It was 2006, Barack Obama was a 2nd year senator from the state of Illinois and “crowdsourcing” and “sizzle reel” were new entries in the Miriam-Webster dictionary.
Among the best selling dance music records back then were compilations, and most of them were compilations from OM Records. The company was, in the words of a friend of mine, a “marketing behemoth,” tossing up mix CDs and artist albums with a sleek presentation and adding to the constellation of house music stars along the way.
Among the best selling CDs of 2006 was Colette & DJ Heather’s House of OM (which may have been the first real promo 5 Mag ever received). And among the original tracks was Home & Garden featuring Colette’s “All The Same,” for which they shot a video in Chicago that – somehow – is only surfacing today.
“We shot the music video in 2006 at Smart Bar and various spots around Chicago,” Colette says. Aside from some iconic scenery, the video features appearances from some familiar faces – Tim Shumaker and Tim K of Home & Garden, Diz, DJ Heather, Lady D, Bear Who, Bryan Jones (lately of Golf Clap), Lucy Woodward, Marc Nelson, Todd Bushong, and Manae Hammond.
The video was shot, edited and directed by Colette’s husband, Thomas Nicholas, who filmed the video on MINI DV using a DSR-11 to digitize it.
“After we shot the video, Thomas had a hard drive crash and his DSR-11 also needed repairs,” Colette says. “Getting the DSR-11 fixed at that time was pretty expensive and by the time we got around to it, the technology had changed to DSLRs. It didn’t make sense to fix the outdated gear, so the video got put on the back burner.”
And the back burner is where it stayed for the last 13 years.
“Recently, Thomas came across the project file and was able to borrow a DSR-11 from a friend to digitize the footage. He finished editing the video and surprised me with it.”
“All The Same” was eventually released on Home & Garden’s 2008 album Domesticated two years after its appearance on Colette & Heather’s House of OM compilation. And now the video has finally seen the light of day.
Here are the full credits:
Home & Garden feat Colette “All the Same”
(Tim K / Tim Shumaker)
from the album Domesticated
Copyright OM Records 2008
Director: Thomas Nicholas
Cinematographer: Thomas Nicholas
Executive Producer: Colette
Editor: Thomas Nicholas
Camera Op: Marc Nelson
Camera Op: Todd Bushong
