Synopsis
Stereophonics take their performance out onto the open road in a cinematic journey across South Dakota. Riding on the back of a truck, the band travel through wide-open landscapes while playing the song, with the route taking in recognizable regional scenery and Mount Rushmore. The video combines a straightforward live-performance setup with the scale and freedom of an American road trip, matching the song's driving rhythm and expansive chorus with sweeping views, changing locations, and a sense of constant forward movement.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was filmed in South Dakota, using the state's landscapes and landmarks as the visual setting for the song.
- The band perform on the back of a moving truck during the road-trip sequence, rather than being confined to a conventional studio or stage setting.
- Mount Rushmore is among the landmarks shown in the video.
- The video received an exclusive MTV showing before being broadcast on other music channels.
- "Dakota" was Stereophonics' first and only UK number one single. It was also the band's first song to appear on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
- The song was initially developed under the working title "Vermillion." It was later renamed "Dakota," partly because other artists had used similar titles and partly because the new name suited the song's American setting.