# Tearing My Soul Apart

"Tearing My Soul Apart" is a song by the English duo Low, released by Swanyard Discs on 24 August 1992 as the band's debut single from their intended studio album, Enter the Bigger Reality. The song was written by Grant Boult, Peter Gill, Dave Harris, Brian Nash and Mark O'Toole, and was produced by Steve Lovell, Nash and Boult. It reached number 118 in the UK Singles Chart.

## Background

"Tearing My Soul Apart" originated with three members of Frankie Goes to Hollywood – guitarist Brian Nash, bassist Mark O'Toole and drummer Peter Gill. With Frankie Goes to Hollywood's split in 1987, singers Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford pursued solo careers and the remaining three band members decided to continue working together. "Tearing My Soul Apart" was written during this period and the new band then hired Dave Harris as their singer, who provided some melody and lyrical ideas. A demo recording of the song, with Harris on vocals, was recorded at Music Works Studios in July 1988. It was one of four demos intended to be shopped to various labels in the attempt to secure a record deal.
The band gained the interest of London Recordings in 1988, but the label was not keen on Harris as the singer and he was replaced by Grant Boult, whose previous band, the Promise, had supported Frankie Goes to Hollywood on their final tour in 1987. London commissioned further demos from the band and a new take of "Tearing My Soul Apart" was recorded with Boult on vocals at Maison Rouge Studios. When the London deal collapsed in 1989 after the label demanded the band use the Frankie Goes to Hollywood name, Nash and Boult decided to continue working together as a duo, initially under the name Honey Ryder, then Low. They signed to Swanyard Records in 1991 and recorded the album Enter the Bigger Reality. During the sessions, the duo recorded "Tearing My Soul Apart", with Steve Lovell as a co-producer, and mixes of the track were made by Stuart Bruce and Tom Lord-Alge.

## Release

"Tearing My Soul Apart" was released as the band's debut single on 24 August 1992. It was released by Swanyard Discs Ltd on 7-inch, 12-inch and CD formats, with distribution by BMG UK. The single failed to reach the top 75 of the UK Singles Chart and reached its peak of number 118 in its first week in the charts. Its parent album, Enter the Bigger Reality, was due to follow in September 1992, but it was left unreleased after Swanyard went into receivership. The song was due to be the album's opening track.

## Music video

The song's music video was filmed at Walton Castle in Clevedon, North Somerset, England, which at the time was the home of Rai and Margarita Hamilton, who ran and owned 51% of Swanyard. The video was directed by Peter Martin and had a budget of £6,000. One of the extras hired to appear in the video was English actress Rachel Weisz. Speaking of the video, Nash told the Western Daily Press in 1992, "It looks great, actually. We shot it at night for maximum effect and it looks like something out of The Man Who Fell to Earth."

## Critical reception

Upon its release, Graeme Anderson of the Sunderland Echo praised "Tearing My Soul Apart" as an "impressive debut featuring [a] big dance floor sound from a group that's risen from Frankie Goes to Hollywood's ashes". English radio presenter Simon Mayo, writing for the Nottingham Evening Post, called it a "stunner". Penny Kiley of the Liverpool Echo commented that it is "a slab of noisy, '70s-influenced rhythmic rock with hints of everything – from David Bowie to The Who". The Evening Chronicle described it as a "slow, sinuously seductive ballad". Push of Melody Maker was negative in his review, calling it "knock-kneed AOR slop" and concluding, "Brian [Nash] will never see his name in print again."

## Track listing

7–inch single (UK)
* "Tearing My Soul Apart" (Stuart Bruce Mix) – 4:44
* "Love Comes Down" (Stuart Bruce Mix) – 4:39
12–inch single (UK)
* "Tearing My Soul Apart" (Stuart Bruce Slide Mix) – 5:05
* "Tearing My Soul Apart" (Tom Lord-Alge Mix) – 5:04
* "Love Comes Down" (Stuart Bruce Mix) – 4:39
CD single (UK)
* "Tearing My Soul Apart" (Stuart Bruce Mix) – 4:44
* "Tearing My Soul Apart" (Tom Lord-Alge Mix) – 5:04
* "Love Comes Down" (Stuart Bruce Mix) – 4:39

## Personnel

Production
* Steve Lovell – production ("Tearing My Soul Apart", "Love Comes Down")
* Low – production ("Tearing My Soul Apart", "Love Comes Down")
* Stuart Bruce – engineering, mixing ("Tearing My Soul Apart", "Love Comes Down")
* Tom Lord-Alge – mixing ("Tearing My Soul Apart")
Other
* Mental Block – design

## Charts

| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart (OCC) | 118 |