A Matter of Trust


"A Matter of Trust" is a song by Billy Joel, released on July 9, 1986 as the second single from his album The Bridge.
The song was the second top 10 single from the album, after the previous single "Modern Woman". The song gained major traction in the Soviet Union as part of a state-sponsored television promotion of Joel's songs in preparation for his 1987 USSR concerts, recorded on Kontsert.

Music video

The song's music video, directed by Russell Mulcahy and produced and conceived by Paul Flattery, features Joel and his band performing in the basement of a building on St. Mark's Place in New York City's East Village, and also features shots of various people in the city who eventually gather round the building's windows to see Joel perform. Most appear to be enjoying the concert except one woman on a fire escape who yells at them to "shut up!" However, she is ignored, and even members of the NYPD do not mind. His then wife Christie Brinkley appears in the video holding their baby daughter Alexa. The song differs from most Joel songs in that it is based on electric guitar rather than piano, which gives it a hard rock edge compared to his usual soft rock balladry. It is the only Joel music video that features him on guitar - a factor he cited for saying it was his favorite of all his videos. Both Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney appear very briefly in the video; Starr is standing in the street outside a window, and McCartney leaning against a wall.

Chart positions