The erotic, seductive "Slave To Love" finds Bryan Ferry surrendering himself to a woman. The former Roxy Music frontman sings about feeling powerless in his relationship while also hinting at the pleasure he derives from being at the mercy of his lover:
Slave to love
Na na na na, na na na na
And I can't escape
I'm a slave to love
British session musician Neil Hubbard plays the guitar solo at the end of "Slave To Love." The song also boasts an impressive lineup of other highly acclaimed musicians, including Canadian guitarist Keith Scott, Dire Straits keyboardist Guy Fletcher, King Crimson bassist Tony Levin, and American drummer Omar Hakim.
The official video for "Slave To Love" was directed by the French filmmaker and photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino. The clip stars French model Laurence Treil, Dutch model Marpessa Hennink, and Swedish model Christine Bergström. It intertwines shots of these models singing the song in a variety of chic, luxurious settings with footage of Ferry leaving an airport and getting chased by paparazzi.
Ferry performed "Slave To Love" for the first time at Live Aid, held at Wembley Stadium in London on July 13, 1985. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour accompanied him on stage to play the guitar solo. Ferry's performance took place a few hours before show-stopping appearances from the likes of U2 and Queen, and was later criticized for focusing too much on promoting new music instead of delivering a crowd-pleasing setlist.
"Slave To Love" has been covered by a wide range of artists, including Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley on his self-titled album in 1997. Jazz icon Jimmy Scott also performed it on his Holding Back the Years album in 1998. Furthermore, No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani and American singer-songwriter Elan Atias covered "Slave To Love" for the 2004 film 50 First Dates featuring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.
This song makes a memorable appearance in the 1986 movie 9½ Weeks, where it can be heard during a romantic montage scene starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke. While it bombed at the box office, 9½ Weeks has gone on to develop a cult following thanks in part to its soundtrack. Other films featuring "Slave To Love" include 1992's Bitter Moon, directed by Roman Polanski, and 2014's Kingsman: The Secret Service, starring Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Caine.
"Slave To Love" also features in a number of television shows, such as Miami Vice ("Junk Love," 1985) and Scrubs ("My New God," 2006). It was also used during the bar scene in the 2014 episode "Pink Cupcakes" of American Horror Story.
In 2012, Ferry released a new instrumental version of "Slave To Love" on his 14th album,
The Jazz Age. The album is inspired by the jazz scene that defined the Roaring '20s. Speaking
to Clash in 2013 about his decision to interpret his music through this genre, Ferry explained: "I've sort of gone back to the music that I liked listening to when I was a young lad, 9 or 10 years old – I was really fairly precocious for that time."
Australian director Baz Luhrmann selected the jazz version of Roxy Music's "
Love Is the Drug" from the same album to appear in his 2013 movie
The Great Gatsby.
The 2000 compilation album
Slave To Love: The Best of the Ballads features this song alongside Ferry and Roxy Music's most popular ballads, including "
Avalon," "
More Than This," and Roxy Music's cover of John Lennon's "
Jealous Guy."
"Slave To Love" was the first single released from Ferry's sixth solo album, Boys and Girls, in 1985. It was also Ferry's first solo single in seven years, following his cover of the Irish folk song "Carrickfergus" in 1978. One of his most enduring hits, "Slave To Love" peaked at #10 and spent nine weeks on the chart in the UK.
Ferry is seen smoking a cigarette on the front cover of the "Slave To Love" single, with the smoke transforming into British model Allison Bramwell.
Boys and Girls was the first solo album Ferry released after disbanding Roxy Music in 1983. It was a commercial success, topping the chart in the UK and earning Gold certification in the US. The aforementioned Gilmour, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, and Nile Rodgers of Chic are among the prominent guest stars on Boys and Girls, which Ferry recorded across seven international studios, including AIR in London, Compass Point in Nassau, and Power Station in New York.
