Music Video
There is no evidence that Virgin Records made any effort to promote this record, but they must have intended to initially, as they financed not one, but two promotional videos for the song. Neither video was shown in the 1970s (or 80s or 90s), and one of them has still not been shown publicly to this day. Nothing is known about its content or style.
The other video (actually shot on film) was finally shown for the first time when it was issued on the DVD, Elements – The Best of Mike Oldfield in 2004. This is the only promo video on the DVD with its soundtrack in mono (although the single is in stereo); all other songs have a remastered stereo or surround soundtrack.
The live-action video illustrates the lyrics with slapstick comedy, sight gags, and the actor's pained reactions toward the camera after every gag, in the style of comedian Benny Hill, who had been approached to appear in it. Hill refused because he writes most of his own material, and did not want to appear in a film scripted by someone imitating his style. An unidentified actress also appears in the film. No musicians, real or acting, appear in it.
Read more about this topic: Don Alfonso (song)
Famous quotes containing the words music and/or video:
“Slow, slow, fresh fount, keep time with my salt tears;
Yet slower yet, oh faintly gentle springs:
List to the heavy part the music bears,
“Woe weeps out her division when she sings.”
Droop herbs and flowers;
Fall grief in showers;
“Our beauties are not ours”:
Oh, I could still,
Like melting snow upon some craggy hill,
Drop, drop, drop, drop,
Since nature’s pride is, now, a withered daffodil.”
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)
“These people figured video was the Lord’s preferred means of communicating, the screen itself a kind of perpetually burning bush. “He’s in the de-tails,” Sublett had said once. “You gotta watch for Him close.””
—William Gibson (b. 1948)