British Columbia

ParticipAction stars return as violent gangsters in new Sam Weber video

In Victoria musician Sam Weber's new video for his song Anybody's, Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod "keep fit and have fun" in an unexpected way.

New Sam Weber video for Anybody's sees '90s fitness stars try something new

In Sam Weber's video for Anybody's, BodyBreak stars Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod go on a violent quest to find Johnson's moustache. (Sam Weber/YouTube)

If you watched a lot of Canadian television in the '90s, Victoria musician Sam Weber has a music video that will take you back.

The video for Anybody's features BodyBreak stars Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod reimagined as Eastern European street toughs, on a violent quest to find the now-clean shaven Johnson's moustache.

"It's kind of a simple, serious love song. It would've been a serious video, but we're like, let's have some fun with it and see what we can do," Weber told All Points West host Robyn Burns.

"Interestingly enough, it's kind of totally contradictory to something they'd typically do as well. So we have us kind of out of our box and they're out of their box."

For Johnson and McLeod, their "box" was the series of 90-second ParticipACTION vignettes seen on Canadian TV for years that encouraged Canadians to "keep fit and have fun," as their slogan went.

And while their turn as gangsters in the music video is a bit of a departure, they are still wearing their trademark '90s athletic wear.

"With neck tattoos, though," Weber pointed out.

Sam Weber’s new album, Valentina Nevada, is being released on May 25. (Robyn Burns/CBC)

Weber says the spark for the video came from Johnson's observation that people treated him differently once he shaved off the moustache he sported while showing Canadian couch jockeys how to do tricep curls and breathe properly.

"It's not exactly a conventional role for them, with Joanne as his partner in crime," Weber said. "They're the sweetest people you could ever meet, too."

Sam Weber's new album, Valentina Nevada, is being released on May 25.

Weber and his band are debuting the album with a show at Moby's Pub on Salt Spring Island.

With files form CBC Radio One's All Points West


To hear the full story, and to hear Sam Weber's "Anybody's," click the audio labelled: BodyBreak stars make music video turn — as violent Eastern European gangsters