Big Country — In A Big Country

JUL 01 1983 · 12:00

Big Country — In A Big Country (1983) Director: Lindsey Clennell Era: MTV New Wave Breakthrough Era (1983) - The year of peak British Invasion synergy on US cable television, when UK post-punk acts crossed over via heavy MTV rotation and guitar-driven anthemic rock challenged synth-pop dominance. High curatorial value as a confirmed-director, heavily documented, commercially significant artifact of the 1983 MTV breakthrough era. The video's dual identity — part adventure-comedy narrative, part concert performance — makes it a textbook early example of the 'mixed' format that dominated mid-budget UK video commissions. Its documented location shooting in Dorset (Corfe Castle, Swanage Bay) and the band's anti-glamour aesthetic give it strong comparative value against contemporaneous synth-pop and glam metal videos of the same MTV rotation period. IMDB rating of 6.6 reflects enduring public recognition. Context: Released in May 1983 as the third single from Big Country's debut album 'The Crossing' (Mercury Records), 'In A Big Country' arrived at the height of the Second British Invasion facilitated by MTV's insatiable demand for visually compelling music videos. The song's signature bagpipe-mimicking guitar tone — achieved by Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson — was sonically distinct enough to cut through the prevailing synth-pop landscape on American radio. The video's pastoral, adventure-comedy aesthetic presented a deliberately unglamorous, blokey counterpoint to the mascara-and-fog visual language of contemporaneous new wave acts, grounding Scottish rock identity in physical landscape. The single peaked at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, while reaching No. 3 on the US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and No. 3 on Canada's RPM Top Singles Chart — a transatlantic commercial result substantially amplified by MTV rotation. Director notes: Clennell directed and produced the video, confirmed across IMDB, IMVDb, Wikipedia, and Songfacts. The video was shot on location at two primary sites in Dorset, England: the then-derelict Corfe Castle railway station (now part of the restored Swanage Railway), which provides the opening backdrop against the ruins of Corfe Castle, and Swanage Bay/Swanage Pier for the second-half marine sequences. The narrative follows the four band members riding sports three-wheelers and a motorbike through lush green fields in pursuit of an unspecified treasure, intercut with stage performance footage of the band in flannel shirts and blazers. A female rival treasure-hunter antagonist pursues and repeatedly bests the band, including defeating all four members with a single punch. The second act involves the band donning wetsuits and scuba gear and setting out on a motorized inflatable raft; none of the band members were scuba-certified, requiring all diving scenes to remain at the surface. The narrative resolves on a small cliff-bound island with a rescue fire, culminating in the discovery of the mystery black box. The video received heavy MTV airplay and is credited with significantly driving the single's US chart performance.