Depeche Mode In Bid To Fix Brits
[The Sun, c. 4th-8th February 1991. Words: Piers Morgan.]
Sensational news item in the music column 'Bizarre' spilling the beans about the Fan Club's newsletter advising all members to multiple vote for Depeche Mode in the 1991 Brit Awards. The author fumes with moral indignation but the funniest thing is the way he seems to think fans were being manipulated against their will. By the way, Depeche Mode won the Best Single.
Depeche Mode fans are being urged to spend a fortune to FIX it so their favourite group wins a prestige Brit Award.
The two top awards, for Best Video and Best Single, are being determined by a telephone vote on Simon Mayo's Radio One breakfast show and on Saturday's Going Live! telly show.
So Depeche Mode have sent a letter to thousands of fan club members, urging them to make repeated phone calls to ensure a huge vote for their song, Enjoy The Silence.
The letter, signed by fan club official Jo Bailey, says:
"This is your chance to help Depeche Mode win an award in the Brit Awards.
"The information below is secret, because we're not supposed to do things like this, so no telling the BBC or Radio One.
"You can vote as many times as you want, so don't give up. When you hear the recorded message, your vote has been registered. Hang up and redial.
"If you get an engaged signal, please keep trying. The video and single with the most votes will win."
A spokesman for the band said: "It's fair enough. People will vote for whoever they want to win, so fans will vote for Depeche Mode."
But an angry Brits spokesman said: "This is not the spirit of the event at all.
ADMIRE
"It is blatantly encouraging youngsters to spend a lot of money on phone calls just so Depeche Mode can win."
Typically, Brits producer Jonathan King DISAGREED.
He said: "Good luck to them. I admire self-promotion in all forms."
[The Sun, c. 4th-8th February 1991. Words: Piers Morgan.]
Sensational news item in the music column 'Bizarre' spilling the beans about the Fan Club's newsletter advising all members to multiple vote for Depeche Mode in the 1991 Brit Awards. The author fumes with moral indignation but the funniest thing is the way he seems to think fans were being manipulated against their will. By the way, Depeche Mode won the Best Single.
Depeche Mode fans are being urged to spend a fortune to FIX it so their favourite group wins a prestige Brit Award.
The two top awards, for Best Video and Best Single, are being determined by a telephone vote on Simon Mayo's Radio One breakfast show and on Saturday's Going Live! telly show.
So Depeche Mode have sent a letter to thousands of fan club members, urging them to make repeated phone calls to ensure a huge vote for their song, Enjoy The Silence.
The letter, signed by fan club official Jo Bailey, says:
"This is your chance to help Depeche Mode win an award in the Brit Awards.
"The information below is secret, because we're not supposed to do things like this, so no telling the BBC or Radio One.
"You can vote as many times as you want, so don't give up. When you hear the recorded message, your vote has been registered. Hang up and redial.
"If you get an engaged signal, please keep trying. The video and single with the most votes will win."
A spokesman for the band said: "It's fair enough. People will vote for whoever they want to win, so fans will vote for Depeche Mode."
But an angry Brits spokesman said: "This is not the spirit of the event at all.
ADMIRE
"It is blatantly encouraging youngsters to spend a lot of money on phone calls just so Depeche Mode can win."
Typically, Brits producer Jonathan King DISAGREED.
He said: "Good luck to them. I admire self-promotion in all forms."