Love Like Blood (song) explained

Love Like Blood
Cover:Love_Like_Blood_12"_1985.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Killing Joke
Album:Night Time
B-Side:Blue Feather (Version)
Length:6:50 (album)
4:14 (single/video)
Prev Title:A New Day
Prev Year:1984
Next Title:Kings and Queens
Next Year:1985

"Love Like Blood" is a song by English rock band Killing Joke. It was released in January 1985 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Night Time (1985). Produced by Chris Kimsey, the song is characterised as gothic rock[1] [2] and new wave.[3] It was a top 10 hit in the Netherlands, Belgium and New Zealand and peaked at number 16 in the United Kingdom.

"Love Like Blood" was originally released by E.G. Records in January 1985 as a 12" in the UK, and a 12" maxi single in Germany. The 7" single on E.G. was released in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. Polydor also released a 12" single in the Netherlands and a 12" maxi single in France.

"Love Like Blood" remains very fondly remembered in the Netherlands, as it has appeared on the country's annual Top 2000 songs of all time countdown every year since 2011. Its highest position was No. 554 in 2000.[4]

Track listings

The single release was a shorter edit of "Love Like Blood" than the full album track. The 12" single featured an extended mix, titled "Love Like Blood (Version)" as its A-side. An alternative 12" release, limited to 2000 copies, replaced this with a dub remix, known as the "Gestalt Mix".[5] "Blue Feather (Version)" was featured as the B-side; an instrumental mix of a song that was otherwise unreleased, until the complete version was included on the re-issue of Night Time in 2008.

In 1998, "Love Like Blood" was reissued as a live remix 12" single by Butterfly Records, alongside a remix of the song "Intellect" from Killing Joke’s 11th studio album, Democracy.

7" vinyl single

Side A
  1. "Love Like Blood" – 04:14
Side B
  1. "Blue Feather (Version)" – 04:09

12" vinyl single

Side A
  1. "Love Like Blood (Version)" – 06:42
Side B
  1. "Love Like Blood" – 04:14
  2. "Blue Feather (Version)" – 04:09

Limited Gestalt Mix 12" single

Side A
  1. "Love Like Blood (Gestalt Mix)" – 05:05
Side B
  1. "Love Like Blood" – 04:14
  2. "Blue Feather (Version)" – 04:09

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1985)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 83
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 30

Year-end charts

Chart (1985)Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[8] 59
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 75
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 50

Covers

"Love Like Blood" was covered by several bands, and the German gothic rock band Love Like Blood took their name from this song.

Dead by April version

Love Like Blood/Promise Me
Type:single
Artist:Dead by April
Album:Stronger
Released:10 May 2010
Recorded:2010
Genre:Alternative metal, pop rock
Length:3:40
Label:Universal Records
Prev Title:Angels of Clarity
Prev Year:2009
Next Title:Dance in the Neon Light with Lena Philipsson
Next Year:2011

In 2010, Swedish alternative metal band Dead by April released a cover version of "Love Like Blood" as a stand-alone single on 10 May 2010 on iTunes and as a double A-side single alongside previously released track "Promise Me" from their eponymous debut album. No music videos were made for either of the tracks. "Love Like Blood" was the first track recorded by the band with their new singer Zandro Santiago,[11] and was later included on their compilation album Stronger, released on 24 January 2011.

Digital single

Other versions

BandAlbumYear
BlacklightDream Dance, Vol. 252002
Iva DaviesBerlin Tapes1996
Icehouse1996, 1999, 2002
Love Like BloodLove Like Blood EP1998
TechnoirLove Like Blood2002
OutUnik2003
BlackmailFriend or Foe? (Japanese edition)2004
SybreedThe Pulse of Awakening2009
DoolLove Like Blood EP2019

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Garreth . Manuel . Killing Joke – Perth, 9th June 2013 . Caught in the Mosh . 2017-11-29 .
  2. Talia . Soghomonian . Release The Bats – It's The 20 Greatest Goth Tracks . . 2009-03-05 . 2017-11-29 .
  3. Web site: Dave . Pehling . KTVU.com talks to Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman . . 2 May 2013 . 28 January 2017 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20131113201024/http://www.ktvu.com/news/entertainment/new-jaz/nXfTg/ . 13 November 2013 .
  4. Web site: Top 2000. Love Like Blood van Killing Joke uit 1985 in Top 2000. 2022-01-01. nl.
  5. Web site: Love Like Blood . Discogs . 14 July 2019.
  6. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 166.
  7. Irish Singles Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 19 December 2008)
  8. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1985. Ultratop. 7 October 2021.
  9. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1985. Dutch Top 40. 7 October 2021.
  10. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1985. dutchcharts.nl. 7 October 2021.
  11. Web site: iTunes - Music - Love Like Blood / Promise Me - Single by Dead By April . Itunes.apple.com . 2010-05-07 . 2013-11-13.