Tracy Ullman — They Don't Know (complete video)

JUL 01 1983 · 12:00

Tracy Ullman — They Don't Know (complete video) (1983) Director: Dave Robinson Era: Early MTV / British New Wave Pop (1983) - Peak of UK indie-label pop video production; Stiff Records-era British new wave crossover into mainstream chart success, bridging 1960s girl-group nostalgia with early-80s music video storytelling. Exceptionally high curatorial value as a confirmed 1983 Stiff Records production directed by the label's own president, featuring a documented celebrity cameo, a chart-verified hit single, and a rare example of female-authored narrative video storytelling from this era. Voted second-best video of 1983 by Smash Hits readers, it is a definitive artifact of British new wave pop visual culture and the Stiff Records aesthetic legacy. Context: Released in autumn 1983, 'They Don't Know' was Tracey Ullman's breakthrough hit, reaching #2 in the UK and #8 in the US. As a cover of Kirsty MacColl's 1979 Stiff Records composition, the video and song participated in a broader early-1980s British pop nostalgia wave, revisiting 1960s girl-group sonics and visual codes. The video is a landmark example of Stiff Records' wit-forward promotional philosophy applied to narrative-driven video production — rare for early MTV-era UK pop. Its celebrity cameo and comedic domestic realism made it culturally distinct within the 1983 video landscape. Director notes: Robinson directed the 'They Don't Know' video in his capacity as president of Stiff Records, Ullman's label. The video's storyline was devised by Ullman herself, in which she plays a young woman in a 1960s-set romance with a working-class boyfriend, concluding with a fantasy sequence. The video features a cameo by Paul McCartney, filmed during a break from production of 'Give My Regards to Broad Street' (1984), in which Ullman also appeared. The video was voted second-best of 1983 by readers of Smash Hits magazine.