Love Like Blood (song)

"Love Like Blood" is a song by English rock band Killing Joke. Described by guitarist Geordie Walker as "disco with distorted guitar",^[2] the song was released on 25 January 1985 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Night Time (1985). Produced by Chris Kimsey, the song is characterised as gothic rock^[3][4] and new wave.^[5] It was a top 10 hit in the Netherlands, Belgium and New Zealand and peaked at number 16 in the United Kingdom.

"Love Like Blood"
Single by Killing Joke
from the album Night Time
B-side	"Blue Feather (Version)"
Released	25 January 1985[1]
Genre	Gothic rock post-punk new wave
Length	6:50 (album) 4:14 (single/video)
Label	E.G. Polydor
Songwriter(s)	Jaz Coleman Paul Ferguson Paul Raven Kevin Walker
Producer(s)	Killing Joke Chris Kimsey
Killing Joke singles chronology
"A New Day" (1984) "Love Like Blood" (1985) "Kings and Queens" (1985)
Love Like Blood (Gestalt Mix)
Love Like Blood (Gestalt Mix) Side A Inner Sleeve

"Love Like Blood" was originally released by E.G. Records in January 1985 as a 7" and 12" single in the UK and various other European markets.

The song remains very fondly remembered in the Netherlands and in Belgium, as it has appeared on the former country's annual Top 2000 songs of all time countdown every year since 2011. Its highest position was No. 554 in 2000.^[6] In Belgium, the song is a continuous staple of the so-called 'New Wave/Goth party' circuit, which are parties almost exclusively dedicated to the new wave, (proto) goth and, to an extent, EBM music prevalent in the '80s, with bands like Killing Joke, The Cure, Joy Division, The Sisters Of Mercy, Bauhaus, Front 242 among many others being chief among these parties' music selection. Belgian rock radio Willy presents an annual 'New Wave Top 100' around the end of October (Halloween/ All Saints Day, the latter being an official holiday remembering the dead in Belgium) in which 'Love Like Blood' continuously ranks highly.

Track listings

The single release was a shorter edit of "Love Like Blood" than the full album track. The 12" single featured an extended mix, titled "Love Like Blood (Version)" as its A-side. An alternative 12" release, limited to 2000 copies, replaced this with a dub remix, known as the "Gestalt Mix".^[7] "Blue Feather (Version)" was featured as the B-side; an instrumental mix of a song that was otherwise unreleased, until the complete version was included on the re-issue of Night Time in 2008.

In 1998, "Love Like Blood" was reissued as a live remix 12" single by Butterfly Records, alongside a remix of the song "Intellect" from Killing Joke’s 11th studio album, Democracy.

7" vinyl single

Side A

1. "Love Like Blood" – 04:14

Side B

1. "Blue Feather (Version)" – 04:09

12" vinyl single

Side A

1. "Love Like Blood (Version)" – 06:42

Side B

1. "Love Like Blood" – 04:14
2. "Blue Feather (Version)" – 04:09

Limited Gestalt Mix 12" single

Side A

1. "Love Like Blood (Gestalt Mix)" – 05:05

Side B

1. "Love Like Blood" – 04:14
2. "Blue Feather (Version)" – 04:09

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1985) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 83 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 8 Ireland (IRMA)[10] 30 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 5 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 6 UK Singles (OCC)[14] 16 West Germany (GfK)[15] 24

Year-end charts Chart (1985) Position Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 59 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 75 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 50

Covers

"Love Like Blood" was covered by several bands, and the German gothic rock band Love Like Blood took their name from this song.

Dead by April version

"Love Like Blood/Promise Me"
Single by Dead by April
from the album Stronger
Released	10 May 2010
Recorded	2010
Genre	Alternative metal, pop rock
Length	3:40
Label	Universal Records
Songwriter(s)	Jaz Coleman Paul Ferguson Paul Raven Kevin Walker
Dead by April singles chronology
"Angels of Clarity" (2009) "Love Like Blood/Promise Me" (2010) "Dance in the Neon Light with Lena Philipsson" (2011)

In 2010, Swedish alternative metal band Dead by April released a cover version of "Love Like Blood" as a stand-alone single on 10 May 2010 on iTunes and as a double A-side single alongside previously released track "Promise Me" from their eponymous debut album. No music videos were made for either of the tracks. "Love Like Blood" was the first track recorded by the band with their new singer Zandro Santiago,^[19] and was later included on their compilation album Stronger, released on 24 January 2011.

Digital single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Love Like Blood"	3:40
2.	"Promise Me"	3:35

Other versions

Band	Album	Year
Blacklight	Dream Dance, Vol. 25	2002
Iva Davies	Berlin Tapes	1996
Icehouse		1996, 1999, 2002
Love Like Blood	Love Like Blood EP	1998
Technoir	Love Like Blood	2002
Out	Unik	2003
Blackmail	Friend or Foe? (Japanese edition)	2004
Sybreed	The Pulse of Awakening	2009
Dool	Love Like Blood EP	2019