Depeche Mode

It seems strange that a band’s first singles collection should span four years, and yet part two takes half a generation to amass. The reality of it is that the latter period only includes one more album than the former. It would be easy (and cynical) to assume that the “second wave” of this band’s impressive catalogue was somehow not as flowing as the first. Not so. The intensity of the songs from Depeche Mode’s seemingly never-ending “best years” took the band to another level in the process of album-making and this was matched by an insatiable desire from fans in every corner of the globe to see them in concert. Therefore, the cycle grew….

1986 saw the band in an enviable position. Journalists had (finally) professed admiration, and beyond getting respect, Depeche Mode were finally getting the credit that they deserved. A decision was taken to go once again to Hansa Studios in Berlin, and to continue co-producing with the successful Daniel Miller Gareth Jones production team. The songs for “Black Celebration”, particularly the haunting first single “Stripped”, were much darker than those of previous albums, and the band embarked on their biggest tour to date, culminating at the Valby Stadium in Copenhagen. A significant event during the tour was the making of the “Question Of Time” video in Los Angeles, the first time that photographer Anton Corbijn had directed a video for the group….

As 1987 began, Martin already had a clutch of songs demoed, and programming began in London. Never one’s to rest on their laurels, the band decided to break up the regular production team and bring in producer Dave Bascombe, a move that was encouraged by Daniel Miller. Fully embracing the spirit of change, Guillame Tell studio in Paris was chosen over Hansa. “Strangelove” was released in spring and gave an indication of the maturity of “Music For The Masses” and this mood carried over into the production of their bigger still world tour, which incorporated the backdrops and running tracks of a visionary stadium into it’s stageset. Kicking off in Barcelona in October, by the time it finished in June of the following year, they were in a stadium for real – June 18th 1988 saw 72,000 people cram into the Rosebowl to witness this “Anglo-angst” – music for the masses indeed….

1989 saw the release of “101”, and in between premieres for the D.A. Pennebaker film that accompanied the live album (mixed with Alan Moulder,) the band began programming at Mute Records for another studio album. Another significant collaboration was forged, with Flood being introduced as producer. Martin’s songs had taken on a different edge, they incorporated new styles, and the theme of his lyrics had become more varied still. A seven week session was booked at Logic studios in Milan. Progress was slow, but when Francois Kevorkian arrived to mix “Personal Jesus”, everything seemed to fall into place. Any other band would have panicked about the advent of dance music (especially when you are hailed as “the godfathers of house music), and made a record that they felt suited a press-oriented climate, but Depeche Mode stuck to their principles and made a record that suited them – and several million others. A further recording session at Puk studios in Denmark (where MFTM had been mixed) took on a frenetic pace and by the end of August, “Violator” had taken shape. The band did more recording at The Church studios in north London, while Francois mixed in the room below. “Violator” was finished by Christmas, and meanwhile “Personal Jesus” had already breached the U.S Top 30….

As the Eighties drew to a close, it was as if Depeche Mode were released from their shackles, and any preconceptions that one may have had about the group, from the decade that spawned them, were seemingly blown away. “Enjoy the silence” was released in February of 1990 and reached the Top 10 in America, achieving similar success throughout the world, without even breaking into a sweat. Anton Corbijn directed an image of Dave as “The King” into everybody’s imagination and Depeche Mode won their first “Brit” award for Best Single. The World Violation tour was a more compact version of The Masses tour, but apart from the USA and Europe, still managed to take in Japan and Australia. The U.S. leg saw the band play Giants Stadium in New York for the first time, but the west coast fans, not to be outdone, bought enough tickets for a second night to be added at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. Success was snowballing, and “Policy of truth” became the third hit single from “Violator’. Depeche Mode returned to their home country triumphant, and finished “World Violation” with “triple-nighters” at Wembley and Birmingham’s NEC….

1991 left a feeling of shell-shock after the previous years events, an exhausting yet exhilarating experience for four people who had literally done it their own way. Three of the band now had children, and it was time for reflection. Martin now had to write the follow up to a six-million selling album, and once again broke peoples pre-conceptions. New influences such as gospel were creeping in, and out of nowhere came the straightforward “rock” of “I feel you’.

Flood was on board once again as producer, and brought with him a different idea for recording – a huge villa was rented in a suburb of Madrid, and Depeche Mode built their own (albeit temporary) recording studio. February of 1992 saw everybody uproot and move to Spain. The recording process was sometimes difficult – the band were living in the villa, as well as working there – but the various rooms of the villa were put to good use, and Alan’s drumming (in the villa’s discotheque of all places) added to the “new sound’. August saw the band return to a conventional studio, and with it a return to recording in Germany. Chateau Du Pape studios in Hamburg was where “Songs of faith and Devotion” achieved the bulk of it’s recording, but Flood and the band were working increasingly long hours to have the album ready for mixing by September. Two studios were booked at Olympic in London – Mark “Spike” Stent mixing upstairs, while the band continued recording below him. This was the period where the recording veered into tangents. A 28-piece string orchestra was arranged for “One Caress” and Martin sang live with them, achieving one of his best vocal performances in one take. Hildia Campbell and Samantha Smith were brought in to sing backing vocals on the Gospel/Hip-Hop hybrid “Get right with me’. Never one to resist challenging himself, Dave insisted on singing this track, even though it was pencilled in for Martin, and showed another dimension to his voice. Meanwhile, parallel mixing sessions were happening as fast as the band could record the tracks. Finally the album was mastered just before the end of the year.

January of 1993 saw Depeche Mode back in Los Angeles to shoot the video for “I feel you”, provocative even by Corbijn’s standards. The gulf war and the subsequent so-called recession had done nothing to harm Depeche Mode’s career, and the mood in the camp was of optimism. “I feel you” was well received and grunge passed, as had the dance explosion that preceded it, without making so much as a dent in the band’s popularity. Now the time had come to embark on a tour that made the two previous outings seem like holidays. Three solid months in Europe coincided with the release of “Walking in my shoes” and strong sales of “Songs of faith and devotion’. The European tour culminated in another triumphant return to home soil, playing to 35,000 fans at Crystal Palace athletics stadium. “Condemnation” was the third single from the album, featuring two videos – one on location in Hungary and the second filmed live, and later appearing on the “Devotional” video. The autumn of 1993 saw an extensive tour of the United States, and a fourth single, a Butch Vig remix of “In your room”, and another Corbijn video, and yes it was shot in Los Angeles….

1994 arrived, and Depeche Mode were still on the Devotional tour. A rather interesting “exotic” leg took the band to South Africa for the first time, as well as debuts in the Philippines and finally South America, having only previously ventured as far south as Mexico in that market. A further 33 dates in the U.S took the tour up to 14 months, a journey that everybody survived. Much is made of the negative or sensational side of the “Devotional” tour, some true, mostly not, but this approach tends to detract slightly from what was truly a great album and an amazing live show. At least that’s how true Depeche Mode fans remember it….

After Fifteen long years together, several lifetimes for a lot of bands, restlessness had appeared in one member at least, and Alan Wilder decided to leave Depeche Mode after being with them for all but the formative years. An announcement was made on 1st June 1995, Alan’s birthday. Later in the same year, once again defying detractors, the three remaining Mode’s entered Eastcote studios to achieve the impossible – to make another album after the Devotional tour. The recording wasn’t easy, and as well as Eastcote, took in sessions at Sarm West and Abbey Road in London, and Electric Ladyland in New York, among others. Tim Simenon was appointed as producer, and as recording continued throughout 1996, the style moved away from the “real” instruments of “SOFAD”, and more towards the “electronica” style that Depeche Mode had defined in the previous decade.

1997 saw the release of “Ultra” and also the release of two singles, “Barrel of a gun” and “It’s no good”, far removed from each other in style and sound and with videos to match. Both were well received, and although the band decided not to tour, “Ultra” still became one of their best selling albums. “Home” and “Useless” completed a quartet of singles, proving the depth of an album that wasn’t supposed to happen.

So now this journey brings us to 1998, Eighteen years into a fascinating career and still Depeche Mode are releasing fresh songs, with an ever-evolving style. “Only when I lose myself” is emotional, honest and serves as a footnote to the story so far.

Truly a time for celebration….