What Is Love? (Howard Jones song)

"What Is Love?"
Single by Howard Jones
from the album Human's Lib
B-side	"It Just Doesn't Matter"
Released	26 November 1983 (1983-11-26)[1]
Genre	Synth-pop[2]
Length	3:41 (single version) 6:36 (extended version)
Label	WEA
Songwriter(s)	Howard Jones Bill Bryant
Producer(s)	Rupert Hine
Howard Jones singles chronology
"New Song" (1983) "What Is Love?" (1983) "Hide and Seek" (1984)

"What Is Love?" is a song by English musician Howard Jones, released in November 1983 as the second single from his debut studio album, Human's Lib (1984). It reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the singer's highest chart placing to date. In the US, it peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song was originally entitled "Love?" on the demo tape which Howard Jones recorded in 1982, which itself was available at his gigs. Jones also used the question mark motif around this time on posters advertising his gigs; posters which also hung behind him on stage at his early 1980s Marquee Club appearances and which read simply "Howard Jones?".

Background

Howard Jones said, "I didn't want to write songs about, 'I love you, baby, you've hurt me and I'm sad.' I didn't want to write songs about co-dependency. If I was going to write about love, I wanted to say what do we mean by love? What is it, really? You can't be dependent upon another person for your happiness. So you'd better question this idea of romantic love pretty soon, otherwise you're going to be pretty miserable. So that's really what that song is."[3]

Music video

The music video for "What Is Love?" was filmed in Paris and features Jones walking around the city and a park.

Personnel

Credits sourced from One Two Testing and Electricity Club[4][5]

• Howard Jones – lead and backing vocals, Yamaha DX7, SCI Prophet T-8, Roland Juno-60 and Moog Prodigy synthesizers, E-mu Drumulator programming
• Rupert Hine – backing vocals

Track listing

7″

1. "What Is Love?" (Jones/Bryant) – 3:41
2. "It Just Doesn't Matter" (Jones/Bryant) – 3:36

12″

1. "What Is Love?" (extended version) (Jones/Bryant) – 6:33
2. "It Just Doesn't Matter" (Jones/Bryant) – 4:30
3. "Hunt the Self" (live at the Marquee) (Jones/Bryant) – 5:36

Limited edition 12″

A limited edition pack was also released featuring the standard 12-inch single and a "Live at the Marquee" bonus 7-inch single which featured the tracks:

1. "What Can I Say" (Jones/Bryant) – 5:10
2. "Bounce Right Back" (Jones) – 5:23

Demo tape

1. "What Can I Say"
2. "Always Asking Questions"
3. "Human's Lib"
4. "Love?" (a.k.a. "What Is Love?")
5. "Risk"

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1983–1984) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 31 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 16 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 49 France (IFOP)[9] 80 Germany (GfK)[10] 6 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 17 Norway (VG-lista)[12] 10 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 10 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 24 UK Singles (OCC)[15] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 33 US Cash Box[17] 35

Year-end charts Chart (1984) Position Germany (Official German Charts)[18] 68 UK Singles (Gallup)[19] 76

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[20]	Silver	250,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "News". Record Mirror. 12 November 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via Flickr.
2. Andrew, Corey (21 October 2014). "80s-Themed Regeneration Tour Visits Mountain Winery". NBC Bay Area. KNTV. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
3. Jones, Howard (15 September 2011). "Howard Jones". Songfacts (Interview). Interviewed by Dan MacIntosh. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
4. Bacon, Tony (April 1984). "Alias Synth and Jones". One Two Testing (Apr 1984): 16–19.
5. "HOWARD JONES Interview". electricityclub.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
6. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
7. "Howard Jones – What Is Love?" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6773." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
9. "Accès direct à ces Artistes : Michael Jackson - Elton John". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Howard JONES" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
10. "Howard Jones – What Is Love?" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – What Is Love (Re 1)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
12. "Howard Jones – What Is Love?". VG-lista. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
13. "Howard Jones – What Is Love?". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
14. "Howard Jones – What Is Love?". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
15. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
16. "Howard Jones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
17. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 23, 1984". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012.
18. "Jahrescharts – 1984" (in German). Offiziellecharts.de. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
19. "Top 100 Singles 1984" (PDF). Music Week. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
20. "British single certifications – Howard Jones". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Howard Jones in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

External links

• The Official Howard Jones Website Discography (Singles)