| "Love Is a Stranger" | ||||||||||||||
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| Single by Eurythmics | ||||||||||||||
| from the album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) | ||||||||||||||
| Released | 8 November 1982 28 March 1983 (Re-issue) |
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| Format | 7", 12" | |||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||||||||||||
| Genre | New Wave, Electronica, Synth Pop | |||||||||||||
| Label | RCA | |||||||||||||
| Producer | David A. Stewart Adam Williams |
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| Eurythmics singles chronology | ||||||||||||||
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"Love Is a Stranger" is Eurythmics' fifth single, and like its predecessors, was initially a commercial flop, although it later became a worldwide hit when it re-entered the chart following their commercial breakthrough with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)".
It was produced by David A. Stewart and Adam Williams and was self-financed at Eurythmics' 8-track facility in Chalk Farm.
The song has a fairly sparse, up-tempo arrangement. It uses the rare Movement Systems Drum Computer and various synthesizers (providing bass, melody lines and sound effects), including the Suzuki Omnichord, combined with Lennox's strident multi-tracked vocal harmonies. The song is also punctuated with vocal grunts of "uh!" from Stewart.
The single was re-released in 1991.
Contents |
The single release was accompanied by a striking music video directed by Mike Brady, in which Stewart acts as chauffeur for an androgynous Lennox, who plays the role of a high-class prostitute. During the course of the video, Lennox removes a curly blonde wig to reveal her trademark, close-cropped, red hair underneath. This caused controversy in the USA, as some people mistakenly thought Lennox was a male transvestite.
The single B-side was "Monkey Monkey", a stripped-down electro track featuring a sparse drum machine and sequenced synthesizer arrangement, with Lennox's vocal heavily electronically processed. The bass-line consists of a rhythmically shifting motive permutating against the drum pattern. Lennox plays with half-articulated fake-French soundings and extremely long intonations.
On the 12-inch maxi-single this song was preceded by "Let's Just Close Our Eyes" a completely alternative version of their previous single "The Walk"
7"
12"
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[1] | 54 |
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
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| Belgian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Canadian Singles Chart[2] | 15 |
| Dutch Singles Chart[3] | 12 |
| French Singles Chart[4] | 51 |
| German Singles Chart[5] | 12 |
| Irish Singles Chart[6] | 4 |
| Japanese Singles Chart | 60 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart[7] | 20 |
| South African Singles Chart[8] | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart[9] | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[10] | 23 |
| U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart[11] | 7 |
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
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| UK Singles Chart[12] | 46 |
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