OMG I worked on this video in Sept 86. Director was Storm Thorgeson. Only thing I remember was going all over the country during the course of a week filming the groups of singers. First one was the steam engine guys which took forever and we didn't think we'd get them all done. Miners were in Kent. Swimmers in Dover. Guys on a boat down in Cornwall.
THIS is one of the reasons why I consider BC to be Scotland's G.O.A.T. (that's Greatest Of All Time, if you haven't figured it out already) Rock N' Roll Band, end of story......
Big Country with their unique bagpipe guitar sound. Nobody in the world sounded like them. Poor Stuart RIP 2002, 20 year's ago this year! My God. Big Country were Scotland. I'm from Ireland, and I absolutely loved Big Country. They should have been bigger than U2.
I am a huge BC fan and was lucky to work with them a few times. They are undoubtably Scotland's finest. But Mark and Tony are English and Stuart was born in England!
A brilliant song that speaks to all, regardless of nationality. Have we not all yearned for that One Great Thing? I love that poignant line where the medalled veterans sing "...and I've seen it far too young".
+freedeebloke I'm surprised there's not more comments like this for this vid based on its content. I'd expect loads of "I remember when they turned up at my Ballet Class/Tattoo Palour/Mime Class/Beekeeping/Convent/Cheerleading/Belly Dancing/Oil Rig/Bottling Plant/Mime School/Scuba Diving/Morris Dancing/Punks/Model Agency/Ex-Servicemen/Bowls Club/Circus/Ballroom Dancing/Kendo/Steam Engine/Cruise Ship/Majorette/Ladies Choir/Mens Choir/Bodybuilding/American Football/Skydiving/Sewing/Can Can/Fishing Boat/Swimming Club/Operating Theatre/Jive Dancing/Primary School/Refuse Collection and asked us to mouth along to the words" type comments.
I always love BC's tremendous power, optimism and hope. I was devastated when I learned that Stuart Adamson killed himself. RIP to a friend I never met, and one I hope to one day.
100 percent. Greatest Scottish rock band by a country mile. Topped off by being one of thee greatest live bands. No one got crowds bouncing like Big Country.
Saw these guys on BBC Breakfast this morning and it reminded me that the ladies Barbershop chorus I used to sing with appeared on it (light green dresses with white bows, Yuk!!). We had to shoot our bit of the vid and learn the words of the whole song in one evening but, if you blink.... you'll miss us.
I never get tired of watching this video when I need a reminder that the world doesn't (always) suck. Stuart said he hated making videos, but I think this is about as perfect as it gets. LOVE the band channeling their inner Temptations @ 2:36 :D
Had a chance to see Rush a few weeks back in SJ, CA. Told the boys to go without me and plugged into 3 hours of Big Country. I saved money, and had a WAY better experience. Long live the spirit of BC !
Wow - I've always loved this song but had never seen this video before. This has to be the best one I've seen for any of their songs -- it really captures the spirit (and especially the humor) of the song and the band, and avoids all those gruesomely dated '80s fashions in most of the early ones.
this band was prob my favourite and still are one of my favs, but this song wasn't one of there best still it's better than almost all of the pop/chart music we have now RIP Stuart Adamson
The YES campaign for Scottish independence was launched today. They have a slogan.. One Great Thing. Coincidence? I think not. Someone somewhere had a wee thnk about it. I saw the slogan and came to find the song.. tears in my eyes.. its perfect for the job and I reckon Stuart would be kinda proud. RIP pal.
First of all, great band, great song, Stuart Adamson also formed the skids, into the valley is one of my fav songs. Who is to say how he would feel about Independence? as he is no longer around to voice his opinions, one thing is for sure, Alex Salmond couldn't run a piss up in a brewery, you only have to look at how he handled the Donald Trump situation to see that!
My nephew adapted this on the flute when he was 13 and had the whole of Nelson Drive Flute Band play it while marching on the 12th July in Londonderry. It went down a storm. Happy times.
I NEVER TOOK THE SMILE AWAY FROM ANYBODY'S FACE , AND THAT'S A DESPERATE WAY TO LOOK FOR SOMEONE WHO IS STILL A CHILD IN A BIG COUNTRY DREAMS STAY WITH YOU , LIKE A LOVER'S VOICE FIRES THE MOUNTAINSIDE , STAY ALIVE ! NON HO MAI TOLTO IL SORRISO DALLA FACCIA DI QUALCUNO , E QUESTO E' SOLO UN MODO PER CERCARE DISPERATAMENTE CHI E' ANCORA UN FANCIULLO. IN UN GRANDE PAESE , I SOGNI TI STANNO ACCANTO , COME LA VOCE DI UN INNAMORATO CHE RISALE LA PARETE DI UNA MONTAGNA . GRAZIE STUART ADAMSON
Love them to bits so glad I've seen the original band live come up screaming double live album one of the best I've ever heard well better live as you know RIP Stuart 💙
Yeah! The corruption is more out in the open and in plain sight *coughs* Hancock, Cummings, Patel, Harding, phantom ferries, botched covid handling, dodgy PPE contacts* coughs*. End the Union!
Big Country were amazing! Have about 4 of th eir LP's-but no record player! LOL just listed em on ebay to get rid of-and purchase their cd's instead!!! you are missed, Stuart!
Fantastic song! I usually hate anything thats too stereotypical. ie. the commonwealth games. However, the referendum has made me realise how much I love my country and how important it is to me. Seeing flash mobs happenin all around Scotland, with hundreds and thousands singing scottish songs, its breathtaking! This is our one and only chance for a better Scotland and I am proud to tell my future children that I voted YES.
Scottish Independence Alliance Except the yes campaign lost. Speaking as someone born in Hillhead, now living in England I have to say I was glad of it. While a part of me would still love to see Scotland as an Independent nation the truth is that too many of us now don't even live at home. Why? because there's not enough work, not enough hope and not enough resources outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh left for us to be a really strong independent nation and economic force.
***** I would be the first to admit that the Union hasn't always worked to our advantage and that many very bad mistakes have been made since 1707. But we need to be realistic, this is the 21st century and standing alone Scotland would be in even more trouble than she is now. Make no mistake, I am very proud of my heritage but I think we have bigger problems to deal with. Like I said there are more Scots living outside the home country than in it. I feel that for Scotland to have any chance of being a truly strong independent nation the current step by step approach is the right one. I am not against Independence at all, merely against it right now as I don't think the country is truly ready yet. The infrastructure just isn't there yet, either in terms of the Parliament or in economic terms. The SNP seemed to think an independent Scotland would magically make foreign investors buy into the country and create millions of jobs overnight. That is not going to happen. They thought many of us who live in England would suddenly uproot the lives we've built here and move back but that wasn't going to happen either. Not without work for us to go to at any rate. For Scotland to survive as an independent nation the economy has to be grown and the powers of the parliament need to be increased to allow the Scottish Government to do it. Until those two things happen then we as a nation cannot hope to be truly independent anyway.
***** I agree the media campaign was ridiculously one sided. However the fact is that I for one was intensely annoyed by being told that those of us born in Scotland, who grew up in Scotland and consider themselves to be Scottish but didn't currently live there were not entitled to vote on the country's future. We were treated as almost traitors by Salmond and his gang of cronies. I did what I had to do in order to raise a family and had I been able to hold and keep the job I have now without leaving Scotland I'd have stayed happily. As to the economic issue Scotland's GDP is tiny compared to England's but that's actually beside the point. It's the per capita income that matters and in that respect Scotland and Northern England (where I live) are miles behind London and the Home Counties. However the cost of living is also far lower and as a result the standard of living is actually about the same. Much was made of North Sea Oil but the truth is it's a finite resource and Scotland needs a lot more than oil if she is to become the nation I (and I guess you) know she could be. We need to attract and keep a manufacturing industry and to use modern technology to it's full potential. In all truth before any nation can really hope to stand and thrive in this new millennium it needs a flexible infrastructure and a solid base or it becomes just one more Poland and Romania, a place where the workers leave in order to earn more elsewhere. I want an independent and strong Scotland but at this moment I don't think she's ready for that and I have no faith in the SNP's ability to either get her ready or run it properly if she was. The proof of that (for me at least) was they couldn't even debate Gordon Brown effectively and that man is probably the worst Labour leader of all time.
Shameful to say, this is the first time I've heard this and it's due to TOTP repeats. If this was an English band this song would be much better known.)
Don't think so. There are are a lot of English bands that go unnoticed from the 80s and who have simply faded into Oblivion. James was a good 90s example until the crowd at Anfield began singing "mo Salah" to the tune of "sit down".
They were not really unnoticed in Nederland anyways; in 1983 i became a big fan because of Fields of fire. They also did have a few records in the charts and now and then still on radio here; i have seen them in Nederland playing live as well; before and after Stuarts death, even in my hometown Arnhem
What an advert that was. Reminds me of staying up with my mum in Kinlochleven. It's how I found this video - I was looking for the song from that advert.
WE IN ITALY ARE GLAD FOR THE FUTURE INDEPENDENCE OF SCOTLAND , AND WE WISH AS WELL AS SCOTLAND , TO HAVE OUR INDEPENDENCE FROM ITALY . THE NEW REGION SHOLD BE THE PADANIAN STATE . I LOOK FORWARD FOR A FREE SCOTLAND AND A FREE Padania . thanks big country for your mervellous melodies !!!!
BC r the best. love them. This is one of those songs, like was already mentioned, that you have to play loudly in the car...especially around areas where people blast out all kinds of other stuff...:). I used this song for a form assembly :D didn't look at how everyone was reacting to it...just enjoyed it :D
In two years, it will be the one great thing that can happen in our lives, I'm just sad that Stuart Adamson won't be around to witness a proud moment, or as he says, the time of peace.
