Oh L'amour

"Oh L'amour"
Original 1986 single cover
Single by Erasure
from the album Wonderland
B-side	"March on Down the Line", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (1986)
Released	21 April 1986 (original version) 13 October 2003 (remix)
Format	7", 12", CD
Recorded	1985
Genre	Synthpop, new wave
Length	3:07
Label	Mute (UK) Sire (U.S.)
Writer(s)	Vince Clarke, Andy Bell
Producer(s)	Flood
Erasure singles chronology
"Heavenly Action" (1985) "Oh L'amour" (1986) "Sometimes" (1986)
Erasure chronology "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (2003) "Oh L'amour" (August Mix) (2003) "Breathe" (2005) Alternative cover Revised 1986 single cover Alternative cover 2003 remix single cover

"Oh L'amour" is a song by English synthpop 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 synthpop dance track and its popularity was further fuelled 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. One of the B-sides 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 remixed 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 UK Top 20 hit, peaking at number thirteen in autumn 2003.

The original artwork of the "Oh L'amour" single featured characters from Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. As permission had not been given, this cover was withdrawn and replaced with a plain black cover with only the title and band name.

A version of the 12" single was included with early copies of the debut LP Wonderland.

Track listings

Original release (1986)

7" single (MUTE45)

1. "Oh L'amour"
2. "March on Down the Line"

12" single (12MUTE45)

1. "Oh L'amour" (12" Mix)
2. "March on Down the Line" (12" Mix)
3. "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"

Limited 12" single (L12MUTE45)

1. "Oh L'amour" (PWL Funky Sisters Say 'Ooh La La')
2. "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" (Remix)
3. "March on Down the Line" (Remix)

12" US single (Sire 20488-0)

1. "Oh L'amour" (The Funky Sisters Remix) 7:12
2. "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" (12" Mix) 4:48
3. "March on Down the Line" 6:04

CD Single (CDMUTE45)

1. "Oh L'amour" 3:10
2. "March on Down the Line" 3:45
3. "Oh L'amour" (Re-mix) 5:58
4. "March on Down the Line" (Remix) 6:05
5. "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" (A Man After Midnight) 3:55

August Mix (2003)

CD single (CDMUTE312)

1. "Oh L'amour" (August Mix)
2. "Love Me All Night Long"
3. "Nothing Lasts Forever"

Limited CD single (LCDMUTE312)

1. "Oh L'amour" (LMC Extended Remix)
2. "Oh L'amour" (Shanghai Surprize Remix)
3. "Oh L'amour" (Kenny Hayes Remix)

DVD single (DVDMUTE312)

1. "Oh L'amour" (Carsten Kroeyer Mix)
2. "Oh L'amour" (Dark Brothers and Andy Bell Mix)
3. "Victim of Love" (video - Live Footage From The Other Tour)

Download single (iMUTE312)

1. "Oh L'amour" (Markymix) [Mark Towns]

Chart performance

Original release

2003 August Mix

Cover versions

• The song would become more successful, chart-wise, when British pop duo Dollar released a cover version in late 1987 (retitled "O L'amour"). In early 1988 their version reached number seven, spending 11 weeks in the UK Charts. It was their last major hit.^[12]
• A Hi-NRG/Eurotrance cover of the song by Spellbound featuring Deejé was released in 2000.^[13]
• A cover version by DJ Dero featuring Alejandro Sergi (of the Argentine electropop band Miranda!) was recorded in 2007 and included on the dance music compilation Verano 2008.^[14]
• A cover version by Czech singer Petr Muk (alongside cover versions of "Love To Hate You", "Ship Of Fools", "Stop!" and "Sometimes", all with Czech lyrics) was included on the album "Oh L'amour", recorded in 2004.^[15]
• A marching band version is played in a SpaghettiOs commercial where a coach tries to teach the team how to win.

Sampling

The Dollar version of "Oh L'amour" was later sampled by electronic duo Orbital on their track "Style", which appeared on their 1999 album The Middle of Nowhere.

References

Portlandia