Slave to Love

This article is about the Bryan Ferry song. For other uses, see Slave of Love (disambiguation). For the unrelated song of the same name by Willy DeVille, see Crow Jane Alley.

1985 single by Bryan Ferry

"Slave to Love"

Single by Bryan Ferry
from the album  Boys and Girls
Released| 3 May 1985[1]
Genre| Sophisti-pop
Length|

* 3:59 (7" mix)
* 5:56 (12" extended mix)
* 4:26 (album version)

Label| E.G.
Songwriter(s)| Bryan Ferry
Producer(s)|

* Bryan Ferry
* Rhett Davies

Bryan Ferry singles chronology
| "That's How Strong My Love Is"
(1978)  | "Slave to Love"
(1985)  | "Don't Stop the Dance"
(1985)

|
|

Music video
"Slave to Love" on YouTube

"Slave to Love" is a song by English singer-songwriter Bryan Ferry, released as the first single from his sixth solo studio album, Boys and Girls (1985). The song is one of Ferry's most popular solo hits. The single was released on 3 May 1985 and spent nine weeks in the UK singles chart in 1985, peaking at number 10. He performed the song at Live Aid in the London concert at Wembley Stadium in July 1985.

The song features Neil Hubbard, David Gilmour and Keith Scott on lead guitar,[2] Dire Straits' Guy Fletcher on keyboards, Omar Hakim on drums, and Tony Levin on bass guitar.

## Music video

[edit]

A promo video directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and featuring the Swedish model Christine Bergström, the French model Laurence Treil, the Dutch model Marpessa Hennink, Jillian King, Fabrice Langlade, Olivier Poivre and Richard Teophile was shot to promote the single. The cinematographer was Pascal Lebegue.

## Reception

[edit]

Writing for AllMusic, Bill Janovitz called "Slave to Love" an "achingly beautiful ballad" which "clearly has a 1980s aura to it, yet 'Slave to Love' was not a slave to the gimmicks of the era, sounding more timeless and classic than other radio hits from the mid-'80s."[3] Writing for The Guardian, Jeremy Allen likened it to Roxy Music's "Dance Away", saying that Ferry had "hit on a formula to write the same oleaginous ballad over and over again to handsome remuneration (play 'Dance Away' and 'Slave to Love' back to back and you'll see what I mean)."[4]

## Track listing

[edit]

* 7"

1. "Slave to Love"
2. "Valentine" (instrumental)

* 12" UK single: E.G. Records / FERRx 1 881873-1

1. "Slave to Love" (special 12" re-mix) – 5:56
2. "Slave to Love" (instrumental) – 4:23
3. "Valentine" (instrumental) – 4:00

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (1985)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 29
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] | 11
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] | 75
France (SNEP)[8] | 45
Germany (GfK)[9] | 30
Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 8
Italy (Musica e dischi)[11] | 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] | 36
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] | 33
Norway (VG-lista)[14] | 5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] | 11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 18
UK Singles (OCC)[17] | 10
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[18] | 109
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[19] | 19

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Spain (PROMUSICAE)[20] | Gold  | 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Silver  | 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Use in media

[edit]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Slave to Love" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

* The song appears in the film Fire with Fire (1986) where Lisa (Virginia Madsen) dances to it with Joe (Craig Sheffer).
* The song appears on the soundtrack to the film 9½ Weeks (1986).
* The song appears in the film Bitter Moon (1992).
* The song appears in the film Malice (1993)
* The song appears in the film Exit to Eden (1994).
* The song was used in the film Abduction (2011).
* The song was used in the film Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 14.
2. ^ "Roxy Music - Songs". Vivaroxymusic.com. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
3. ^ Janovitz, Bill. "Slave to Love Review by Bill Janovitz". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
4. ^ Allen, Jeremy (25 February 2015). "Roxy Music: 10 of the best". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
6. ^ "Bryan Ferry – Slave to Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0551." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
8. ^ "Bryan Ferry – Slave to Love" (in French). Les classement single.
9. ^ "Bryan Ferry – Slave to Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Slave to Love". Irish Singles Chart.
11. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Bryan Ferry".
12. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bryan Ferry" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
13. ^ "Bryan Ferry – Slave to Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
14. ^ "Bryan Ferry – Slave to Love". VG-lista.
15. ^ "Bryan Ferry – Slave to Love". Top 40 Singles.
16. ^ "Bryan Ferry – Slave to Love". Swiss Singles Chart.
17. ^ "Bryan Ferry: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
18. ^ "Bubbling Under" (PDF). Billboard. 15 June 1985. p. 72. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
19. ^ "Bryan Ferry Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
20. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Bryan Ferry – Slave to Love". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
21. ^ "British single certifications – Bryan Ferry – Slave to Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 February 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* "Slave to Love" at Discogs (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

Bryan Ferry

The Bryan Ferry Orchestra

Studio albums|

* These Foolish Things
* Another Time, Another Place
* Let's Stick Together
* In Your Mind
* The Bride Stripped Bare
* Boys and Girls
* Bête Noire
* Taxi
* Mamouna
* As Time Goes By
* Frantic
* Dylanesque
* Olympia
* The Jazz Age (with the Bryan Ferry Orchestra)
* Avonmore
* Bitter-Sweet (as Bryan Ferry and His Orchestra)

Compilation albums|

* Street Life: 20 Great Hits
* The Ultimate Collection
* More than This: The Best of Bryan Ferry + Roxy Music

Singles|

* "Let's Stick Together"
* "The Price of Love"
* "Heart on My Sleeve"
* "This Is Tomorrow"
* "Tokyo Joe"
* "Sign of the Times"
* "Slave to Love"
* "Don't Stop the Dance"
* "Windswept"
* "The Right Stuff"
* "Kiss and Tell"
* "Limbo"

Related articles|

* Bryan Ferry discography
* Roxy Music discography
* Lucy Ferry
* Jerry Hall
* Amanda Lear
* Roxy Music

* v
* t
* e

Gwen Stefani

* Awards
* Discography
* Songs
* Tribute albums

Studio albums|

* Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
* The Sweet Escape
* This Is What the Truth Feels Like
* You Make It Feel Like Christmas
* Bouquet

Video albums|

* Harajuku Lovers Live

Singles|

* "What You Waiting For?"
* "Rich Girl"
* "Hollaback Girl"
* "Cool"
* "Luxurious"
* "Crash"
* "Wind It Up"
* "The Sweet Escape"
* "4 in the Morning"
* "Now That You Got It"
* "Early Winter"
* "Baby Don't Lie"
* "Spark the Fire"
* "Used to Love You"
* "Make Me Like You"
* "Misery"
* "You Make It Feel Like Christmas"
* "Santa Baby"
* "Secret Santa"
* "Nobody but You"
* "Here This Christmas"
* "Let Me Reintroduce Myself"
* "Slow Clap"
* "True Babe"
* "Purple Irises"
* "Somebody Else's"
* "Swallow My Tears"

Featured singles|

* "South Side"
* "Let Me Blow Ya Mind"
* "What's Going On"
* "Can I Have It Like That"
* "Glycerine"
* "Kings Never Die"
* "Hands"
* "Happy Anywhere"
* "Light My Fire"

Promotional singles|

* "The Real Thing"
* "Yummy"
* "Shine"
* "Go Ahead and Break My Heart"
* "Sleigh Ride"
* "Love Is Alive"

Other songs|

* "Almost Blue"
* "Serious"
* "Long Way to Go"
* "Start a War"
* "Leather and Lace"
* "Asking 4 It"
* "Rare"
* "Can't Stop the Feeling!"
* "What U Workin' With?"
* "My Gift Is You"
* "Under the Christmas Lights"
* "White Christmas"
* "Christmas Eve"
* "Physical (Remix)"
* "Boa"

Concerts and tours|

* Harajuku Lovers Tour
* The Sweet Escape Tour
* MasterCard Priceless Surprises Presents Gwen Stefani
* This Is What the Truth Feels Like Tour
* Just a Girl

Television|

* Kuu Kuu Harajuku
* Gwen Stefani's You Make It Feel Like Christmas

Related articles|

* No Doubt
* No Doubt discography
* Harajuku Girls
* L.A.M.B.
* Eric Stefani
* Gavin Rossdale
* Blake Shelton
* Tony Kanal

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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