So you think New Jersey, US is an unlikely launch pad for a music star? How about Bromley, UK, then?
William Michael Albert Broad, a.k.a. Billy Idol, was born 1955 in Stanmore, England, deriving his stage name Idol from a schoolteacher's description of him as 'idle'.
Billy went on to join the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans. He first joined the punk rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (before the band had decided on that name) in 1976, but soon quit and joined Chelsea in 1977 as a guitarist. But him and bandmate Tony James soon quit and co-founded Generation X, with Billy switching from guitarist to lead singer. Generation X signed to Chrysalis Records, released three albums and performed in the 1980 film, D.O.A., before disbanding.
The year after Billy moved to New York to start his solo career, which began with the EP titled Don't Stop. This included the Generation X song 'Dancing with Myself', originally recorded for their last album Kiss Me Deadly, and a cover of Tommy James & The Shondells' song 'Mony Mony'. In 1982 Idol instantly became an MTV staple with 'White Wedding'. In an effort to introduce himself to American audiences not yet as familiar with him as those in England, Billy's label re-released 'Dancing with Myself' in the US in conjunction with a music video (directed by Tobe Hooper, produced by Jeffrey Abelson, and conceptualised by Keith Williams) that played in heavy rotation on MTV for six months. That video sparked a new era of feature film directors trying their hand at music videos, which helped make Idol a household name.
My favourite Billy Idol tracks are 'Eyes Without A Face' and 'Flesh For Fantasy'.
Billy Idol - Dancing With Myself (1981 & 1983)
1981 - UK#62, US#102
1983 - NZ#9, AUS#42
Annie Lennox (born 1954 in Aberdeen, Scotland) and Dave Stewart (born 1952 in Sunderland, Northern England), a.k.a. Eurythmics, met in a London restaurant in 1975. Annie was working there at the time and both went on to form and the play together with Peet Coombes in their group The Catch. They released one single, 1977's 'Borderline/Black Blood'. The single was released in the UK, NL, ES and POR. The Catch soon became known as The Tourists, who had some chart success in 1979-80 though disbanded soon after due to legal issues with management, publishers and their record label at the time, Logo Records.
Also having a personal relationship by then, Annie and Dave decided to go it alone and became Eurythmics (named after a style of Greek dance that Annie had did as a child), signed to RCA Records. Their breakthrough came with their second album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), released early 1983. The title track featured a dark and powerful sequenced synth bass line and a dramatic video with Annie sporting an orange crew haircut, rapidly making her the new pop icon.
After strenuous years of touring and recording (Eurythmics had released eight studio albums in eight years), a rift had developed between the duo and Eurythmics disbanded, although no official notice was given. Dave began writing film soundtracks and had a big international hit in 1990 with the instrumental track 'Lily Was Here', featuring saxophonist Candy Dulfer, while in 1992, Annie released her first solo album, Diva. The album was a critical and popular success .
Don't you worry, I won't suddenly get all religious on you, but there is a track that is really quite beautiful. You may remember it from 1988 when Ofra Haza took Europe by storm with it - it stayed 9 weeks at DE#1 in the summer that year...
But it dates back much further than this: 'Im Nin'alu' (אם ננעלו) is a Hebrew poem by Shalom Shabazi (שלום שבזי) and was written in the 17th century, when he was a well-respected Rabbi in what is now the state of Yemen.
The poem starts 'Im nin'alu daltei n'divim - daltei marom lo nin'alu. El Chaiiiiiii....' (If the doors of the wealthy are locked, the doors of Heaven will never be locked. The living God.)
Ofra Haza first sang this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on IBA's General Television in 1978. The remixed version of the song, produced by Izhar Ashdot, is the one that hit the charts ten years later. The single sold some three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first World Music recordings to cross over to mainstream Pop. Even though Ofra's version of the song shows her own interpretation, and its presentation was modern and popular, it still fits in with the Yemenite tradition that she represented.
The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday.
In 1997 she re-recorded the track for her album Ofra Haza, produced by Frank Peterson of Enigma and Gregorian.
Since then, the track has been covered - and most of all sampled - endless times: Rap duo Eric B. & Rakim used it in their single 'Paid In Full', Snoop Dogg used the same sample on his remake of 'Paid In Full' titled 'Paper'd Up'. Canadian band Delerium sampled the lyrics in their song 'Hidden Mask' from their 1989 album Faces, Forms & Illusions.
American Rap group Public Enemy also sampled the opening few seconds of the song (which are a cappella) on the track 'Can't Truss It', featured on the 1991 album Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black. The song features very briefly as background music in a restaurant at the beginning of the 2000 film American Psycho. In 1998 Swedish DJ team C&N Project included a sample of the opening line Im nin'alu on their single 'The Queen of Tel Aviv', which was credited to C&N Project Feat. Ofra Haza. Israeli singer Michal Cohen performs 'Im Nin'alu' on La Kahena (2005) by DJ Cheb i Sabbah. Part of the song appears in Madonna's song "Isaac" from her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Im Nin'alu is the opening track on Eliyahu & The Qadim Ensemble's album Eastern Wind (2009) with vocals by Rachel Valfer.
And - in 2009 Panjabi MC remixed this song on his album named Indian Timing.
Ofra Haza was born the youngest of nine children in the poor Tel Aviv neighborhood of Hatikvah. Inspired by a love of her Yemeni Jewish culture, the appeal of her musical art quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience, somehow bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries. As her career progressed, the multi-lingual Haza was able to switch between traditional and more commercial singing styles without jeopardizing her credibility. The music, too, fused elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration and dance-beat.
Ofra Haza died on 23 February 2000 at the age of 42, of AIDS-related pneumonia. While the fact of her HIV infection is now generally acknowledged, the decision by the major Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz to report about it shortly after her death caused controversy in Israel.
If there be no mercy left in the world,
The doors of heaven will never be barred.
The Creator reigns supreme, and is higher
than the angels
All, in His spirit, will rise
By His nearness, His life-giving breath
flows through them.
And they glory in His name
From the moment of genesis,
His creations grow,
Captivating and more beautiful.
The wheel in his circle thunders
Acclaiming His Holy name
Clothed in the glory of His radiance,
The six-winged cherubs surround Him,
Whirling in His honor
And with their free wings sweetly sing,
Together, in unison
Rabbi Shalom Shabazi - Im Ninalu (Yemen, 17th Century)
musica è
guardare più lontano
e perdersi in se stessi
la luce che rinasce
e coglierne i reflessi
su pianure azzurre si aprono
su più su i miei pensieri spaziano
ed io mi accorgo che
che tutto intorno a me, a me
musica è
la danza regolare
di tutti i tuoi respiri su di me
la festa dei tuoi occhi
appena mi sorridi
tu e il suono delle labbra tue
tu sempre di più
quell’armonia raggiunta in due
ti ascolterò perché
sei musica per me, per me
io sento ancora le voci
della strada dove son nato
mia madre quante volte mi
avrà chiamato ma era più
forte il grido di libertà
e sotto il sole che fulmina
i cortili le corse polverose
dei bambini che di giocare
non la smettono più
io sento ancora cantare
in dialetto, le ninne nanne
di pioggia sul tetto
tutto questo per me
questo dolce arpreggiare
è musica da ricordare
è dentro di me...
fa parte di me...
cammina con me... è
musica è
l’amico che ti parla
quando ti senti solo
sai che una mano puoi trovarla
è... musica è
da conservare,
da salvare insieme a te
senti
più siamo in tanti e più in alto
sale un coro in lingua universale
dice che dice che
anche del cielo han bucato
la pelle - lo senti
è l’urlo delle stelle
forse cambierà nella testa
della gente la mentalità
di chi ascolta ma non sente
prima che il silenzio
scenda su ogni cosa
quel silenzio grande
dopo l’aria esplosa
perché un mondo senza musica
non si può neanche immaginare
perché ogni cuore
anche il più piccolo
è un battito di vita
e d’amore che
musica è
English translation:
music is
to look further and
to get lost in yourself
the light that revives
and that gathers the reflections
high azure plain open up
higher my thoughts range over
and I notice that everything
around me is music
music is
the regular dance
of all your breaths on me
the party of your eyes
you almost smile at me
you and the sound of your lips
you, always more
the harmony attained together
I'll listen to you because
you are music for me
I still hear the voices of
the street where I was born
my mother who called me
so many times but the scream
of liberty was louder
and under the sun that
lights the courtyards
I see the children's dusty runs
that by playing don't make it stop
I still hear singing in dialect
the lullabies of rain on the roof
for me this everything
this sweet appreciation
is music to remember
it's inside me...
it's part of me...
it runs with me...
it's music
music is
your friend who talks to you
when you feel lonely
you can always find a hand
it's music...
to conserve
to save together with you
listen
the more we are, the more a choir
in universal language advances
it says they also made a hole
in the skin of the sky
you can hear it
it's the howl of the stars
mentality might change
in people's heads
that listen but don't hear
before the silence
falls down on everything
the big silence
after exploded air
because one cannot imagine
a world without music
because every single heart,
even the smallest one,
is a beating of life
and love that is
music
Erasure - A Little Respect (1988)
UK#4, SIN#6, IRL#7, US#14, NZ#24, CH#28, DE#34, CAN#42
Lyrics:
I try to discover a little something to make me sweeter
Oh baby
refrain from breaking my heart.
I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
That you gimme no reason why you make me work so hard.
That you gimme no
that you gimme no
That you gimme no
that you gimme no soul.
I hear you calling
oh baby
please
give a little respect to me.
And if I should falter
would you open your arms out to me?
We can make love not war
and live at peace with our hearts.
I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
What religion or reason could drive a man to forsake his lover?
Don't you tell me no
don't you tell me no
Don't you tell me no
don't you tell me no soul.
I hear your calling
oh baby
please
give a little respect to me.
I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
That you gimme no reason
you know you make me works so hard.
That you gimme no
that you gimme no
...
I hear you calling
oh baby
please
give a little respect to me.
Remember one of the landmarks of early Acid House and late 1980s sampling culture? Theme From S-Express became an instant hit upon its release in April 1988. Written and produced by Mark Moore and Pascal Gabriel the song samples liberally from many songs. The name S-Express came from New York subway's 42nd Street Shuttle. The people behind the project were Mark Moore, Chilo Harlo, Michellé, Linda Love, Sonique, whom in 1998 short to solo fame with 'It Feels So Good'.
Don't you worry, I won't suddenly get all religious on you, but there is a track that is really quite beautiful. You may remember it from 1988 when Ofra Haza took Europe by storm with it - it stayed 9 weeks at DE#1 in the summer that year...
But it dates back much further than this: 'Im Nin'alu' (אם ננעלו) is a Hebrew poem by Shalom Shabazi (שלום שבזי) and was written in the 17th century, when he was a well-respected Rabbi in what is now the state of Yemen.
The poem starts 'Im nin'alu daltei n'divim - daltei marom lo nin'alu. El Chaiiiiiii....' (If the doors of the wealthy are locked, the doors of Heaven will never be locked. The living God.)
Ofra Haza first sang this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on IBA's General Television in 1978. The remixed version of the song, produced by Izhar Ashdot, is the one that hit the charts ten years later. The single sold some three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first World Music recordings to cross over to mainstream Pop. Even though Ofra's version of the song shows her own interpretation, and its presentation was modern and popular, it still fits in with the Yemenite tradition that she represented.
The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday.
In 1997 she re-recorded the track for her album Ofra Haza, produced by Frank Peterson of Enigma and Gregorian.
Since then, the track has been covered - and most of all sampled - endless times: Rap duo Eric B. & Rakim used it in their single 'Paid In Full', Snoop Dogg used the same sample on his remake of 'Paid In Full' titled 'Paper'd Up'. Canadian band Delerium sampled the lyrics in their song 'Hidden Mask' from their 1989 album Faces, Forms & Illusions.
American Rap group Public Enemy also sampled the opening few seconds of the song (which are a cappella) on the track 'Can't Truss It', featured on the 1991 album Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black. The song features very briefly as background music in a restaurant at the beginning of the 2000 film American Psycho. In 1998 Swedish DJ team C&N Project included a sample of the opening line Im nin'alu on their single 'The Queen of Tel Aviv', which was credited to C&N Project Feat. Ofra Haza. Israeli singer Michal Cohen performs 'Im Nin'alu' on La Kahena (2005) by DJ Cheb i Sabbah. Part of the song appears in Madonna's song "Isaac" from her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Im Nin'alu is the opening track on Eliyahu & The Qadim Ensemble's album Eastern Wind (2009) with vocals by Rachel Valfer.
And - in 2009 Panjabi MC remixed this song on his album named Indian Timing.
Ofra Haza was born the youngest of nine children in the poor Tel Aviv neighborhood of Hatikvah. Inspired by a love of her Yemeni Jewish culture, the appeal of her musical art quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience, somehow bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries. As her career progressed, the multi-lingual Haza was able to switch between traditional and more commercial singing styles without jeopardizing her credibility. The music, too, fused elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration and dance-beat.
Ofra Haza died on 23 February 2000 at the age of 42, of AIDS-related pneumonia. While the fact of her HIV infection is now generally acknowledged, the decision by the major Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz to report about it shortly after her death caused controversy in Israel.
If there be no mercy left in the world,
The doors of heaven will never be barred.
The Creator reigns supreme, and is higher
than the angels
All, in His spirit, will rise
By His nearness, His life-giving breath
flows through them.
And they glory in His name
From the moment of genesis,
His creations grow,
Captivating and more beautiful.
The wheel in his circle thunders
Acclaiming His Holy name
Clothed in the glory of His radiance,
The six-winged cherubs surround Him,
Whirling in His honor
And with their free wings sweetly sing,
Together, in unison
Rabbi Shalom Shabazi - Im Ninalu (Yemen, 17th Century)
Hardly anyone knows him by his real name Johann - or Hans - Hölzel , but when you say Falco, then most ears prick up in recognition. Born 19 February 1957 in Vienna, Austria, and died - far too early - just before his 41st birthday in a car crash in the Dominican Republic.
Unbelivable but true: he is the first and only artist to date whose principal language was German to score a number-one hit in the United States - with 'Rock Me Amadeus', even Nena's 99 Red Balloons did not achieve that. He has sold 40 million albums and 20 million singles, which makes him one of the best selling Austrian singers ever.
Falco began to show signs of unusual musical talent very early. As a toddler, he was able to keep time with the drumbeat in songs he heard on the radio. He was given a baby grand piano for his fourth birthday; a year later, his birthday gift was a record player which he used to play music by Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, and the Beatles. At age five, he auditioned for the Vienna Music Academy, where it was confirmed that he had perfect pitch.
He entered the Vienna Music Conservatory in 1977, but left after one semester to 'become a real musician'. For a short time, he lived in West Berlin while singing in a jazz-rock band and exploring the club scene. When he returned to Vienna he decided on his stage name Falco in tribute to the East German ski jumper Falko Weißpflog (he changed one letter to make the name more international).
Falco's first hit was 'Der Kommissar' from the 1982 album Einzelhaft (Soliary Confinement). A German language song about drug consumption that combines rap verses with a sung chorus, Falco's record was a number-one success in many countries but failed to break big in the US. But the song would prove to have a life of its own in two English-language versions: British rock band After the Fire recorded an English cover version, loosely based on Falco's lyrics and also called 'Der Kommissar' (with uh-oh and alles klar Herr Kommissar the only other lyrics held over from the original). This time, the song shot to US#5 (their only major hit there) in 1983, though it failed to crack the UK Top40.
That same year, Laura Branigan recorded a version of the song with new English lyrics under the title 'Deep In The Dark' on her album Branigan 2.
After a second album, Junge Roemer (Young Romans) failed to provide a repeat to his debut single's success outside of Austria and Germany (where the album topped the charts), Falco began to experiment with English lyrics in an effort to broaden his appeal, and chose a new production team. The result would be the most popular album and single of his career: Falco recorded 'Rock Me Amadeus' inspired in part by the Oscar-winning film Amadeus, and the song became a worldwide hit in 1986.
'Jeanny', the third release from his third album Falco 3, was highly controversial when it was released in Germany and the Netherlands, the story of Jeanny was told from the point of view of a rapist and possible murderer. Several DJs and radio stations refused to play the ballad, which was ignored in the U.S., though it became a huge hit in many European countries, and inspired two sequels on later albums.
The following years were somewhat his decline: he went on a World Tour, sang a duet with Brigitte Nielsen, 'Body Next to Body' and released another album, Wiener Blut (Viennese Blood) but it did not get much publicity outside Germany and Austria.
His 1992 comeback attempt, the album Nachtflug (Night Flight) was very successful in the German speaking territories, but failed to chart internationally.
Falco died of severe injuries from a collision with a bus on the road linking the towns of Villa Montellano and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. It was initially reported that the autopsy showed high blood levels of alcohol and cocaine, which was later dismissed. At the time of his death, he was planning a comeback.
He was buried in the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna, Austria.
So you think New Jersey, US is an unlikely launch pad for a music star? How about Bromley, UK, then?
William Michael Albert Broad, a.k.a. Billy Idol, was born 1955 in Stanmore, England, deriving his stage name Idol from a schoolteacher's description of him as 'idle'.
Billy went on to join the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans. He first joined the punk rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (before the band had decided on that name) in 1976, but soon quit and joined Chelsea in 1977 as a guitarist. But him and bandmate Tony James soon quit and co-founded Generation X, with Billy switching from guitarist to lead singer. Generation X signed to Chrysalis Records, released three albums and performed in the 1980 film, D.O.A., before disbanding.
The year after Billy moved to New York to start his solo career, which began with the EP titled Don't Stop. This included the Generation X song 'Dancing with Myself', originally recorded for their last album Kiss Me Deadly, and a cover of Tommy James & The Shondells' song 'Mony Mony'. In 1982 Idol instantly became an MTV staple with 'White Wedding'. In an effort to introduce himself to American audiences not yet as familiar with him as those in England, Billy's label re-released 'Dancing with Myself' in the US in conjunction with a music video (directed by Tobe Hooper, produced by Jeffrey Abelson, and conceptualised by Keith Williams) that played in heavy rotation on MTV for six months. That video sparked a new era of feature film directors trying their hand at music videos, which helped make Idol a household name.
My favourite Billy Idol tracks are 'Eyes Without A Face' and 'Flesh For Fantasy'.
Billy Idol - Dancing With Myself (1981 & 1983)
1981 - UK#62, US#102
1983 - NZ#9, AUS#42
Stefan Zauner, Aron Strobel & Co. met in 1980 and named their project Münchener Freiheit, after a square and tube station in Munich's affluent quarter Schwabing. The remnant 'e' results from the band adapting the name before the city dropped it. They are also known as Freiheit, under which name the single and album releases in the English language were published.
First tries to lunch themselves into the German music landscape of the early 1980s were largely ignored, as other acts of the then dominating genre Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) were fiercely competing for chart positions. Nena was one of them.
Their breakthrough came in 1985: Ohne Dich stormed up the charts and reached the top slot in Austria and Switzerland and managed to clmb to number 2 in their native Germany. Their style is a somewhat odd one, combining elements of the very perculiar Schlager with commercial pop. Although their last big hit was Liebe auf den Ersten Blick in 1992, the band remains very popular in Germany, often selling out big concert halls all over the country.
Münchener Freiheit - Ohne Dich (1985)
AT#1, CH#1, DE#2
Münchener Freiheit - Every Time (1985)
Münchener Freiheit - S.O.S. (1985)
Münchener Freiheit - Herzschlag ist der Takt (1985)
Münchener Freiheit - Tausendmal Du (1986)
AT#7, DE#9, CH#25
Münchener Freiheit - Es gibt kein nächstes Mal (1986)
DE#24
Münchener Freiheit - Herz aus Glas (1987)
DE#24
Münchener Freiheit - Play it Cool (1987)
Münchener Freiheit - So lang' man Träume noch leben kann (1987)
DE#2, CH#17 - English version below UK#14
Münchener Freiheit - Keeping The Dream Alive (1987)
UK#14
Münchener Freiheit - Bis Wir Uns Wiederseh'n (1988)
DE#11
Münchener Freiheit - Kissed You in the Rain (1988)
Münchener Freiheit - So heiß (1988)
DE#47
Münchener Freiheit - Liebe auf den ersten Blick (1992)
Depeche Mode formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex, England - although their origins date back to 1977, when schoolmates Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher formed a band called No Romance in China, with Vince on vocals and guitar and Andrew on bass.
Vince then played guitar in 'Ultravox rip-off band' The Plan in 1979 with friends Robert Marlow and Paul Langwith, while Martin Gore played guitar in acoustic duo Norman & The Worms with school friend Philip Burdett on vocals. Marlow, Gore, and Paul Redmond formed a band called The French Look.
In March 1980, Vince, Martin and Andrew formed a band called Composition of Sound. Soon after the formation of Composition of Sound, Vince and Andrew switched to synthesizers. Dave Gahan joined the band in 1980 after Vince heard him perform at a local scout hut jam session, singing to a rendition of David Bowie's 'Heroes' - and Depeche Mode were born.
When explaining the choice for the new name, taken from a French fashion magazine, Dépêche Mode, Martin Gore said: 'It means hurried fashion or fashion dispatch. I like the sound of that.'
Martin recollects that the first time the band played as Depeche Mode was a school gig in May 1980. The band made their recording debut in 1980 on the Some Bizzare Album with the song 'Photographic', which was later re-recorded for their debut album Speak & Spell.
While playing a live gig at the Bridge House in Canning Town, London, Depeche Mode were approached by Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records, who was interested in them recording a single for his label. The result of this verbal contract was their first single, recorded in December 1980 and released in February 1981:
Dreaming of Me (1981) - US#47, UK#57 - non album single release (no video)
Encouraged by this, the band recorded their second single:
New Life (1981) - UK#11, IRL#22, US#29 - Speak & Spell
The next single was a relentlessly upbeat piece of synthpop, which became the band's first UK Top10 hit and it remains one of their best known songs. It was also the first Depeche Mode song to get a music video and is the only one of the band's videos to feature Vince Clarke. Depeche Mode's debut album, Speak & Spell, was released in November 1981 and peaked at number ten on the UK album charts:
Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough (1981) - Speak & Spell
AUS#4, UK#8, SWE#14, IRL#16, US#26
During the touring and promotion for Speak & Spell, Vince began to voice his discomfort at the direction Depeche Mode were taking and, in November 1981, he was leaving the band. He joined up with blues singer Alison Moyet to form Yazoo and, later, the duo Erasure with Andy Bell. Initial talk of continuing to write material for Depeche Mode amounted to nothing. Vince offered them the track 'Only You, but they declined. It went on to become a UK Top3 hit for Yazoo.
In late 1981, they placed an anonymous advertisement in British music mag Melody Maker looking for another musician. Alan Wilder from Hammersmith, West London was hired in early 1982 initially on a trial basis as a touring member. In January 1982, the band released:
Depeche Mode - See You (1982) - A Broken Frame
UK#6, IRL#9, DE#44
The tour that followed the release of the single saw the band playing their first shows in North America. Two more singles were released ahead of the band's second studio album:
Depeche Mode - The Meaning of Love (1982) -A Broken Frame
UK#12, IRL#17, SWE#16, DE#64
Depeche Mode - Leave in Silence (1982) - A Broken Frame
IRL#13, SWE#17, UK#18, DE58
Depeche Mode began work on their second album in July 1982. Daniel Miller informed Alan that he was not needed for the recording of the album, as the band wanted to prove that they could succeed without Vince Clarke.
A Broken Frame was released that September and the following month the band set off on their second tour of 1982. A non-album single was released in January 1983, and was the first Depeche Mode track to be recorded with Alan:
Depeche Mode - Get the Balance Right! (1983) - non album single release
UK#13, IRL#16, US#31, DE#38
For their third album, Construction Time Again, Depeche Mode worked with producer Gareth Jones, at John Foxx's Garden Studios and at Hansa Studios in West Berlin. The album saw a dramatic shift in the group's sound: by sampling the noises of everyday objects, the band created an industrial sound.
Along with the music, Martin's songwriting was also rapidly evolving, focusing increasingly on political and social issues. An example of the new sound was on the first single, a commentary on the perceived greed of multinational corporations:
Depeche Mode Everything Counts (1983) - Construction Time Again
UK#6, CH#8, IRL#15, SWE#18, DE#23, AT#26, IT#32
In September 1983, to promote Construction Time Again the band launched a concert tour all over Europe.
Depeche Mode - Love in Itself (1983) - Construction Time Again
UK#21, IRL#27, DE#28
In their early years, Depeche Mode had only really attained success in Europe and Australia, however this changed in March 1984 when they released:
Depeche Mode- People are People (1984) - Some Great Reward
DE#1, IRL#2, UK#4, CH#4, US#13, SWE#15, IT#20, AUS#25
The song was used as the theme to West German TV's coverage of the 1984 Olympics and also charted in the US charts in mid-1985. The song had then become an anthem for the LGBT community. In September 1984, Some Great Reward was released.
In contrast to the political and environmental subjects addressed on the previous album, the songs on Some Great Reward were mostly concerned with more personal themes such as sexual politics...
Depeche Mode - Master and Servant (1984) - Some Great Reward
DE#2, SWE#7, CH#8, UK#9, IT#27, FR#34, US#49, AUS#89
... adulterous relationships...
Depeche Mode - Lie To Me (1984)
...and arbitrary divine justice...
Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours (1984) - Some Great Reward
IRL#8, UK#16, CH#19, DE#22, AUS#87
Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours (1984)
********** RARE 8 min version! *********
Also included was the first Martin Gore ballad. 'Somebody' was released as a double a-side with 'Blasphemous Rumours' and was the first single with Martin on lead vocals:
Depeche Mode - Somebody (1984) - Some Great Reward
was the flip-side of Blasphemous Rumours
In October 1985, Mute Records released a compilation, The Singles 81>85, which included the two non-album singles 'Shake the Disease' (one of my personal favourites of Depeche Mode) and 'It's Called a Heart'.
Depeche Mode - Shake the Disease (1985) - Singles 81->85
DE#4, SWE#5, CH#6, IRL#9, FR#13, UK#18, IT#29
Depeche Mode's musical style shifted again in 1986 with the release of 'Stripped', and its accompanying album Black Celebration. Retaining their sampling and the industrial sound, the band introduced an ominous, highly atmospheric and textured sound. Martin's lyrics also took on darker tone and became more pessimistic. 'New Dress' would mark the last time he attempted the kind of overt social commentary.
Depeche Mode - Stripped (1986) - Black Celebration
DE#4, CH#8, CH#9, IT#14, UK#15
The music video for 'A Question of Time' was the first to be directed by Anton Corbijn, beginning a working relationship that continues to the present day. He has directed a further 19 videos (the latest being 2006's 'Suffer Well') and has also filmed some of their live performances and designed stage sets and album and single covers.
Depeche Mode - A Question of Time (1986)
Music for the Masses saw further alterations in the band's sound. David Bascombe was called to assist with the recording sessions. In making the album the band largely eschewed sampling in favour of more synth experimentation. While the chart performance of the singles the next three singles 'Strangelove', 'Never Let Me Down Again' and 'Behind the Wheel' were somewhat disappointing in the UK, they scored high in Canada, Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland. The album also achieved the long awaited breakthrough in the US, which would be eternally manifested by the final concert of the their promotional tour at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena - see my previous post - a concert I would do or give anything for to attend again in time travel. The '101' live album and documenary was the result. I could watch it over - and over - and over - and over, again. Orgasmic!
Depeche Mode - Strangelove (1987)
Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again (1987)
Depeche Mode - Behind The Wheel (1987)
Depeche Mode - Pimpf (1987)
Depeche Mode - Little 15 (1988)
In mid-1989, the band began recording in Milan with producer Flood and engineer François Kevorkian. The initial result of this session was the single:
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (1989)
Released in January 1990, 'Enjoy the Silence' became one of Depeche Mode's most successful singles to date, reaching number six in the UK. A few months later it became Depeche Mode's biggest hit in the US, reaching number eight and earning the band a second gold single. It won 'Best British single' at the 1991 Brit Awards.
Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence (1990)
To promote their album Violator, the band held an in-store autograph signing at Wherehouse Entertainment in Los Angeles. The event attracted approximately 20,000 fans and turned into a near riot.
Some of those who attended were injured by being pressed against the store's glass by the crowd. As an apology to the fans who were injured, the band released a limited edition cassette tape to fans living in Los Angeles.
What would I have given to attend the most ledendary of concerts there is:
On 18 June 1988 Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher and Alan Wilder were on the last leg of their 'Music For The Masses'-Tour and made their final stop-off at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to deliver the most spectacular of happenings! Thankfully there are recorded media to watch it over and over again:
'101' is the live album and documentary of the concert, which was released in March the following year. '101' stands for the 101th concert Depeche Mode were giving and coincides with the number of a Highway closeby.
The live album sold more than 4 million times worldwide:
US 1,200,000, FR 550,000 (2xGold), DE 400,000 (Gold), CAN 300,000, IT 230,000, UK 175,000, SWE 65,000, CH 40,000, AT 35,000, NL 30,000
Depeche Mode - Behind The Wheel
Depeche Mode - Stripped
Depeche Mode - Everything Counts & Never Let Me Down Again
I first heard of Kim at the tender age of 9, when my twelve year older sister blasted Kids in America through our flat, jumping up and down. It was fun bouncing around the house with her. More aware I became of Kim at the release of her 1988 album 'Close' - having just proudly invested all the money I received from family and relatives for the 'Jugendweihe' (the 'Coming of Age' celebrations as a youngster in East Germany) - in my first Stereo Cassette Recorder.
Back then western media (music and TV) was prohibited from consuming, being classified as 'capitalist smut' - seriously... - but a brave Radio Station in Berlin called 'DT64' which was aimed at the younger generation was testing the communist gouvernment's limits by airing a complete album of a popular artist each weekend. One of them was Kim Wilde's 'Close'.
Kim Smith, a.k.a, Kim Wilde, daughter of 1950s Rock'n'Roller Reginald Smith, a.k.a. Marty Wilde, and Joyce Baker of The Vernons Girls, is a London girl, being born on 18 Nov 1960 in Chiswick. She attended Oakfield Prep School in Dulwich (woo-hoo, she's a neighbour! :-) before moving with her family to Hertfordshire, and completing a foundation course at St. Albans College of Art & Design in 1980. That year Kim was signed to RAK Records. She burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the New Wave classic 'Kids in America', which her brother, Ricky Smith, a.k.a Ricky Wilde, wrote for her in his bedroom. Kim shot to instant fame, particulary in continental Europe, while success in the US was largely subdued. Several successful single releases followed.
Failure of her 1983 Album Catch As Catch Can led to her leaving RAK Records and her being signed to MCA Records, where her career re-ignited with the 1984 album Teases and Dares.
Kim Wilde holds the record for being the most-charted British solo female act of the 1980s, with seventeen UK Top 40 singles. In France, she was known as the 'Brigitte Bardot of Rock' and her song 'Cambodia' sold over a million copies. A number of artists have performed covers of Kim Wilde songs, ranging from pop and rock to dance and death metal versions.
Having married and giving birth to children, Kim switched down a gear in her life, becoming a reconised Landscape Gardener. While her brother also choe the same route, her sister Roxanne is currently background singer for Kylie Minogue.
In 2010, Kim signed a new record deal with another label called Starwatch who released her eleventh studio album, 'Come Out and Play'.
Kim Wilde - Kids In America (1981)
DK#1, IRL#1, RSA#1, UK#2, SWE#2, FR3, BE#4, DE#5, CH#5, AUS#5, NL#8, NOR#9, AT#12, US#25, CAN#34
Kim Wilde - Chequered Love (1981)
RSA#1, DK#2, DE#2, CH#2, NL#2, BE#2, UK#4, SWE#6, AUS#6, FR#64
