Synopsis

On a rainy afternoon in Central Park, Valerie Simpson arrives by taxi and takes shelter beneath Willowdell Arch. She begins singing alone, but Nick Ashford soon joins her, turning the meeting into a duet. As the downpour continues, a colorful group of strangers gathers under the bridge, including a cyclist, bongo players, and other passersby. Their spontaneous participation transforms the shelter into an impromptu performance, reflecting the song's message of love enduring through difficult weather and circumstances.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed at Willowdell Arch in New York City's Central Park.

• The setting gives the song's central metaphor a visual form: the couple remains together while a storm passes around them.

• The rain-soaked location contrasts with the increasingly warm and communal performance, as strangers gradually join Ashford and Simpson beneath the bridge.

• The video was released in 1985, following the 1984 release of the "Solid" album and single.

• "Solid" became Ashford & Simpson's biggest hit as recording artists. The single reached No. 1 on the US R&B chart and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• Ashford & Simpson were already celebrated songwriters before "Solid," having written major songs for artists including Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross, and Ray Charles.

• A four-track video EP issued in the United Kingdom in 1985 included "Solid" alongside "High Rise," "It's Much Deeper," and "Babies."

• The song's lyrics were widely understood as reflecting the couple's own long marriage, which added an autobiographical quality to the video's presentation.