12 Inches of Love: ABC's 'The Look of Love'

Among the multitude of 12" singles in the collection, "The Look of Love" would, surely, at least make the discussion of my favorite. ABC shot of the gate with a trio of fantastic singles before releasing 'The Lexicon of Love,' the band's debut album. "The Look of Love" was the the last of the three (the other two were "Tears Are Not Enough" and "Poison Arrow"), preceding the 1982 album by about a month.

The 12" single doesn't include one of those traditional eight-minute extended versions. If you wanted such a remix, you would have to wait until later in the year when Trevor Horn, producer of 'The Lexicon of Love,' released a maxi single in the United States. The original 12" is made up of the song in four parts. Part One is the album version. Part Two is an instrumental. Although it only clocks in at 50 seconds longer than the album take, Part Three is the closest thing to an extended remix. Part Four is an epilogue of sorts. It's another instrumental take that lasts less than a minute. If you listen to the 12" in its entirety, it brings the record to a really satisfying conclusion.

My love affair with ABC, admittedly, was brief. I have never owned anything other than 'Lexicon'-era material. I do love it so. That album, however, along with another commercial success from the same period, the Human League's 'Dare,' were absolutely pivotal in steering me -- a curious 12-year-old music fanatic with few outlets other than Top 40 radio -- in the right direction.

ABC - The Look of Love (Part One) (mp3)
ABC - The Look of Love (Part Two) (mp3)
ABC - The Look of Love (Part Three) (mp3)
ABC - The Look of Love (Part Four) (mp3)