The Blood That Moves the Body explained

"The Blood That Moves the Body" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released on 6 June 1988 by Warner Bros. Records as the second single from the band's third studio album, Stay on These Roads (1988). The song was written by bandmember Pål Waaktaar and produced by Alan Tarney. It peaked at number one in Iceland, and was a top 20 hit in Belgium, Ireland, Italy and South Africa. The music video was directed by Andy Morahan and filmed in Austria and France. On 30 March 1992, the song was re-released with the remixes by Alan Tarney. The video remained unchanged. The dark, enigmatic lyrics of this song have been attributed to many things, including teen suicides in Japan and literary references to Eyes of a Blue Dog. The "Two-Time Gun Remix" was later included on A-ha's 2010 compilation album, 25, which features all of the band's hits, across two CDs.

Critical reception

Bob Stanley from NME wrote, "In the absence of any Stock Aitken Waterman product this is far and away the best chart pop single of the week. Morten Harket's voice ranges from gruff 'n' moody to its more familiar velveteen lilt, backed by a string arrangement John Barry would be proud of — very good indeed."^[1]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "The Blood That Moves the Body" was directed by Andy Morahan and filmed in and around Hotel Regina Louvre^[2] in Paris, France. Some additional scenes were filmed in Vienna.^[3]

Track listings

• 7-inch single: Warner Bros. / W 7840 United Kingdom (1988)

1. "The Blood That Moves the Body" (Album Version) - 4:06
2. "There's Never a Forever Thing" - 2:50

• 12-inch single: Warner Bros. / W 7840 TW United Kingdom (1988)

1. "The Blood That Moves the Body" (Extended Version) – 5:25
2. "The Blood That Moves the Body" (Album Version) – 4:06
3. "There's Never a Forever Thing" – 2:49

Note 1: Track 1 is also known as "Extended Remix" or "Extended Mix".Note 2: Also released as a 12" picture disc (W 7840 TP)

• CD single: Warner Bros. / W 7840CD United Kingdom (1988)

1. "The Blood That Moves the Body" – 4:07
2. "There's Never a Forever Thing" – 2:51
3. "The Blood That Moves the Body" (Extended Version) – 5:25
4. "The Living Daylights" (James Bond Version) – 4:11

• 7-inch single: Warner Bros. / W 0089 United Kingdom (1992)

1. "The Blood That Moves the Body" (The Gun Mix)" – 4:15
2. "The Blood That Moves the Body"n (Two-Time Gun Mix) – 4:17

Note: Remixes by Alan Tarney.

• 12-inch single: Warner Bros. / W 0089T United Kingdom (1992)

1. "The Blood That Moves the Body" (The Gun Mix)" – 4:15
2. "The Blood That Moves the Body" (Two-Time Gun Mix) – 4:17
3. "The Blood That Moves The Body" (The Second Gun Around Mix) - 5:56

Note: Remixes by Alan Tarney.

• CD single: Warner Bros. / W 0089CD United Kingdom (1992)

1. "The Blood That Moves the Body" (The Gun Mix)" – 4:15
2. "The Blood That Moves the Body" (Two-Time Gun Mix) – 4:17
3. "The Blood That Moves The Body" (The Second Gun Around Mix) - 5:56

Note: Remixes by Alan Tarney.

Charts

Chart performance for "The Blood That Moves the Body"

Chart (1988)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[4]	36
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 10)[5]	1
Italy (Musica e dischi)[6]	13
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[7]	11

Notes and References

1. Bob. Stanley. Singles. NME. 11 June 1988. 16. 30 October 2023. Bob Stanley (musician).
2. Web site: HOTEL REGINA LOUVRE - Updated 2022 Prices & Reviews (Paris, France).
3. Web site: a-ha – "The blood that moves the body". mvdbase.com. Garcia. Alex S.. 1 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051854/http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=890. 4 March 2016.
4. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles . . 5 . 27 . 2 July 1988 . 14 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
5. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 10. DV. is. 24 June 1988. 1021-8254. Timarit.is.
6. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "A-Ha".
7. Web site: SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts A . The South African Rock Encyclopedia . 27 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180517120214/http://rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(A).html . 17 May 2018.