With the continued resurgence of vinyl, the return of the 12″ single has sparked another wave of nostalgia.
Look no further than the 2025 John Lewis Christmas advert, which featured the classic house track and 1990s dance anthem “Where Love Lives” by Alison Limerick. The advert featured a father being presented with a 12″ single by his son on Christmas morning, sending many out looking for classic slabs of black vinyl for an evocative gift.
Few songs summon the glamour and carefree attitude of the 1970s more than Roxy Music’s October 1975 release, “Love Is The Drug.” Just in time for Christmas, it’s been released as a 12″ E.P to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the timeless cut.
For a gift like this, it’s firstly about the sleeve art, and Roxy Music provided some of the most memorable of the era. The 12-inch artwork presents a stunning image of American model and actress, Jerry Hall, from the same shoot as the ‘Siren’ album art from which “Love Is The Drug” is taken.
Here, the blue tint is removed for a look that’s less mermaid and more classic 70s fashion. Arguably, it’s just as stunning as the original image by photographer Graham Hughes. For many record buyers, the artwork is as essential as the music and a crucial part of the listening experience that digital formats just can’t replicate.
When the needle hits the groove, you’re greeted by the glamorous sound of high heels, followed by John Gustafson’s essential bass line and Andy Mackay’s smoky, barroom sax. Bryan Ferry’s sophisticated, classic croon adds his signature suave remoteness and dramatic intrigue to the track. The band never made an official promo, but this was all used to great effect in Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film Casino.
DJ Greg Wilson delivers an excellent new edit that suggests what a 12-inch version might have sounded like. He explained: “It wasn’t until 1976 that the 12″ single appeared as a commercial format, so “Love Is The Drug” was only ever issued as a 7″. In editing this track, I imagined how an extended 12″ might have sounded had the record been released a little bit later down the line. It was a massive floor-filler, just as popular in the clubs, if not more so, than the out-and-out Disco hit “Angel Eyes”, four years on. As well as the more mainstream venues, it was a staple of the numerous Roxy / Bowie nights that sprung up in the latter half of the 70s, paving the way for the influential Futurist movement.”
“Sultanesque”, the original 7″ B-side is also included here, further suggesting that Futurist movement. The song’s writers, Bryan Ferry and Andy Mackay, proved they could out-Eno former member Brian Eno when it came to crafting strange and dream-like instrumentals that could have made the B-side of Bowie’s ‘Low’.
The extended Todd Terje Disco Dub remix of “Love Is The Drug” makes the most of Gustafson’s bass, creating a further danceable groove bound to get any Christmas Party in full swing.
