Elton John — A Word In Spanish [HQ]

JUL 01 1988 · 12:00

Elton John — A Word In Spanish [HQ] (1988) Director: Russell Mulcahy Era: Late MTV Golden Age (1988) - Height of the music video promo era; Elton John's self-proclaimed comeback cycle on Reg Strikes Back, blending theatrical street narrative with vivid late-80s color palettes. A well-documented, director-confirmed 1988 promo that bridges Elton John's classic era visual identity with the peak MTV narrative-video format. Directed by one of the most historically significant music video directors of the 20th century, whose work helped define the visual grammar of MTV from its first broadcast. High value for both Elton John career retrospectives and broader histories of 1980s music video direction. Context: Released in 1988 as part of Elton John's Reg Strikes Back — his self-described comeback album following a period of throat surgery and personal turmoil. The single reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was described by Cash Box as 'a Spanish-guitar tinged ballad' recalling the originality of the classic John-Taupin catalogue. The video's Latin street-culture aesthetic and choreographed romantic rivalry reflect a broader late-80s MTV tendency to embed pop ballads in cinematic mini-narratives, leveraging vivid location production to compete for rotation airplay. Director Russell Mulcahy was at the peak of his music video influence during this period, having already directed Highlander (1986) and dozens of iconic promo clips. Director notes: Confirmed as director via IMDb (tt8493378), IMVDb, and the Elton John AllSongsList fan archive. The video is a street-set theatrical narrative tied to the single 'A Word in Spanish' from Elton John's 1988 album Reg Strikes Back. Per the AllSongsList source, the video depicts Elton performing on a street as a romantic rivalry plays out around him. Mulcahy had a longstanding collaborative relationship with Elton John, having previously directed 'I'm Still Standing' (1983) and 'I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues' (1983), among others. The warm, saturated palette and theatrically choreographed street staging are characteristic of Mulcahy's late-80s promo aesthetic.