The Look of Love (ABC song)

"The Look of Love"
Single by ABC
from the album The Lexicon of Love
A-side	"The Look of Love (Parts One & Two)"
B-side	"The Look of Love (Part Two), "The Look of Love (Parts Three & Four)", "Theme From Mantrap" (US)
Released	May 14, 1982
Format	7", 12"
Recorded	1981
Genre	Synthpop
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 song recorded by ABC in 1981, included on their debut album, The Lexicon of Love.

History

Released as a single and as a 12" remix, it 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 4, 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 acoustic instrumental part of the song, containing strings and horns, as well as occasional harp plucks and xylophone. A different remix version by producer Trevor Horn appeared on the 1982 U.S. 12".

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 in 1985 (though they did not officially re-release the song).

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 2009 Virgin Trains used the song to front an advertising campaign to promote its services.

In 2009, the song was performed by the cast in a full song and dance number on the U.S. CW TV serial drama series Valentine, as part of the plot in which the goddess Aphrodite makes a love match at a karaoke bar.

In 2009, Payless used the song to promote holiday sales of shoewear.

Music video

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 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 positions

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Australian Kent Music Report	7
Canadian Hot 100	1
German Singles Chart	36
Swedish Singles Chart	8
UK Singles Chart	4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	18
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1

The Look of Love (1990 Mix)

"The Look of Love (1990 Mix)"
Single by ABC
from the album Absolutely (ABC album)
Released	April 13, 1990
Recorded	1989
Genre	Synthpop
Length	4:01
Label	Mercury Records
Writer(s)	ABC
ABC singles chronology
"The Real Thing" (1989) "The Look of Love (1990 Mix) (1990) "Love Conquers All" (1991)

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.

Charts

Chart (1990)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	68
Irish Singles Chart	30
German Singles Chart	31
Finnish Singles Chart	15
New Zealand Singles Chart	44

References

Preceded by "Down Under" by Men at Work	Canadian "RPM" Singles Chart number-one single 13 November 1982	Succeeded by "Gloria" by Laura Branigan
Preceded by "1999" by Prince	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single 18 December 1982	Succeeded by "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls