Synopsis

The promotional video presents Elton John in a stylized, performance-led setting that reflects his flamboyant late-1980s image. Rather than following a detailed narrative, the clip places the singer and his larger-than-life persona at the center, matching the song's bright pop-rock surface. The visual approach contrasts with Bernie Taupin's more troubled lyrics about media, displacement, lost individuality, and the search for a better place. It functions primarily as a colorful showcase for the Reg Strikes Back era.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Town of Plenty" was released in 1988 as the second UK single from Reg Strikes Back. It reached No. 74 on the UK Singles Chart and disappeared the following week.

• The song was the first track from the album to be heard after Elton John's throat surgery. His vocal is set against a polished, contemporary production by Chris Thomas.

• Pete Townshend of The Who plays acoustic guitar on the recording, while Davey Johnstone supplies electric guitar.

• Former Elton John band members Nigel Olsson and Dee Murray contributed backing vocals. It was the final Elton John album on which Murray participated before his death in 1992.

• The single's limited-edition 7-inch release included four postcards showing Elton in different stage costumes. The package tied into the large Sotheby's auction of his costumes and other possessions in 1988.

• Although the song was not a major commercial success, its video belongs to a productive run of Elton John clips made during the period, alongside "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" and "A Word in Spanish."

• The song's upbeat arrangement masks lyrics concerned with the tension between creativity, mass media, and modern society. The video leans into the song's pop spectacle rather than illustrating those themes literally.