"The Great Commandment" is a song by German synth-pop trio Camouflage. Originally recorded in 1983, the song was re-recorded in 1987 and released as their debut single in 1987. It was included on their 1988 debut album, Voices & Images.
The single gave Camouflage their only number one dance hit. "The Great Commandment" stayed at the top spot for three non-consecutive weeks. The single became popular on independent stations and crossed over to the mainstream American pop charts, peaking at number 59 in February 1989. In their native Germany, "The Great Commandment" went to number 14, and reached the top ten in more than twenty countries.
The music video was directed by Rainer Thieding, and was filmed on a black and white film on 14 and 15 November 1987 at Butenholt-Studios in Kröppelshagen.
It depicts the band members amongst a crowd of children in a factory, who appear to be protesting against a spokesperson of some kind. One of the children discovers a control panel underneath the stage, and proves that the spokesperson is in fact a robot controlled by the mechanism. This causes the spokesperson to malfunction and fall over, after which the band and children leave.
In 2001, Camouflage re-recorded their debut single "The Great Commandment" and released it that year as a comeback attempt at their label's suggestion. Vocals were also re-recorded. The single was produced by London trio "Toy" and drums were provided by Christian Eigner, former tourmate of Depeche Mode. It reached number 85 on the charts.