"Victim of Love" is a song by English

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

duo

Erasure Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...

, released on 18 May 1987 as their sixth single overall. It was the third single to be lifted from the duo's second studio album, '' The Circus'' (1987), released six weeks earlier, and was remixed for single release. Written by band members

Vince Clarke Vincent John Martin (born 3 July 1960), known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously ...

and Andy Bell, it incorporates the signature Erasure sound of uptempo rhythm, analogue

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

and a prominent acoustic

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

. Bell's lyrics pertain to one's apprehension when entering into a new love relationship. The song's protagonist doesn't "want to look like some kind of fool" or become a "victim of love". Upon its release, it became the second UK Top 10 single for Erasure, peaking at number seven. It also hit number one on the US

Hot Dance Music/Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

chart (Clarke and Bell would have to wait eighteen years before their second US Dance chart-topper). The song remains one of Erasure's signature songs and is a concert favourite.

Critical reception

Chris Gerard from ''

Metro Weekly ''Metro Weekly'' is a free weekly magazine for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in Washington, D.C., United States. It was first published on May 5, 1994. ''Metro Weekly'' includes national and local news, interviews w ...

'' wrote, ""Victim of Love" is a perfect pop single;

Bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inter ...

's soulful vocals shine, the melody is catchy and memorable, and the track has an insistent rhythm buoyed (like their breakthrough single, " Sometimes") by a strong acoustic guitar part."

Track listings

; 7", Mute / MUTE 61 (UK) # "Victim of Love" (Remix) – 3:38 # "The Soldier's Return" – 3:05 ; 12", Mute / 12 MUTE 61 (UK) # "Victim of Love" (Extended Mix) – 6:59 # "The Soldier's Return" (The Return of the Radical Radcliffe Mix) – 5:00 # "Victim of Love" (Dub Mix) – 3:29 ; 12", Mute / L12 MUTE 61 (UK) # "Victim of Love" (Vixen Vitesse Mix) – 5:42 # "The Soldier's Return" (The Machinery Mix) – 4:16 # "If I Could" (Japanese Mix) – 3:40 ; 12", Sire-Reprise / 20740-0 (UK) # "Victim of Love" (Vixen Vitesse Mix) – 5:42 # "Soldier's Return" (Machinery Mix) – 5:02 # "Victim of Love" (extended mix) – 6:59 # "Victim of Love" (dub mix) – 3:26 ; CD, Mute / CD MUTE 61 (UK) # "Safety in Numbers" (Recorded live) – 1:28 # "Victim of Love" – 3:26 # "The Soldier's Return" (The Return of the Radical Radcliffe Mix) – 5:00 # "Victim of Love" (Dub Mix) – 3:29 # "Don't Dance" (Recorded live) – 3:53 # "Leave Me To Bleed" (Recorded live) – 3:42 * track 1 recorded ,

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

* tracks 5,6 recorded ,

Brighton Dome The Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton, England, that contains the Concert Hall, the Corn Exchange and the Studio Theatre (formerly the Pavilion Theatre). All three venues are linked to the rest of the Royal Pavilion Estate by a tunnel to ...

Charts

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Victim Of Love (Song) 1987 singles Erasure songs Songs written by Vince Clarke Songs written by Andy Bell (singer) Song recordings produced by Flood (producer) Mute Records singles UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles