Four decades on, Book of Love’s debut still pulses. The synth-pop pioneers have announced a 40th Anniversary vinyl reissue of their landmark self-titled album, arriving June 26 via Rhino Records. The record originally landed on April 1, 1986, introducing a fresh voice in American electronic pop with enduring classics like “Boy,” “I Touch Roses,” and “You Make Me Feel So Good.” Listen here.
The anniversary edition gets a careful, hands-on treatment. It’s remastered by original engineer Ted Jensen and pressed on clear vinyl, arriving during Pride Month. The artwork has been refreshed in collaboration with original art director Nick Egan, including a four-page insert of outtakes from the iconic photo session with Michael Halsband. New liner notes by writer and music historian Kurt B. Reighley draw on conversations with founding members Susan Ottaviano and Ted Ottaviano about the album’s creation and its lasting impact.
There’s something new for the dancefloor too. GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Audé has shared a fresh remix of “Boy,” reworking the band’s breakout single for a new generation, out today.
The band’s story is pure downtown New York. Amid the neon haze of 1980s Manhattan, Book of Love were four art-school outsiders who turned synths and drum machines into anthems for queer and marginalized youth. Signed to Sire Records by the legendary Seymour Stein, members Susan Ottaviano, Ted Ottaviano, Jade Lee, and Lauren Roselli released the debut on April 1, 1986, opening a new chapter for synth-driven pop coming out of the city.
Its resonance ran deeper than the hooks. The album connected powerfully with LGBTQ+ audiences, with “Boy” becoming an underground club anthem that gave voice to a community long before queer stories were celebrated in pop. Forty years later, that perspective lands as sharply as ever, and the reissue makes clear just how much of the genre’s DNA the band helped shape.
The members framed the project as a labor of love. In a message, Susan, Ted, Jade, and Lauren said the album has always had a life of its own, that revisiting it has been deeply meaningful, and that reuniting much of the original creative team made the milestone all the sweeter. They added that the record has never sounded better.
Tracklist:
Side One:
- Modigliani (Lost in Your Eyes)
- You Make Me Feel So Good
- Still Angry
- White Lies
- Lost Souls
- Late Show
Side Two:
- I Touch Roses
- Yellow Sky
- Boy
- Happy Day
- Die Matrosen
- Book of Love