Synopsis

The Thompson Twins perform "Watching" in a playful, surreal setting that turns the song's theme of mutual observation into a visual joke. The trio delivers the track as a stylized live performance, surrounded by deliberately odd imagery and an abundance of poultry. Quick cuts, exaggerated gestures, unusual props, and the band's distinctive early-1980s look give the clip a cartoonish, slightly paranoid energy. Rather than presenting a conventional narrative, the video embraces the song's eccentric lyrics and makes the act of watching part of the spectacle.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Watching" was released in July 1983 as the fourth and final single from *Quick Step & Side Kick*, also known as *Side Kicks* in the United States.

• The single reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the Thompson Twins' third UK Top 40 hit at that point.

• The album version features Grace Jones on backing vocals. Her contribution was removed when the song was remixed for the single, so the vocal heard in the video is not the Grace Jones version.

• The single's B-side, "Dancersaurus," is an instrumental remix of "Watching." The 12-inch release used the extended title "Watching (You, Watching Me)" and gave the remix the subtitle "Even Large Reptiles Have Emotional Problems."

• Arista issued a shaped picture disc cut in the form of the Thompson Twins' three-head logo. Despite its unusual shape, it played the standard 7-inch versions of both tracks.

• The surreal references to dinosaurs, suburbia, circuit boards, and "soft machines" are reflected in the video's deliberately comic visual world rather than being developed into a literal storyline.

• The clip is remembered for its conspicuous use of chickens and other poultry, an especially eccentric touch in a period when the group's videos were already known for strong visual styling.

• "Watching" was written by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie, and Joe Leeway, during the trio's commercially successful early-1980s period.