Tracey Ullman - Breakaway

What this video is

Released in March 1983 as Tracey Ullman's debut single on Stiff Records, 'Breakaway' is a cover of the 1964 Irma Thomas song written by Jackie DeShannon and Sharon Sheeley. It reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart by April 1983 and spent 12 weeks on the chart, launching Ullman's brief but successful pop career before her television work. The video exemplifies Stiff Records' house aesthetic: deliberately cheap,…

Why it matters

A key artefact of the Stiff Records visual and sonic identity, this video documents the label's successful strategy of repackaging 1960s American soul and pop for a 1983 British new wave audience. It also marks a transitional moment in music video history — prior to MTV's full influence on UK…

The director

David Robinson (born 14 May 1944), nicknamed Robbo, is an Irish music executive, music video director, record producer, manager, and photographer. He co-founded Stiff Records in August 1976 with Jake Riviera. He served as Jimi Hendrix's tour manager, managed…