Book of Love — the Philadelphia-bred synth-pop quartet best known for the hypnotic 1985 single “Boy” — are releasing a 40th anniversary reissue of their landmark debut album on June 26, just in time for Pride.
The band emerged from Philadelphia’s art school scene in 1983, relocating to New York’s East Village at a moment when the downtown creative world was colliding with the nascent synth-pop revolution.
Their early break came as the opening act for two Depeche Mode tours in 1985 and 1986, exposing them to massive audiences who recognized a kindred sensibility. Their music built on tubular bells and deadpan vocals and an emotional undertow that felt unlike anything else in the American pop landscape. They never became household names, but in queer clubs and on college radio they built a following that has proven remarkably durable
Ahead of a sold-out 10-city fall tour with all four original members, The Hollywood Reporter caught up with songwriter and keyboardist Ted Ottaviano and lead singer Susan Ottaviano (no relation) over Zoom.
I want to start with “Boy” because it means so much to me. Every time I hear it, I have to stop whatever I’m doing, turn it up and listen to the end. There’s not many songs that have that hold on me. What is it about that song?
