Depeche Mode Bong 37 (1998-09)
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Bong 37 (September 1998)
Articles:
The Singles 86-98 by Martin Gore compiled by Michaela Olexova
In Devotional Memory (concert review) by Andy Fallan
For The Masses by various contributors
Pictures:
page 1 Martin and Fletch as hippies
page 2 page 3 the band and coworkers in the studio
page 4 a drawing of Martin by Alexander Huerzeler
Articles:
The Singles 86-98 by Martin Gore compiled by Michaela Olexova
In Devotional Memory (concert review) by Andy Fallan
For The Masses by various contributors
Pictures:
page 1 Martin and Fletch as hippies
page 2 page 3 the band and coworkers in the studio
page 4 a drawing of Martin by Alexander Huerzeler
Attachments
THE SINGLES 86-98 BY MARTIN GORE
[From Bong 37, September 1998. Compiled by Michaela Olexova.]
During the last week of August, I sat down with Martin just outside the studios where the band were rehearsing for the tour, and asked him to do a quick summing up of the band’s career over the last twelve years. Martin recalled some of his most vivid memories and scenes he treasured as a songwriter, using the tracklisting of “The Singles 86>98”.
We thought you also might like the chance to share your comments, observations and views on each of the songs from “The Singles 86>98” with other fans. Following Martin’s example, choose one (or more) of your favourite songs from the singles collection, then give a brief description of what it means to you, reminds you of and / or why it inspires you. You can either send or e-mail your contribution to our usual address, we’ll also send you a little something from our office for your effort.
Stripped
It’s quite fortunate that this singles compilation kicks off with “Stripped” because from then onwards I’ve liked every single that we’ve put out. It would have been slightly unlucky if it had started from 1985, as we would have started with “Shake The Disease” and “It’s Called A Heart”. I like “Shake The Disease” but “It’s Called A Heart” is one of the worst things we’ve ever released. I think that since the “Black Celebration” album we’ve started getting things right and “Stripped” is one of the best atmospheres we’ve ever captured.
A Question Of Lust
This track has always been almost like an old 50s or 60s classic pop song. It’s a really good song to do live and it’s got a great melody. I joked with the others about it the other day, saying I think The Beatles stole the melody from me…
A Question Of Time
This is the first video Anton made for us and this is when we first started to develop our relationship with him. When we first met, we were very unsure about him as a person and he was very unsure about us, but after a few hours it was obvious that we were meant to get on. He’s been doing virtually everything for us ever since. We have strayed, and done a few things with other people, but he’s pretty much done everything for us over the last twelve years.
Strangelove
“Strangelove” and the whole “Music For The Masses” album reminds me of being in Paris. We did a lot of recording there and even the “Strangelove” video was shot in Paris. I really like this track and think it’s one of the poppiest singles on this collection. Somehow I don’t know if it still works for me… occasionally in our career we’ve stepped on the wrong side of commerciality, not very often, and “Strangelove” is just on the right side. It’s like “Enjoy The Silence”, it’s just on the right side of commerciality. There’s a line and if you step over it too far it becomes bland pop music.
Never Let Me Down Again
It’s funny, because being a songwriter, the moment I start to think about these songs I picture the video… This has always been a classic live and there’s a great shot in “101” where Dave describes what he could feel. When the fans started that thing with the hands I used to think, ‘this is silly, why are the audience doing that’, but after I while I got over that effect and it just became amazing that so many people could and would do it. I don’t think there’s more than two people in the audience who don’t do it or maybe I just can’t see them. I think that “Never Let Me Down Again” is one of our classic old time tracks.
Behind The Wheel
I still really like that track. I remember when we finished it we went to the Montreaux Pop Festival in Switzerland before it was released and we performed it there. I remember being really pleased with it and it was so different to anything else at the festival.
Personal Jesus
This song was our first experiment we had working with Flood and Francois Kevorkian, and we were really unsure about how that whole relationship would work. We were really happy with the song and we realised that it was a potential single, but we didn’t have any idea of the mass appeal that it would have. We thought that it was the sort of thing that we liked but the radio programmers would hate, and we’d be lucky if it reached no. 25 – it was one of those sort of feelings we had in the studio about this song. We were especially worried about America, because the moment you mention the word Jesus in the title, you’re asking for trouble, but the single eventually turned out to be Warner Bros.’ Biggest selling 12” of all time.
Enjoy The Silence
This was the only time ever in the studio when we thought we had a hit single. When I finished the demo of this song it was more of a ballad and sounded a bit like the harmonium version that came out on one of the formats. Alan had this idea to speed it up and make it a bit more disco which I was really averse to at first, because I thought ‘the song is called “Enjoy The Silence” and it’s supposed to be about serenity, and serenity doesn’t go with the disco beat’. So I was sulking for about two days but after he sped it up, I got used to it and added the guitar part, which adds to the whole atmosphere. We could really hear that it had a crossover potential. I have to say that I was sulking for two days for no reason.
Policy Of Truth
It has been one of my all time favourite songs that we’ve ever recorded. I really like the words to it and the whole concept of having to lie to keep up appearances – maybe it’s better to do that. I just really like the whole subject matter of the song. I like the Terry Hoax version or the one by Dishwalla from the tribute album, which is another rock version. I just like the fact that, sometimes the potential of the songs is seen when they are performed in a more conventional format. I think a lot of the time, the songs are overlooked, disregarded or not taken seriously because of the instrumentation we’ve used.
World In My Eyes
I remember the original demo of “World In My Eyes” being slightly faster and maybe slightly more obvious. While we were recording it in Milan, Dave was going away for a couple of days, so we worked on it and turned it into this really moody piece. I can remember Dave arriving back in the studio, slightly jet-lagged and being totally shocked, thinking that we just ruined the song, but half a day later he came back and said ‘that’s really good, the way it’s turned out’. It always takes a while to get used to things.
[From Bong 37, September 1998. Compiled by Michaela Olexova.]
During the last week of August, I sat down with Martin just outside the studios where the band were rehearsing for the tour, and asked him to do a quick summing up of the band’s career over the last twelve years. Martin recalled some of his most vivid memories and scenes he treasured as a songwriter, using the tracklisting of “The Singles 86>98”.
We thought you also might like the chance to share your comments, observations and views on each of the songs from “The Singles 86>98” with other fans. Following Martin’s example, choose one (or more) of your favourite songs from the singles collection, then give a brief description of what it means to you, reminds you of and / or why it inspires you. You can either send or e-mail your contribution to our usual address, we’ll also send you a little something from our office for your effort.
Stripped
It’s quite fortunate that this singles compilation kicks off with “Stripped” because from then onwards I’ve liked every single that we’ve put out. It would have been slightly unlucky if it had started from 1985, as we would have started with “Shake The Disease” and “It’s Called A Heart”. I like “Shake The Disease” but “It’s Called A Heart” is one of the worst things we’ve ever released. I think that since the “Black Celebration” album we’ve started getting things right and “Stripped” is one of the best atmospheres we’ve ever captured.
A Question Of Lust
This track has always been almost like an old 50s or 60s classic pop song. It’s a really good song to do live and it’s got a great melody. I joked with the others about it the other day, saying I think The Beatles stole the melody from me…
A Question Of Time
This is the first video Anton made for us and this is when we first started to develop our relationship with him. When we first met, we were very unsure about him as a person and he was very unsure about us, but after a few hours it was obvious that we were meant to get on. He’s been doing virtually everything for us ever since. We have strayed, and done a few things with other people, but he’s pretty much done everything for us over the last twelve years.
Strangelove
“Strangelove” and the whole “Music For The Masses” album reminds me of being in Paris. We did a lot of recording there and even the “Strangelove” video was shot in Paris. I really like this track and think it’s one of the poppiest singles on this collection. Somehow I don’t know if it still works for me… occasionally in our career we’ve stepped on the wrong side of commerciality, not very often, and “Strangelove” is just on the right side. It’s like “Enjoy The Silence”, it’s just on the right side of commerciality. There’s a line and if you step over it too far it becomes bland pop music.
Never Let Me Down Again
It’s funny, because being a songwriter, the moment I start to think about these songs I picture the video… This has always been a classic live and there’s a great shot in “101” where Dave describes what he could feel. When the fans started that thing with the hands I used to think, ‘this is silly, why are the audience doing that’, but after I while I got over that effect and it just became amazing that so many people could and would do it. I don’t think there’s more than two people in the audience who don’t do it or maybe I just can’t see them. I think that “Never Let Me Down Again” is one of our classic old time tracks.
Behind The Wheel
I still really like that track. I remember when we finished it we went to the Montreaux Pop Festival in Switzerland before it was released and we performed it there. I remember being really pleased with it and it was so different to anything else at the festival.
Personal Jesus
This song was our first experiment we had working with Flood and Francois Kevorkian, and we were really unsure about how that whole relationship would work. We were really happy with the song and we realised that it was a potential single, but we didn’t have any idea of the mass appeal that it would have. We thought that it was the sort of thing that we liked but the radio programmers would hate, and we’d be lucky if it reached no. 25 – it was one of those sort of feelings we had in the studio about this song. We were especially worried about America, because the moment you mention the word Jesus in the title, you’re asking for trouble, but the single eventually turned out to be Warner Bros.’ Biggest selling 12” of all time.
Enjoy The Silence
This was the only time ever in the studio when we thought we had a hit single. When I finished the demo of this song it was more of a ballad and sounded a bit like the harmonium version that came out on one of the formats. Alan had this idea to speed it up and make it a bit more disco which I was really averse to at first, because I thought ‘the song is called “Enjoy The Silence” and it’s supposed to be about serenity, and serenity doesn’t go with the disco beat’. So I was sulking for about two days but after he sped it up, I got used to it and added the guitar part, which adds to the whole atmosphere. We could really hear that it had a crossover potential. I have to say that I was sulking for two days for no reason.
Policy Of Truth
It has been one of my all time favourite songs that we’ve ever recorded. I really like the words to it and the whole concept of having to lie to keep up appearances – maybe it’s better to do that. I just really like the whole subject matter of the song. I like the Terry Hoax version or the one by Dishwalla from the tribute album, which is another rock version. I just like the fact that, sometimes the potential of the songs is seen when they are performed in a more conventional format. I think a lot of the time, the songs are overlooked, disregarded or not taken seriously because of the instrumentation we’ve used.
World In My Eyes
I remember the original demo of “World In My Eyes” being slightly faster and maybe slightly more obvious. While we were recording it in Milan, Dave was going away for a couple of days, so we worked on it and turned it into this really moody piece. I can remember Dave arriving back in the studio, slightly jet-lagged and being totally shocked, thinking that we just ruined the song, but half a day later he came back and said ‘that’s really good, the way it’s turned out’. It always takes a while to get used to things.
I Feel You
The whole “Songs Of Faith And Devotion” project started off with the basic principle that we wanted to become more live, spontaneous and have a lot more performances involved. So that whole album turned out to be the rockiest that we’ve ever wanted to achieve. “I Feel You” is probably the pinnacle of that and it’s about the closest we’re going to come to sounding like a real authentic rock band.
Walking In My Shoes
If I really had to stick my neck out and choose my all time favourite song, it would probably be “Walking In My Shoes”. I think it has a great melody – the words and the subject matter really complement each other perfectly. The instrumentation is also interesting.
Condemnation
Being the songwriter, I am not supposed to keep saying that I think it’s a great song, somebody else is supposed to say it. I really like that song, but I am not sure that we got the best out of it. Our album version is sort of pastiche gospel but the single version, that we recorded using gospel singers, is probably better. Although I am still not sure that that’s the optimum we could have got out of the song.
In Your Room
The worst memory about “In Your Room” is the making of the video. We spent a whole day in the studio filming and I probably had lunch at some point, but it was just something really small, like half a sandwich. We finished filming at about 8 o’clock, and went back to the hotel and I forgot to eat. We went to the bar and I didn’t eat… We went out to a club and I didn’t eat… We came back and had a party in my room that went on till really late. The next day I had to get up and go to a band meeting. So I got up feeling absolutely terrible and sort of staggered to the meeting, I couldn’t even stand up. I had to lie down during the meeting and that was when I went into a seizure. So whenever I see this video, I just think, ‘Oh, God’… It brings back terrible memories.
Barrel Of A Gun
I think that after Alan left the band, and after an absence of four years, we all individually came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to release something that was a bit more of a challenge, something that wasn’t necessarily so Depeche-Mode like. We felt that “Barrel Of A Gun” was probably about the furthest from what we’ve done in the past. I think it was me who first tentatively suggested that maybe “Barrel Of A Gun” should be released as a single. I expected a lot of resistance and expected all the others to be arguing for days, saying ‘you must be made’, but immediately they said ‘we’ve actually been thinking the same’ – so it was such an easy decision to make. I think we’re all really pleased we took that route, and didn’t release “It’s No Good” as the first single.
It’s No Good
This is the one that sounded most like Depeche Mode on the last album, but I still really like it, because it’s again, just on that right side of commerciality. I think it’s really good when we achieve that balance.
Home
It’s got a great atmosphere and a great string arrangement.
Useless
It’s one of the rockiest pieces that we’ve ever done and it’s probably up there with “I Feel You”. I think we’re on that right side of another line when it comes to rock, but I don’t think we’ll ever be a rock band or a heavy metal band. We might branch out and do things like pop or we might do some rock but we’ll still retain some identity.
Only When I Lose Myself
I see this song as a soul song. I think that Depeche Mode does soul on the right side of the soul line again.
Little 15
This was the only ever single in France. We were convinced by our French record company that it was a great single for France and that it had all the right ingredients to be a massive hit in France. We just looked at them and said ‘you’re mad, Little 15 is not a single’, but as it was Mute France at that time and we knew the people very well, we basically gave in to them and let them have their way. And was it a massive hit? No! Was it a hit? No! [1]
Everything Counts (Live)
It was actually a fully-fledged single release, but because it’s a live version of an older track we didn’t feel that it fitted in the chronological order on this collection, so that’s why we put it at the end. We just think it disturbs the flow of the other singles, because there’s a crowd and it’s an older track. We know we should have put it in its proper chronological place, but we didn’t feel it sounded right there.
The whole “Songs Of Faith And Devotion” project started off with the basic principle that we wanted to become more live, spontaneous and have a lot more performances involved. So that whole album turned out to be the rockiest that we’ve ever wanted to achieve. “I Feel You” is probably the pinnacle of that and it’s about the closest we’re going to come to sounding like a real authentic rock band.
Walking In My Shoes
If I really had to stick my neck out and choose my all time favourite song, it would probably be “Walking In My Shoes”. I think it has a great melody – the words and the subject matter really complement each other perfectly. The instrumentation is also interesting.
Condemnation
Being the songwriter, I am not supposed to keep saying that I think it’s a great song, somebody else is supposed to say it. I really like that song, but I am not sure that we got the best out of it. Our album version is sort of pastiche gospel but the single version, that we recorded using gospel singers, is probably better. Although I am still not sure that that’s the optimum we could have got out of the song.
In Your Room
The worst memory about “In Your Room” is the making of the video. We spent a whole day in the studio filming and I probably had lunch at some point, but it was just something really small, like half a sandwich. We finished filming at about 8 o’clock, and went back to the hotel and I forgot to eat. We went to the bar and I didn’t eat… We went out to a club and I didn’t eat… We came back and had a party in my room that went on till really late. The next day I had to get up and go to a band meeting. So I got up feeling absolutely terrible and sort of staggered to the meeting, I couldn’t even stand up. I had to lie down during the meeting and that was when I went into a seizure. So whenever I see this video, I just think, ‘Oh, God’… It brings back terrible memories.
Barrel Of A Gun
I think that after Alan left the band, and after an absence of four years, we all individually came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to release something that was a bit more of a challenge, something that wasn’t necessarily so Depeche-Mode like. We felt that “Barrel Of A Gun” was probably about the furthest from what we’ve done in the past. I think it was me who first tentatively suggested that maybe “Barrel Of A Gun” should be released as a single. I expected a lot of resistance and expected all the others to be arguing for days, saying ‘you must be made’, but immediately they said ‘we’ve actually been thinking the same’ – so it was such an easy decision to make. I think we’re all really pleased we took that route, and didn’t release “It’s No Good” as the first single.
It’s No Good
This is the one that sounded most like Depeche Mode on the last album, but I still really like it, because it’s again, just on that right side of commerciality. I think it’s really good when we achieve that balance.
Home
It’s got a great atmosphere and a great string arrangement.
Useless
It’s one of the rockiest pieces that we’ve ever done and it’s probably up there with “I Feel You”. I think we’re on that right side of another line when it comes to rock, but I don’t think we’ll ever be a rock band or a heavy metal band. We might branch out and do things like pop or we might do some rock but we’ll still retain some identity.
Only When I Lose Myself
I see this song as a soul song. I think that Depeche Mode does soul on the right side of the soul line again.
Little 15
This was the only ever single in France. We were convinced by our French record company that it was a great single for France and that it had all the right ingredients to be a massive hit in France. We just looked at them and said ‘you’re mad, Little 15 is not a single’, but as it was Mute France at that time and we knew the people very well, we basically gave in to them and let them have their way. And was it a massive hit? No! Was it a hit? No! [1]
Everything Counts (Live)
It was actually a fully-fledged single release, but because it’s a live version of an older track we didn’t feel that it fitted in the chronological order on this collection, so that’s why we put it at the end. We just think it disturbs the flow of the other singles, because there’s a crowd and it’s an older track. We know we should have put it in its proper chronological place, but we didn’t feel it sounded right there.
IN DEVOTIONAL MEMORY
[From Bong 37, September 1998. Words: Andy Fallan.]
It was the first time I’d seen Depeche Mode live, and as I walked into the arena I had no idea at all of what to expect. Compared to the venues that I was used to, the arena was huge and the stage was hidden by huge curtains, that gave nothing away. All of this added to my excitement, and as the support (rap group Marxman) came and went, my anticipation grew and grew. What happened next took me totally by surprise and completely blew me away. All of a sudden the arena went dark and the crowd surged forward. Blinding flashes of light pierced the translucent curtains and immense rumbles of thunder erupted from the massive stage area. I felt like I was standing in the flight path of Concorde! I stood in awe as surges of adrenaline rushed up my spine. The thunderclaps gave way to pulsing music as the lights suddenly revealed a huge shadow of Dave, 20 or so feet high, silhouetted through the curtains. As he started to sing, the familiar lyrics of “Higher Love” echoed out from behind the curtain. Dave, still a 20 foot shadow, moved and gyrated with the music until, midway through the song, he stepped forward from the curtain and revealed himself to much wild cheering from the crowd. He was wearing tight black trousers, a loose black shirt and a shiny, lime-green jacket. His hair was long and his beard neatly trimmed. He looked every inch the rock star. As the song progressed, Dave continued to move and gyrate with the music, rubbing his crotch and revelling in the lust oozing from several thousand females (and maybe some males as well). As the song finished and the lights dimmed, the curtains finally came down to reveal Martin, Alan and Andy perched on a platform high above the stage, behind their keyboards. Behind them were two huge video screens and below them several smaller ones, though these still dwarfed Dave who was silhouetted in front of them. Like a long drawn out striptease, Depeche Mode were finally ready to reveal themselves to us.
As Dave moved into each new song he gave it 100%. Every inch the performer, he never stood still, continually running across the stage, tossing his mike stand down, rubbing his crotch to wild cheering and striking the “crucifix” pose, arms outstretched, completely surrendered to the music. Along with the music came a multitude of imagery on the video screens, complementing it perfectly and adding a new dimension to the powerful emotion of songs such as “In Your Room”, “Walking In My Shoes”, “A Question Of Lust”, “I Feel You”, “Enjoy The Silence” and “Stripped”.
The tender songs were sung by Martin – “One Caress”, “Somebody”, “A Question Of Lust” – and these were performed beautifully. When Martin was not singing or accompanying Alan and Andy on keyboards, he was playing guitar. I had no idea Martin was such an accomplished guitar player and I’d assumed that a studio guitarist had simply provided over-dubs on such tracks as “Personal Jesus” and “I Feel You”. Martin’s guitar playing brought these songs to life and I was particularly impressed with how he used guitar so skilfully on the musical ending of “Walking In My Shoes”. I was also surprised at how good a musician Alan was, playing solo piano to some of the more tender songs and also banging out drums on tracks such as “In Your Room” and “Never Let Me Down Again”.
Eventually, sadly, the performance had to come to an end and Dave, Martin, Alan and Andy left the arena to thunderous applause and the chorus to “Everything Counts” ringing out among the audience. I was left with the feeling that Depeche Mode were consummate professionals, who really knew how to put on a show. But it was more than just a “show”. It was a pulsing flow of music; front-man athleticism and artistic imagery, all combined to not only entertain, but move emotionally several thousand people.
Before the gig I liked Depeche Mode, but I was not hugely into them. Now I can’t wait to listen to their albums and really get into them. I also can’t wait to see them play live again, though I had no idea I was in for such a long wait. Let’s hope that the forthcoming tour will be bigger and better than “Devotional”…
[From Bong 37, September 1998. Words: Andy Fallan.]
It was the first time I’d seen Depeche Mode live, and as I walked into the arena I had no idea at all of what to expect. Compared to the venues that I was used to, the arena was huge and the stage was hidden by huge curtains, that gave nothing away. All of this added to my excitement, and as the support (rap group Marxman) came and went, my anticipation grew and grew. What happened next took me totally by surprise and completely blew me away. All of a sudden the arena went dark and the crowd surged forward. Blinding flashes of light pierced the translucent curtains and immense rumbles of thunder erupted from the massive stage area. I felt like I was standing in the flight path of Concorde! I stood in awe as surges of adrenaline rushed up my spine. The thunderclaps gave way to pulsing music as the lights suddenly revealed a huge shadow of Dave, 20 or so feet high, silhouetted through the curtains. As he started to sing, the familiar lyrics of “Higher Love” echoed out from behind the curtain. Dave, still a 20 foot shadow, moved and gyrated with the music until, midway through the song, he stepped forward from the curtain and revealed himself to much wild cheering from the crowd. He was wearing tight black trousers, a loose black shirt and a shiny, lime-green jacket. His hair was long and his beard neatly trimmed. He looked every inch the rock star. As the song progressed, Dave continued to move and gyrate with the music, rubbing his crotch and revelling in the lust oozing from several thousand females (and maybe some males as well). As the song finished and the lights dimmed, the curtains finally came down to reveal Martin, Alan and Andy perched on a platform high above the stage, behind their keyboards. Behind them were two huge video screens and below them several smaller ones, though these still dwarfed Dave who was silhouetted in front of them. Like a long drawn out striptease, Depeche Mode were finally ready to reveal themselves to us.
As Dave moved into each new song he gave it 100%. Every inch the performer, he never stood still, continually running across the stage, tossing his mike stand down, rubbing his crotch to wild cheering and striking the “crucifix” pose, arms outstretched, completely surrendered to the music. Along with the music came a multitude of imagery on the video screens, complementing it perfectly and adding a new dimension to the powerful emotion of songs such as “In Your Room”, “Walking In My Shoes”, “A Question Of Lust”, “I Feel You”, “Enjoy The Silence” and “Stripped”.
The tender songs were sung by Martin – “One Caress”, “Somebody”, “A Question Of Lust” – and these were performed beautifully. When Martin was not singing or accompanying Alan and Andy on keyboards, he was playing guitar. I had no idea Martin was such an accomplished guitar player and I’d assumed that a studio guitarist had simply provided over-dubs on such tracks as “Personal Jesus” and “I Feel You”. Martin’s guitar playing brought these songs to life and I was particularly impressed with how he used guitar so skilfully on the musical ending of “Walking In My Shoes”. I was also surprised at how good a musician Alan was, playing solo piano to some of the more tender songs and also banging out drums on tracks such as “In Your Room” and “Never Let Me Down Again”.
Eventually, sadly, the performance had to come to an end and Dave, Martin, Alan and Andy left the arena to thunderous applause and the chorus to “Everything Counts” ringing out among the audience. I was left with the feeling that Depeche Mode were consummate professionals, who really knew how to put on a show. But it was more than just a “show”. It was a pulsing flow of music; front-man athleticism and artistic imagery, all combined to not only entertain, but move emotionally several thousand people.
Before the gig I liked Depeche Mode, but I was not hugely into them. Now I can’t wait to listen to their albums and really get into them. I also can’t wait to see them play live again, though I had no idea I was in for such a long wait. Let’s hope that the forthcoming tour will be bigger and better than “Devotional”…
FOR THE MASSES
[From Bong 37, September 1998. Words: Various contributors.]
We took a closer look at the tribute album “For The Masses” (August 4) and found out from some of the artists why they decided to contribute to this compilation with their particular Depeche Mode cover, and what it is about the Band that inspires them.
Gary Richards (1500 Records founder and producer of the tribute): “We asked artists that we liked if they wanted to do it. As far as I was concerned, it was just about getting the right artist and letting them express what Depeche Mode means to them.”
Dave Wyndorf (Monster Magnet): “I grew up with Depeche Mode and I’m flattered to be included in this collection.”
Jeff Turzo (God Lives Underwater): “When my partner David and I first got together, we started making music when we were 15 and Depeche Mode was the group. At the time they were our Beatles – they were the group we were going out and hearing first time around. The Beatles and all those records are still amazing to us, but we weren’t there the first time around, and Depeche Mode was a band that we were experiencing as they developed. They were amazing to us – these amazing songs and amazing sounds that didn’t sound like anything or anyone. That’s what inspired David and me to start a band.”
Noko (Apollo 440): “We know a killer guitar riff when we hear one. The one on I Feel You allowed us to let our three-piece live band loose.”
Robert Smith (The Cure): “For the past 13 years, I think Depeche Mode have got great style. From their innovative use of unusual sounds, through their often-weird juxtaposition of lyrical emotion and musical precision, to their instantly recognisable graphics and visual image, they are one of a select group – a unique band. They’ve also made some fantastic songs!!!”
Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins): “Our greatest tribute to Depeche Mode is that we have always been fans… Depeche Mode write great songs, they lyrics are always fantastic, but most of all they embody the true spirit of rock with their mystery and darkness.”
Biggi Veira (Gus Gus): “When introduced to Depeche Mode by a friend, it was love at first sound. The 12-inch versions of Leave In Silence, Get The Balance Right and Love In Itself were my first favourites. When approached with the idea of recording a track for the tribute album, it was not a question. I couldn’t see myself adding anything to tracks like Everything Counts and People Are People, so by choosing Monument, a low-profile track from their second album, and definitely one of my favourites – I thought we could add something to the Depeche Mode saga.”
Self: “Depeche Mode is / was like the antithesis of everything else that was shoved in our faces in the ‘80s. After listening to them, I found the keyboards in Van Halen’s Jump rather humorous. I was in New York City’s Electric Ladyland Studios in 1996 while Depeche Mode were recording their new record, and saw the massive amount of gear they possess. I just hope they are impressed with my lack thereof.”
Frank Duchene (Hooverphonic): “Shake The Disease is one of the more introverted songs by Depeche Mode. The only other song I know that has the same intimacy is Somebody. It was cool to look at it as our own version – less dark but still very personal. We wanted to achieve the same fusion of electronics and voice, but this time with a small string quartet and a different approach to the mixing, so that we obtained a character less narrow than most ‘80s records. We hope you all like it.”
Chino Moreno (Deftones): “I chose to record To Have And To Hold because I woke up on the bus one day and felt bad. Then To Have And To Hold came on, and I read the lyrics, and I felt better. Depeche Mode is one of my favourite bands, and I think their best stuff is yet to come.”
[From Bong 37, September 1998. Words: Various contributors.]
We took a closer look at the tribute album “For The Masses” (August 4) and found out from some of the artists why they decided to contribute to this compilation with their particular Depeche Mode cover, and what it is about the Band that inspires them.
Gary Richards (1500 Records founder and producer of the tribute): “We asked artists that we liked if they wanted to do it. As far as I was concerned, it was just about getting the right artist and letting them express what Depeche Mode means to them.”
Dave Wyndorf (Monster Magnet): “I grew up with Depeche Mode and I’m flattered to be included in this collection.”
Jeff Turzo (God Lives Underwater): “When my partner David and I first got together, we started making music when we were 15 and Depeche Mode was the group. At the time they were our Beatles – they were the group we were going out and hearing first time around. The Beatles and all those records are still amazing to us, but we weren’t there the first time around, and Depeche Mode was a band that we were experiencing as they developed. They were amazing to us – these amazing songs and amazing sounds that didn’t sound like anything or anyone. That’s what inspired David and me to start a band.”
Noko (Apollo 440): “We know a killer guitar riff when we hear one. The one on I Feel You allowed us to let our three-piece live band loose.”
Robert Smith (The Cure): “For the past 13 years, I think Depeche Mode have got great style. From their innovative use of unusual sounds, through their often-weird juxtaposition of lyrical emotion and musical precision, to their instantly recognisable graphics and visual image, they are one of a select group – a unique band. They’ve also made some fantastic songs!!!”
Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins): “Our greatest tribute to Depeche Mode is that we have always been fans… Depeche Mode write great songs, they lyrics are always fantastic, but most of all they embody the true spirit of rock with their mystery and darkness.”
Biggi Veira (Gus Gus): “When introduced to Depeche Mode by a friend, it was love at first sound. The 12-inch versions of Leave In Silence, Get The Balance Right and Love In Itself were my first favourites. When approached with the idea of recording a track for the tribute album, it was not a question. I couldn’t see myself adding anything to tracks like Everything Counts and People Are People, so by choosing Monument, a low-profile track from their second album, and definitely one of my favourites – I thought we could add something to the Depeche Mode saga.”
Self: “Depeche Mode is / was like the antithesis of everything else that was shoved in our faces in the ‘80s. After listening to them, I found the keyboards in Van Halen’s Jump rather humorous. I was in New York City’s Electric Ladyland Studios in 1996 while Depeche Mode were recording their new record, and saw the massive amount of gear they possess. I just hope they are impressed with my lack thereof.”
Frank Duchene (Hooverphonic): “Shake The Disease is one of the more introverted songs by Depeche Mode. The only other song I know that has the same intimacy is Somebody. It was cool to look at it as our own version – less dark but still very personal. We wanted to achieve the same fusion of electronics and voice, but this time with a small string quartet and a different approach to the mixing, so that we obtained a character less narrow than most ‘80s records. We hope you all like it.”
Chino Moreno (Deftones): “I chose to record To Have And To Hold because I woke up on the bus one day and felt bad. Then To Have And To Hold came on, and I read the lyrics, and I felt better. Depeche Mode is one of my favourite bands, and I think their best stuff is yet to come.”