Synopsis

The video follows Roy, the band's harried tour manager, after Mike + The Mechanics finish a last-minute restaurant gig. The owner refuses to pay the agreed fee because the room is half empty and demands 500 pounds before releasing the band's equipment. Roy's attempts to raise the money lead to a stolen bankroll, a Chinatown mah-jong game, and an unlikely encounter with a stray dog. Meanwhile, the band performs the song, unaware of the increasingly chaotic effort to save the evening.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video continues directly from the ending of "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)," which also features the band performing in the restaurant.

• Roy Kinnear plays Roy, the fictional tour manager, while Victor Spinetti appears as the restaurant owner. Their comic performances give the video the feel of a short farce rather than a straightforward performance clip.

• The restaurant owner initially agrees to pay the band 250 pounds, but raises the demand to 500 pounds after arguing that the poorly attended, last-minute booking has cost him money.

• The plot takes Roy through a stolen wad of cash, a Chinatown gambling session, and a stray dog. He eventually receives a reward for returning the animal and uses the money to settle the band's debt.

• Paul Carrack appears in the performance scenes as the bassist, although Paul Young sings lead on the recording.

• The song was released as a single in 1986 after appearing on the band's 1985 debut album. It reached No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1987.

• The closing joke, in which Mike Rutherford treats Roy's ordeal as an easy way to make a living, underlines the video's deliberately light, sitcom-like tone.