Here at Pop Omnivore, we are interested in evolution. Especially the evolution of the music video. Many years ago, long before the invention of MTV, the French invented something called a Scopitone.

A Scopitone is like a juke box that played "music cinema"—color 16mm films projected onto a TV-size screen. A hit in Europe, the Scopitone disappeared shortly after arriving in the United States in 1964.

Fortunately, you do not need to purchase a Scopitone to engage in this primitive video viewing. You can hit eBay and buy titles on DVD. Or simply go to the incredible Scopitone blog  and download them to your iPod.

Here at Pop Omnivore, we have a few favorites:

Ike Cole Salutes His Brother Nat "King" Cole

"Je M'eclate Au Senegal" by the Martin Circus

"Tijuana Taxi" by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass

"St. Louis Blues" by Lou Rawls

French music videos from the '60s on your iPod? Just call it Web 0.2.

-Paul Heltzel

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