| "Oh L'amour" | |||||||||||||||||
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Original 1986 single cover |
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| Single by Erasure | |||||||||||||||||
| from the album Wonderland | |||||||||||||||||
| B-side | "March on Down the Line", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (1986) | ||||||||||||||||
| Released | 21 April 1986 (original version) 13 October 2003 (remix) |
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| Format | 12", 7", CD | ||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1985 | ||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Synthpop | ||||||||||||||||
| Length | 3:24 | ||||||||||||||||
| Label | Mute (UK) Sire (U.S.) |
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| Writer(s) | Vince Clarke, Andy Bell | ||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Flood | ||||||||||||||||
| Erasure singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||
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"Oh L'amour" is a song by English synth pop duo Erasure, released in April 1986 as their third single.
It was issued by Mute Records in the UK and Sire Records in the U.S. to herald the June release of Erasure's debut album Wonderland, but became the third consecutive commercial failure for the band in both territories. Despite its low chart placing, "Oh L'amour" has proven to be one of Erasure's signature songs, due to its popularity in dance clubs. It remains a favourite among fans, particularly when performed live.
Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, "Oh L'amour" is a lament from someone experiencing unrequited love ("broke my heart / now I'm aching for you"). The song is an uptempo synth pop dance track and its popularity was further fueled in dance clubs by the "Funky Sisters Remix", which appeared on the UK 12 inch single and as a bonus track on the U.S. edition of Wonderland. The B-side is a cover version of "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", the first time Erasure dipped into the ABBA songbook.
In 1986, "Oh L'amour" climbed to number eighty-five on the UK singles chart and became Erasure's first big hit in South Africa (number two), in Germany (number sixteen), in Australia (number thirteen) and their only one in France (number fourteen). In the United States, the song's biggest impact was on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it hit number three. A different mix of the song was submitted for the single release, adding new instrumentation and extra sounds. This version appears on all of the band's compilation albums.
"Oh L'amour" was remixed in 2003 and released as a single again to promote the greatest hits package Hits! The Very Best of Erasure. In its remixed form, the song finally became a Top 20 UK hit, peaking at number thirteen in autumn 2003.
"Oh L'amour" single was issued with characters from Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends in cover art.
Contents |
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 13 |
| French Singles Chart[1] | 14 |
| German Singles Chart | 16 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 17 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 25 |
| Singapore Singles Chart | 3 |
| South African Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 15 |
| UK Singles Chart | 85 |
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
| German Singles Chart | 59 |
| UK Singles Chart | 13 |
The Dollar version of "Oh L'amour" was later sampled by electronic duo Orbital on their track "Style", which appeared on their 1999 album The Middle of Nowhere.