Oh L'amour
Encyclopedia
"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 remix
ed 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.
by electronic duo Orbital
on their track "Style
", which appeared on their 1999 album The Middle of Nowhere
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
synth pop duo Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
, released in April 1986 as their third single.
It was issued by Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
in the UK and Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
in the U.S. to herald the June release of Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
'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
Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....
and Andy Bell
Andy Bell (singer)
Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
, "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)
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ", originally titled "Been and Gone and Done It", is one of Swedish pop group ABBA's biggest disco hits. It was recorded and released in 1979 with "The King Has Lost His Crown" as the B-side. It appears on ABBA's Greatest Hits Vol...
", the first time Erasure dipped into the ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
songbook.
In 1986, "Oh L'amour" climbed to number eighty-five on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and became Erasure's first big hit in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
(number two), in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(number sixteen), in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(number thirteen) and their only one in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan 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 remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed in 2003 and released as a single again to promote the greatest hits package Hits! The Very Best of Erasure
Hits!
-10 Great Songs:Erasure - 10 Great Songs was a budget compilation released on 2 November 2009, shortly after the Total Pop! The First 40 Hits range of releases. According to the official Erasure website, the album was "part of a series of budget titles put together by EMI specifically for sale...
. 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.
12" single (12MUTE45)
- "Oh L'amour" (12" Mix)
- "March on Down the Line" (Remix)
- "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"
Limited 12" single (L12MUTE45)
- "Oh L'amour" (PWLPWLPete Waterman Entertainment is the production company one-time pop and dance record label owned by pop mogul Pete Waterman. The label, originally PWL, is most famous for being the home of hit record producers Stock Aitken Waterman....
Funky Sisters Say 'Ooh La La' Remix) - "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" (Remix)
- "March on Down the Line" (Remix)
CD Single (CDMUTE45)
- "Oh L'amour"
- "March on Down the Line"
- "Oh L'amour" (PWL Funky Sisters Say 'Ooh La La' Remix)
- "March on Down the Line" (Remix)
- "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"
CD single (CDMUTE312)
- "Oh L'amour" (August Mix)
- "Love Me All Night Long"
- "Nothing Lasts Forever"
Limited CD single (LCDMUTE312)
- "Oh L'amour" (LMC Extended Remix)
- "Oh L'amour" (Shanghai Remix)
- "Oh L'amour" (Kenny Hayes Remix)
DVD single (DVDMUTE312)
- "Oh L'amour" (Carsten Kroeyer Mix)
- "Oh L'amour" (Dark Brothers and Andy Bell Mix)
- "Victim of Love" (video - Live Footage From The Other Tour)
Chart performance
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
13 |
| French Singles Chart | 14 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
16 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
17 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 25 |
| Singapore Singles Chart | 3 |
| South African Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 15 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
85 |
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
59 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
13 |
Cover versions
- The song would become more successful, chart-wise, when British pop duo DollarDollar (band)Dollar are a pop vocal duo from the UK, consisting of David Van Day and Thereza Bazar. The duo were successful in the late 1970s and 1980s.-Career:...
released a cover versionCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
in late 1987. This version eventually climbed to number seven, spent two weeks in the UK Top 10 and frequently appears on K-TelK-telK-tel International is an "As-Seen-On-TV" company, which is most noted for its compilation music albums, such as "The Super Hits" series, "The Dynamic Hits" series and "The Number One Hits" series...
albums. - A hi-NRGHi-NRGHi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
/eurotrance cover of the song by Spellbound featuring Deejé was released in 2000. An audio sample can be heard here. - A cover version by DJ DeroDJ DeroEzequiel Dero , also known as DJ Dero, is a DJ, producer and remixer of House, Electro House, Techno and Eurodance styles...
featuring Alejandro Sergi (of the Argentine electro pop band Miranda!Miranda!Miranda! is an Argentine electro pop band formed in 2001. Band members include Alejandro Sergi , Juliana Gattas , Lolo Fuentes , Bruno de Vincenti , and since 2003, Nicolás Grimaldi...
) was recorded in 2007 and included on the dance music compilation Verano 2008. An audio sample can be heard here. - Daniel Prince of Pt Erin fame (now living in London) performed this a capella at the Haven Pub in 2004.
Sampling
The Dollar version of "Oh L'amour" was later sampledSampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
by electronic duo Orbital
Orbital (band)
Orbital are a British electronic dance music duo from Sevenoaks, England consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2009 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows...
on their track "Style
Style (Orbital song)
"Style" is a 1999 single by the electronica duo Orbital. It was their fourth consecutive single, and fifth overall, to reach the top 20 of the UK singles chart, peaking at number 13....
", which appeared on their 1999 album The Middle of Nowhere
The Middle of Nowhere (Orbital album)
The Middle of Nowhere is the fifth album released by Orbital. It was released in 1999, where it peaked at #4 and spent 7 weeks in the UK albums chart.- The album :The track "Know Where to Run" was featured in the PlayStation game Wipeout 3....
.