Del Amitri — Kiss This Thing Goodbye

JUL 01 1990 · 12:00

Del Amitri — Kiss This Thing Goodbye (1990) Director: Doug Nichol Era: Late-80s/Early-90s British Alternative Pop (1989–1990) - Post-college rock crossover era; UK indie acts breaking into US mainstream via A&M Records and MTV rotation High curatorial value as a confirmed US-market video version of Del Amitri's first American Top 40 hit, directed by Doug Nichol at the outset of his directing career. Serves as a rare, well-documented crossover artefact at the intersection of British indie authenticity and US commercial ambition, with strong research utility for genre history, label strategy, and director filmography studies. Context: Released in 1989–1990 at the precise moment when British alternative guitar acts were navigating the commercial machinery of A&M Records and US MTV rotation, 'Kiss This Thing Goodbye' captures Del Amitri at a transitional inflection point: Scottish indie credibility meeting mainstream American radio ambition. The song's Americana-inflected jangle pop — harmonica, roots guitar textures, drum programming — signalled a deliberate reach toward a US audience steeped in college radio and heartland rock. The US-specific video version, directed by Doug Nichol in 1990, reflects this transatlantic positioning. It arrived as grunge was still forming underground and before Britpop coalesced, occupying a genuine stylistic gap between post-punk introspection and accessible melodic rock. Director notes: Nichol directed the US Version of 'Kiss This Thing Goodbye,' released in 1990, as documented by IMVDb (https://imvdb.com/video/del-amitri/kiss-this-thing-goodbye/2). This places the video at the very beginning of Nichol's directing career, shortly after his work as DP/cinematographer on landmark music documentaries. The US version was produced to support the single's second release campaign, during which it broke the US Top 40 (reaching #35 on the Billboard Hot 100). Nichol's cinematography background is consistent with the video's technically polished but visually restrained aesthetic — warm, naturalistic lighting and performance-driven framing rather than elaborate conceptual staging.