originally released as a limited run in 2009, featuring 21 bonus tracks, including rarities, remixes, and B-sides.
Pressed on 180g vinyl in an 8-panel gatefold package housed in a hardcover “coffee table book” slipcase with a removable sew-on patch, Beastie Boys’ Hello Nasty (4LP Deluxe Edition) is available for pre-order at Beastie Boys’ official online store.
Almost as if on cue, Beastie Boys followed up 1994’s Ill Communication with their densest, longest, and arguably loosest album to date, an eclectic buffet equally packed with bright, radio-ready bangers and instrumental genre diversions – on its face, an accurate reflection of what was taking place in the left-field corners of major-label pop and rock,” writes Larry Fitzmaurice in his review.
Hello Nasty also features some standout guest spots, including Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto, Brooke Williams, and Lee “Scratch” Perry. While a lot of rap records today rely heavily on studio production and can be rarely replicated in a live performance, Beastie Boys could bring the goods both in the studio and on stage. It’s why Hello Nasty still sounds as fresh and innovative as it did when it first came out.
