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Love Is a Stranger

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"Love Is a Stranger"
Picture sleeve of original 1980s UK and US releases
Single by Eurythmics
from the album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
B-side"Monkey Monkey"
Released8 November 1982
Recorded1982
GenreSynth-pop[1]
Length3:43
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • David A. Stewart
  • Adam Williams
Eurythmics singles chronology
"The Walk"
(1982) 		"Love Is a Stranger"
(1982) 		"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
(1983)
Eurythmics singles chronology
"(My My) Baby's Gonna Cry"
(1990) 		"Love Is a Stranger"
(1991) 		"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
(1991)
Audio sample
"Love Is a Stranger"
Music video
"Love Is a Stranger" on YouTube

"Love Is a Stranger" is a song by the British pop duo Eurythmics. It is the opening track off their second album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Originally released in late 1982, the single peaked outside the top 50 in the UK, but it was re-released in 1983, reaching the top 20 in several countries, including number six in the UK.[2] The single was re-released again in 1991, to promote Eurythmics' Greatest Hits album.

Both the 7-inch single and the 12-inch single were backed by "Monkey Monkey" as a B-side; the 12-inch single also included "Let's Just Close Our Eyes", a song that borrowed musical elements from "The Walk", which was the second single from Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This.[3]

Background

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"Love Is a Stranger" was created around nine months prior to its initial release as a single. During the song's first chart run, Dave Stewart began to receive requests from musicians such as Billy MacKenzie to produce their records.[4]

Lennox sought to encapsulate the dichotomy of love and hatred when writing the lyrics to "Love is a Stranger". She explained that her goal was to "put opposites together, because love and hate are so close to each other." The song's grunts were provided by a chef from a neighboring restaurant; his vocals were processed with a reverb effect. Some of the high vocal harmonies were sung by Kiki Dee, who was friends with Stewart at the time.[3]

Commercial performance

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Originally released in September 1982 in the United Kingdom,[5] "Love Is a Stranger" debuted on the UK Singles Charts at number 70 for the week dated 20 November 1982. It peaked at number 54 two weeks later and spent five weeks in the top 75 during its initial chart run.[6] Following the success of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" the following year, the song was re-released and reached number six in April 1983.[7] In the United States, the song was the second single from the Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) album. The single was released just as the album title track reached number one, entering the Billboard Hot 100 at number 81 in September 1983 and peaking at number 23 in November of that year. The song spent 13 weeks on the chart.[8][9]

Music video

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The single release was accompanied by a music video directed by Mike Brady, in which Stewart acts as chauffeur for Lennox, who plays the role of a high-class prostitute. Lennox removes a curly blonde wig to reveal much shorter red hair, though slicked back rather than the buzz cut seen in the subsequent music video for "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". The video caused minor controversy in the USA, as some people mistakenly thought Lennox was a male cross-dresser.[3] In one instance, MTV imposed a blackout during its transmission because they disapproved of the wig removal scene. MTV producers later telexed RCA Records for a copy of Lennox's birth certificate and accused her of being a transvestite.[10]

Critical reception

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Cash Box said that "the commanding vocals of Annie Lennox and hazy, electronically inflected backing combine to make 'Love Is a Stranger' a challenging yet already familiar sound."[11] Smash Hits felt that "Love Is a Stranger" effectively integrated Lennox's "cultured" vocals into a modern musical arrangement.[12]

Stereogum and The Guardian both ranked the song number two on their lists of the greatest Annie Lennox songs.[13][14]

Track listings

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  • 7-inch single
A. "Love Is a Stranger" (LP version) – 3:43
B. "Monkey Monkey" (Non-LP track) – 5:20
  • 12-inch single
A1. "Love Is a Stranger" (LP version) – 3:43
B1. "Let's Just Close Our Eyes" (Non-LP track) – 4:19
B2. "Monkey Monkey" (Non-LP track) – 5:20

"Let's Just Close Our Eyes" is a newly recorded version of "The Walk" with a more synth-oriented instrumentation.

  • 7-inch single (1991 reissue)
A. "Love Is A Stranger" (LP version) – 3:43
B. "Julia" (Edit) – 4:05
  • 12-inch single (1991 reissue)
A1. "Love Is A Stranger" (The Obsession Remix) 6:32
A2. "Love Is A Stranger" (J.C. Meets The Obsessor) – 6:34
B1. "Love Is A Stranger" (Cold Cut Remix) – 7:17
B2. "Love Is A Stranger" (The Obsession Instrumental) – 6:07
B3. "Love Is A Stranger" (LP version) – 3:43
  • CD single (1991 reissue)
  1. "Love Is A Stranger" (LP version) – 3:43
  2. "There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)" – 5:23
  3. "Julia" (Edit) – 4:05
  4. "Love Is A Stranger" (The Obsession Remix) – 6:30

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Eurythmics - Greatest Hits (1991) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  2. ^ "Eurythmics: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Ellis, Lucy (2009). Annie Lennox – The Biography. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857121141.
  4. ^ Tebbutt, Simon (4 December 1982). "The Scotch Tapes". Record Mirror. Retrieved 3 October 2024 – via Ultimate Eurythmics Archives.
  5. ^ "Love Is a Stranger Advert". Smash Hits. 30 September 1982. p. 60. Retrieved 13 October 2024 – via Ultimate Eurythmics Archives.
  6. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  7. ^ a b c "Eurythmics: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Music:Top 100 Songs". Billboard Hot 100. 17 September 1983. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Eurythmics Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  10. ^ Underwood, Nick (12 February 1983). "International Dateline" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 19. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 17 September 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  12. ^ Hepworth, David (20 January – 2 February 1983). "Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". Smash Hits. Vol. 5, no. 2. p. 17. ISSN 0260-3004 – via Ultimate Eurythmics Archives.
  13. ^ Ham, Robert (15 April 2015). "The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  14. ^ Petridis, Alexis (21 April 2022). "Annie Lennox's 30 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  15. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 105. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  16. ^ "Eurythmics – Love Is a Stranger" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  17. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4390." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  18. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Is a Stranger". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  19. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Eurythmics" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Eurythmics – Love Is a Stranger" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  21. ^ "Eurythmics – Love Is a Stranger". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  22. ^ "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts E". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  23. ^ "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  24. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending November 26, 1983". Cash Box. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  25. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eurythmics – Love Is a Stranger" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  26. ^ "Fw: ARIA Chart peaks (response from ARIA to chart inquiry, received 5 June 2015)". Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015 – via Imgur.
  27. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1983" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
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