"The Look of Love" is a song recorded by ABC in 1981, included on their debut album, The Lexicon of Love.
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History[edit][]
Released as a single and as a 12" remix, it went to number 1 on the Billboard Dance/Disco chart as well as the Canadian Singles Chart. It was their biggest hit in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 4, and was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, peaking at number 18.[3]
The single consists of four parts, referred to as "Parts One, Two, Three and Four". Part One is the standard album version, Part Two is an instrumental version, Part Three is a vocal remix and Part Four is a short acoustic instrumental part of the song, containing strings and horns, as well as occasional harp plucks and xylophone. A different US remix dub version by producerTrevor Horn appeared as a-side on the 1982 US 12".
The '82 US remix dub version was not widely available after its initial release, but the track remained much in demand by club DJs and fans alike, and copies of the original 12" version fetched high prices. When Neutron (the band's UK label) discovered this, they issued a limited edition dj-pressing of the Horn remix in November 1982 as a DJ promo 12" vinyl under the title "ABC Look Of Love Special Remix 12" Neutron NTXDJ103.
Through the 1980s, BBC Radio 1 DJ Gary Davies used the last crescendo on Part 2 of the song as a closing theme to his daily lunchtime programme called The Bit In The Middle, only changing it in 1991 when his show was rebranded as Let's Do Lunch and given fresh music beds and themes.
The US B-side, entitled "Theme From Mantrap", was an alternate version of "Poison Arrow".
In 1996, Euro band Eclipse released a dance cover version, which reached number 30 on the Australian charts.[4]
Music video[edit][]
The music video for the song, taped on a soundstage, was influenced by old British music hall, the chalk pavement sequence in the Mary Poppins film, carnival sideshows, and Punch and Judy puppet shows; the four band members were featured wearing Edwardian-style light suits with vertical pastel stripes, accompanied by many colourful extras, including a Charlie Chaplinimpersonator and cameos from producer Trevor Horn and music promoter and journalist Paul Morley. The video vaguely pays homage to the ballet sequence from An American in Paris.
Chart performance[edit][]
Original release[edit][]
Weekly charts[edit][]
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Year-end charts[edit][]
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1983 re-issue[edit][]
| Chart (1983) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| UK (Official Charts Company)[24] | 71 |
The Look of Love (1990 Mix)[edit][]
| "The Look of Love (1990 Mix)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [1] | ||||
| Single by ABC | ||||
| from the album Absolutely (ABC album) | ||||
| Released | 13 April 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Genre | Synthpop | |||
| Length | 4:01 | |||
| Label | Mercury Records | |||
| Writer(s) | ABC | |||
| ABC singles chronology | ||||
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In 1990, to promote the compilation album Absolutely, a new remix of the song by Paul O'Duffy was officially released, though without participation or approval from the band's members. The remix incorporates part of the melody from Kraftwerk's "Computer Love", which had been in the UK Top 40 at the same time as the original release of "The Look of Love" in 1982.
Chart performance[edit][]
| Chart (1990) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| Germany (Media Control Charts)[25] | 31 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 30 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ)[26] | 44 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[27] | 68 |