The Look of Love (ABC song)

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Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Singles
The Look of Love (Part One)
  DE 36 08/16/1982 (15 weeks)
  UK 4th 05/15/1982 (14 weeks)
  US 18th 09/11/1982 (25 weeks)
The Look of Love 1990 Mix
  DE 31 May 21, 1990 (10 weeks)
  UK 68 April 14, 1990 (2 weeks)

The Look of Love is a song by the British new wave band ABC from 1982 . The song was written by the band, has lyrics by Martin Fry and was produced by Trevor Horn . It appeared on The Lexicon of Love and was released as the third single from the album. The single was able to place in the British and American Top 20.

History of origin

As with all songs on the album, Fry wrote the lyrics after his girlfriend at the time left him. The composition with its “majestic sound ”, arranged by the later “ The Art of Noise ” members Trevor Horn, Anne Dudley and Gary Langan, stands in clear contrast to the cynical text by Fry. The Look of Love (Part One) , the full name of the title, is about the "anger and indignation" that Fry felt about being abandoned and, as the full name (Part One) already suggests, only one of a total of four parts.

The Look of Love (Part Two) is the instrumental version, The Look of Love (Part Three ) is a "vocal remix," and The Look of Love (Part Four ) is a short orchestral version with strings, horns, an occasionally plucked harp and a xylophone. In contrast to most of the other songs on the album, this composition was recorded with real string instruments instead of synthesizers. Another remix by Trevor Horn was released as an American maxi single that same year. The publication took place on May 14, 1982.

After the release, the first 12 "version with the remix by Trevor Horn was not available everywhere in the USA. Since the remix was popular with many DJs at the time , a version also mixed by Trevor Horn was released in 1985 as a 12" remix of the synthie Pop songs .

In 1990, another version of the song was released by ABC under the title The Look of Love (1990 Mix) , which peaked at 68 in the UK.

Music video

The music video was shot in a film studio. You can see chalk pictures on the sidewalks (a parody of the film Mary Poppins ), carnival shows, a puppet theater and also the band ABC. Trevor Horn and Paul Morley also had a guest appearance in the clip; in general, the clip can also be understood as an homage to the film An American in Paris .

reception

Allmusic's Mike De Gagne describes the song as "the perfect song that ABC introduced to their flawless sound".

Cover versions

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Sources chart positions: Germany - Great Britain - USA
  2. ↑ Simon Reynolds: Rip It Up And Start Again . Hannibal Verlag, Höfen 2007, ISBN 978-3-85445-270-6 (Chapter 19 Play to Win: Pioneers of New Pop, p. 392 ).
  3. ↑ The Look of Love, Pt. 1 at Allmusic (English)
  4. ↑ Reynolds 2007, p. 393
  5. ↑ The Look of Love, Pt. 1 at Allmusic (English)