Synopsis

Andy McCluskey performs "Walking On The Milky Way" across a series of coastal, urban and industrial locations. The video combines direct-to-camera singing with surreal landscapes, slow-motion imagery and digitally enhanced visual effects. Close-ups and brief character studies of people from different generations add a reflective sense of time passing, matching the song's autobiographical themes of youthful ambition, aging and lost dreams. Rather than following a conventional narrative, the promo creates an atmospheric visual journey around McCluskey's performance.

Factoids & Trivia

• Filming took place in July 1996, shortly before the single's August release.

• The main locations were Southend-on-Sea and Canvey Island in Essex. The choice of these places was intended to provide unusual juxtapositions between McCluskey's performance and the surrounding landscapes.

• The video's combination of performance footage, surreal scenery, slow motion and post-production effects was designed to match the song's expansive, grandiose arrangement.

• Age-diverse close-ups and character studies were included to underline the song's recurring idea of time passing.

• "Walking On The Milky Way" was OMD's first single to be issued without a 7-inch release, arriving instead on CD and cassette formats.

• The song reached No. 17 on the UK singles chart, becoming OMD's first UK Top 20 hit in more than five years and their final UK Top 40 single.

• The track's poor support from BBC Radio 1 contributed to Andy McCluskey's frustration with OMD's commercial prospects. He subsequently moved into songwriting and production work connected with Atomic Kitten.