landscape	yes
background	group_or_band
origin	Basildon, Essex, England, United Kingdom
genre	Alternative dance, synthpop, New Wave
years active	1980–present
label	Mute, EMI, Sire
website
current members	Dave GahanMartin GoreAndy Fletcher
past members	Vince ClarkeAlan Wilder }}

Depeche Mode ( ) are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, chief songwriter after 1981), Andy Fletcher (keyboards) and Vince Clarke (keyboards, chief songwriter 1980–81). Vince Clarke left the band after the release of their 1981 debut album, ''Speak & Spell'', and was replaced by Alan Wilder (keyboards, drums, occasional songwriter) with Gore taking over songwriting. Wilder left the band in 1995 and since then Gahan, Gore, and Fletcher have continued as a trio.

Depeche Mode have had 48 songs in the UK Singles Chart and twelve top 10 albums in the UK charts, two of which debuted at #1. According to EMI, Depeche Mode have sold over 100 million albums and singles worldwide, making them the most successful electronic band in music history. ''Q'' magazine calls Depeche Mode "The most popular electronic band the world has ever known" and included the band in the list of the "50 Bands That Changed The World!".

In 2010 Depeche Mode were ranked No. 98 on VH1's list of the "100 greatest artists of all time".

History[link]

Formation and debut album (1977–1981)[link]

Depeche Mode's origins date back to 1977, when schoolmates Vince Clarke and Andy Fletcher formed a The Cure-influenced band called No Romance in China, with Clarke on vocals and guitar and Fletcher on bass. Fletcher would later recall, "Why am I in the band? It was accidental right from the beginning. I was actually forced to be in the band. I played the guitar and I had a bass; it was a question of them roping me in." In 1979, Clarke played guitar in an "Ultravox rip-off band", The Plan, with friends Robert Marlow and Paul Langwith. In 1978–79, Martin Gore played guitar in an acoustic duo Norman and The Worms with school friend Philip Burdett on vocals. In 1979, Marlow, Gore, and friend Paul Redmond formed a band called The French Look with Marlow on vocals/keyboards, Gore on guitar and Redmond on keyboards. In March 1980, Clarke, Gore and Fletcher formed a band called Composition of Sound, with Clarke on vocals/guitar, Gore on keyboards and Fletcher on bass.

Soon after the formation of Composition of Sound, Clarke and Fletcher switched to synthesisers, working odd jobs including carpentry to buy or borrow them from friends. Dave Gahan joined the band in 1980 after Clarke 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'' (from french ''dépêche'' that means here "news report" but can also mean "to hurry up" and ''mode'' that means "fashion"), Martin Gore said, "It means hurried fashion or fashion dispatch. I like the sound of that." Gore 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, the band were approached by Daniel Miller (an electronic musician and founder of Mute Records), who was interested in them recording a single for his burgeoning label. The result of this verbal contract was their first single "Dreaming of Me", recorded in December 1980 and released in February 1981, reaching number 57 in the UK charts. Encouraged by this, the band recorded their second single "New Life", which climbed to number 11 in the UK charts. The next single was "Just Can't Get Enough", this relentlessly upbeat piece of synthpop became the band's first UK top ten 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. Critical reviews were mixed – ''Melody Maker'' described it as a "great album... one they had to make to conquer fresh audiences and please the fans who just can’t get enough", while ''Rolling Stone'' was more critical, calling the album "PG-rated fluff".

Clarke departs, Wilder joins (1981–1982)[link]

During the touring and promotion for ''Speak & Spell'', Clarke privately began to voice his discomfort at the direction the band were taking. He later expressed his dissatisfaction, saying "there was never enough time to do anything". In November 1981 Clarke publicly announced that he was leaving Depeche Mode. Soon afterwards, he joined up with blues singer Alison Moyet to form Yazoo (Yaz in the US) and later, the duo Erasure with Andy Bell. Initial talk of Clarke continuing to write material for the group ultimately amounted to nothing (Clarke offered the remaining members of Depeche Mode the track "Only You", but they declined. It went on to become a UK Top 3 hit for Yazoo). Gore, who had written "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and the instrumental "Big Muff" for ''Speak & Spell'', was forced to become the band's new songwriter.

In late 1981, the band placed an anonymous ad in ''Melody Maker'' looking for another musician; it said "Name band, synthesise, must be under twenty-one." Alan Wilder, a keyboardist from West London, responded and after two auditions he was hired in early 1982 initially on a trial basis as a touring member despite being 22 years old. Wilder would later be called the "Musical Director" of the band, responsible for the band's sound until his departure in 1995. As producer Flood would later say, "[Alan] is sort of the craftsman, Martin's the idea man and [Dave] is the attitude." In January 1982, the band released "See You", their first single without Clarke, which managed to beat all three Clarke-penned singles in the UK charts, reaching number six. The tour that followed the release of the single saw the band playing their first shows in North America. Two more singles, "The Meaning of Love", and "Leave in Silence", were released ahead of the band's second studio album. Depeche Mode began work on their second album in July 1982. Daniel Miller informed Wilder 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 "Get the Balance Right!" was released in January 1983, and was the first Depeche Mode track to be recorded with Wilder.

''Construction Time Again'' (1983)[link]

For their third LP ''Construction Time Again'', Depeche Mode worked with producer Gareth Jones, at John Foxx's Garden Studios and at Hansa Studios in West Berlin (where much of David Bowie's trilogy of seminal electronic albums featuring Brian Eno had been produced). The album saw a dramatic shift in the group's sound, due in part to Wilder's introduction of the Synclavier and E-mu Emulator samplers. By sampling the noises of everyday objects, the band created an eclectic, industrial-influenced sound, with similarities to groups such as the Art of Noise and Einstürzende Neubauten, the latter would later have work released on the Mute label.

Along with the music, Gore's songwriting was also rapidly evolving, focusing increasingly on political and social issues. A good example of the new sound was on the first single from the album "Everything Counts", a commentary on the perceived greed of multinational corporations. The song got to number six in the UK, also reaching the Top 30 in Ireland, South Africa, Switzerland, Sweden and West Germany. Wilder also contributed two songs to the album, "The Landscape Is Changing" and "Two Minute Warning".

In September 1983, to promote ''Construction Time Again'' the band launched Construction Time Again Tour, a concert tour all over Europe.

''Some Great Reward'' (1984)[link]

In their early years, Depeche Mode had only really attained success in Europe and Australia, however this changed in March 1984 when they released the single "People Are People". The song reached No. 2 in Ireland, No. 4 in UK and Switzerland and No. 1 in West Germany, where it was used as the theme to West German TV's coverage of the 1984 Olympics. It belatedly reached No. 13 on the US charts in mid-1985. The song has since become an anthem for the LGBT community and was regularly played at gay establishments and gay pride festivals in the late 1980s. Sire, the band's North American record label, released a compilation of the same name which included tracks from ''A Broken Frame'' and ''Construction Time Again'' as well as several b-sides.

In September 1984, ''Some Great Reward'' was released. ''Melody Maker'' claimed that the album made one "sit up and take notice of what is happening here, right under your nose." 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 ("Master and Servant"), adulterous relationships ("Lie to Me"), and arbitrary divine justice ("Blasphemous Rumours"). Also included was the first Martin Gore ballad ("Somebody") – such songs would become a feature of all following albums. "Somebody" was released as a double a-side with "Blasphemous Rumours" and was the first single with Gore on lead vocals. ''Some Great Reward'' was the first Depeche Mode album to enter the US album charts, and it made the Top 10 in several European countries.

''The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg'' was the band's first video release. It is an almost complete film of a concert from their 1984 Some Great Reward Tour, in Hamburg, Germany. In July 1985, the band played their first-ever concerts behind the Iron Curtain, in Budapest and Warsaw. In October 1985, Mute Records released a compilation, ''The Singles 81>85'' (''Catching Up with Depeche Mode'' in the US), which included the two non-album singles "Shake the Disease" and "It's Called a Heart".

During this period, in some circles, the band became associated with the gothic subculture, which had begun in Britain in the early-1980s, and was now slowly gaining popularity in the United States. There, the band's music had first gained prominence on college radio and modern rock stations such as KROQ in Los Angeles, KQAK ("The Quake") in San Francisco, WFNX in Boston and WLIR on Long Island, New York, and hence they appealed primarily to an alternative audience who were disenfranchised with the predominance of "soft rock and 'disco hell'" on the radio. This view of the band was in sharp contrast to how the band was perceived in Europe, despite the increasingly dark and serious tone in their songs. In Germany and other European countries, Depeche Mode were considered teen idols and were regularly featured in European teen magazines.

''Black Celebration'' (1986)[link]

Depeche Mode's musical style shifted slightly again in 1986 with the release of their fifteenth single "Stripped", and its accompanying album ''Black Celebration''. Retaining their often imaginative sampling and beginning to move away from the "industrial-pop" sound that had characterised their previous two LPs, the band introduced an ominous, highly atmospheric and textured sound. Gore's lyrics also took on a darker tone and became even more pessimistic.

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. Corbijn has directed a further 19 of the band's videos (the latest being 2006's "Suffer Well"). He has also filmed some of their live performances and designed stage sets and album and single covers.

''Music for the Masses'' and ''101'' (1987–1988)[link]

1987's ''Music for the Masses'' saw further alterations in the band's sound and working methods. For the first time a producer not related to Mute, Dave Bascombe, was called to assist with the recording sessions (although, according to Alan Wilder, his role ended up being more that of an engineer). In making the album the band largely eschewed sampling in favour of more synth experimentation. While the chart performance of the singles "Strangelove", "Never Let Me Down Again" and "Behind the Wheel" proved to be disappointing in the UK, they performed well in countries such as Canada, Brazil, West Germany, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland, often reaching the top 10. ''Record Mirror'' described ''Music for the Masses'' as "the most accomplished and sexy Mode album to date" and it made a breakthrough in the American market, something which the band had failed to achieve with their previous albums.

The Music for the Masses Tour followed the release of the album. On 7 March 1988 they played an unofficial gig (as it was not officially announced that Depeche Mode were the band performing that night) in the Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle, East Berlin. At that time the communist regime were still in power and Depeche Mode were among the very few western bands that ever played in the former GDR. Around the same period, they also gave concerts in Budapest and Prague (1988) in the then still communist Hungary and Czechoslovakia respectively.

The world tour ended on 18 June 1988 with a concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl with paid attendance of 60,453 (the highest in eight years for the venue). The tour was a breakthrough for the band and massive success in the United States. It was documented in ''101'' – a concert film by D. A. Pennebaker and its accompanying soundtrack album. The film is notable for its portrayal of fan interaction. Alan Wilder is credited with coming up with the name; the performance was the 101st and final performance of the tour. On 7 September 1988, Depeche Mode performed "Strangelove" at the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.

''Violator'' (1989–1991)[link]

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 "Personal Jesus". Prior to its release, a marketing campaign was launched with advertisements placed in the personal columns of UK regional newspapers with the words "Your own personal Jesus." Later, the ads included a phone number one could dial to hear the song. The resulting furore helped propel the single to number 13 on the UK charts, becoming one of their biggest sellers to date; in the US, it was their first gold single and their first Top 40 hit since "People Are People", eventually becoming the biggest-selling 12-inch single in Warner Bros. Records' history up to that point.

Released in January 1990, "Enjoy the Silence" became one of Depeche Mode's most successful singles to date, reaching number six in the UK (the first Top 10 hit in that country since "Master And Servant"). 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. To promote their new 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, which was distributed through radio station KROQ (the sponsor of the Wherehouse event). ''Violator'' went on to reach Top 10 in the UK and US. ''Violator'' was the first of the band's albums to enter the Top 10 of the Billboard 200— reaching No. 7 and staying 74 weeks in the chart. It has also been certified triple platinum in America, selling over 4.5 million units there. It remains the band's best selling album worldwide. Two more singles from the album "Policy of Truth" and "World in My Eyes" were hits in the UK with the former also charting in the US.

The World Violation Tour marked another high point in Depeche Mode's popularity and saw the band play several stadium shows in the US. 42,000 tickets were sold within four hours for a show at Giants Stadium and 48,000 tickets were sold within half-an-hour of going on sale for a show at Dodger Stadium. It was estimated that 1.2 million fans saw this tour worldwide.

In 1991, Depeche Mode contribution, "Death's Door" was released on the accompanying Warner Brothers album, ''Until the End of the World: original motion picture soundtrack'' for the film ''Until the End of the World''. Musical artists were challenged by film director Wim Wenders to write music the way they imagined they would in the year 2000, the setting of the movie.

''Songs of Faith and Devotion'' and Wilder's departure (1992–1996)[link]

The members of Depeche Mode regrouped in Madrid in January 1992, Dave Gahan had become interested in the new grunge scene sweeping the U.S. and was influenced by the likes of Jane's Addiction and Nirvana. In 1993 ''Songs of Faith and Devotion'' again with producer Flood, saw them experimenting with more organic arrangements, based as much on heavily distorted electric guitars and live drums (played by Alan Wilder, whose debut as a studio drummer had come on the ''Violator'' track "Clean") as synthesisers. Live strings, uilleann pipes and female gospel vocals were other new additions to the band's sound. The album debuted at number one in both the UK and the US, only the sixth British act to achieve such a distinction to date. The first single from the album was the grunge-influenced "I Feel You". The gospel influences are most noticeable on the album's third single, "Condemnation". A symptom of the slow fracturing of the band, interviews given by the band during this period tended to be conducted separately, unlike earlier albums, where the band was interviewed as a group.

The Devotional world tour followed. It was documented by a concert film of the same name. The film was directed by Anton Corbijn and in 1995 earned the band their first Grammy nomination. The band's second live album, ''Songs of Faith and Devotion Live'', was released in December 1993.

The tour continued into 1994 with the Exotic Tour, which began in February 1994 in South Africa and ended in April in Mexico. The final leg of the tour, consisting of more North American dates, followed shortly thereafter and ran until July. As a whole, the Devotional Tour is to date the longest and most geographically diverse Depeche Mode tour, spanning fourteen months and 159 individual performances. ''Q'' magazine listed 1993 Devotional Tour as "The Most Debauched Rock'n'Roll Tour Ever".

Dave Gahan's heroin addiction was starting to affect his behaviour, causing him to become more erratic and introverted. Martin Gore experienced seizures and Andy Fletcher declined to participate in the second half of the Exotic Tour due to "mental instability". During that period, he was replaced on-stage by Daryl Bamonte, who had worked with the band as a personal assistant for many years.

In June 1995, Alan Wilder announced that he was leaving Depeche Mode, explaining,

He continued to work on his personal project Recoil, releasing a fourth album (''Unsound Methods'') in 1997. Following Wilder's departure, many were sceptical of whether Depeche Mode would ever record again. Gahan's mental state and drug habit became a major source of concern, with a near-fatal overdose at a hotel in Los Angeles.

''Ultra'' (1997–2000)[link]

Despite Gahan's increasingly severe personal problems, Gore tried repeatedly during 1995 and 1996 to get the band recording again. However, Gahan would rarely turn up to scheduled sessions, and when he did, it would take weeks to get any vocals recorded. One six-week session at Electric Lady in New York produced just one usable vocal (for "Sister Of Night"), and even that was pieced together from multiple takes. Gore was forced to contemplate breaking the band up, and releasing the songs he had written as a solo album. In mid-1996, Gahan entered a court ordered drug rehabilitation program to battle his heroin addiction after his near fatal overdose. With Gahan out of rehab in 1996, Depeche Mode held recording sessions with producer Tim Simenon. The album ''Ultra'' was released in April 1997, its release was preceded by two singles, "Barrel of a Gun" and "It's No Good". The album debuted at No. 1 in the UK (as well as Germany), and No. 5 in the US. The band did not tour in support of the album but as part of the promotion for its release they did perform two short concerts in London and Los Angeles called Ultra Parties. ''Ultra'' spawned two further singles, "Home" and "Useless".

A second singles compilation ''The Singles 86–98'' was released in 1998, preceded by the new single "Only When I Lose Myself", which had been recorded during the ''Ultra'' sessions. In April 1998 Depeche Mode held a press conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Cologne to announce The Singles Tour. The tour was the first one to feature two backing musicians in place of Alan Wilder – Austrian drummer Christian Eigner and British keyboardist Peter Gordeno.

''Exciter'' (2001–2004)[link]

In 2001, Depeche Mode released ''Exciter'', which was produced by Mark Bell (of the pioneering techno group LFO). Bell introduced a minimalist, digital sound to much of the album, influenced by IDM and glitch. "Dream On", "I Feel Loved", "Freelove" and "Goodnight Lovers" were released as singles in 2001 and 2002. The critical response to the album was mixed. Whilst it received reasonably positive reviews from some magazines (''NME'', ''Rolling Stone'' and ''LA Weekly''), others (including ''Q'' magazine, PopMatters, and Pitchfork Media) derided it as sounding underproduced, dull and lacklustre.

In March 2001 Depeche Mode held a press conference at the Valentino Hotel in Hamburg to announce the Exciter Tour. In total the tour featured 84 performances for over 1.5 million fans in 24 countries. The concerts held in Paris at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy were filmed and later released in May 2002 as a live DVD entitled ''One Night in Paris''.

In October 2002 the band won the first-ever ''Q'' magazine "Innovation Award".

In 2003 Dave Gahan released his first solo album, ''Paper Monsters'', and toured to promote the record. Also released in 2003 was Martin Gore's second solo album ''Counterfeit²''. Andrew Fletcher also founded his own record label, Toast Hawaii, specialising in promoting electronic music.

A new remix compilation album ''Remixes 81–04'' was released in 2004, featuring new and unreleased promo mixes of the band's singles from 1981 to 2004. A new version of "Enjoy the Silence", remixed by Mike Shinoda, entitled "Enjoy the Silence 04" was released as a single and reached No. 7 on the UK charts.

''Playing the Angel'' (2005–2007)[link]

In October 2005, the band released their 11th studio album ''Playing the Angel''. Produced by Ben Hillier the album peaked at No. 1 in 18 countries and featured the hit single "Precious". This is the first Depeche Mode album to feature lyrics written by Gahan and, consequently, the first album since 1984's ''Some Great Reward'' featuring songs not written by Gore. "Suffer Well", was the first ever post-Clarke Depeche Mode single not to be written by Gore (lyrics by Gahan, music by Philpott/Eigner). The final single from the album was "John the Revelator", an uptempo electronic track with a running religious theme, accompanied by "Lilian", a lush track that was a hit in many clubs all over the world.

To promote ''Playing the Angel'' the band launched Touring the Angel, a concert tour of Europe and North America that began in November 2005 and ran for nine months. During the last two legs of the tour Depeche Mode headlined a number of festivals including the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the O₂ Wireless Festival. In total the band played to more than 2.8 million people across 31 countries and the tour was one of the highest grossing and critically acclaimed tours of 2005/06. Speaking about the tour, Gahan praised it as ''"probably the most enjoyable, rewarding live shows we've ever done. The new material was just waiting to be played live. It took on a life of its own. With the energy of the crowds, it just came to life"''. Two shows at Milan's Fila Forum were filmed and edited into a concert film which was released on DVD as ''Touring the Angel: Live in Milan''. A "best-of" compilation was released in November 2006, entitled ''The Best Of, Volume 1'' featuring a new single "Martyr", an outtake from the ''Playing the Angel'' sessions. Later that month Depeche Mode received the MTV Europe Music Award in the Best Group category.

In December 2006, iTunes released ''The Complete Depeche Mode'' as its fourth ever digital box-set (following ''The Complete U2'' in 2004, ''The Complete Stevie Wonder'' in 2005, and ''Bob Dylan: The Collection'' earlier in 2006).

In August 2007, during promotion for Dave Gahan's second solo album, ''Hourglass'', it was announced that Depeche Mode were heading back in studio in early 2008 to work on a new album.

''Sounds of the Universe'' (2008–2011)[link]

In May 2008, the band returned to the studio with producer Ben Hillier to work on some songs that Martin Gore had demoed at his home studio in Santa Barbara, California. Later that year it was announced that Depeche Mode were splitting from their long-term US label, Warner Music, and signing with EMI Music worldwide.

right|250px|thumb|[[Tour of the Universe (Depeche Mode tour)|Tour of the Universe concert at London's O₂ Arena, December 2009]]On 15 January 2009, the official Depeche Mode website announced that the band's 12th studio album would be called ''Sounds of the Universe''. The album was released in April 2009, it was also made available through an iTunes Pass, where the buyer received individual tracks in the weeks leading up to official release date. Andy Fletcher says the idea for their iTunes Pass was a combination of the band's and iTunes': "I think the digital and record companies are starting to get their act together. They were very lazy in the first 10 years when downloads came in. Now they’re collaborating more and coming up with interesting ideas for fans to buy products." The album went to number one in 21 countries. Critical response was generally positive and it was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Alternative Album" category. "Wrong" was the first single from the album, released digitally in February 2009. Subsequent singles were "Peace" and the double a-side "Fragile Tension / Hole to Feed". In addition, "Perfect" was released as a promotional-only (non-commercial) single in the US.

Depeche Mode performed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in the Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on 23 April 2009, drawing more than 12,000 fans, which was the largest audience the show had ever seen since premiering in 2003.

In May 2009 the band embarked on a concert tour in support of the album – called Tour of the Universe, it had been announced at a press conference in October 2008 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. There was a warm up show in Luxembourg and it officially started on 10 May 2009 in Tel Aviv. The first leg of the tour was disrupted when Dave Gahan was struck down with gastroenteritis. During treatment doctors found and removed a low grade tumour from the singer's bladder. Gahan's illness caused 16 concerts to be cancelled, but several of the shows were rescheduled for 2010. The band headlined the Lollapalooza festival during the North American leg of the tour. The tour also took the band back to South America for the first time since 1994's Exotic Tour. During the final European leg the band played a show at London's Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, where former member Alan Wilder joined Martin Gore on stage for a performance of "Somebody". In total the band played to more than 2.7 million people across 32 countries and the tour was one of the most profitable in America in 2009. The concerts held at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain were filmed and later released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc release entitled ''Tour of the Universe : Barcelona 20/21.11.09''.

In March 2010, Depeche Mode won the award for "Best International Group – Rock / Pop" at the ECHO Awards in Germany.

As a conclusion of the 3-year working relationship with EMI, on 6 June 2011, the band released a remix compilation album, entitled ''Remixes 2: 81–11'' that features remixes by former members Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder. Other remixers involved with the project were Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran, Röyksopp, Karlsson & Winnberg of Miike Snow, Eric Prydz, Clark and more. A new remix of "Personal Jesus" by Stargate, entitled "Personal Jesus 2011", was released as a single on 30 May 2011, in support of the compilation.

Depeche Mode have contributed their cover of U2 song "So Cruel" to the tribute album ''AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered'' honouring the 20th anniversary of ''Achtung Baby'', a 1991 album by U2. The compilation CD was released with the December 2011 issue of Q Magazine.

13th album (2012–present)[link]

During a DJ gig in Italy in November 2011, Andy Fletcher revealed that the band were set to meet up in January 2012 to start planning the new studio album, their 13th, and said that they were aiming to commence recording in March with a tour to follow in 2012 and 2013. In an interview with German magazine 'Sonic Seducer', Martin confirmed the album would be released in early 2013. On 2 March 2012, Dave Gahan stated that there are 20 songs demoed and Ben Hillier will be back to produce the album along with Martin stepping up to co-produce.

Legacy and influence[link]

Depeche Mode became "The most popular electronic band the world has ever known" according to ''Q'' magazine, "One of the greatest British pop groups of all time" according to the ''Sunday Telegraph'', and "The quintessential Eighties techno-pop band" according to ''Rolling Stone'' magazine and ''MTV''.

One of the most influential groups over the last 30 years, Depeche Mode have inspired generations of new musicians while consolidating their considerable reputation. In the process they have sold over 100 million records and played to audiences in excess of 30 million.

Techno pioneers Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins regularly cited Depeche Mode as an influence on the development of techno music during the Detroit Techno explosion in the mid 1980s. Appreciation of Depeche Mode within today's electronic music scene is shown by the numerous Depeche Mode remixes by contemporary DJs such as Ricardo Villalobos' remix of "The Sinner in Me" or Kruder & Dorfmeister's remix of "Useless".

Brandon Flowers, the vocalist of The Killers, claimed, "Before I even thought of myself as a musician, I was affected by Depeche Mode as a person. I think about ''Some Great Reward'' or ''Songs of Faith and Devotion'' and they shaped me as an individual before I even wrote a song." According to Matt Smith, the former music director of the modern-rock radio station KROQ, "The Killers, The Bravery, Franz Ferdinand — that whole wave of music owes a tremendous amount to Depeche Mode."

In an accompanying interview for his piece in ''The New Yorker'' evaluating the impact of British acts on the US market, Sasha Frere-Jones claims that "probably the last serious English influence was Depeche Mode, who seem more and more significant as time passes."

Chester Bennington, vocalist of Linkin Park, cites the band as an inspiration. Another Linkin Park member Mike Shinoda has said, "Depeche Mode are one of the most influential groups of our time. Their music is an inspiration to me..." Shinoda remixed the band's song "Enjoy the Silence" in 2004.

Chino Moreno from the band Deftones has cited Depeche Mode's lyrics influencing his own. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter has expressed an admiration for them as well, with his own quieter guitar playing in White Pony being inspired by Depeche Mode.

Ken Jordan, member of the LA electronic duo The Crystal Method has said that Depeche Mode are one of their main influences in music. Roger Rose, lead singer of Christian rock band Mad at the World, has also cited the band as an influence on his music.

Raymond Herrera, the drummer of the heavy metal band Fear Factory, says, "A lot of different music influenced the way I play now. Like the band Depeche Mode. If I could sound like Depeche Mode, but be fast like Slayer, I think I might be onto something". According to Darren Smith, the guitarist of the post-hardcore band Funeral for a Friend, "dark, moodier stuff" in his band's music was "Depeche Mode-influenced."

Colombian singer Shakira is also highly influenced by Depeche Mode. Ximena Diego, the author of the book ''Shakira – Woman Full of Grace'' wrote in this book: "At thirteen Shakira especially liked Depeche Mode, an electronic rock band from Great Britain. One day she was listening to the band's song, "Enjoy the Silence". She noticed that she was not only hearing the music but also feeling the music in her body. She said to her mother, "Every time I hear that guitar riff [a rhythmic musical phrase] I feel this weird thing in my stomach"." Shakira also stated that the best concert she ever saw was a Depeche Mode one, and called Dave Gahan "the best live singer I've ever heard".

In August 2008, Coldplay released an alternative music video for their single "Viva la Vida" which was inspired by the "Enjoy the Silence" video. On their website the band are quoted as saying, "This is our attempt at a video cover version, made out of love for Depeche Mode and the genius of Anton Corbijn...". The video shows Chris Martin dressed as a king walking through The Hague.

German heavy metal band Rammstein, who covered "Stripped" in 1997, have cited Depeche Mode as one of their biggest inspirations. Richard Kruspe, the lead guitarist of Rammstein, said that growing up his influence was "heavy metal on the one side and pop on the other. (...) I was afraid to tell my friends I was listening to Depeche Mode. I loved the band. I loved their melodies. That’s why in Rammstein, you can hear a lot of melodies in our music."

"I feel more connected to Depeche Mode" (compared to other acts of the 1980s) claimed Magne Furuholmen, the guitarist/keyboardist of a-ha. In July 2009, a-ha performed a cover of "A Question of Lust" during a live performance for BBC Radio 2 – ''The Dermot O'Leary Show''.

In 2011, Bat for Lashes recorded a cover version of Depeche Mode's song "Strangelove" for Gucci's advertising campaign for new fragrance "Guilty For Him". The song was released as a free download from Gucci's channel on YouTube and various blogs.

In the March 2012 issue of Mojo magazine, Gary Numan cites ''Songs of Faith and Devotion'' as the album that saved his career noting, "(after listening to this album) (my) music changed dramatically. It became much darker. At School I was excused from religious instruction because I had no faith and ''Songs of Faith and Devotion'' suddenly gave me something to write about and something to be bothered about."

Band members[link]

;Members

Andy Fletcher – keyboards, bass, percussion, backing vocals (1980–present)

Dave Gahan – lead vocals (1980–present)

Martin Gore – keyboards, guitars, percussion, lead and backing vocals (1980–present)

;Past members

Vince Clarke – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals (1980–1981)

Alan Wilder – keyboards, piano, drums, percussion, backing vocals (1982–1995)

;Timeline

Discography[link]

''Speak & Spell'' (1981)

''A Broken Frame'' (1982)

''Construction Time Again'' (1983)

''Some Great Reward'' (1984)

''Black Celebration'' (1986)

''Music for the Masses'' (1987)

''Violator'' (1990)

''Songs of Faith and Devotion'' (1993)

''Ultra'' (1997)

''Exciter'' (2001)

''Playing the Angel'' (2005)

''Sounds of the Universe'' (2009)

See also[link]

List of awards and nominations received by Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode tours

List of best-selling music artists

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Modern Rock chart

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

Malins, Steve. ''Depeche Mode : A Biography''. Andre Deutsch, 2001. ISBN 978-0-233-99430-7

Miller, Jonathan. ''Stripped: The True Story of Depeche Mode''. Omnibus Press, 2004. ISBN 1-84449-415-2

Tobler, John. ''NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.)''. London: Reed International Books Ltd, 1992. CN 5585. ISBN 0-600-57602-7

Spence, Simon. "Just Can't Get Enough : The Making of Depeche Mode". Jawbone, 2011. ISBN 978-1-906002-56-5

Further reading[link]

Corbijn, Anton. ''Depeche Mode: Strangers''. Prentice Hall, 1990. ISBN 0-7119-2493-7

Thompson, Dave. ''Depeche Mode : Some Great Reward''. Pan Macmillan, 1995. ISBN 0-283-06243-6

Zill, Didi. ''Depeche Mode. Photographs 1982–87''. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, 2004. ISBN 3-89602-491-4

External links[link]

Old official website – including official news archives 1999–2008, press section, and other historical material

Shunt – The official Recoil website – including Alan Wilder's Depeche Mode related Q+A and editorials for Singles 81–85 and Singles 86–98 compilations.

Category:Musical groups established in 1980 Category:Musical quartets Category:Musical trios Category:Sire Records artists Category:Mute Records artists Category:English electronic music groups Category:British electronic music groups Category:British New Wave musical groups Category:Synthpop groups Category:Music in Essex Category:Brit Award winners Category:EMI Records artists

af:Depeche Mode be:Depeche Mode be-x-old:Depeche Mode bg:Депеш Мод bs:Depeche Mode br:Depeche Mode ca:Depeche Mode cs:Depeche Mode da:Depeche Mode de:Depeche Mode et:Depeche Mode el:Depeche Mode eml:Depeche Mode es:Depeche Mode eo:Depeche Mode eu:Depeche Mode fa:دپش مد fr:Depeche Mode gl:Depeche Mode ko:디페쉬 모드 hr:Depeche Mode is:Depeche Mode it:Depeche Mode he:דפש מוד kn:ಡೆಪೆಷ್‌ ಮೋಡ್‌ ka:დეპეშ მოდი kk:Depeche Mode lv:Depeche Mode lt:Depeche Mode hu:Depeche Mode mk:Depeche Mode nah:Depeche Mode nl:Depeche Mode ja:デペッシュ・モード no:Depeche Mode uz:Depeche Mode pms:Depeche Mode pl:Depeche Mode pt:Depeche Mode ro:Depeche Mode ru:Depeche Mode sq:Depeche Mode scn:Depeche Mode simple:Depeche Mode sk:Depeche Mode sl:Depeche Mode szl:Depeche Mode sr:Депеш моуд fi:Depeche Mode sv:Depeche Mode tl:Depeche Mode th:ดีเพชเชโมด tr:Depeche Mode uk:Depeche Mode zh:流行尖端

name	Dave Gahan
background	solo_singer
birth date	May 09, 1962
origin	North Weald, Essex, United Kingdom
genre	Alternative dance, synthpop, New Wave
instrument	Vocals, harmonica, guitar, keyboards, sampler, piano, glockenspiel, percussion
years active	1980–present
label	Mute
associated acts	Depeche ModeDas ShadowCompact SpaceSoulsavers
website	www.davegahan.com }}

Dave Gahan (; born 9 May 1962) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the baritone lead singer for the British electronic music band Depeche Mode since their debut in 1980. He is also an accomplished solo artist, releasing albums in 2003 (''Paper Monsters'') and 2007 (''Hourglass''). Despite his bandmate Martin Gore continuing to be the main Depeche Mode songwriter, Gahan has contributed a number of songs to the band's most recent albums, ''Playing the Angel'' (2005) and ''Sounds of the Universe'' (2009). Two of these songs were released as singles, including "Suffer Well" in 2006 and "Hole to Feed" in 2009. ''Q'' magazine ranked Gahan no. 73 on the list of the "100 Greatest Singers" and no. 27 on "The 100 Greatest Frontmen".

Childhood and early years [link]

David Gahan was born into a working class family, to parents Len Callcott (a bus driver) and his wife Sylvia (a conductress or "clippy" on London's buses), Dave was six months old when his father left the family. Sylvia and Len divorced two years later and his mother moved Dave and sister Sue (born 1960) to Basildon, Essex, after Sylvia met and married her second husband Jack Gahan (an administrator with Shell Oil). The Gahan family continued to grow with the birth of two more brothers Peter (born 1966) and Phil (born 1968). Dave and Sue were raised under the impression that their mother's second husband, Jack, was their natural father.

In 1972, when Dave Gahan was 10 years old, his stepfather died. David recalls how he "came home one day and found this bloke [his biological father] at home". Of the incident, he has said: "I'll never forget that day. When I came home from school, there was this stranger in my mum's house. My mother introduced him to me as my real dad. I remember I said, that was impossible because my father was dead. How was I supposed to know who that man was? From that day on, Len often visited the house, until one year later he disappeared again. Forever this time. Since then he had no contact with us. By growing older, I thought about him more and more. The only thing my mother would say, was that he moved out to Jersey to open a hotel". "Mum had kept it back from me 'til there was a need to tell me about my birth father, it's a different generation and you can understand I guess she thought she was doing the right thing".

Within six months of leaving Barstable School in July 1978, Gahan found and lost something in the order of twenty jobs, from selling soft drinks, working in a greengrocers in Basildon Bus Station, working as a cashier in Sainsbury's petrol station in Savacentre, to working on a construction site. Gahan also applied for a job as an apprentice fitter with North Thames Gas. He was told by his probation officer to be honest with the interviewer, and as a result, he admitted his criminal record but claimed he was a "reformed character". As a result, he did not get the job. Eventually, he earned a place at Southend Art College, which he enjoyed immensely. After three years, he gained the British Display Society Award, which allowed him to get jobs doing displays in shop windows and shopping centres.

Career in Depeche Mode (1980 – present)[link]

In March 1980, Vince Clarke, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher formed the band Composition of Sound, with Clarke on vocals/guitar, Gore on keyboards and Fletcher on bass. Clarke and Fletcher soon switched to synthesisers. The same year, Gahan joined the band after Clarke heard him perform David Bowie's "Heroes". The band was soon renamed Depeche Mode, a name suggested by Gahan after he had come across a fashion magazine by the name of Dépêche-mode.

Originally a new wave/synthpop pioneer of the early eighties, for over 30 years, Depeche Mode has explored new musical directions, and their sound has remained immensely diverse since their inception. They have released twelve studio albums, four greatest hits compilations and a remix album. The band has achieved global sales in excess of 100 million.

In the past, Gahan had expressed some resentment about never writing songs for Depeche Mode. In a 2003 interview he shared, "During the making of ''Exciter'', sometimes I felt a bit frustrated that there was a lack of experimentation." This led him, in 2004, to tell his bandmates that he wanted to write half of the songs on the new Depeche Mode album, and there was "no way" he could be involved in the band without contributing. Eventually there was a compromise, and three of Gahan's songs appeared on 2005's ''Playing the Angel'': "Suffer Well" (nominated for a Grammy award), "I Want It All" and "Nothing's Impossible". "Suffer Well" was released as a single in 2006, reaching No. 12 in the UK.

Three more Gahan-penned songs, co-written with Christian Eigner and Andrew Phillpott, appeared on the band's 12th studio album, ''Sounds of the Universe'', released on 20 April 2009. The songs are "Hole to Feed", "Come Back" and "Miles Away / The Truth Is". Gahan also wrote the lyrics to the B-side "Oh Well" but the music was done by Martin Gore. It is the first and currently only collaboration between the two. "Hole to Feed" was released along with Gore's "Fragile Tension" as a double A-side single in late 2009.

Solo albums (2003–present)[link]

In 1997, Gahan contributed to the tribute album "Dream Home Heartaches: Remaking/Remodeling Roxy Music" with the song "A Song For Europe". In 2003, he released his first solo album, ''Paper Monsters'' (which he co-wrote with guitarist and friend Knox Chandler), followed by the ''Paper Monsters Tour'' (including a performance at 2003's Glastonbury Festival), singing both his new solo tracks and Depeche Mode fan favourites. His touring band included Knox Chandler on guitar, Martyn LeNoble (Porno for Pyros, Jane's Addiction, The Cult) on bass, Vincent Jones (Sarah McLachlan, The Grapes of Wrath) on keyboards, and Victor Indrizzo (Beck, Macy Gray) on drums.

The album was a moderate success. The first single "Dirty Sticky Floors" hit the Top 20 in the UK Singles Chart. The album itself became a Top 10 hit on the European album chart and a Top 40 hit in the UK Albums Chart. This success was backed by a world tour and a live DVD titled ''Live Monsters'' which was released in 2004. A year later, he also appeared as model and spokesperson of the Swedish mid-range fashion retailer J. Lindeberg and its S/S 2006 menswear line. The ads featured both him and seemingly random quotes like "What would happen if we all told the truth", "You can tell he's lying because his lips are moving", etc. These ads appeared prominently in international fashion press.

Gahan did a collaboration in 2003 with Junkie XL and handled the vocals for a song called "Reload" for this Dutch DJ's album "Radio JXL: A Broadcast From The Computer Hell Cabin".

In 2007, Dave Gahan announced he was working on a new album via a video greeting for Depeche Mode's official website recorded at the 2007 MusiCares Charity event on 11 May. The album, titled ''Hourglass'', was accompanied working by Andrew Phillpott and Christian Eigner. According to Gahan, they were to be producing it together. The material was recorded at Gahan's 11th Floor Studios in New York City. The material was mixed in July by Tony Hoffer, best known for his work with Beck, The Kooks and Air. According to Gahan, ''Hourglass'' is more electronic-sounding than ''Paper Monsters''. The album made the UK Top 50, the French Top 20 and narrowly missed going to No. 1 in Germany.

The first single to be pulled from Dave Gahan's second solo record ''Hourglass'' was "Kingdom". The single came in the following versions: a download-Single, a CD single, a Maxi-CD single and 12" vinyl besides a 7" picture vinyl. According to the second press release for the second album, the release day for the single "Kingdom" was 8 October, but a download was available way before on 27 August. Side-Line Magazine also reported that a first preview for the song had been leaked online. The second studio clip on Dave Gahan Dot Com had "Kingdom" playing throughout. The single also spent a week at No. 1 on the US Dance Chart.

On 17 December 2007, iTunes released the iTunes exclusive live EP "Live from SoHo" holding the seven tracks played during an instore set at New York's Soho Apple store on 23 October.

The second single from the ''Hourglass'' album was the double A side "Saw Something / Deeper and deeper", released on 14 January 2008. The accompanying video was artistically shot in the Chelsea Hotel, New York, notable for the death of Sid Vicious' partner, Nancy.

In July 2007, ''Side-Line'' magazine revealed that Gahan had been working with Thomas Anselmi on a project called called Mirror, which was produced by Vincent Jones. Along with Jones, who played with Gahan's touring band and mixed the live DVD ''Live Monsters'', Mirror featured another Gahan collaborator, Knox Chandler (Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Psychedelic Furs), as well as piano by Bowie favourite Mike Garson, and a monologue by Warhol superstar Joe Dallesandro. Gahan sang vocals on the track "Nostalgia". The song was released in October 2008, and the album released via download at the start of 2009. He also appeared in the accompanying video for the song.

Dave Gahan also contributed vocals to a track called "Visitors", after walking in while producer and ex-Clor guitarist Luke Smith was working on the song in his New York studio. The song was released under the artist name of frYars.

Dave Gahan is going to be the main vocalist and lyricsist on Soulsavers' forthcoming album ''The Light the Dead See''. The album will be released on 21 May 2012.

Personal life[link]

Gahan has lived in New York City since 1997. He currently lives with his third wife, Jennifer, their daughter, Stella Rose (named after Jennifer's mother, Stella), and Jennifer's son, Jimmy, from a previous relationship. He also has a son, Jack, (named after his stepfather) from his first marriage to Joanne. Gahan's marriage to his second wife, Teresa, a former Depeche Mode publicist, lasted four years. Both Joanne (Gahan's teenage sweetheart), and Teresa can be seen in the ''101'' documentary. Jennifer is featured in the "Suffer Well" music video, once as the angel and once as herself.

Gahan is a recovering heroin addict. He has survived four brushes with death, living up to the nickname, "The Cat", that paramedics gave him during his roughest years in LA. In 1993, Gahan suffered a small heart-attack during a performance in New Orleans, leaving his bandmates to improvise an encore without him. His doctors advised him to take a break from the tour, but he refused. The second brush came when he attempted suicide by slashing his wrists in August 1995: “It was definitely a suicide attempt,” says Gahan. “But it was also a cry for help. I made sure there were people who might find me.”. On 28 May 1996, Gahan overdosed on a speedball at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles, which resulted in his heart stopping for two minutes until he was revived by paramedics. Gahan said of the experience, "All I saw and all I felt at first was complete darkness. I've never been in a space that was blacker, and I remember feeling that whatever it was I was doing, it was really wrong." He has also claimed he saw/heard his then-girlfriend, his current wife Jennifer, calling him back. The album ''Ultra'' was eventually released once Gahan had completed a spell in rehab.

On 12 May 2009, shortly before the band were due onstage in Athens, Greece for a concert on Depeche Mode's Tour of the Universe, Gahan fell ill in his dressing room. He was rushed to hospital where it was confirmed that he was suffering from a bout of gastroenteritis. A number of dates were either postponed or cancelled as further tests were conducted, revealing a low grade malignant tumour in his bladder. Gahan underwent an operation to successfully remove the tumour. After doctor-ordered time to fully recover, the tour resumed in Leipzig, Germany, on 8 June. Gahan later suffered a torn calf muscle while performing in Bilbao, Spain, on 9 July 2009, resulting in two further cancellations. After two-weeks break, he and Depeche Mode returned to the tour for their North American leg. While performing in Seattle on 10 August 2009 Gahan again suffered injury, this time straining his vocal cords. Doctors ordered Gahan on complete vocal rest, resulting in two more cancelled shows. The band returned to the stage in Los Angeles on 16 August. According to press and fan reports, Gahan is performing as well as ever, despite the string of health setbacks. Depeche Mode returned to perform in Latin America in October 2009 with appearances in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Argentina without Gahan showing any signs of stress.

Discography[link]

''Paper Monsters'' (2003)

''Hourglass'' (2007)

References[link]

External links[link]

The Official Dave Gahan Website

Category:1962 births Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:Depeche Mode members Category:English baritones Category:English male singers Category:English rock singers Category:English songwriters Category:Living people Category:People from Epping Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers Category:Mute Records artists Category:English electronic musicians Category:English New Wave musicians Category:Musicians from Essex

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