Synopsis

Johnny Hates Jazz perform against a rural, small-town backdrop in a video steeped in childhood nostalgia. Images of young friends, outdoor adventures, and changing seasons accompany the band's performance, reflecting the song's bittersweet wish to revisit simpler times. The visual mood balances youthful freedom with the sadness of growing older, giving the polished pop ballad a cinematic, reflective quality. Its American locations and coming-of-age imagery recall the atmosphere of classic childhood adventure stories.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in Cold Spring, New York, during the fall of 1987.

• "Turn Back the Clock" was released as a single on November 9, 1987, and became the band's third successive hit.

• English singer Kim Wilde supplied backing vocals on the song. At the time, she was dating Johnny Hates Jazz keyboardist Calvin Hayes.

• The video's childhood-focused imagery has been compared with the mood and themes of Stephen King's novella and the 1986 film "Stand by Me."

• The single reached No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.

• The song gave its name to Johnny Hates Jazz's debut album, which reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom in 1988.