From Leo AI: The music video for History Repeating by Propellerheads featuring Shirley Bassey was released in 1997. Directed by Pedro Romhanyi, the video is renowned for its unique stylistic blend, presenting the artists performing on a set designed to look like a 1960s BBC jazz program filmed in black and white. Despite the retro aesthetic, the video features an anachronistic twist where background crew members perform break-dancing moves, creating a "crazed mystery of genres" that matches the song's fusion of big band vocals and electronic big beat.
The concept was devised by Alex Gifford of Propellerheads, who wrote the song specifically with Bassey in mind after dreaming of her singing the lyrics. The video features a fictional host named Roger Humphries who introduces the performance. While the setting mimics a classy, old-fashioned variety show with a horn section and formal attire, the inclusion of modern break-dancing by the stagehands serves as a deliberate contrast to the 1960s atmosphere. Bassey, then 60 years old, performs with her signature glamour, though production notes indicate she experienced some difficulty with her shoes during the several-hour shoot.
The track and its video gained significant popularity and are often associated with the 1998 film There's Something About Mary, where the song appeared on the soundtrack. Additionally, the music was used in a Jaguar S-Type television commercial.