Released as a single and as a 12" remix, it consists of four parts, referred to as "Parts One, Two, Three and Four". Part One is the standard album version, Part Two is an instrumental version, Part Three is a vocal version without the orchestral overdubs and Part Four is a short acoustic instrumental part of the song, containing strings and horns, as well as occasional harp plucks and xylophone. A different US remix dub version by producer Trevor Horn appeared as A-side on the 1982 US 12".
The '82 US remix dub version was not widely available after its initial release, but the track remained much in demand by club DJs and fans alike and copies of the original 12" version fetched high prices. When Neutron (the band's UK label) discovered this, they issued a limited edition DJ-pressing of the Horn remix in November 1982 as a DJ promo 12" vinyl under the title "ABC Look of Love Special Remix 12" Neutron NTXDJ103.
Through the 1980s, BBC Radio 1 DJ Gary Davies used the last crescendo on Part 4 of the song as a closing theme to his daily lunchtime programme called The Bit in the Middle, only changing it in 1991 when his show was rebranded as Let's Do Lunch and given fresh music beds and themes.
The US B-side, entitled "Theme from Mantrap", was an alternate version of "Poison Arrow".
In February 2014, all four parts appeared together as one single track (running 12:29) on the ZTT compilation "The Art of the 12" Volume Three".
The lyrics of the song, as well as others on The Lexicon of Love, were inspired by a break-up lead vocalist Martin Fry had experienced. In the second verse, during the phrase "When your girl has left you out on the pavement", the "Goodbye" background vocal is spoken by the actual woman in the relationship who had jilted him.[7]
Video
The video is a studio recreation of an Edwardian park tableau. Various amusing events occur during the performance of the song. It features cameos by Paul Morley, music journalist and later co-founder of ZTT Records, and Trevor Horn, the record's producer.
UK chart performance and sales
"The Look of Love" spent eleven weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 4 for two weeks in June 1982, making it their highest charting single in the UK.[8] According to the Official Charts Company it was the UK's 29th best-selling single of 1982.[9] In early 1983 it re-entered the chart for another three weeks, extending the chart run to a total of 14 weeks.[10]
In 1990, to promote the compilation album Absolutely, a new remix of the song by Paul Staveley O'Duffy was officially released, though without participation or approval from the band's members. The remix incorporates part of the melody from Kraftwerk's "Computer Love", which had been in the UK Top 40 at the same time as the original release of "The Look of Love" in 1982.
