This Is the Love
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = This Is the Love
| cover = SpandauBalletThisIstheLove.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Spandau Ballet
| album = The Story: The Very Best of Spandau Ballet
| B-side =
| released = October 2014
| format =
| recorded = 2014
| studio =
| genre = Pop
| length = 3:44
| label = Rhino
| writer = Gary Kemp
| producer = Trevor Horn
| prev_title = Once More
| prev_year = 2009
| next_title = Steal
| next_year = 2014
}}
"This Is the Love" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the first single from their 2014 compilation album The Story: The Very Best of Spandau Ballet.
Background
Spandau Ballet reunited for a tour in 2009 after being apart for almost thirty years. The success of the tour led to the re-recording of their hits for an acoustic album titled Once More. Two new songs were included,{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/01/spandau-ballet-reunion |title=Spandau Ballet's reunion: Once more with girdles |work=The Guardian |location=London |first1=Caroline |last1=Sullivan |first2=Tony |last2=Hadley |date=1 October 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240624145743/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/01/spandau-ballet-reunion |archive-date= 24 June 2024}} one of which, the title track, reached number 82 on the UK Singles Chart, making it their first chart appearance there since 1990.{{cite web|title=Spandau Ballet {{!}} Full Official Chart History|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/18710/spandau-ballet/|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=10 August 2024}}
On 31 July 2014 the band announced on their website that they were "working on new material with Trevor Horn," with whom they had last worked on the 1984 charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?"{{cite web |url=http://www.spandauballet.com/news/confirmed-spandau-ballet-working-on-new-material-with-trevor-horn/ |title=Spandau Ballet: News |access-date=31 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508204709/http://www.spandauballet.com/news/confirmed-spandau-ballet-working-on-new-material-with-trevor-horn/|archive-date=8 May 2015}} Horn also remixed Spandau Ballet's Diamond track "Instinction" in 1982.{{cite magazine|title= Spandau Ballet: A Girl's Best Friend |magazine= New Sounds New Styles |date= May 1982 |issue= 11 |page= 27 |url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/sets/72157712752496953/with/49413927346/}} On 18 August 2014 a post on their website explained that the new material consisted of three tracks to be released in October on a compilation titled The Story: The Very Best of Spandau Ballet,{{cite web |url=http://www.spandauballet.com/news/press-release-soul-boysevent-movie-qa-and-spandau-live-at-the-royal-albert-hall/ |title=Spandau Ballet: News |access-date=18 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501130948/http://www.spandauballet.com/news/press-release-soul-boysevent-movie-qa-and-spandau-live-at-the-royal-albert-hall/|archive-date=1 May 2015}} one of the three being "This Is the Love".
Commercial performance
In the US "This Is the Love" spent 8 weeks on Billboard magazine's Dance Club Songs chart that began in December 2015, during which time it peaked at number 20.
Critical reception
In his review of The Story Timothy Monger of AllMusic wrote that all three of the new songs were "of surprisingly good craftsmanship, showing that both the group and Horn are still capable of producing vital material."{{allMusic|first=Timothy |last=Monger |class=album |id=mw0002733682 |title=Spandau Ballet – The Story: The Very Best of Spandau Ballet: Review |access-date=14 August 2024}} He wrote, "The single 'This Is the Love' is a richly realized, sax-laden pop gem that could have been made during their mid-80's heyday."
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "This Is the Love" ! scope="col"| Chart (2014) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|20|artist=Spandau Ballet|rowheader=true|refname="disco"|access-date= 10 August 2024}} |