Synopsis

Shot in stark black and white, Sheena Easton's "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)" turns a romantic song about separation into a playful horror fantasy. Easton moves through a haunted house and a cemetery while a succession of classic movie monsters closes in around her. Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the Hunchback of Notre Dame create the danger, but the chase ends with an unexpected rescue by King Kong. The dramatic imagery, theatrical performances and brisk editing give the video a campy, comic-book feel.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video uses black-and-white photography to evoke the look of classic horror films and old monster movies.

• Its monster cast includes Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the Hunchback of Notre Dame, with King Kong arriving as the unlikely hero.

• The horror imagery gives the video a deliberately tongue-in-cheek contrast with the song's sleek 1983 synth-pop production.

• "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)" was the first single from Easton's 1983 album "Best Kept Secret."

• The single became Easton's fourth US Top 10 hit, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, it peaked at No. 84.

• The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1983.

• The track represented a shift toward a younger, more dance-oriented sound for Easton after her earlier pop and adult-contemporary successes.