Synopsis

Set against a wintry Liverpool and London landscape, the video follows Paul McCartney as he observes the world through a camera obscura and performs with the young band Spud. The story moves between a couple swimming in the River Mersey, Linda McCartney making a candlelit phone call, and Ringo Starr appearing as a night watchman. The surreal Christmas setting builds toward a striking sequence in which television sets are thrown from a tower block, turning the song's message of love over television into a dramatic visual spectacle.

Factoids & Trivia

• The promotional film was shot in Liverpool and London in late October and early November 1997. The Hackney scenes were filmed at the Nightingale Estate, including Paul performing with Spud.

• Spud were a four-piece group of teenage A-level students from Ealing. They had been spotted playing at a small London club and were brought into the video despite not playing on the actual recording.

• Around 40 wrecked television sets were dropped from upper floors of a tower block scheduled for demolition. The footage was staged with safety precautions, and Paul performed nearby while the sets crashed into the forecourt.

• The video was made as a Christmas release, with its central idea described as turning off the television and turning toward love. The destruction of the television sets gives that theme an unusually literal treatment.

• The original edit included full-frontal images of actress Emma Moore swimming naked in the River Mersey. The sequence caused a minor controversy, and broadcast-friendly versions were prepared.

• Three different edits of the promotional film were produced. MTV reportedly rejected the original version, making the censored edit the more widely circulated television cut.

• Ringo Starr appears as a night watchman who is disturbed by the noise before joining the musical action. His appearance reflects his role on the song itself, where he played drums and contributed vocals.

• Linda McCartney's appearance is notable as her final role in a music video. She filmed scenes inside a traditional red telephone box during the Hackney shoot.

• Paul spent much of the day repeating the song's closing section for multiple takes in freezing conditions. Local residents gathered around the estate, and one man reportedly watched the filming from his balcony with a cup of tea.

• The video was later restored and remastered for the 2020 Flaming Pie Archive Collection.