The Look of Love (ABC song)

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“The Look of Love”
“The Look of Love” cover
Single by ABC
from the album The Lexicon of Love
A-side The Look of Love [Part One] (7")
The Look of Love [Parts One & Two] (12")
B-side The Look of Love [Part Two] (7")
The Look of Love [Parts Three & Four] (12")
Released 1982
Format 7" / 12"
Recorded 1981
Genre Synth-pop
Length 3:26
Label Mercury Records (U.S.)
Neutron Records (UK)
Vertigo Records (France)
Writer(s) ABC
Producer Trevor Horn
ABC singles chronology
"Poison Arrow"
(1982)		 "The Look of Love"
(1982)		 "All of My Heart"
(1982)

"The Look of Love" is a New Romantic song recorded by ABC in 1982, included on their debut album, The Lexicon of Love. It is widely considered a classic of its era.[citation needed] Released as a single and as a 12" remix, the went to number one on the Billboard Dance/Disco chart as well as the Canadian pop singles chart. It was their biggest hit in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four, and was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., peaking at number 18.

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 instrumental, containing just the string section from the song. A different remix version by producer Trevor Horn appeared on the 1982 U.S. 12".

A music video for the song featured the band's members at a carnival, taped on a soundstage.

The '82 U.S. Extended Remix 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 re-pressing of the Horn remix (though did not officially re-release the song) in 1985. A new remix of the song by Paul O'Duffy was officially released in 1990, without participation or approval from the band's members. Subsequent years have brought numerous re-releases of The Lexicon of Love and several hits collections, yet oddly enough on the frequent occasions when a remix of "The Look of Love" is included, it is almost always the 1990 O'Duffy retread, and not the classic, chart-topping 1982 Trevor Horn original.

[edit] Chart performance

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report 7
Canadian Hot 100 1
Swedish Singles Chart 8
UK Singles Chart 4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 18
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 1


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ABC
Martin Fry
Former members
Mark Lickley (1980–1982) | David Robinson (1980–1982) | David Palmer (1980 – 1982) | Andy Newmark (1983) | Alan Spenner (1983) | Stephen Singleton (1980–1984) | Fiona Russell-Powell (a.k.a Eden) (1985) | David Yarritu (1985) | Mark White (1980–1992) | Glenn Gregory (1995–1997) | Keith Lowndes (1995–1997)
Albums
Live and Compilations
Singles
"Tears Are Not Enough" | "Poison Arrow" | "The Look of Love (Part One)" | "All of My Heart"
 | "That Was Then but This Is Now" | "S.O.S." | "(How to Be a) Millionaire" | "Be Near Me" | "Vanity Kills" | "Ocean Blue" | "When Smokey Sings" | "The Night You Murdered Love" | "King Without a Crown" | "The Look of Love '90" | "One Better World" | "The Real Thing" | "Love Conquers All" | "Say It" | "Rolling Sevens" | "Skyscraping" | "Stranger Things" | "Peace and Tranquility" | "The Very First Time"
Videos
ABC Mantrap | Absolutely...ABC
Spinoffs
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