When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going (song)
"When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" is a 1985 song co-written and originally recorded by English singer Billy Ocean in 1985. Description. Written by Wayne Brathwaite, Barry Eastmond, Mutt Lange and Ocean, the song was used as the theme song for the Michael Douglas film "The Jewel of the Nile". The saxophone solo is by Vernon Jeffrey Smith. The song became a major international success, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in February 1986, and number two on the "Billboard" Hot  100, stalling behind "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston. It remains his only number-one single in the UK to date. Music video. A music video was shot at the Brixton Academy, and features Douglas and his "Jewel of the Nile" co-stars Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito as lip-synching backup singers. It reportedly boosted the popularity of the venue. The video was initially banned on "Top of the Pops" because the actors were not part of the musician's union, meaning DeVito's miming of the saxophone solo went against the rules. Track listing. Other versions Boyzone  version. Irish boyband Boyzone recorded a cover version for the 1999 Comic Relief telethon, shortening the title to "When the Going Gets Tough". Like the original, their version also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming their fifth chart-topper. It spent two weeks at number one. The song received a platinum certification in the UK. The video included Graham Norton, Jo Brand, Phill Jupitus, Mel Smith, Davina McCall, Harry Hill, Steve Collins, John McCririck, Jimmy White, Mystic Meg, Will Mellor, James Dreyfus, the cast of "Emmerdale", Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish, and Ulrika Jonsson and Saracen from  Gladiators. Track listings. UK CD single UK cassette single French CD single