I'm Still Standing

A camera loaded with the first day's footage for "I'm Still Standing" ended up at the bottom of the Mediterranean when director Russell Mulcahy fell into the sea with it, forcing the shoot to restart on another day. The accident was one of several mishaps that marked the making of the video, which was filmed in Cannes and Nice on the Côte d'Azur and featured graphics in the colours of the French flag. By then the single itself was already proving its worth, reaching No. 1 in Canada and Switzerland, No. 4 in the UK and No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Written by Elton John with lyricist Bernie Taupin, it appeared on the 1983 album Too Low for Zero and was the lead single in North America, though the second in the UK.

Taupin later explained that the lyrics had been intended as a dismissive message to an old girlfriend, a reassurance that he would be perfectly fine without her, rather than the broad statement of resilience listeners took it to be. He was content with the reinterpretation, saying it was probably more interesting than the original subject.

The Cannes shoot also brought John into contact with Duran Duran, who were in town and decided the singer should have a martini. He had six, according to his own recollection, and the following morning woke with a hangover and asked his assistant what had happened.