Remember The Time - Music Video

Music Video

As part of promotion for "Remember the Time", a music video, which was filmed in mid-January 1992, was released. Prior to the release of the video, Jackson's record label promoted it by releasing clips, as well as releasing behind the scenes clips of making the video. The nine-minute video was promoted as a "short film". It premiered on MTV, Fox and Black Entertainment Television on February 2, 1992. After the video premiered on MTV, the channel aired a "rockumentary" called "More Dangerous Than Ever" which included glimpses of the making of the video. Jackson's record label would not release the video's budget figures. Directed by John Singleton and choreographed by Fatima Robinson, the video was an elaborate production and became one of Jackson's longest videos at over nine minutes. It was set in ancient Egypt and featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman, The Pharcyde, Magic Johnson, Tom "Tiny" Lister, Jr. and Wylie Draper, who portrayed Jackson as an adult in the made for TV movie The Jacksons: An American Dream and died shortly after appearing in this video.

Jackson appears in the video as a hooded wizard who enters and attempts to entertain a Pharaoh's bored partner. Two other entertainers have failed, and she has sent them to be executed. The Queen sees that this wizard is different — instead of juggling or eating fire, he walks up the steps to her throne and sings to her, asking her if she "remembers the time" they were together. The Pharaoh (played by Murphy) hardly appreciates this move and summons his guards. Jackson runs away to another room and begins elaborate, Egyptian-style choreography with the Pharaoh's servants. When the guards find him, the servants disappear as does Jackson, in a swirl and a cloud of golden dust. In the video, Jackson was dressed in a costume made of gold satin. He wore golden chain mail, a white skirt with a phallic dangling sash, black pants and black boots. This video features a physically complicated dance routine that became the centerpiece of other videos from the Dangerous album.

The music video was generally well received by music critics. Ira Robbins of Entertainment Weekly described "Remember the Time" as being a "gorgeous ancient Egyptian extravaganza" video. The music video appeared on the video albums: Dangerous – The Short Films, Video Greatest Hits – HIStory and Michael Jackson's Vision. The music video, along with other videos from Dangerous, was frequently shown on MTV.