Synopsis

David Bowie performs inside a deteriorating artist's studio, surrounded by dusty furnishings, scattered objects, and the traces of creative work. The performance is intercut with surreal images of a solitary dancer moving through the space, including an eccentric sequence at a piano. Bowie shifts between direct performance and theatrical poses, giving the clip a dreamlike, slightly uncanny atmosphere. Although the imagery echoes the darker visual language of the Outside era, the overall mood is calmer and more romantic than the video for "The Hearts Filthy Lesson."

Factoids & Trivia

• The video promotes the 1995 version of the song, which was recorded for Bowie's album Outside. The song had originally appeared in a different recording on the 1993 album The Buddha of Suburbia.

• Bowie recorded "Strangers When We Meet" three times: an unreleased 1993 version, the Buddha of Suburbia recording, and the fuller Outside version.

• The clip was made during the Outside period and shares some visual traits with "The Hearts Filthy Lesson," including a decayed artistic environment and an interest in theatrical, unsettling imagery.

• The dancer featured in the video is Michelle Beauchamp, who is credited as the solo dancer.

• The Outside recording adds a more expansive arrangement to the song, including piano from Mike Garson and guitar contributions from Reeves Gabrels and Carlos Alomar.

• Released as a double A-side with a reworked version of "The Man Who Sold the World," the single reached No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart.

• The video presents one of the more accessible and placid sides of the Outside campaign, contrasting with the album's otherwise abrasive, experimental presentation.