Flashback Video: 'When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going' by Billy Ocean

Ever since the dawn of MTV and Friday Night Videos, the music video has significantly impacted musical tastes and pop culture. It might not be as extreme as when the Buggles declared that "Video Killed the Radio Star", but there is no arguing that the music video certainly could make or break a song's popularity. So this regular Flashback Video feature will serve to remember some of the music videos from the great '80s decade that made an impact on me in one way or another.

This issue we will cover "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" by Billy Ocean. The single was part of the soundtrack for the film Jewel of the Nile and released in November of 1985. Despite its long title, the song was an international success peaking at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but spending four weeks at #1 on the UK chart in February 1986 as well as reaching #1 or #2 in at least 13 other countries.

Most music videos from '80s movie soundtracks feature clips from the actual movie. Many of the best ones actually feature the cast members participating in the video. Examples of this include "Ghostbusters", "Spies Like Us", "Sweet Freedom", "Rock On" and "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" among others. The music video for "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" features Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito, the stars of Jewel of the Nile, the sequel to Romancing the Stone.

The music video for "When the Going Gets Touch, the Tough Get Going" was directed by Maurice Phillips and it was shot at Brixton Academy in London, England. Phillips had previously directed other music videos for artists like The Thompson Twins, Paul McCartney, Chris DeBurgh, Level 42 and Whitnesnake, but not for any of their more recognizable hits. Then he directed the strange music video for Billy Ocean's 1984 hit "Loverboy" as well as his beautiful ballad "Suddenly". So after working with him on those two videos, Ocean brought him back for this one.

"When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" doesn't include any clips from Jewel of the Nile, but is most memorable for Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito having a good time appearing in white suits as lip-synching choreographed backing singers. The best part might be when Danny DeVito pretends to play the saxophone solo with an instrument that is almost the same size as him. Here is the music video for "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" by Billy Ocean...

No other special effects or anything fancy, just Billy Ocean and his band performing the song on a stage, but the movie's three stars are enough to make it a fun and noteworthy music video and certainly helped with the song's worldwide success.

Hope you enjoyed another trip back to the '80s thanks to Flashback Video!