Synopsis

The Thompson Twins perform "Hold Me Now" in a stylized studio setting dominated by a vivid blue background. Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway appear separately on raised platforms, singing and playing keyboards, percussion, guitars and congas. Rapid editing creates sliding frames, split screens, doubled images and tight close-ups, turning a straightforward performance into a distinctly polished 1980s pop tableau. As the song fades, the blue backdrop changes to red, bringing the trio together for a final chorus and handclaps.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video presents the trio as individual performers before visually uniting them at the end, echoing the song's theme of reconciliation.

• Its visual language relies almost entirely on studio performance, but the layered editing gives the otherwise simple setup considerable movement. Sliding frames, split screens and repeated images were central to its effect.

• The instruments shown in the clip reflect the group's unusual pop setup: Bailey is associated with keyboards and piano, Currie with marimba and percussion, and Leeway with bass and congas.

• "Hold Me Now" was written after a personal argument between Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie. Bailey later described the song as having come together very quickly, in roughly half an hour.

• The track was recorded at RAK Studios in London. With regular producer Alex Sadkin unavailable at first, Bailey took the lead on the recording before Sadkin and engineer Phil Thornalley returned to help complete it.

• Released in the United Kingdom in November 1983, the single reached No. 4 on the UK chart. In the United States, it became the Thompson Twins' biggest hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• The video became part of the group's regular MTV-era visual identity, alongside clips for "Doctor! Doctor!", "Lay Your Hands on Me" and "King for a Day."