Synopsis

In a stark black-and-white studio setting, David Bowie performs "Wild Is the Wind" with intense, theatrical restraint. Framed in close-up, he sings directly toward the camera, shifting between vulnerable stillness and highly expressive gestures. A small quartet surrounds him against the dark backdrop, with brief cuts highlighting the musicians and their instruments. The sparse staging and severe lighting give the performance an intimate jazz-club atmosphere while echoing the expressionist visual style associated with Bowie's Isolar period.

Factoids & Trivia

• The promotional video was made in 1981 to support the single release and the compilation album Changestwobowie. Bowie's recording had originally appeared on Station to Station in 1976.

• The video uses a shorter edit of the song, running approximately 3 minutes and 34 seconds, compared with the 5-minute-58-second album version.

• The quartet seen with Bowie consists of Tony Visconti on double bass, Corinne "Coco" Schwab on guitar, Mel Gaynor on drums, and Andy Hamilton on saxophone. None of them played on the original studio recording; they mime along for the video.

• The black backdrop and stark lighting deliberately recall the visual presentation of Bowie's 1976 Isolar tour.

• Bowie recorded the song after being deeply affected by Nina Simone's interpretation. He regarded his version as a tribute to Simone rather than simply a conventional cover.

• Released as a single on November 13, 1981, "Wild Is the Wind" reached No. 24 in the United Kingdom and No. 15 in Ireland.