Derek Burbidge

Derek Burbidge (born 10 March 1947) in Weymouth, Dorset. One of the most prolific British film and Video Directors of the 1970s and 1980s.

Early Life 1963 Derek took a Diploma course in photography at Bournemouth College of Art where he met and married sculpture student Kate Humphreys in 1966.

Career Derek rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hugely successful companies One West Ltd and Zoetrope Ltd he set up with Kate in Charlotte Mews, London. Derek is noted for his innovative work, becoming one of the decades most sought after directors. His work includes numerous films, videos, concerts and documentaries as Director and Producer.

Music Films 1971 Derek started directing and producing live concert clips that were transmitted on the Old Grey Whistle Test, these included the Steve Miller Band, Rod Stewart and the Faces, Focus at the Rainbow Theatre, Rory Gallagher Live at The Marquee and in the summer of 1976 the Macon Whoopee, a Whistle Test special on Capricorn Records featuring their artists including a Bob Harris interview with soon to be US President Jimmy Carter.

Moving office to Percy Street, London, Derek built a sound recording studio where he recorded many radio commercials as well as voice overs for Television Adverts. He is widely recognised for his extensive directorial work with the rock band Police. especially the video The Police Around The World. featuring "Roxanne", "Can't Stand Losing You", "Message In A Bottle", "Walking On The Moon", "Don't Stand So Close To Me", "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da", "Invisible Sun", "So Lonely". This formed the basis of the 1982 BBC transmitted Police in the East. with Annie Nightingale. (There is a photo on page 118 of Derek in her book Chase the Fade). alt=Freddie Mercury and Derek Burbidge in 1977 talking about the We are the Champions Video and discussing filming. Other productions included Queen, "We Are the Champions". The Go-Gos "Our Lips Are Sealed". AC/DC, "For Those About To Rock We Salute You" The Honeydrippers Sea of Love 85. Robert Plant "Pink and Black" and "Little by Little".

Live in Concert Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Hammersmith Odeon 75. April Wine Live in London. Supertramp, Live in Paris. Little River Band Live Exposure.

Video Director His first shoot using video cameras was for Warner Brothers to promote the release of Gary Numans "Cars" at Molinaire Studios, London. Gary Numan and director Derek Burbidge appeared on Magpie (TV Series) on 23rd October 1979 interviewed by Mick Robertson to discuss the songs innovative music video, using the then very new technique of squeeze zoom. There is a clip of this interview. This interview also shows a clip from the innovative Godley and Cream, "An Englishman in New York" which Derek shot at Molinaire Studios in London.

Derek filmed many live concerts at the Rainbow Theatre in London including on 24th July 1973 the first music stereo simulcast, broadcast on BBC Television with the stereo soundtrack transmitted on the radio, of Van Morrison live at the Rainbow Theatre. Featuring Morrison and The Caledonia Soul Orchestra. (Although filmed on 16mm film the soundtrack was mixed at Advision Studios London, on 35mm film for transmission as stereo). Van Morrison The broadcast took place on 27th May 1974.

Other concerts videoed by Derek using Molinaire Studio outside broadcast unit and his own digital recording mobile 'Module One' were in 1979 The Touring Principle Gary Numan. The Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams. and Chris de Burgh, live in concert in Munich.

From offices and cutting rooms at his home in Clapham London, he directed many of the overseas acts transmitted on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test and he travelled the world with the band Foreigner in the 1970s and Police in the 1980s.

Feature Films and TV Programmes 1980 Derek invited Jools Holland to link the film of The Police in Montserrat. It was Jools Hollands first experience of presenting and launched him into a new career. Jools went on to present The Tube with Paula Yates.

1981 Derek's Company Zoetrope Ltd made the Cult feature film Urgh! A Music War. Directed by Derek and Produced by Michael White for Lorimar Productions with Miles Copeland.

In the summer of 1982 Derek spent time in New York filming a part documentary, part autobiography to accompany the Steven Van zandt Album Men Without Women. This was premiered at the Cannes Film festival at the end of the European tour of Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. The film went to a short run at the Fox Theatre Venice, California.

1982 to1983 For channel 4 Swank a six part TV series on fashion with Dawn French commissioned by TV Channel 4 commissioning editor John Cummings.

1984 Derek moved to South Eggardon Farm. in Dorset and in 1985 to1986 made another 6-part TV Series for Channel 4 with Dawn French on food called Scoff for his production company Zoetrope Ltd. Many original film negatives and video tapes of the above works directed and produced by Derek Burbidge for his companies One West and Zoetrope are held at the British Film Institute.

For the next ten years farming became a consuming interest until 1994.

Derek finally returned to Dorset in 2022.

Music Concerts

1972 Rory Gallagher Live at the Marquee Club 1973 Van Morrison Live at the Rainbow Theatre 1975 Billy Cobham Billy Cobham at the Rainbow Theatre 1975 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Hammersmith Odeon 1979 Supertramp Supertramp Live in Paris 1979 Elkie Brooks Live at Hammersmith Odeon 1979 Gary Numan The Touring Principal 79 1981 The Police Montserrat 81 1981 The Police Police in the East 1981 The Police Around the World 1981 April Wine Live in London 1982 Little River Band Live Exposure 1982 I R S Records Show with Jools Holland 1982 John Otway John Otway at the Tricycle Theatre 1983 Christine McVie Los Angeles Country Club 1983 The Eurythmics Live from heaven 1983 The Thompson Twins Side Kicks The Movie Live in Liverpool 1984 W.A.S.P Live at the Lyceum London 1984 Chris de Burgh The Munich Concerts 1984 Gary Numan The berserker Tour 1987 Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette In Concert from the capitol Music Hall

Television

1982 Swank with Dawn French 6 episodes 1985 Scoff with Dawn French 6 episodes

Music Videography

1977 Queen "We are the Champions" 1978 The Police "Roxanne" 1978 The Police "Can't Stand Losing You" 1978 The Police "So Lonely" 1978 The Undertones "Teenage Kicks" 1979 The Police "Walking on the Moon" 1979 The Police "Message in a Bottle" 1979 AC/DC "Highway to Hell" 1979 AC/DC "If you want Blood you Got it" 1979 Gary Numan "We are Glass" 1979 Gary Numan "Cars" 1979 Gary Numan "Down in the Park" 1979 Godley and Cream "An Englishman in New York" 1980 Squeeze "Another Nail in my Heart" 1980 The Police "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da" 1980 The Police "Don't Stand so Close to Me" 1980 The Cramps "Garbage Man" 1980 Stray cats "Runaway Boys" 1981 Billy Squire "My Kinda Lover" 1981 The Police "One World" 1981 The Go-Gos "Our Lips are Sealed" 1981 AC/DC "Back in Black" 1981 AC/DC "Lets Get it Up" 1981 AC/DC "Put the Finger on You" 1981 The Police "Invisible Sun" 1981 The Police "Every Little Thing She Does is magic" 1981 The Police "Spirits in the Material World" 1981 The Police "Demolition Man" 1981 The Pretenders "I Go to Sleep" 1982 AC/DC "For Those About to Rock" 1984 Robert Plant "Sea of Love" 1985 Gino Vannelli "Hurts to be in Love" 1985 Gino Vannelli "Black Cars" 1985 Robert Plant "Little by Little" 1985 Robert Plant "Pink and Black" 1985 The Honeydrippers "Rockin at Midnight" 1986 Elvis Costello "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"

Feature Films

1981 Urgh! A Music War Urgh! A Music War 1982 Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul Men Without Women