DVD Talk review of 'Peter Gabriel: Play'
 

I read Jason Bovberg's DVD review of Peter Gabriel: Play at http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=13363 and...
(quote/)Games Without Frontiers video is nevertheless interesting historically. Almost inexplicably combining gymnastics footage (/quote)
Bear with me on this:
In the 1960's Charles de Gaulle initiated a pan-European project "Jeux Sans Frontières"(1) to promote European Unity.
Each European country held internal competitions to determine who would represent their country at the European final - which involved 6 or so national teams.
The "games" involved competing in "silly games" climbing greasy poles, doing bungee runs etc. generally dressed in oversize costumes. (Imagine giant penguins going round an assault course).
The show ran from the late sixties to the end of the seventies and was recently revived.
A celebrity version was recorded that involved: Princess Anne, Tom Jones' Kevin Kline and Sheena Easton among others.
The title used in the UK for the qualifiers was "It's a Knockout"(2).
"Jeux Sans Frontières" translates to "Games without Borders" or "Games without Frontiers"(3).
Given that (1), (2) and (3) appear in the song's lyric, this would explain the use of gymnastics footage!

"It's a knockout
If looks could kill, they probably will
In games without frontiers
war without tears
Games without frontiers
war without tears

Jeux sans frontieres
Jeux sans frontieres
Jeux sans frontieres"*

(NOT "She's so popular" - these lines sung by Kate Bush btw)

Ah! I suspected it had something to do with either the Olympics or some kind of international game. Thanks for the insight! I'll amend the review.

OH WOW!
all these years I knew this song and never knew the history.

thanks.

My pleasure DocBrass
Jason, I see you updated the review. To clarify, I wasn't trying to imply the footage used in the video was from the show I mentioned (otherwise the athletes would be dressed as giant bloodhounds or something), simply trying to explain the connections.
(Great review by the way).