Depeche Mode 'A Broken Frame' 1982

WORDS AND MUSIC BY MARTIN GORE

SONG LYRICS by ALBUM

DEPECHE MODE

Depeche Mode is a bright, young electro-pop band that hail from Basildon, Essex, England. Their hit U.K. singles, "Dreaming Of Me," "New Life", "Just Can't Get Enough" and "See You", have changed forever the doomy, one-dimensionalimage of synthesized pop music in England.

"Light years ahead of the rest", said a reviewer in Smash Hits. "Damn near the most perfect pop group these two lucky lug-holes have sampled all season", said Melody Maker. "Depeche Mode are so neatly formed they could have been dreamed up by Brian Epstein", said Time Out.

Depeche Mode is very young - none of them is over 21. They came together while at different schools in Basildon. Originally a threesome; Andrew Fletcher, Martin Gore and Vince Clarke, they featured two guitars and a synthesizer. Then David Gahan joined as singer. They discovered a new title while flicking through a French clothing magazine - Depeche Mode (Fast Fashion). It sounded good, only now the guitars and single synthesizers didn't. They ditched the strings and a11 three instrumentalists began playing synths.

Their demo tapes stirred little or no interest with the big London record companies, but while supporting Fad Gadget at the Bridge House, Canning Town they met Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records. He was impressed from the first song, signed them and issued the debut single, "Dreaming Of Me". The group was subsequently signed to Sire Records in the U.S.

Then came a year of dazzling achievement. Despite tempting offers from the major record companies, Depeche Mode stuck with Daniel Miller and Mute Records in England. "Dreaming Of Me" made the lower reaches of the charts; "New Life" rose to 11, and then the third single, "Just Can't Get Enough", cracked the top 10.

Depeche Mode about the album's songs

"See You"

Martin Gore: "Do I feel any affection for things like 'See You'? Not really, no. It was the first song I wrote after Vince left, and I think I was just trying to copy his style. It was a nightmare recording because we still lived in Basildon and caught the last train back from London. It was always a dodgy train, full of drunkards, and we always got into fights, sometimes because we were recognised, but usually it was just pure Essex violence!"

"Shouldn't Have Done That"

In the middle of the song, some chatter can be heard that seems to have been reversed. When this audio is reversed again, it reveals Martin Gore telling a children's story: The big bird is pecking / The little bird is pecking as well / But the big bird has got more worms than the little bird / So the little bird doesn't like this / He's after the worms that are really owned by the big bird / He flies over to the big bird's worms / Oh and what joy it was when he got those worms / And he flew away / He flew onto the top of the mountain (Martin starts laughing) / And the big bird was too fat / He couldn't fly (Martin laughs some more)

Someone, likely Andrew Fletcher, can also be heard shouting "Left! Right!" at the beginning of the audio above, as if he were conducting the march. This originally reversed audio is heard directly before the marching audio begins in the song.

"The Sun And The Rainfall"

Andrew Fletcher can be heard singing backing vocals during the end of this song, the lines "All that I'm saying, a game's not worth playing, over and over again". Audio from the rear channels of the 5.1 multichannel version of the song where Fletcher's vocals are clearly heard is below. Other than Interlude No. 2 - Crucified, this is the only Depeche Mode song where Fletcher's vocals can be clearly heard.

"Now, This Is Fun"

Andrew Fletcher: "On the new B-side, 'Reason To Be' (working title 'Now, This Is Fun'), we tried to sound… really… mean! Didn't work though."

"Oberkorn (It's A Small Town)"

Martin Gore: "We rarely bother to look at our touring schedules, and so naturally thought we'd be playing in Brussels. But instead we found ourselves pulling into a tiny village called Oberkorn. It was a curious kind of village with a population that would hardly fill the first few rows of any ordinary theatre, so it was quite a fascination for us to find out just what would happen. Instead of our gig being to a handful of people, the place was packed as the audience came from all around and even from across the borders. But there was an interesting twist to this concert. When we got back to our hotel our record company told us that whilst the A-side of our single was all set, they needed a title rapidly for the B-side. We're never all that good with names and the first thing that sprang to mind was the name of this village, Oberkorn. So that's the title we used!"

12" (STUMM9) UK

● MATRIX: RUNOUT

Runout etching side A:   STUMM-9-A1 MT-6 JA TAPE ONE

Runout etching side B:   STUMM-9-B1 MT-6 JA TAPE ONE

Recorded at Blackwing Studios, London / Produced by Depeche Mode and Daniel Miller / Engineered by Eric Radcliffe and John Fryer / Photography by Brian Griffin / Design Martyn Atkins

Words And Music By Martin Gore

Original - mastered at Tape One and MusiTech (MT. etched in matrix), JA (Jack Adams) etched in matrix.

Cassette (CSTUMM9) UK

● BARCODE

Barcode:   No

Recorded at Blackwing Studios, London / Produced by Depeche Mode and Daniel Miller / Engineered by Eric Radcliffe and John Fryer / Photography by Brian Griffin / Design Martyn Atkins

All compositions by Martin Gore

Original - White tape and red paper labels (see the picture below).

CD (CDSTUMM9) UK 1989

1   "Leave In Silence" 04:48

2   "My Secret Garden" 04:46

3   "Monument" 03:14

4   "Nothing To Fear" 04:16

5   "See You" 04:33

6   "Satellite" 04:43

7   "The Meaning Of Love" 03:06

8   "A Photograph Of You" 03:05

9   "Shouldn't Have Done That" 03:13

10   "The Sun And The Rainfall" 05:05

● MATRIX: RUNOUT / BARCODE

Barcode:   5 016025 610099

Other CD:   MADE IN U.K.

Runout:   CD STUMM 9 175861 02 % MADE IN U.K. BY PDO

Recorded at Blackwing Studios, London / Produced by Depeche Mode and Daniel Miller / Engineered by Eric Radcliffe and John Fryer / Photography by Brian Griffin / Design Martyn Atkins

Words and music by Martin Gore

Packaging, standard jewel case. 8 page booklet. Made by PDO.

PRODUCTION DETAILS ALBUM

"Leave In Silence" 04:48  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"My Secret Garden" 04:46  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"Monument" 03:14  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"Nothing To Fear" 04:16  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"See You" 04:33  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"Satellite" 04:43  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"The Meaning Of Love" 03:06  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"A Photograph Of You" 03:05  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"Shouldn't Have Done That" 03:13  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"The Sun And The Rainfall" 05:05  •  Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. Engineered by John Fryer and Eric Radcliffe.

"A Broken Frame" (The classic and original album artwork. This is not only one of Brian Griffin's most outstanding photographs but it has also been rated one of the most outstanding colour photograps in the history of photography.)

"A Broken Frame" (Alternative black and white)

"A Broken Frame" (A rare image "The Wheatfied Lady")

"A Broken Frame" (A stunning alternative shot photo shoot)

"It had been raining all morning but the clouds suddenly parted and we had 30 minuets of glorious sunlight, magical light." - Brian Griffin.

The iconic "A Broken Frame" album cover for Depeche Mode, taken in the summer cornfield…

It was used by The Life magazine on its front cover of a special supplement "The Greatest Photographs Of The 80's".

THE 2th STUDIO ALBUM

discussion album

1982