Twilight Zone" is a 1982 hit by the Dutch band Golden Earring. It was written by the band's guitarist George Kooymans, who got the inspiration from a book by Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity. "Twilight Zone" appears on their 1982 album Cut. It was the group's sole Top 10 Pop single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart, the band's only No. 1 hit in America.[2] The spoken lines in the introduction, the first verse (ending with "the gun is still warm") and the chorus are performed by Kooymans, while Barry Hay sings the lead vocal part for the verses throughout. The music video, directed by Dick Maas, features a storyline with lead singer Barry Hay as an espionage agent who is inevitably apprehended by three henchmen (played by the other members of the band).
The music video was one of the first to feature a cinematic storyline and dance choreography and was a hit on the fledgeling MTV network, helping the song to become the second international hit for the band. Golden Earring followed the success with an extensive tour of the USA, Canada and Europe. MTV commissioned the band to shoot a movie of the final 'homecoming' concert of the tour in the Netherlands. The concert film, also directed by Dick Maas, included a brief introductory segment which was a parody of the TV series The Twilight Zone. The concert was released in 1984 as Live from The Twilight Zone, aired on MTV and published as video and DVD. To date this concert is regarded as one of the best live shows of the band.
