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Who Needs Love Like That

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"Who Needs Love Like That"
Original 1985 single cover
Single by Erasure
from the album Wonderland; Hamburg Mix (1992) from Pop! - the First 20 Hits
B-side"Push Me Shove Me"
Released
  • 2 September 1985 (original version)[1]
  • 20 October 1992 (Hamburg mix)
Recorded1985
GenreSynthpop, new wave
Length3:16
Label
Songwriter(s)Vince Clarke
Producer(s)Flood
Erasure singles chronology
"Who Needs Love Like That"
(1985) 		"Heavenly Action"
(1985)
"Take a Chance on Me"
(1992)
"Who Needs Love Like That (Hamburg Mix)"
(1992)
"Always"
(1994)
Alternative cover
1992 remix single cover
Music video
"Who Needs Love Like That" on YouTube

"Who Needs Love Like That" is the debut single released by British synthpop duo Erasure. The song was released in the UK on Mute Records in 1985 as a prelude to their debut album, Wonderland (1986). The accompanying music video was directed by John Scarlett Davies and produced by Nick Verden for Aldabra. While the original 1985 release enjoyed only minor success, the later "Hamburg Mix" version (issued in 1992 to promote the Pop! compilation) reached the top 10 in both the UK and Ireland.

History

"Who Needs Love Like That" is an uptempo pop song written by Vince Clarke. The lyrics are a cast-off to a destructive love relationship, in which the protagonist asks "who needs love like that?" The music video takes place in a mock Western, with Clarke, Andy Bell and various extras dressed as cowboys. Both Bell and Clarke appear in dual roles, the others being woman's drags.

Upon its release, the song spent two weeks in the UK singles chart, peaking at number 55. In 1992, the song was remixed and tacked on to the end of Erasure's greatest hits collection Pop! - the First 20 Hits (although in the U.S. it only appears on the cassette release). The "Hamburg Mix" (slightly retitled to put "Like That" in parenthesis) was released as a single and became a Top 10 UK hit, peaking at number ten.

Critical reception

Ned Raggett from AllMusic said that songs like "Who Needs Love Like That" "aren't quite as strong but work in the general formula quite well regardless."[2] Howard Cohen from Knight-Ridder Newspapers described it as "frothy dance".[3] Chris Gerard from Metro Weekly wrote that it is "a little simple and raw compared to their later work (and the video is hilariously campy), but it has a classic dance groove and keyboard riff that beams the listener back nearly 30 years, and its hard to play without smiling and singing along."[4] On the release of the 1992 remix, Music Week commented, "It was a brilliant introductory single, and its lack of success first time out – it peaked at number 55 – is baffling. A straightforward reissue would have been preferable, as the song has very strong melodic verses, which are exorcised completely from the remix, but its dancefloor sensibilities are more than sufficient to ensure it becomes a major success."[5] A reviewer from People Magazine stated that Clarke "has not lost his ability to make his music-box synth-sound pulse, as he does in such songs" as "Who Needs Love Like That".[6] Darren Lee from The Quietus said it "bears Yazoo's unmistakeable imprint, with Andy Bell content to mimic Alison Moyet's dulcet vocals."[7] Mark Frith from Smash Hits described it as "Human League-esque".[8]

Track listings

Charts

Original release (1985)

Chart (1985/1986) Peak
position
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] 23
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 55
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[11] 8
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)[12] 13
West Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 48

Hamburg Mix release (1992)

Chart (1992) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[14] 18
Denmark (IFPI)[15] 5
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[16] 25
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] 13
Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 27
Greece (Pop + Rock)[18] 9
Ireland (IRMA)[19] 8
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 31
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 10

References

  1. ^ Smith, Robin (31 August 1985). "News: Erasure for Vince". Record Mirror. p. 6.
  2. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Erasure – Wonderland". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  3. ^ Cohen, Howard (6 August 1995). "Can't duck disco". p. 4E. Wisconsin State Journal.
  4. ^ Gerard, Chris (17 September 2014). "Erasure's 40 Greatest Tracks". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 17 October 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Wonderland". People. 28 April 1986. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  7. ^ Lee, Darren (27 February 2009). "Erasure – TOTAL POP! ERASURE'S FIRST 40 HITS". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  8. ^ Frith, Mark (28 October 1992). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 54. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  9. ^ Steffen Hung. "Erasure - Who Needs Love Like That". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Erasure | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  11. ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/erasure/chart-history/dance/club-play-songs
  12. ^ "Erasure". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  13. ^ a b "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche". musicline.de. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  14. ^ Steffen Hung (20 December 1992). "Austria Top 40 - Hitparade Österreich". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  15. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. 12 December 1992. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 21 November 1992. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  17. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-31-2503-5.
  18. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. 9 January 1993. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  19. ^ Jaclyn Ward. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  20. ^ Steffen Hung (25 November 1992). "Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
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