Synopsis

Spandau Ballet perform "Musclebound" against a stark, snow-covered landscape designed to evoke the Russian Steppe. The band members appear in theatrical period-style costumes, moving through the wintry setting on horseback and on foot. Stylized images of rugged labor, fire, leather, and physical strength give the clip an epic, almost mythic quality, while brief performance shots keep the focus on the group's imposing early New Romantic image. The result is an unusually grand and eccentric visual for a 1981 pop single.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed around Kirkstone Pass in the Lake District, chosen because its landscape resembled the Russian Steppe.

• The production was originally expected to take one day and had a budget of about GBP 15,000. Heavy snowfall caused major delays, and the shoot eventually lasted four days while costing more than twice the original budget.

• The snow created striking images but also made filming difficult. The band and crew were reportedly confined to a local pub while waiting for conditions to improve.

• Horse riding became a particularly hazardous part of the shoot. Gary Kemp was thrown from a horse and briefly knocked unconscious, while John Keeble dismounted and refused to continue riding.

• Tony Hadley was more determined to stay on horseback, even when the conditions were considered too dangerous for filming.

• The clip includes dwarves, an element Steve Norman later described as very much of its period.

• "Musclebound" was released in the UK as a double A-side with "Glow" on March 27, 1981. The combined single reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.

• Gary Kemp described the song as a tongue-in-cheek folk song and an experiment, blending Russian folk influences, constructivist imagery, and disco.