Bizarre Love Triangle
Encyclopedia
"Bizarre Love Triangle" is a single released in 1986 by the English rock
band New Order
. A version is included on their album Brotherhood.
Though it is one of the group's best known singles, it failed to make the Top 40 in either the United Kingdom or the United States. In the band's native England, "Bizarre Love Triangle" only reached No. 56. In the States, the song failed to chart in its original 1986 release. However, a new mix included on the The Best of New Order
was released in 1994 and finally made a brief appearance on Billboard singles chart in the 1995 as a minor hit. The one country where it was a sizable chart hit was Australia, where it reached No. 5, initiating a string of five consecutive Top 20 hits.
In 2004 the song was ranked number 201 in Rolling Stone
' s "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
features on their Best Of album. The original album version appears on the 2005 compilation Singles.
The music video
was directed by American
artist Robert Longo
. It prominently featured shots of a man and a woman in business suits flying through the air as though propelled by trampolines; this is based directly on Longo's "Men in the Cities" series of lithograph
s. The video also features a black and white cut-scene where Jodi Long
and E. Max Frye
are arguing about reincarnation.
The single mix features a cleaner sound with more electronics than the album version, notably the Fairlight CMI
music workstation, the premier sampling keyboard workstation of the '80s, used to provide novel sounds, such as the orchestral hits that were so popular, but also to sequence the song. All instruments minus bass and voice were sequenced.
Despite this version being the main version of the song, the original album version is normally preferred for radio play.
An alternate version featuring vocal hums after the first chorus is on the soundtrack
of the 1988 film Married to the Mob
.
The song can also be heard in the 2011 film What's Your Number?
.
Notes:
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
. A version is included on their album Brotherhood.
Though it is one of the group's best known singles, it failed to make the Top 40 in either the United Kingdom or the United States. In the band's native England, "Bizarre Love Triangle" only reached No. 56. In the States, the song failed to chart in its original 1986 release. However, a new mix included on the The Best of New Order
The Best of New Order
- Video release :# "True Faith-94"# "Regret"# "Run"# "Bizarre Love Triangle"# "Fine Time"# "The Perfect Kiss"# "Shellshock"# "Confusion"# "Blue Monday-88"# "Round & Round-94"# "World"# "Ruined in a Day"# "State of the Nation"...
was released in 1994 and finally made a brief appearance on Billboard singles chart in the 1995 as a minor hit. The one country where it was a sizable chart hit was Australia, where it reached No. 5, initiating a string of five consecutive Top 20 hits.
In 2004 the song was ranked number 201 in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Releases
The 12-inch version appears on the compilation Substance and a remix by Stephen HagueStephen Hague
Stephen Hague is an American music producer most active with various British acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop movement.-Early career:...
features on their Best Of album. The original album version appears on the 2005 compilation Singles.
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist Robert Longo
Robert Longo
Robert Longo is an American painter and sculptor. Longo became famous in the 1980s for his "Men in the Cities" series, which depicted sharply dressed businessmen writhing in contorted emotion.-Early life and education:...
. It prominently featured shots of a man and a woman in business suits flying through the air as though propelled by trampolines; this is based directly on Longo's "Men in the Cities" series of lithograph
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
s. The video also features a black and white cut-scene where Jodi Long
Jodi Long
Jodi Long is an American actress.She was raised in Queens, New York. Her parents are Kimiye , a showgirl performer of Japanese American descent, and Lawrence K...
and E. Max Frye
E. Max Frye
Eric Max Frye, is an American screenwriter from Oregon. His mother was Helen J. Frye, a federal judge. Born in Oregon and raised in Eugene, Frye directed and wrote the film Amos & Andrew. He attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland for one year before moving to Europe where he lived in Paris and...
are arguing about reincarnation.
The single mix features a cleaner sound with more electronics than the album version, notably the Fairlight CMI
Fairlight CMI
The Fairlight CMI is a digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia...
music workstation, the premier sampling keyboard workstation of the '80s, used to provide novel sounds, such as the orchestral hits that were so popular, but also to sequence the song. All instruments minus bass and voice were sequenced.
Despite this version being the main version of the song, the original album version is normally preferred for radio play.
An alternate version featuring vocal hums after the first chorus is on the soundtrack
Married to the Mob (soundtrack)
Married to the Mob is a soundtrack album for the 1988 film Married to the Mob. It features early songs by Sinéad O'Connor and Chris Isaak as well as a Brian Eno cover of William Bell's soul classic "You Don't Miss Your Water".- Track listing :...
of the 1988 film Married to the Mob
Married to the Mob
Married to the Mob is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Modine.Michelle Pfeiffer, in something of a departure from her previous roles, gave an acclaimed lead performance as a gangster's widow from Brooklyn, opposite Matthew Modine as the...
.
The song can also be heard in the 2011 film What's Your Number?
What's Your Number?
What's Your Number? is a 2011 romantic comedy film starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans. It is based on Karyn Bosnak's book 20 Times a Lady. The film was released on , 2011.-Cast:* Anna Faris as Ally Darling* Chris Evans as Colin Shea...
.
Cover versions
- "Bizarre Love Triangle" has been covered by many artists, such as Even As We SpeakEven As We SpeakEven As We Speak is an indie band from Sydney, Australia. The lineup changed over the years and with founding members Matthew Love , Mary Wyer and Rob Irwin joined later by Anita Raynor , Paul Clarke and Julian Knowles...
, Manitu, Devine and StattonAlison StattonAlison Statton is a Welsh singer. She presently works as a chiropractor in Cardiff, Wales, where she was born. Fans of the singer have included Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Belle and Sebastian and Renato Russo.-Musical career:...
, SitaSita (singer)Sita Vermeulen , known by the mononym Sita, is a Dutch pop singer. She rose to fame in the early 2000s as part of pop group K-otic. After the band disbanded in 2003, she had a brief solo career before turning to television, where she would be featured primarily on children's television and was a...
, Tony DeSare, South, Rookie of the YearRookie of the Year (band)Rookie of the Year is an indie rock/acoustic band from Fayetteville, North Carolina . They were signed to One Eleven Records, though the fourth release of their latest EP fulfilled their contractual obligation to 111 and allow them to sign with a new label. The band is fronted by lead...
, Apoptygma BerzerkApoptygma BerzerkApoptygma Berzerk is a Norwegian musical group. They have achieved success with a brand of synthpop, and ballads backed with electronic rhythms, commonly known within the scene and referring to themselves as "futurepop". Apop has won awards and top-10 spots in Germany and Scandinavia...
, Stabbing WestwardStabbing WestwardStabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...
, JaymayJaymayJamie Seerman is an American folk singer-songwriter from New York. She performs under the name Jaymay.-Biography:Jaymay was born on January 3, 1981, and was raised on Long Island...
and Charlotte MartinCharlotte MartinCharlotte Ann Martin is an American singer-songwriter, who performs predominantly on the piano. She has written several studio albums, two of which have received mainstream commercial releases, 2004's On Your Shore and 2006's Stromata...
. - Australian band Frente!Frente!Frente! are an Australian alternative rock group, formed in 1991. The original lineup featured singer Angie Hart, founder and guitarist Simon Austin, bassist Tim O'Connor , and drummer Mark Picton...
released an acoustic cover version of the song in 1994; it was the band's only major overseas success. - The song was also remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed in 2005 by The Crystal MethodThe Crystal MethodThe Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...
(for their album Community Service IICommunity Service IICommunity Service II is the second collaboration album from The Crystal Method, and features remixes from The Crystal Method and other Nu skool breaks artists.- Track listing :# The Crystal Method - Intro – 1:38...
) and by Richard XRichard XRichard Philips, best known by his stage name Richard X, is a British songwriter and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for artists including Annie, Kelis, Liberty X, Rachel Stevens...
(for the New Order single "Waiting for the Sirens' CallWaiting for the Sirens' Call (song)"Waiting for the Sirens' Call" is a single released in 2005 by the group New Order. The third single from the Waiting for the Sirens' Call album, it was released by London Records on 26 September 2005....
"). - It was remade into Chinese with the Cantonese version by Amanda LeeAmanda LeeAmanda Lee may refer to:* Amanda Lee , Hong Kong actress* Amanda Lee , a fictional character in the medical drama ER* Amanda Lee, pseudonym used by Eileen Buckholtz and Ruth Glick...
and the Mandarin version, by Sandy LamSandy LamSandy Lam, also known as Lam Yik Lin, is a Cantopop singer who sings in Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and Japanese.-Career:...
, both under the title of "一個人 / Yī Gè Rén" ("One Person"). - Brandon FlowersBrandon FlowersBrandon Richard Flowers is an American musician, best known as the frontman of the Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. He has also released a solo album titled Flamingo.-Early life:...
of The Killers, a band owing their name to New Order, has played "Bizarre Love Triangle" solo on piano at several of The Killers' concerts, as seen in widely circulated YouTube videos.
Australia 7-inch - FAC 163153
- "Bizarre Love Triangle" – 3:40
- "State of the Nation" – 3:27
US 12-inch - Qwest 0-20546
- "Bizarre Love Triangle" – 6:41
- "I Don't Care" – 7:02 (Actually "Bizarre Dub Triangle")
- "State of the Nation" – 6:31
- "Bizarre Love Triangle" – 3:43
US 1994 CD - Qwest 9 20546-2
- "Bizarre Love Triangle" (Album Version) – 4:20
- "Bizarre Love Triangle" (Extended Dance Mix) – 6:44
- "I Don't Care" – 7:00 (Actually "Bizarre Dub Triangle")
- "State of the Nation" – 6:31
- "Bizarre Love Triangle" (Single Remix) – 3:44
Chart positions
| Chart (1986/1995) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australia ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
5 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
7 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... Singles Chart |
19 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
56 |
| UK Indie Singles UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... (1995) |
98 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... 1 |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... 1 |
8 |
Notes:
- 1 - Charted with "State of the Nation".