10/03/2026
It’s widely regarded as one of the most iconic music videos of the 1980s — and decades later, people still instantly recognise the moment when Robert Palmer appeared on screen with that unforgettable band of five mysterious models behind him.
The video for the song Addicted to Love was released in 1986 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Directed by photographer Terence Donovan, it featured Palmer performing in front of a striking “band” made up of identically styled models dressed in black dresses with bold makeup and expressionless faces — a look inspired by the glamorous artwork of Patrick Nagel.
The women who appeared in the video were Julie Pankhurst, Patty Kelly, Mak Gilchrist, Julia Bolino and Kathy Davies, each pretending to play instruments as part of the band.
Interestingly, the models have since shared a few stories about filming the video. Bass player Mak Gilchrist once recalled that they were asked to behave almost like mannequins during the shoot. She explained that they were supposed to look and move like showroom display figures rather than real musicians. During filming she even accidentally knocked the head of her guitar into Palmer’s head after losing balance in high heels, causing his face to hit the microphone.
Meanwhile drummer Kathy Davies later joked that she ended up positioned at the back of the band simply because, in her words, “the naughty ones always get sent to the back.”
Years later the five women reunited and fondly looked back on the experience, remembering how such a simple concept ended up creating one of the most recognisable visuals in pop music history.
Even today, that instantly recognisable lineup of black dresses, red lipstick and blank expressions remains one of the defining images of 80s music television.
