Love Is the Drug

"Love Is the Drug"
1996 Rollo & Sister Bliss remix single cover
Single by Roxy Music
from the album Siren
B-side	"Sultanesque"
Released	September 1975
Recorded	Summer 1975
Genre	Progressive pop[1] funk[2]
Length	4:11
Label	EG
Writer(s)	Bryan Ferry Andy Mackay
Producer(s)	Chris Thomas
Roxy Music singles chronology
"The Thrill of It All" (1974) "Love Is the Drug" (1975) "Both Ends Burning" (1975)
Siren track listing (start of album) "Love Is the Drug" (1) "End of the Line" (2)

"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 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.

The bassline 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".

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.^[3]

Personnel

• Bryan Ferry – vocals, piano
• Andy Mackay – oboe, saxophone (and treatments)
• John Gustafson – bass guitar
• Paul Thompson – drums and timpani
• Phil Manzanera – electric guitar (and treatments)
• Eddie Jobson – violin, synthesizer and keyboards

Chart positions

Chart (1975–76)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4]	18
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5]	15
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[6]	3
Germany (Official German Charts)[7]	39
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8]	8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9]	9
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10]	24
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11]	2
US Billboard Hot 100[12]	30

Chart (1996)^1	Peak position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[13]	33

¹Remix

Grace Jones version

"Love Is the Drug"
Single by Grace Jones
from the album Warm Leatherette
B-side	"Sinning" "Living My Life" "The Apple Stretching"
Released	1980
Format	7" 12"
Genre	Pop rock new wave
Label	Island
Producer(s)	Chris Blackwell Alex Sadkin
Grace Jones singles chronology
"A Rolling Stone" (1980) "Love Is the Drug" (1980) "Private Life" (1980)

Grace Jones recorded "Love Is the Drug" for her Warm Leatherette album from 1980. 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.^[14]

Track listing

• 7" single (1980)^[15]

A. "Love Is the Drug" – 4:40

B. "Sinning" – 4:10

• 12" single (1980)^[16]

A. "Love Is the Drug" – 8:40

B. "Sinning" – 4:10

• 12" single (1981)^[17]

A. "Love Is the Drug" – 7:15

B. "Demolition Man" – 4:04

• UK 7" single (1986)^[18]

A. "Love Is the Drug" – 3:21

B. "Living My Life" – 5:28

• EU 7" single (1986)^[19]

A. "Love Is the Drug" – 3:42

B. "Living My Life" – 3:58

• 12" single (1986)^[20]

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)[21]	57
Ireland (IRMA)[22]	18
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[23]	35

Other cover versions

• On 29 November 1993,^[24] Australian rock group Divinyls released a version from the Super Mario Bros. film soundtrack. The song also appeared on their compilation albums The Collection in 1994 and Make You Happy in 1997.
• In 2001, Lisa Zane, dressed as an Egyptian, snake-haired gorgon, covered the song in Monkeybone.
• Jamiroquai covered the song in 2002 for the BBC programme Re:covered.
• Kylie Minogue recorded the track for the 2007 Radio 1 Established 1967 compilation album.
• Tomoyasu Hotei covered it on his 2009 cover album Modern Times Rock'N'Roll.
• In 2010, the song was performed by The Hotrats and released on their cover album, Turn Ons.
• Ali Campbell covered the song on his 2010 album Great British Songs.
• Carla Gugino and Oscar Isaac covered the song for the movie Sucker Punch in a sequence that is played throughout the closing credits and it is also included on the film's soundtrack.
• Bryan Ferry and his orchestra covered the song for the 2013 film The Great Gatsby.

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. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
3. Soto, Alfred (12 September 2005). "Stylus Magazine's Top 50 Basslines Of All Time". Retrieved 7 August 2015.
4. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
5. "Ultratop.be – Roxy Music – Love Is The Drug" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
6. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4117a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
7. "Musicline.de – Roxy Music Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
8. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
9. "Dutchcharts.nl – Roxy Music – Love Is The Drug" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
10. "Charts.org.nz – Roxy Music – Love Is The Drug". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
11. "Archive Chart: 1975-11-08" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
12. "Roxy Music – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
13. "Archive Chart: 1996-04-27" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
14. "Grace Jones". Mvdbase.com. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
15. "Grace Jones – Love Is The Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
16. "Grace Jones – Love Is The Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
17. "Grace Jones – Love Is The Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
18. "Grace Jones – Love Is The Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
19. "Grace Jones – Love Is The Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
20. "Grace Jones – Love Is The Drug (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Grace Jones – Love Is The Drug". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
22. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Is the Drug". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
23. "Archive Chart: 1986-03-08" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
24. "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 29/11/93". Imgur.com. Retrieved 16 April 2016.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics