Depeche Mode 'Black Celebration' 1986

"Life in the so called Space Age"

SONG LYRICS by ALBUM

DEPECHE MODE

Black Celebration is the latest album from Depeche Mode, their first collection of new material in over two years and a continuing affirmation of the extraor- dinary role this band plays in modern music. As one reviewer put it: "After producing electronic pop songs which sound as good on headphones as they feel on the dancefloor, the unbelievers must realize that this is one band who won't disappear in a puff of fashionable smoke.

After six years as a premier recording and performing band, it's questionable whether there are any "unbelievers" left. Depeche Mode's contribution to the seamless, streamlined and emotionally resonant sound of the Eighties can't be easily overestimated, and Black Celebration is no exception. Featuring their runaway British hit, "Stripped", Black Celebration employs the winning production team of Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller, along with some of the most intriguing and inventive musics in the band's career. It is, in short, a tour-de-force showcasing Depeche Mode's diverse musical vocabulary. "Depeche Mode is a democracy", explains founding member and songwriter Martin Gore. "That stops me from writing everything in one direction. We still believe in an old-fashioned song style with lots of melody… We can be really poppy one minute or we can sound harder and moodier". On Black Celebration, Depeche Mode is all this and more.

Depeche Mode about the album's songs

"Black Celebration"

Martin Gore: "I don't mind you bringing up existentialism because I am influenced by that. I'm probably as influenced by Camus, Kafka and Brecht as I am by pop songs. Like on 'Black Celebration' where the positive element is the idea of celebrating the end of another grey day."

"A Question Of Lust"

Martin Gore: "This track has always been almost like an old 50s or 60s classic pop song. It's a really good song to do live and it's got a great melody. I joked with the others about it the other day, saying I think The Beatles stole the melody from me..."

"Sometimes"

Martin Gore: "There is one quite funny song called 'Sometimes' which is about someone who questions their surroundings and ends up becoming tiring and over apologetic."

"It Doesn't Matter Two"

Martin Gore: "'It Doesn't Matter Two' is very desperate. Very very morbid."

"Stripped"

Alan Wilder: "One of the first tracks we recorded, I think, was Stripped. And that just flowed, probably the only track on the album that did, and it was easy. And I think I have to give credit to Martin's demo, because recorded the demo using the opening sound to that, which is an Emulator sample of a motorbike, ideally. And we said, "Well, let's just replicate that in the studio", and everything else just followed. We recorded Dave's Porsche, if you're trying to be specific, a Porsche, and we recorded its ignition, which starts the track."

Martin Gore: "I think that since the 'Black Celebration' album we’ve started getting things right and 'Stripped' is one of the best atmospheres we've ever captured." "The rhythm of 'Stripped' was made up of the sound of an idling motorbike played half-an-octave down from its original pitch."

Andy Fletcher: "The idea of 'Stripped' is to get away from technology and civilisation for a day and get back to basics in the country. It's about two people stripping down to their bare emotions. In the video we're seen demolishing a car and taking a TV apart... it's a bit, er, symbolic."

Dave Gahan: "It's not about sex. It's to do with having nothing except yourself. The people in the song could strip off if they wanted to though. The song is also a bit chancy. It doesn't capture you immediately. Some people hear it and say "Is that it?" Others go "Brilliant!"."

"Here Is The House"

Martin Gore: "There’s the mandolin-like part on 'Here is the House'. That was an acoustic guitar sampled twice — once on a down-stroke and once on an upstroke. We used them on alternate notes, so every other note was a downstroke and all the in-between notes were up-strokes. It sounded very funny — almost like a real player."

"But Not Tonight"

Andy Fletcher: "It's a B-side from the 'Stripped' single. Apparently Martin heard a piano version of this song somewhere, and he loved it very much. He played it a couple of times in the studio, and we decided to include it in the set list. And by the way, we are amazed at how the audience reacts to it! It's great! And how everyone sings along at the end!"

12" (STUMM26) UK

● MATRIX: RUNOUT

Other Labels:   MADE IN ENGLAND

Runout etching Side One:   LYN-17252-6C ZZ.* 11 STUMM-26-A A CLASSIC CASE OF OVER FOCUSING

Runout etching Side Two:   LYN-17253-2C .Z. STUMM-26-B SO MUCH FOR THE MINIMAL ALBUM

Vinyl record format:   33 ⅓ RPM Stereo

Original - embossed cover and printed inner sleeve / Lyntone pressing. Track durations not listed on the release.

Cassette (CSTUMM26) UK

● BARCODE

Barcode:   No

Original - black tape without barcode (see the picture below).

CD (CDSTUMM26) UK

1   "Black Celebration" 04:55

2   "Fly On The Windscreen - Final" 05:18

3   "A Question Of Lust" 04:20

4   "Sometimes" 01:53

5   "It Doesn't Matter Two" 02:50

6   "A Question Of Time" 04:10

7   "Stripped" 04:16

8   "Here Is The House" 04:15

9   "World Full Of Nothing" 02:50

10   "Dressed In Black" 02:32

11   "New Dress" 03:42

12   "Breathing In Fumes" 06:04

13   "But Not Tonight" (Extended Remix) 05:13

14   "Black Day" 02:34

● MATRIX: RUNOUT / BARCODE

Other CD:   MADE IN FRANCE BY M.P.O.

SPARS Code:   AAD

Barcode:   No

Runout:   CD STUMM 26 MPO 01

Original. "Fly on the Windscreen" recorded at Genetic and re-mixed at Hansa, Berlin. Tracks 12,13,14 are bonus tracks.

PRODUCTION DETAILS ALBUM

"Black Celebration" 04:55  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"Fly On The Windscreen - Final" 05:18  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"A Question Of Lust" 04:20  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"Sometimes" 01:53  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"It Doesn't Matter Two" 02:50  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"A Question Of Time" 04:10  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (London) and Peter Schmidt (Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"Stripped" 04:16  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"Here Is The House" 04:15  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"World Full Of Nothing" 02:50  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"Dressed In Black" 02:32  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"New Dress" 03:42  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (Westside, London) and Peter Schmidt (Hansa, Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"Breathing In Fumes" 06:08  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (London) and Peter Schmidt (Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young. Editing assistance by Thomas Stiehler.

"But Not Tonight" (Extended Remix) 05:13  •  Recorded and mixed at Hansa Tonstudio, Kreuzberg. Produced by Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones.

"Black Day" 02:39  •  Produced by Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Assistant Engineers - Richard Sullivan (London) and Peter Schmidt (Berlin). Mastered by Tim Young.

"Black Celebration" (Cover album black & white version)

THE 5th STUDIO ALBUM

discussion album

1986