40 years later, this special anniversary edition – remastered by its original engineer, Ted  Jensen – will arrive during Pride Month in a clear vinyl variant. The album artwork has also  been refreshed in collaboration with original art director Nick Egan to honor the anniversary,  including a four-page insert featuring outtakes from the iconic photo session with Michael  Halsband. Furthermore, in celebration of this milestone release, it features new liner notes by  writer and music historian Kurt B. Reighley, who sat down with founding members Susan  Ottaviano and Ted Ottaviano to reflect on the album’s creation and its lasting cultural impact.  

GRAMMY®-winning producer Dave Audé has also shared a new remix of “Boy,” reimagining  the band’s breakout single for a new generation of listeners, out today. 

Amid the neon haze and grit of 1980s Manhattan, Book of Love were trailblazing innovators – four art-school outsiders who turned synths and drum machines into anthems for queer and  marginalized youth, crafting a sound as bold, offbeat, and electric as the city itself. Signed to  Sire Records by the legendary Seymour Stein, members Susan Ottaviano, Ted Ottaviano, Jade Lee, and Lauren Roselli released their debut album on April 1, 1986, ushering in a new  chapter for synth-driven pop music emerging from downtown New York. 

Beyond its shimmering hooks, the album resonated deeply with LGBTQ+ audiences, with “Boy”  becoming an underground club anthem that gave voice to a community long before queer  stories were celebrated in pop music. Four decades later, its perspective remains strikingly  relevant.  

While today’s pop landscape embraces the same mix of club-ready production and emotional  directness that Book of Love fearlessly pioneered, this anniversary edition offers fresh insight  into the band’s legacy–not just as contributors to the genre’s evolution, but as one of the groups  that helped shape its DNA.  

A Message from Book of Love  

We are thrilled to announce that today, April 1 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of our  self-titled debut album. To celebrate the occasion, Rhino Records will be releasing a newly  remastered edition of the album, available both digitally and–we’re especially happy to share–on  vinyl. The album has never sounded better!  

Working with Rhino on this anniversary vinyl edition has truly been a labor of love. This album  has always had a life of its own, and it’s been incredibly meaningful to revisit it. We’ve been  fortunate to reunite much of the original creative team for this special release. We’re so grateful  for the love this record has received over the years and are excited to celebrate this milestone  with all of you. 

Stay tuned, more to come! 

Susan, Ted, Jade and Lauren