Erasure "A Little Respect (Single & Video)"

"A Little Respect" is a song written and recorded by the English synthpop duo Erasure, released in September 1988. The lyrics are a plea to a lover to show compassion and respect. It was their tenth single and was taken from their third studio album The Innocents. Known as one of their signature songs, "A Little Respect" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and was Erasure's second consecutive Top 20 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it made number 14, and reached number two on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

The song was written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. The heavily synthesized instrumentation is accentuated by acoustic guitar and Bell's vocal falsetto in the chorus. An acoustic version of appears on the Moon & the Sky Plus EP in the UK.

Erasure "Chains Of Love (Single & Video)"

"Chains of Love" is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in May 1988 as their ninth single overall.

The song was released by Mute Records as the second single from Erasure's third studio album The Innocents. In the United States, Sire Records released it as the first single. The album version was produced by Stephen Hague and was slightly remixed for its single release (most notably the album version starts cold, while the radio version contains a short synthesizer pattern as an intro).

"Chains of Love" became Erasure's sixth consecutive Top 20 hit on the UK singles chart, just missing the Top 10 by peaking at number 11. In the United States, it became Erasure's mainstream breakthrough by climbing to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the group's first entry on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also hit number four on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. "Chains of Love" remains Erasure's highest-charting single in the United States.

The song, written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, is an uptempo dance-oriented synthpop track with Clarke's signature analogue sound and Bell's lyrics about breaking through any restrictions or stereotypes of what love should be. The lyrics allude subtly to Bell's desire for wider acceptance of homosexual couples, his pain evident from the opening lines "How can I explain when there are few words I can choose/How can I explain when words get broken". The chorus is memorable for Bell's use of falsetto. The music video featured Clarke and Bell performing the song while being hoisted through the air by thick, metal chains.

Erasure "The Circus (Single & Video)"

"The Circus" is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in September 1987 as the band's seventh single overall. It is also the title track on their second album, The Circus.

The album version clocks at 5.30 minutes, so the song was remixed for single release to a much more radio-friendly 3:50 minutes. Mute Records issued it as the fourth and final single from the album.

Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, "The Circus" was a departure from the shiny pop of their six previous singles, creating a more down-tempo and melancholy mood. Essentially a synthpop track, the music is accentuated by acoustic guitar and a continuous circus-like accordion. The lyrics touch on social issues, rare for the duo, and centre on the lament of "working men", whose bright futures and job securities are left shattered in the modern world of greedy corporations and technology.

The song's distinctive and unusual sound is said to have been inspired by Bell hearing a record being played backwards.

Despite its haunting quality and dark lyrical content, "The Circus" became Erasure's third UK Top 10 hit, peaking at number six.

Erasure "Victim Of Love (Single & Video)"

"Victim of Love" is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in May 1987 as their sixth single overall.

It was the third single to be lifted from the duo's second album, The Circus, released six weeks earlier, and was remixed for single release.

The song was written by band members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell and incorporates the signature Erasure sound of uptempo rhythm, analogue synthesizer and a prominent acoustic guitar. 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, "Victim of Love" became the second UK Top 10 single for Erasure, peaking at number seven. "Victim of Love" also hit number one on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play 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 tunes and is a concert favourite.

Erasure "Sometimes (Single & Video)"

"Sometimes" is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in October 1986 as their fourth single overall.

After three commercial flops from their debut album Wonderland, "Sometimes" became Erasure's first bona fide hit, peaking at number one in South Africa, number two in their native United Kingdom and in Germany, and becoming a huge international hit. The song became Erasure's second Top 5 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it charted alongside "It Doesn't Have to Be" and peaked at number four. Peaking only at number 39 in the French Singles Chart, Sometimes still remains Erasure's last chart entry in France ever since.

Written by band members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, "Sometimes" typifies the Erasure sound — an uptempo, dance-oriented pop tune accentuated by Clarke's phase distortion and analogue synthesizers and Bell's lyrics about being in love. The trumpet solo is performed by Guy Barker.

"Sometimes" spent seventeen weeks in the UK singles chart — the duo's longest chart run for a single in that country — and was included on Erasure's second album The Circus, released six months later in March 1987.

The music video showcases Erasure on a building rooftop — Clarke playing a resonator guitar and Bell singing — as they weave through white sheets hanging from a laundry line; near the end of the video rain starts to fall on the duo.

Erasure "Oh L'amour (Single & Video)"

"Oh L'amour" is a song by English synthpop duo Erasure, released in April 1986 as their third single.

It was issued by Mute Records in the UK and Sire Records in the U.S. to herald the June release of Erasure's debut album Wonderland, but became the third consecutive commercial failure for the band in both territories. Despite its low chart placing, "Oh L'amour" has proven to be one of Erasure's signature songs, due to its popularity in dance clubs. It remains a favourite among fans, particularly when performed live.

Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, "Oh L'amour" is a lament from someone experiencing unrequited love ("broke my heart / now I'm aching for you"). The song is an uptempo synthpop dance track and its popularity was further fuelled in dance clubs by the "Funky Sisters Remix", which appeared on the UK 12 inch single and as a bonus track on the U.S. edition of Wonderland. One of the B-sides is a cover version of "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", the first time Erasure dipped into the ABBA songbook.

In 1986, "Oh L'amour" climbed to number eighty-five on the UK Singles Chart and became Erasure's first big hit in South Africa (number two), in Germany (number sixteen), in Australia (number thirteen) and their only one in France (number fourteen). In the United States, the song's biggest impact was on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it hit number three on July 26, 1986. A different mix of the song was submitted for the single release, adding new instrumentation and extra sounds. This version appears on all of the band's compilation albums.

"Oh L'amour" was remixed in 2003 and released as a single again to promote the greatest hits package Hits! The Very Best of Erasure. In its remixed form, the song finally became a UK Top 20 hit, peaking at number thirteen in autumn 2003.

The original artwork of the "Oh L'amour" single featured illustrations from The Railway Series of characters Percy and Rheneas. As permission had not been given, this cover was withdrawn and replaced with a plain black cover with only the title and band name.

A version of the 12" single was included with early copies of the debut LP Wonderland.

Erasure "Who Needs Love Like That (Single & Video)"

"Who Needs Love Like That" is the debut single released by British synthpop duo Erasure. The song was released in the UK on Mute Records in 1985 as a prelude to their debut album Wonderland. The video was directed by John Scarlett Davies and produced by Nick Verden for Aldabra.

While the original 1985 release enjoyed only minor success, the later "Hamburg Mix" version (issued in 1992 to promote the Pop! compilation) reached the top 10 in both the UK and Ireland.

"Who Needs Love Like That" is an uptempo pop song written by Vince Clarke. The lyrics are a cast-off to a destructive love relationship, in which the protagonist asks "who needs love like that?" The music video takes place in a mock Western, with Clarke, Andy Bell and various extras dressed as cowboys. Both Bell and Clarke appear in dual roles, the others being woman's drags.

Upon its release, the song spent two weeks in the UK singles chart, peaking at number 55. In 1992, the song was remixed and tacked on to the end of Erasure's greatest hits collection Pop! - the First 20 Hits (although in the U.S. it only appears on the cassette release). The "Hamburg Mix" (slightly retitled to put "Like That" in parenthesis) was released as a single and became a Top 10 UK hit, peaking at number ten.

Erasure "Pop! The First 20 Hits"

Pop! The First 20 Hits is a greatest hits collection from Erasure, released on 16 November 1992 in Germany and the UK and 24 November 1992 in the USA. The album utilises a straightforward format: all of Erasure's singles up to that point, sequenced in chronological order with the addition of the Hamburg Mix of Erasure's first ever single, Who Needs Love (Like That).

In the UK, "Who Needs Love Like That" was released as a single in remixed form ("The Hamburg Mix", a reference to Erasure's extensive touring of Hamburg during the band's formative period). This is included as a bonus track on the UK version of the album, although in the US it only appears on the cassette release, failing to appear on the CD.

Pop! The First 20 Hits became Erasure's fourth consecutive number-one album in the UK. In Germany the album hit number 12 and in the US it peaked at number 112 on the Billboard 200, where it was certified Gold nearly 10 years later by the RIAA.

Pop! The First 20 Hits sequels include Pop2! – The Second 20 Hits (direct sequel including the subsequent 20 singles sequenced chronologically) released 17 years later, and Total Pop! - The First 40 Hits, the ultimate singles compilation as far as 2009.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Clarke/Bell, except as indicated

1. "Who Needs Love Like That" Clarke Wonderland (1986) 3:06
2. "Heavenly Action" Wonderland (1986) 3:20
3. "Oh L'amour" Wonderland (1986) 3:07
4. "Sometimes" The Circus (1987) 3:39
5. "It Doesn't Have to Be" The Circus (1987) 3:46
6. "Victim of Love" The Circus (1987) 3:38
7. "The Circus" (Remix) The Circus (1987) 4:06
8. "Ship of Fools" The Innocents (1988) 4:03
9. "Chains of Love" The Innocents (1988) 3:43
10. "A Little Respect" The Innocents (1988) 3:31
11. "Stop!" Crackers International E.P. (1988) 2:54
12. "Drama!" Wild! (1989) 4:05
13. "You Surround Me" Wild! (1989) 3:38
14. "Blue Savannah" Wild! (1989) 4:19
15. "Star" (Single Mix) Wild! (1989) 3:38
16. "Chorus" Chorus (1991) 4:29
17. "Love to Hate You" Chorus (1991) 3:56
18. "Am I Right?" Chorus (1991) 4:17
19. "Breath of Life" (Single Mix) Chorus (1991) 3:55
20. "Take a Chance on Me" B. Anderson/B. Ulvaeus/MC Kinky Abba-esque E.P. (1992) 3:45

Erasure "Blue Savannah (Single & Video)"

"Blue Savannah" is a song by Erasure which was issued as a single from the duo's fourth studio album Wild! in 1990. Mute Records released it in Europe as the album's third single, and Sire Records released it in the United States as the album's second single.

It is a classic Erasure synthpop song written by members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. One of the band's signature songs, the duo still perform it regularly in concert. An uplifting love song, the instrumentation is crisp and heavily synthesized, accented with sweeping, programmed piano.

The music video shows Clarke and Bell performing the song in a large, white room, which gets painted blue as the video progresses. A blue hand holds a paint brush in view, and the camera follows the hand as it paints Clarke and a shirtless Bell until they both are completely blue. Eventually gold-colored leaves, similar to those featured on the Wild! album cover, blow in and cover the duo as they perform.

"Blue Savannah" became one of Erasure's most successful singles, peaking at number three on the UK singles chart. It also returned the band to the Top 20 in Germany, where the song hit number 13. The release of the single brought about the usual array of remixes and B-sides. Although several club mixes of "Blue Savannah" were issued commercially, the Shep Pettibone 'Out of the Blue' mix proved to be most popular in dance clubs. This remix, available only on promotional copies of the 12 inch single, was never officially released and fetches a premium from collectors on trading sites such as eBay. Compact disc versions of the promotional single which contain the 'Out of the Blue' remix are even rarer. In 2004, HiBias Records of Canada started their Retro:Active - Rare & Remixed CD series and the 'Out of the Blue' Mix received its first official release, on volume one. In 2016, the remix was included on the Erasure 30th-Anniversary anthology, "From Moscow To Mars" making its first-ever official release on an Erasure album. In Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, the song is often played at the end of music nights across the town as a finale.

"Blue Savannah" was the inspiration for the song "Escribeme en el Cielo" three years later by the Mexican group Sentidos Opuestos, which is strikingly similar in its instrumental arrangements and melody.