Love Is the Drug

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with the song by Roni Griffith.
For the 2006 film, see Love Is the Drug (film).

"Love Is the Drug"
Roxymusicloveisthedrug.jpg
1996 Rollo & Sister Bliss remix single cover
Single by Roxy Music
from the album Siren
B-side"Sultanesque"
Released1975
Genre
Length4:11
LabelEG
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Chris Thomas
Roxy Music singles chronology
"The Thrill of It All"
(1974) 		"Love Is the Drug"
(1975) 		"Both Ends Burning"
(1975)
Music video
"Love Is the Drug" on YouTube

"Love Is the Drug" is a 1975 single from English rock band Roxy Music's fifth studio album Siren.

Roxy Music original[]

Background[]

The song was the lead single taken from the album Siren. A number two hit in the United Kingdom, it also gave the group its first substantial exposure in the United States, reaching number 30 in early 1976 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and doing even better on progressive rock radio. Its B-side in most countries was "Sultanesque", a non-LP instrumental track written by Ferry, which is now available on The Thrill of It All boxset.

The song started as an Andy Mackay instrumental, but then gained lyrics from Bryan Ferry; Ferry said the song came to him while he was walking and kicking the leaves in London's Hyde Park.[citation needed]

The bassline (a "memorable groove")[4] by John Gustafson became influential. In the DVD, More Than This: The Story of Roxy Music, Nile Rodgers of Chic states that the song was a big influence as the bass timing is almost identical to the one in Chic's song, "Good Times".[citation needed]

The song remains Roxy Music's highest-charting single in the US, while in the UK it was topped only by their 1981 version of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy". It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Its bassline was included in the 2005 Stylus Magazine list of the "Top 50 Basslines of All Time" at number 26.[5] In 2019, Marc Myers praised the song, with "its pulsating bass line and swaggering croon", in The Wall Street Journal as a song that was way ahead of its time.[6]

Personnel[]

Charts[]

Chart (1975–1976) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 18
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 15
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 9
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 24
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 30
US Cash Box Top 100[15] 24
West Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 39
Chart (1996)1 Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 33

1Remix

Grace Jones version[]

"Love Is the Drug"
Gracejonesloveisthedrug86.jpg
Single by Grace Jones
from the album Warm Leatherette
B-side
Released1980
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Grace Jones singles chronology
"A Rolling Stone"
(1980) 		"Love Is the Drug"
(1980) 		"Private Life"
(1980)
Music video
"Love Is the Drug" on YouTube

Grace Jones recorded "Love Is the Drug" for her Warm Leatherette album from 1980.[18] The track was released as the second single, following "A Rolling Stone" in the UK while it was the first single to be released in Germany. After failing to chart in 1980, a remix of the Grace Jones version was released in 1986 following the 1985 compilation Island Life and then became a minor hit in the UK, peaking at No. 35. Music video was produced for the 1986 remix and directed by Matt Forrest and Bruno Tilley.[19]

Track listing[]

  • 7" single (1980)[20]
A. "Love Is the Drug" – 4:40
B. "Sinning" – 4:10
  • 12" single (1980)[21]
A. "Love Is the Drug" – 8:40
B. "Sinning" – 4:10
  • 12" single (1981)[22]
A. "Love Is the Drug" – 7:15
B. "Demolition Man" – 4:04
  • UK 7" single (1986)[23]
A. "Love Is the Drug" – 3:21
B. "Living My Life" – 5:28
  • EU 7" single (1986)[24]
A. "Love Is the Drug" – 3:42
B. "Living My Life" – 3:58
  • 12" single (1986)[25]
A. "Love Is the Drug" – 6:57
B1. "Living My Life" – 5:28
B2. "The Apple Stretching" – 6:55

Chart performance[]

Chart (1986) Peak
position
Germany (Official German Charts)[26] 57
Ireland (IRMA)[27] 18
UK Singles (OCC)[28] 35

References[]

  1. ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (2000). Night Moves: Pop Music in the Late '70s. St. Martin's Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-312-19821-3.
  2. ^ Gill, Andy (16 April 2015). "Roxy Music – The Studio Albums". Uncut. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  3. ^ Mastropolo, Frank (12 January 2018). "Top 11 Glam Rock Songs". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  4. ^ Allen, Jeremy (28 May 2020). "Low Culture 7: How the Bryan/Brian Schism Worked for Roxy Music". The Quietus. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  5. ^ Soto, Alfred (12 September 2005). "Stylus Magazine's Top 50 Basslines of All Time". Archived from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  6. ^ Myers, Marc (27 February 2019). "The Swaggering Love Song That Launched New Wave". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Chart Positions Pre 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  8. ^ "Ultratop.be – Roxy Music – Love Is The Drug" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  9. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4117a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  10. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 17, 1976" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Roxy Music – Love Is The Drug" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  12. ^ "Charts.nz – Roxy Music – Love Is The Drug". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  14. ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. 20 March 1976. p. 70. ISSN 0006-2510.
  15. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MARCH 13, 1976". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Roxy Music – Love Is The Drug". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 June 2013. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Roxy Music"
  17. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  18. ^ Levine, Nick (22 June 2020). "Why Grace Jones was the most pioneering queen of pop". BBC. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Grace Jones". Mvdbase.com. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  20. ^ "Grace Jones – Love Is the Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  21. ^ "Grace Jones – Love Is the Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  22. ^ "Grace Jones – Love Is the Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  23. ^ "Grace Jones – Love Is the Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  24. ^ "Grace Jones – Love Is the Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  25. ^ "Grace Jones – Love Is the Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  26. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Grace Jones – Love Is The Drug" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  27. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Is the Drug". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  28. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2013.

External links[]

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