Master Of The Game
[Record Mirror, 29th September 1984. Words: Eleanor Levy. Pictures: Paul Cox.]
MASTER OF THE GAME
Nipples? Chains? Domination? What on earth has happened to those nice Depeche Mode boys? And what is (gasp) VFM? Eleanor Levy reveals all. Picture by Paul Cox.
Did you know that Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode has the world’s tiniest nipples? As Martin Gore explains, “Fletch, apart from being in a quite successful band, has also got the smallest nipples in the world.”
“They’re like two freckles,” Dave Gahan offers helpfully. Andy, obviously hurt by his colleague’s disloyalty, tries to explain. “They’ve just never grown. But they’re not that bad.” This is too much for Martin.
“They are, Fletch,” he tells him. Men can be cruel sometimes.
“You’re a weird guy, Fletch,” Dave adds cheerfully. It doesn’t cheer Andy up.
“I just haven’t got very big what-do-you-call-its.” The assembled minds boggle at just what Andy can be talking about. “The round bit… the dark bit around it,” he clarifies.
“That IS your nipple, Andy,” Dave tells him in a tired voice.
“Ni-pol,” Martin adds, emphasising each syllable with obvious glee.
“No it isn’t,” Andy pleads, looking more confused than when he started. Dave, meanwhile, has obviously taken pity on his friend. “I’ll talk to you later Fletch. Man talk. I’ll give you a few books on the subject.”
And it had all started so seriously too. After hours waiting for photos to be taken, phone calls to be made and a good deal of giggling at Shakin’ Stevens’ would-be athleticism on Top Of The Pops, the interview is about to commence.
Depeche Mode and journalist are seated outside a pub teeming with Australians. Various Raylenes, Charlenes and Bruces wander around muttering the odd ‘dingbat’ and ‘possum’ under their breath.
Alan is explaining that a lot of people are about to be surprised by the new Depeche Mode album. It’s the sort of cliché that turns up time and again, but a few listenings to ‘Some Great Reward’ later and you realise this is no false pop star patter.
Depeche Mode are continuing to confound their critics by producing sharp and intelligent music that refuses to leave your brain once contact is made. Hear the current single ‘Master And Servant’ for the perfect pop song (for this week at least) that goes for your feet AND that bit in your tummy that wobbles when Terence Stamp smiles and men in tight leather trousers bend over.
But what about the song itself? Its message seems to have caused not a little mystification. What is its theoretical and moral standpoint? Its hidden meanings? Is it a telling political analysis of capitalist exploitation or just sweet Martin Gore revealing his S&M yearnings and making a nasty mess on the carpet in the process? In the past, Martin hasn’t been too keen on explaining those parts of himself revealed in his lyrics. Thankfully, it seems, all this is changing.
“I feel a lot more open about it now,” he says, “and a lot more confident with the new album – it’s more open and if I’m going to bare myself on it I might as well bare myself in interviews as well.”
So what was he trying to say in ‘Master And Servant’?
“It’s about domination and exploitation… and using a sexual angle to get that point across.” But does he think it’s a bad thing?
“Of course I do,” he answers.
“No, you don’t Martin!” a loud voice sounds from the other side of the table. Martin grins. “Well, it depends on which side you’re talking about. What the song’s saying is that these two people are indulging in this and getting fulfilment from it because it reminds them of their lives outside the bedroom.”
Which makes you wonder what the video is like, but Martin soon dispels all thoughts of de-robed Depeche Modes frolicking about.
“We steered clear of the sexual side a bit,” he explains, “it’s very easy to make a video like that… ‘Relax II’. There’s a bit of rolling around with chains and hanging up with chains… but nothing too blatant.”
“Obviously,” Dave adds, “you have to think about it getting banned. It might mean hundreds or thousands of people not actually seeing the thing because of one thing in the video.”
“We did think about the song as well,” Alan admits, “but we went ahead and released it. Somebody did complain to the BBC but there was someone there intelligent enough to read a copy of the lyrics and actually see a little more in them. That was quite encouraging.”
Depeche Mode are a thoughtful group of people. Which doesn’t mean that the impression given by those ‘four serious men’ publicity shots they are so fond of is necessarily correct, but that they think a great deal about what they do. This goes right the way through, from ticket prices to the requisite handful of remixes for singles that record companies are so fond of foisting on the public.
“To be fair,” says Andy, “we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t feel we had to.” And he sounds like he means it too!
“VFM!” Martin declares enigmatically. “That’s what we’re about.”
“Value for money,” Dave explains, “and our fans appreciate that. The thing is, we have to compete somehow, but we always make sure we give people something new. What bands don’t realise is that when they have 10 different versions of the single, it’s the fans they’re kidding. If the 12 inch just has a little bit more on the front and fades a little bit later at the end it’s taking the piss a bit. Taking the piss out of your own fans.”
“We feel if we’re going to compete,” Alan explains, “at least do it tastefully.”
Which is something Depeche Mode ARE doing – and with increasing depth and maturity… to their music, to their lyrics and to the way they present themselves. A group responsible for some of the most ridiculous haircuts in the pop business, are now giving us songs which improve with age rather than impress for five minutes and then irritate for ever more. They may have strange nipples, but as they say themselves:
“What we’re going for is Passion… Love… and VFM!”
[Record Mirror, 29th September 1984. Words: Eleanor Levy. Pictures: Paul Cox.]
MASTER OF THE GAME
Nipples? Chains? Domination? What on earth has happened to those nice Depeche Mode boys? And what is (gasp) VFM? Eleanor Levy reveals all. Picture by Paul Cox.
Did you know that Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode has the world’s tiniest nipples? As Martin Gore explains, “Fletch, apart from being in a quite successful band, has also got the smallest nipples in the world.”
“They’re like two freckles,” Dave Gahan offers helpfully. Andy, obviously hurt by his colleague’s disloyalty, tries to explain. “They’ve just never grown. But they’re not that bad.” This is too much for Martin.
“They are, Fletch,” he tells him. Men can be cruel sometimes.
“You’re a weird guy, Fletch,” Dave adds cheerfully. It doesn’t cheer Andy up.
“I just haven’t got very big what-do-you-call-its.” The assembled minds boggle at just what Andy can be talking about. “The round bit… the dark bit around it,” he clarifies.
“That IS your nipple, Andy,” Dave tells him in a tired voice.
“Ni-pol,” Martin adds, emphasising each syllable with obvious glee.
“No it isn’t,” Andy pleads, looking more confused than when he started. Dave, meanwhile, has obviously taken pity on his friend. “I’ll talk to you later Fletch. Man talk. I’ll give you a few books on the subject.”
And it had all started so seriously too. After hours waiting for photos to be taken, phone calls to be made and a good deal of giggling at Shakin’ Stevens’ would-be athleticism on Top Of The Pops, the interview is about to commence.
Depeche Mode and journalist are seated outside a pub teeming with Australians. Various Raylenes, Charlenes and Bruces wander around muttering the odd ‘dingbat’ and ‘possum’ under their breath.
Alan is explaining that a lot of people are about to be surprised by the new Depeche Mode album. It’s the sort of cliché that turns up time and again, but a few listenings to ‘Some Great Reward’ later and you realise this is no false pop star patter.
Depeche Mode are continuing to confound their critics by producing sharp and intelligent music that refuses to leave your brain once contact is made. Hear the current single ‘Master And Servant’ for the perfect pop song (for this week at least) that goes for your feet AND that bit in your tummy that wobbles when Terence Stamp smiles and men in tight leather trousers bend over.
But what about the song itself? Its message seems to have caused not a little mystification. What is its theoretical and moral standpoint? Its hidden meanings? Is it a telling political analysis of capitalist exploitation or just sweet Martin Gore revealing his S&M yearnings and making a nasty mess on the carpet in the process? In the past, Martin hasn’t been too keen on explaining those parts of himself revealed in his lyrics. Thankfully, it seems, all this is changing.
“I feel a lot more open about it now,” he says, “and a lot more confident with the new album – it’s more open and if I’m going to bare myself on it I might as well bare myself in interviews as well.”
So what was he trying to say in ‘Master And Servant’?
“It’s about domination and exploitation… and using a sexual angle to get that point across.” But does he think it’s a bad thing?
“Of course I do,” he answers.
“No, you don’t Martin!” a loud voice sounds from the other side of the table. Martin grins. “Well, it depends on which side you’re talking about. What the song’s saying is that these two people are indulging in this and getting fulfilment from it because it reminds them of their lives outside the bedroom.”
Which makes you wonder what the video is like, but Martin soon dispels all thoughts of de-robed Depeche Modes frolicking about.
“We steered clear of the sexual side a bit,” he explains, “it’s very easy to make a video like that… ‘Relax II’. There’s a bit of rolling around with chains and hanging up with chains… but nothing too blatant.”
“Obviously,” Dave adds, “you have to think about it getting banned. It might mean hundreds or thousands of people not actually seeing the thing because of one thing in the video.”
“We did think about the song as well,” Alan admits, “but we went ahead and released it. Somebody did complain to the BBC but there was someone there intelligent enough to read a copy of the lyrics and actually see a little more in them. That was quite encouraging.”
Depeche Mode are a thoughtful group of people. Which doesn’t mean that the impression given by those ‘four serious men’ publicity shots they are so fond of is necessarily correct, but that they think a great deal about what they do. This goes right the way through, from ticket prices to the requisite handful of remixes for singles that record companies are so fond of foisting on the public.
“To be fair,” says Andy, “we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t feel we had to.” And he sounds like he means it too!
“VFM!” Martin declares enigmatically. “That’s what we’re about.”
“Value for money,” Dave explains, “and our fans appreciate that. The thing is, we have to compete somehow, but we always make sure we give people something new. What bands don’t realise is that when they have 10 different versions of the single, it’s the fans they’re kidding. If the 12 inch just has a little bit more on the front and fades a little bit later at the end it’s taking the piss a bit. Taking the piss out of your own fans.”
“We feel if we’re going to compete,” Alan explains, “at least do it tastefully.”
Which is something Depeche Mode ARE doing – and with increasing depth and maturity… to their music, to their lyrics and to the way they present themselves. A group responsible for some of the most ridiculous haircuts in the pop business, are now giving us songs which improve with age rather than impress for five minutes and then irritate for ever more. They may have strange nipples, but as they say themselves:
“What we’re going for is Passion… Love… and VFM!”
