Synopsis

Burning Sensations turn the biblical Jonah image into a colorful, comic fantasy. A central character is ushered toward a giant whale and sent down a slide into its belly, where the band performs as a lively party unfolds around him. The imagery treats entrapment less as horror than as absurd spectacle: the whale's interior becomes a crowded entertainment space, even as the song's lyrics express a desire to escape. Stylized dancing and playful visual details give the performance an unmistakably early-MTV feel.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Belly of the Whale" was released on Burning Sensations' 1983 self-titled album, after first appearing on the band's 1982 EP.

• The song's arrangement mixes new wave rock with calypso, ska, and reggae touches, an unusual combination that helped distinguish it from much of the early-1980s MTV playlist.

• MTV placed the video in medium rotation during the week of June 22, 1983, listing it among the channel's regularly scheduled clips.

• The video was included on *Picture Music*, a 1984 home-video compilation of popular music videos released by Vestron MusicVideo.

• Tim McGovern later recalled that the clip reached the top 10 of MTV's first Viewer’s Choice Awards, placing the band alongside much bigger acts of the period.

• The clip contains a playful visual nod to Michael Jackson's then-dominant pop image, reflecting how strongly Jackson's style shaped music-video culture in 1983.

• Burning Sensations were a short-lived Los Angeles band. Their later appearance on the *Repo Man* soundtrack with a cover of Jonathan Richman's "Pablo Picasso" became another lasting part of their cult reputation.