"Chains of Love" is a song by British synthpop

Synthpop

Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...

 duo Erasure

Erasure

Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...

, released in May 1988 as their ninth single overall.

The song was released by Mute Records

Mute Records

Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...

 as the second single from Erasure's third studio album The Innocents

The Innocents (album)

After releasing The Two Ring Circus, a remix album in 1987, The Innocents was the third proper studio release from Erasure, released in 1988...

. In the United States, Sire Records

Sire Records

Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...

 released it as the first single. The album version was produced by Stephen Hague

Stephen 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:...

 and was slightly remix

Remix

A 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 for its single release (most notably the album version starts cold, while the radio version contains a short synthesizer

Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...

 pattern as an intro).

"Chains of Love" became Erasure's sixth consecutive Top 20 hit on the 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 ...

, just missing the Top 10 by peaking at number eleven. In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, it became Erasure's mainstream breakthrough by climbing to number twelve on the 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...

 and becoming the group's first entry on the Modern Rock Tracks

Modern Rock Tracks

Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...

 chart. It also hit number four on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. "Chains of Love" remains as Erasure's highest-charting U.S. pop hit.

The song, written by Vince Clarke

Vince Clarke

Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....

 and Andy Bell

Andy Bell (singer)

Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...

, is an uptempo dance-oriented synth pop 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

Falsetto

Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...

. 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...

 featured Clarke and Bell performing the song while being hoisted through the air by thick, metal chains.

12": Mute / 12MUTE83 (UK)

1. "Chains of Love" (Foghorn Mix) - 6:24
2. "Don't Suppose" (Country Joe Mix) - 5:57
3. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" - 3:15

12": Mute / L12MUTE83 (UK)

1. "Chains of Love" (Truly In Love With The Marks Bros. Mix) - 7:20
2. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (The Dangerous Mix) - 4:43
3. "Don't Suppose" - 3:27

12": Sire / 20953-0 (US)

1. "Chains of Love" (The Unfettered Mix) - 8:22
2. "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" - 3:15
3. "Chains of Love" (Foghorn Mix) - 6:24
4. "Chains of Love" (Truly In Love With The Marks Bros. Mix) - 7:20
5. "Don't Suppose" (Country Joe Mix) - 5:57
6. "Chains of Love" (fetter dub dub) - 5:10

12": Sire / 20953-0 (US)

1. "Chains of Love" (The Unfettered Mix) - 8:22
2. "Chains of Love" (Fetter Dub Dub) - 5:10
3. "Chains of Love" (shep pettibone radio remix - edit) - 3:38
4. "Chains of Love" (Truly In Love With The Marks Bros. Mix) - 7:20
5. "Chains of Love" (shep pettibone instrumental dub) - 3:50
6. "Chains of Love" (shep pettibone radio remix) - 3:56

• US promo 12"

CD: Mute / CDMUTE83 (UK)

1. "Chains of Love" (Foghorn Mix) - 6:24
2. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (The Dangerous Mix) - 4:43
3. "Don't Suppose" (Country Joe Mix) - 5:57

CD: Mute / EBX 2.4 (UK)

1. "Chains Of Love" (remix)
2. "Don't Suppose" - 3:27
3. "Chains of Love" (Foghorn Mix) - 6:24
4. "Don't Suppose" (Country Joe Mix) - 5:57
5. "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" - 3:15
6. "Chains of Love" (Truly In Love With The Marks Bros. Mix) - 7:20
7. "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" (The Dangerous Mix) - 4:43

• part of UK CD single box set

CD: Sire-Reprise / PRO-CD-3140 (US)

1. "Chains of Love" (7" remix) - 3:40
2. "Chains of Love" (Shep Pettibone Radio Remix) - 3:56
3. "Chains of Love" (The Unfettered Mix) - 8:22
4. "Chains of Love" (Truly In Love With The Marks Bros. Mix) - 7:20

• promo CD

Mark Moore

Mark Moore

Mark Moore is a British dance music record producer and DJ. He was founder of the pop/sampling pioneers S'Express, and runs the London nightclubs, 'Electrogogo' and 'Can Can'.-Biography:...

 & Mark McGuire

1. "Chains of Love" (truly in love with the marks bros. mix) - 7:20

Shep Pettibone

Shep Pettibone

Robert E. Pettibone, Jr. is a record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. His earliest work known to the public was for one of New York City's top disco/dance radio stations, WRKS 98.7 "Kiss" FM, and later as remixer/producer for the disco label Salsoul...

1. "Chains of Love" (Shep Pettibone Radio Remix) - 3:56
2. "Chains of Love" (Shep Pettibone Radio Remix - edit) - 3:38
3. "Chains of Love" (the unfettered mix) - 8:22
4. "Chains of Love" (fetter dub dub) - 5:10
5. "Chains of Love" (Shep Pettibone instrumental dub) - 3:50

• Radio and instrumental mixes released on US promos only.

Cover versions

• A cover of the song was recorded in the late 1990s by Canadian pop-dance musical group, Temperance for their 1999 album If You Don't Know.
• A techno cover of the song was recorded by Liquid360.

Chart performance

Chart (1988)	Peak position
Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....	14
Dutch Singles Chart	85
German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	18
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...	6
New Zealand Singles Chart	31
Singapore Singles Chart	2
Swiss Singles Chart	16
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 ...	11
US 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...	12
US 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...	4