Despite the apparent sugar-coated style of the song, Sinfield later claimed it was a subtle attack on Margaret Thatcher and her government's policy at the time.
"The Land of Make Believe" was the second of three UK #1 singles for the British Eurovision winners Bucks Fizz, staying at the top for two weeks in January 1982.
[4] During the recording member Mike Nolan expressed reservations for the song and told producer Andy Hill that it would not be a hit and probably the end for the band.
[5] Bobby G spent an afternoon recording harmonies for the middle 8 of the song, but after he left the studio, the engineer accidentally wiped the tape and the vocal part was never re-recorded.
She then walks from everyday life, through a gap into a winter wonderland and has to push her way through fir trees, a reference to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, before joining the rest of the band on stage.
[7] Aston has since remarked that it was one of her favourite looks for the band and in reference to hers and Baker's costume said "we were ten years ahead of Madonna with the cone boobs".
The Human League's Philip Oakey contemporarily declared his admiration for Bucks Fizz in general, while OMD's Andy McCluskey said that he thought it was "an absolutely wonderful song with a great melody".
During their 1984 tour a lighting effect to simulate falling snow was used to signify the festive feel of the song due to its Christmas-time release.
The music video was set in a circus tent, with each individual member of the band performing tricks e.g. being cut in half, levitating or juggling.
[36] Track listing "The Land of Make Believe" has also been recorded by future fellow Eurovision winner Celine Dion (translated into French: "A Quatre pas D'ici") in 1983 for her album Du soleil au cœur (Hill and Sinfield would later pen her hits "Think Twice" and "Call the Man").
[40] A separate song, "Land of Make Believe" (PYE/NIXA N15115) was written by Joe Meek & Chris Blackwell, and recorded by Jackie Davies and His Quartet in 1957.