Lose Your Love Explained

Lose Your Love should not be confused with Your Love (The Outfield song).

Lose Your Love
Cover:Blancmange Lose Your Love 1985 Single Cover.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Blancmange
Album:Believe You Me
B-Side:John
Released:28 October 1985
Recorded:1985
Genre:Synth-pop
Length:3:58
Label:London
Sire (US)
Producer:Stewart Levine
Prev Title:What's Your Problem
Prev Year:1985
Next Title:I Can See It
Next Year:1986

"Lose Your Love" is a song by English synth-pop duo Blancmange, released on 28 October 1985[1] as the second single from their third studio album, Believe You Me (1985). It was written by Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe, and produced by Stewart Levine. "Lose Your Love" reached No. 77 in the UK, which was the duo's first single to fail to reach the Top 40 since 1982's "Feel Me".[2] In the United States, it was a dance hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart.[3]

Release

For its release as a single, "Lose Your Love" was remixed. The B-side, "John", also appeared on Believe You Me (1985).[4] The single was released in the UK, Canada, Japan and Europe by London Records, while it was released in America through Sire Records.[4] In the UK only, a special double 7" vinyl gatefold release was issued. The bonus 7" vinyl featured an extended remix of the duo's 1983 hit single "That's Love, That It Is" and "Game Above My Head (Extended Remix)".[5]

For 12" editions of the single, an extended version of "Lose Your Love" was created, along with "Mixing on the Ceiling", a 10 minute medley of various Blancmange songs.[6] In the US, the 12" vinyl release featured the extended version of "Lose Your Love", while the B-side was an extended version of the West India Company track "Ave Maria", featuring Vince Clarke as guest musician on pyrotechnics.[7] "Ave Maria (Om Ganesha)" was originally released as West India Company's debut single in 1984.[8]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Zbigniew Rybczyński.[9] On its release, it was banned by both UK broadcasting companies BBC and ITV due to violence.[10] In the US, it achieved light rotation on MTV.[11] The music video appeared in the 1986 Disney sci-fi film Flight of the Navigator.[12]

In a 2011 interview, Arthur recalled the video: "We had great fun making the video for that, many years ago. We flew over to New York to film it. The video got banned by ITV and the BBC for 'inciting violence in the home'. Because we were smashing up things. It was ridiculous. We hired an old, abandoned terminal in Manhattan – each room was a different scenario. And then we went upstate and pulled a house down for the finale! An old house was going to be demolished and we filmed it being pulled down."[10]

Critical reception

Upon release, Billboard picked the single as a recommended pop single and wrote: "Seminal British synthpop duo unevils one of its infrequent singles, sounding a good deal mellower and more relaxed than in its "Living on the Ceiling" days."[13] Billboard also commented on the 12-inch remix of "Lose Your Love", commenting: "The epic-length remix of "Lose Your Love" suggests that a new, artier form of high-energy may be emerging..."[14] Dave Ling of Number One said: ""Lose Your Love" is an emphatic addition to their list of triumphs, boasting an odd two-fingered twiddly keyboard arrangement and a chorus of truly immense proportions. Miss it at your peril."[15]

In a review of the 2017 deluxe edition of Believe You Me (1985), Paul Scott-Bates of Louder Than War described the song as an "immediate singalong track with a wall of sound and a toe-tapping chorus that is difficult to shake".[16] The Electricity Club commented the song was "certainly one of the more punchy moments on the album".[17]

Track listing

7" single
  1. "Lose Your Love" – 3:58
  2. "John" – 4:12
7" single (US promo)
  1. "Lose Your Love (Edit)" – 3:59
  2. "Lose Your Love (LP Version)" – 3:56
2x 7" single (UK gatefold release)
  1. "Lose Your Love" – 4:07
  2. "John" – 4:17
  3. "That's Love, That It Is" – 7:30
  4. "Game Above My Head (Extended Remix) " – 7:06
12" single (UK release)
  1. "Lose Your Love (Extended Version)" – 10:12
  2. "John" – 4:17
  3. "Mixing on the Ceiling" – 10:38
12" single (UK promo)
  1. "Lose Your Love (Extended Version)" – 10:11
  2. "John" – 4:17
  3. "Mixing on the Ceiling" – 10:39
12" single (US release)
  1. "Lose Your Love (Extended Version)" – 10:05
  2. "Ave Maria (Extended Version)" (West India Company) – 7:30
12" single (French release)
  1. "(No, No, No) Lose Your Love (Extended Version)" – 10:12
  2. "John" – 4:12
  3. "Mixing on the Ceiling (Megamix)" – 10:35
12" single (German release)
  1. "Lose Your Love (Extended Version)" – 10:12
  2. "Mixing on the Ceiling" – 10:35
12" single (Canadian promo #1)
  1. "Lose Your Love" – 3:58
  2. "Lose Your Love" – 3:58
12" single (Canadian promo #2)
  1. "Lose Your Love (This Club Mix)" – 6:45
  2. "Lose Your Love" – 3:58

Personnel

Blancmange

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (1985–86)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart77
US Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs2
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales36

Notes and References

  1. New Singles . . 26 October 1985 . 12 . 0265-1548.
  2. Web site: BLANCMANGE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company . Officialcharts.com . 2018-04-06.
  3. Web site: Billboard . Blancmange Lose Your Love/Ave Maria Chart History . https://web.archive.org/web/20180517070357/https://www.billboard.com/music/blancmange/chart-history/dance-club-play-songs/song/352144 . dead . May 17, 2018 . Billboard . 2018-04-06.
  4. Web site: Blancmange - Lose Your Love at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2012-07-29.
  5. Web site: Blancmange - Lose Your Love (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2012-07-29.
  6. Web site: Blancmange - Lose Your Love (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2012-07-29.
  7. Web site: Blancmange / West India Company - Lose Your Love / Ave Maria (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2012-07-29.
  8. Web site: West India Company - Ave Maria (Om Ganesha) (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2012-07-29.
  9. Web site: Zbig Rybczynski - Film and video productions . zbigvision.com . 13 December 2020.
  10. Web site: INTERMITTENT SIGNALS: From Blind Vision to Blanc Burn - An Interview with Blancmange's Neil Arthur . Stevestav.com . 2011-05-09 . 2012-07-29.
  11. Billboard magazine - MTV Programming - February 1, 1986 - page 33
  12. Web site: Zappa . François . Interview: Blancmange . El Garaje de Frank . 25 February 2020 . 20 March 2023.
  13. Billboard magazine - Reviews: singles - November 30, 1985 - page 57
  14. Book: Billboard - Google Books . 1985-12-14 . 2012-07-29.
  15. Number One magazine - Singles - Dave Ling - 2 November 1985 - page 36
  16. Web site: Blancmange: Believe You Me Deluxe Edition - album review . Louder Than War . 2017-07-30 . 2018-04-06.
  17. Web site: BLANCMANGE – The Blanc Tapes . The Electricity Club . 2017-08-28 . 2018-04-06.