Desire – “The Power Of Love” (Frankie Goes To Hollywood Cover)

Johnny Jewel handled the soundtrack for Belgian director Fien Troch’s new movie Holly, which led to the release of Jewel’s instrumental “The Witch” two weeks ago. Today a second song from the movie has been released. Desire, Jewel’s duo with singer Megan Louise, covered Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s 1984 single “The Power Of Love” for the movie’s closing credits. It’s a stunning treatment that, for me, surpasses the original.

Troch heaped praise on the cover:

I knew “The Power Of Love” had to become part of Holly’s universe. We just needed to unlock the right door to enter the same space as the rest of Johnny’s music. While discussing the film, it became so clear to me that the voice had to be female. A strong & tender one, full of love. Desire is all of that to me. Desire became Holly’s voice.

Jewel also shared a statement:

In the first version of the film I watched, Fien presented this idea to close with a Frankie Goes To Hollywood song. There is no other pop music in the entire film, so going out over end credits with a baroque ballad is a daring tonal shift. All the musical tension that precedes this moment makes the release all the more effective. While we were brainstorming on the texture of the score, Fien wondered what it would sound like to have Megan sing it. We worked on it privately in our studio, then I brought a rough version with me to show Fien in Amsterdam where we were mixing the film. The moment she finally saw it on screen for the first time was pure magic. It’s a true testament to her vision as a director to be able to merge those two very different worlds in her imagination.

Hear “The Power Of Love,” both the cover and the original, below.

The Holly soundtrack is out 10/13 on Italians Do It Better.