Love Resurrection

Album: Alf (1984)
Charted: 10 82
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Love Resurrection" is the first track on Alison Moyet's first solo album, Alf, and her first single. Written by Moyet with her producers, Steve Jolley and Tony Swain, the song raised eyebrows with some suggestive lyrics, particularly these lines:

    A warm injection
    Is all I need to calm the pain


    And

    I want you to grow in my hand

    Moyet says she didn't have anything dirty in mind when she wrote these lines, but understands why her lyrics can come off rather saucy - she was influenced by blues singers like Janis Joplin and Big Mama Thornton who often sang songs loaded with innuendo.
  • Moyet was just 23 when this song was released as her debut solo single, but she was well known in her native UK because of her work in Yazoo, the duo she was in with Vince Clarke from 1981 to 1983. Yazoo was very popular in Britain, with hits that include "Only You" and "Situation." In America they made an impact in the world of dance music and with new wave fans, but they weren't widely known. "Love Resurrection" tracked the same way - it was a hit in the UK but stalled at #82 in America. The Alf album was huge in the UK, where it went to #1, and also big throughout the rest of Europe and in Oceania.

    The album established Moyet as a solo artist, which she parlayed into a long and very successful career. In America, only one of her other songs charted, "Invisible," written by Lamont Dozier.

    As for Vince Clarke, he formed Yazoo with Moyet after leaving Depeche Mode. After Yazoo, he formed Erasure with Andy Bell.
  • In the music video, Moyet wanders the desert, but nothing really happens. It was shot in Israel.

    In Europe, there were lots of shows that broadcast music videos, so they often had a more complete concept. Moyet explained to Smash Hits that it was a bit of self sabotage. "You can totally blame me for all my videos being rubbish," she said. "I'm just not interested in them. But to be fair to myself, with 'Love Resurrection,' I decided that I was going to get involved for once. So I sat down and thought about what I wanted. Now, you know the beginning of The Exorcist where they did the excavation with all that digging? Well, I remember watching that in the cinema and feeling really horrible, thinking 'I can't wait for this bit to be over.' And that's what I wanted the video to be like. I wanted people to go 'Ooh, I do wish this video would get off the television!'"
  • Knowing the video for this song was rubbish, Moyet made a second one for the American market that's a lot more basic, showing her performing the song with her band. About 150 fans answered a call looking for extras to be audience members in the shoot.

    Moyet was looking to mimic videos like Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark" that MTV loved, but to the best of our knowledge, they didn't play it.

Comments: 1

  • Dave from Wheaton, IlLove Christian singer Kim Boyce's cover of it!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.