Synopsis

Elton John appears in a stylized barroom fantasy that turns the song's memories of Brussels nightlife into a surreal, theatrical scene. The setting is populated by colorful patrons, hustlers and nightlife characters, while Elton performs amid exaggerated gestures and old-fashioned musical-film imagery. The video contrasts the romance of European travel with the seedier reality of cheap bars, red lights and fleeting encounters. Its deliberately artificial 1950s MGM-inspired look gives the otherwise upbeat song a slightly disreputable, dreamlike atmosphere.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Just Like Belgium" was released in 1981 as the second single outside the United States from Elton John's album *The Fox*.

• The video was included in *Visions*, a 1982 home-video collection containing visual interpretations of all ten songs from *The Fox*. The project was an early example of presenting an entire rock album through connected music videos.

• The video's barroom setting gives a visual context to Bernie Taupin's lyrics, which recall Brussels, cheap souvenirs, red lights, streetwalkers and the uneasy glamour of nightlife.

• The sequence has been described as having the feel of a surreal 1950s MGM musical, while its story moves through a bar populated by hustlers and other nightlife figures.

• The recording features a saxophone solo by Jim Horn and spoken-word passages by French actress Colette Bertrand.

• Chris Thomas produced the recording. He would later work with Elton John on nine more albums and nearly 100 songs.

• Although the track was performed during John's 1982 Jump Up tour, it did not remain in his regular live repertoire afterward.

• *Visions* was nominated for the Grammy Award for Video of the Year at the 25th Annual Grammy Awards.