Depeche Mode
[Smash Hits, 7th March 1990, Words: Chris Heath. Picture: Uncredited.]
[Smash Hits, 7th March 1990, Words: Chris Heath. Picture: Uncredited.]
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Depeche Mode Depeche Mode (Smash Hits, 1990)
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- 1990 depeche mode smash hits
They’ve had 23 hits on the “trot”.
They’ve been around for almost ten years.
They’re extremely famous and trendy all over the world.
“And,” says Chris Heath, “they all have contrasting views on toast…”
Depeche Mode were invented in the summer of 1980 in Basildon. The original members were Erasure’s Vince Clarke (who at the time was in a gospel folk duo and also a band called Romance In China [1]), Andy Fletcher (who had met Vince at Boy’s Brigade), and Martin Gore (at the time guitarist in a group who apparently played lightweight American rock). They played their first concert under the name Composition Of Sound then later pinched Depeche Mode from the title of a French fashion magazine (at the time they didn’t have the foggiest what it meant: literally “speedy fashion”). At first Vince sang vocals and then they made Dave Gahan lead singer after they heard him sing David Bowie’s “Heroes”.
Vince Clarke left on December 12, 1981, explaining that he hadn’t expected them to become so famous and saying that he didn’t like it very much. Martin Gore had only written two album tracks but already had a secret store of songs and took over as their songwriter.
Martin Gore says, “I see life as quite boring. So I kind of see our stuff as Love And Sex And Drink Against The Boredom Of Life… I want to represent life’s boredom.” [2]
For two years in the mid 1980s Martin Gore was rarely seen out of women’s clothes. “I can’t believe I was unaware of the fuss it would cause.” According to Alan Wilder, in those days when Martin Gore went through Customs they would ask him whether he wanted to go into the men’s or women’s cubicles to be searched.
Their new LP is called “Violator” “as a joke – we wanted to come up with the most extreme ridiculously Heavy Metal title that we could.”
In America their last single “Personal Jesus” (about how in America you can confess your sins over the phone) was, rather to their dismay, taken as a religious tribute. “It seems that you can get away with anything if you’ve got nice pop tunes,” mutters Martin Gore, who is currently interested in books about black magic.
Kevin Saunderson, the bloke in Inner City, once declared that “Get The Balance Right” (a 1983 single by ver Mode) was the first House record, and many house music people admit that Depeche Mode have been influential. This is something that pleases but also rather perplexes ver Mode as they know next to nothing about trendy dance music. “Some of our records have a good beat and that’s about the end of it,” explains Dave Gahan. [3]
Once Dave Gahan got into a fight with a cab driver because the driver was going too fast. When the cab stopped the driver got out to attack Dave “but then his trousers fell down – he didn’t have a belt – and he just fell over”. [4]
Unlike most groups they don’t have a complicated contract with their record company, just one sheet of paper which says they pay half their recording costs and get half the profits in Britain, and get 75% of the earnings for the rest of the world.
Dave Gahan had a bad car crash a few years ago whilst zooming along at about 80mph in his black Ford Escort – someone pulled out in front of him and he completely wrote off the car and messed up his knees. He was playing a tape by hippy band The Doors at the time. “I immediately burst out crying.”
In Hungary there are groups of fans called “Depeches” who dress up like their favourite band member.
In most of the world they are thought of as very trendy and meaningful and weird and for a long time were very annoyed that people in Britain tended to treat them as a cheesy, contentless pop band.
As a youth David Gahan was a bit of a scallywag: “I got done for nicking cars and motorbikes, setting cars alight, spraying walls, vandalism. A real yob!” [5]
Dave Gahan has a two year old son called Jack.
When they first started playing concerts their light show was one neon bulb in a wooden box (the clots). Andy would wear plus fours with football socks and slippers and Martin would have half his face painted white.
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In February 1986 Dave Gahan reviewed the Smash Hits singles. Single of the fortnight was “Candyman” by Siouxsie & The Banshees (remember that, don’t you?). He also commented on the Pet Shop Boys – “I hope they have a crappy video again”, said Kate Bush is “really sexy sounding” and offered the sensible opinion “I’m sure there are millions of worse bands than Amazulu – I just can’t think of one.”
Martin worked in a bank for a year and a half: “dealing with standing orders… total boredom.”
Dave Gahan had about six Action Men in his youth: his sister had a Sindy doll. “My Action Man would go round in his jeep and knock on her door and the Sindy would come out in my jeep. We’d play for hours. I learnt a lot about girls, chat up lines like “heeeuy – I’ll come pick you up later in my jeep.” [6]
Andy Fletcher once did his arm in by jumping out of the bath to answer the telephone and slipping in a puddle of water (the clot).
Dave Gahan used to work on the speedway at a fairground when he was 14. “I thought about running away with them. But I never did.”
Martin and Alan are vegetarians. Andy doesn’t like vegetables.
Andy Fletcher once confessed that “When Martin stops writing good songs I think Depeche Mode will just fade away.” [7]
Dave Gahan once said he liked fishing. “I get lots of fishing rods thrown on stage.”
Martin is famous for carrying around wads of cash with him. Once (when he was a bit drunk) Andy Fletcher said “sometimes doing this job is really boring… quite honestly I only do this for the money. For the money and the memories…”
For a while Martin Gore considered calling himself L’Oncle Martin on Depeche Mode records after “these French books at school”. It was the name of “one of the characters sort of illustrating the French way of life”. [8]
“Enjoy The Silence” is Depeche Mode’s 23rd consecutive Top 40 single since their second single “New Life” bounced into the chart in 1981. [9]
Alan Wilder joined in 1982. He used to be in a rather ropey group called The Hitmen. He answered an advert that said, “Name band, synthesiser. Must be under 21.” In fact he was 22. (He was born on 1/6/59.)
Martin Gore released a solo EP of other people’s songs called “Counterfeit” last year (credited, rather poshly, to Martin L. Gore). Alan Wilder also released a strange instrumental LP using the name Recoil – for publicity photos he was shown, his face away from the camera, lying fully clothed on his side in a bath full of water. Andy Fletcher also has a rock’n’roll band (he plays guitars, Martin plays recorder) who have recorded two LPs for fun: “Toast Hawaii” and “The So-Called Space Age”. They will never be released. [10]
They have contrasting views on toast. Martin, who likes healthy wholemeal bread, prefers toast made from thin sliced white bread (Mother’s Pride or Sunblest). Alan, by contrast, says “it’s got to be wholemeal or rye toasted” and opts for the unfrivolous topping “savoury cheese or sometimes a spread”. Andy daringly plumps for “white not very well done thick sliced Sunblest with Irish Whiskey flavoured marmalade from Safeway”. Dave opts with confidence for thick Marks & Spencer white, served with just butter.
In 1985 they offered their services to Live Aid but were told they weren’t wanted. [11]
When he was little, Dave used to dream about really loud footsteps “coming down the corridor towards me… I used to be totally shit scared.” Martin, by contrast, would dream of being drawn towards the centre of the road by a magnetic force: “I’d be clinging on to lamp posts and seeing all these cars zooming past.” All of Alan’s dreams involve the group: “I dream about equipment collapsing in front of me on stage.”
Martin worked in a bank for a year and a half: “dealing with standing orders… total boredom.”
Dave Gahan had about six Action Men in his youth: his sister had a Sindy doll. “My Action Man would go round in his jeep and knock on her door and the Sindy would come out in my jeep. We’d play for hours. I learnt a lot about girls, chat up lines like “heeeuy – I’ll come pick you up later in my jeep.” [6]
Andy Fletcher once did his arm in by jumping out of the bath to answer the telephone and slipping in a puddle of water (the clot).
Dave Gahan used to work on the speedway at a fairground when he was 14. “I thought about running away with them. But I never did.”
Martin and Alan are vegetarians. Andy doesn’t like vegetables.
Andy Fletcher once confessed that “When Martin stops writing good songs I think Depeche Mode will just fade away.” [7]
Dave Gahan once said he liked fishing. “I get lots of fishing rods thrown on stage.”
Martin is famous for carrying around wads of cash with him. Once (when he was a bit drunk) Andy Fletcher said “sometimes doing this job is really boring… quite honestly I only do this for the money. For the money and the memories…”
For a while Martin Gore considered calling himself L’Oncle Martin on Depeche Mode records after “these French books at school”. It was the name of “one of the characters sort of illustrating the French way of life”. [8]
“Enjoy The Silence” is Depeche Mode’s 23rd consecutive Top 40 single since their second single “New Life” bounced into the chart in 1981. [9]
Alan Wilder joined in 1982. He used to be in a rather ropey group called The Hitmen. He answered an advert that said, “Name band, synthesiser. Must be under 21.” In fact he was 22. (He was born on 1/6/59.)
Martin Gore released a solo EP of other people’s songs called “Counterfeit” last year (credited, rather poshly, to Martin L. Gore). Alan Wilder also released a strange instrumental LP using the name Recoil – for publicity photos he was shown, his face away from the camera, lying fully clothed on his side in a bath full of water. Andy Fletcher also has a rock’n’roll band (he plays guitars, Martin plays recorder) who have recorded two LPs for fun: “Toast Hawaii” and “The So-Called Space Age”. They will never be released. [10]
They have contrasting views on toast. Martin, who likes healthy wholemeal bread, prefers toast made from thin sliced white bread (Mother’s Pride or Sunblest). Alan, by contrast, says “it’s got to be wholemeal or rye toasted” and opts for the unfrivolous topping “savoury cheese or sometimes a spread”. Andy daringly plumps for “white not very well done thick sliced Sunblest with Irish Whiskey flavoured marmalade from Safeway”. Dave opts with confidence for thick Marks & Spencer white, served with just butter.
In 1985 they offered their services to Live Aid but were told they weren’t wanted. [11]
When he was little, Dave used to dream about really loud footsteps “coming down the corridor towards me… I used to be totally shit scared.” Martin, by contrast, would dream of being drawn towards the centre of the road by a magnetic force: “I’d be clinging on to lamp posts and seeing all these cars zooming past.” All of Alan’s dreams involve the group: “I dream about equipment collapsing in front of me on stage.”
