Synopsis
Happy Mondays perform "Hallelujah" in a loose, chaotic collage of warehouse footage and outdoor scenes. The band appears amid rough industrial surroundings, while handheld images capture a carefree trip to Blackpool, with dancing, wandering, and unruly behavior taking precedence over any conventional storyline. The video reflects the group's scruffy, hedonistic image and the anything-goes atmosphere associated with Manchester's late-1980s rave culture.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was filmed in a warehouse above Manchester's Dry Bar, with additional footage shot during a day trip to Blackpool.
- The shoot was made on a very modest budget, reportedly around GBP 5,000, and relied on spontaneous handheld footage rather than elaborate sets or choreography.
- The extended version contains extra material not used in the shorter cut, including particularly hazardous-looking antics involving distress flares on the warehouse floor.
- Factory's catalog lists a 3:10 version of the video on the 1990 "Hallelujah" VHS release. An extended promotional version also circulated.
- Footage for "Clap Your Hands" was shot immediately before or after the "Hallelujah" session, although it was not issued as a standalone promotional video.
- "Hallelujah" was the lead track on the "Madchester Rave On" EP. The release helped popularize the term "Madchester," which soon became shorthand for Manchester's fusion of indie rock, funk, psychedelia, and rave culture.