Category: Depeche Mode

R.I.P. Andrew Fletcher 1961-2022

Andrew John Leonard Fletcher (8 July 1961 – 26 May 2022), sometimes known as Fletch, was an English keyboard player, DJ and a founding member of the electronic band Depeche Mode. In 2020, Fletcher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Depeche Mode.

In the late 1970s, Fletcher and schoolmate Vince Clarke formed the short-lived band No Romance in China, in which Fletcher played bass guitar. In 1980, Fletcher met Martin Gore at the Van Gogh pub on Paycocke Road in Basildon. With Clarke, the trio, now all on synthesizer, formed another group called Composition of Sound. Clarke served as chief songwriter and also provided lead vocals until singer Dave Gahan was recruited into the band later that year, after which they adopted the name Depeche Mode at Gahan’s suggestion. Clarke left the group in late 1981, shortly after the release of their debut album Speak & Spell.

Their 1982 follow-up album, A Broken Frame, was recorded as a trio, with Gore taking over primary songwriting duties. Musician and producer Alan Wilder joined the band in late 1982 and the group continued as a quartet until Wilder’s departure in 1995. Since then, the core trio of Gahan, Gore and Fletcher have remained active, most recently with the release of their 2017 album Spirit and ensuing world tour.

Fletcher died on 26 May 2022, aged 60.

Depeche Mode – Behind The Wheel (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Behind the Wheel” is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987). It was released on 28 December 1987 as the album’s third single, reaching number 21 in the United Kingdom, number four in Switzerland, and number six in West Germany.

SIDE A:
Behind The Wheel (Extended Remix) 5:53
Edited By – Gail King*
Engineer [Remix] –Steve Peck
Producer [Additional], Remix – Shep Pettibone

Behind The Wheel (Dub) 6:00
Edited By – Gail King*
Engineer [Remix] –Steve Peck
Producer [Additional], Remix – Shep Pettibone

SIDE B:
Behind The Wheel (Beatmasters Mix) 7:57
Remix –  The Beatmasters

Behind The Wheel (7″ DJ Remix) 3:56
Engineer [Remix] –Steve Peck
Producer [Additional], Remix – Shep Pettibone

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire – PRO-A-2952, Mute – PRO-A-2952
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Executive Producer – Daniel Miller
Keyboards – Alan Wilder
Lead Vocals –Dave Gahan
Mastered By – Adolf Ericsson
Producer – David Bascombe, Depeche Mode
Written-By – M.L. Gore*

NOTES:
A1, A2, B2 Additional production and remix for Mastermix Productions.

Track A1 is also known as “Behind The Wheel (Remixed By Shep Pettibone)”.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
DAC: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi


Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

Depeche Mode – A Question Of Lust (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“A Question of Lust” is Depeche Mode’s sixteenth UK single, released on 14 April 1986.

It is the second Depeche Mode single with Martin Gore on lead vocals, after “Somebody”, and the first to be released in its own right. However, the 12″ single was released as a double A-side with “A Question of Time” in the US, like “Somebody”.

The single hit number 28 in the UK singles charts. In West Germany, the single became a top ten hit.

In the US a “Remix Edit” was done by Robert Margouleff and can only be found on this 12″ promo and Canadian and US 7″ promo singles.

SIDE A:
A Question Of Lust (Remix Edit) 3:52
Engineer [Remix] – James McMahon (2), Robert Margouleff
Remix – Robert Margouleff

SIDE B:
A Question Of Lust (LP Version) 4:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire ‎– PRO-A-2504, Mute ‎– PRO-A-2504
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Daniel Miller, Depeche Mode, Gareth Jones
Written-By – M.L. Gore*

NOTES:
Promotional Copy. Not For Sale
Printed in U.S.A.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
DAC/Phono Pre-amp: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

Depeche Mode – Strangelove (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Strangelove” is a single by Depeche Mode from their sixth studio album Music for the Masses. It reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, number 2 in West Germany and in South Africa, and was a Top 10 success in several other countries, including Sweden and Switzerland. In the US it reached number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the first of 9 number-ones on the US Dance charts, where it stayed for three weeks at the top.

The b-side “Pimpf” is a dark instrumental that is mostly piano, named after a magazine of the Hitler Youth organizations. “Pimpf” later shows up as the final track on Music for the Masses. There is also a remix available on some “Strangelove” single releases called “Fpmip” (“Pimpf” backwards).

This is the first US 12″ release for “Strangelove” released May 20th, 1987.

Significant to the US 12 inch single release (20696-0) is the “Blind Mix”. Unlike every other release of this mix worldwide, the US release fades the mix out prematurely (by a little under a minute). This abnormal mastering job was also available on the Sire Records promotional CD compilation “Hit It”, and on other US releases of the remix, until the 1991 CD single box sets.

SIDE A:
Strangelove (Maxi-Mix) 6:31
Strangelove (Midi-Mix) 1:40

SIDE B:
Strangelove (Blind Mix Edit) 6:09
Remix – Daniel Miller, Rico Conning

Fpmip 5:19

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1987 Strangelove U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #50
1987 Strangelove U.S. Billboard Hot dance Music/Club Play #1
1987 Strangelove U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #5

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire ‎– 0-20696, Sire ‎– 9 20696-0, Mute ‎– 0-20696, Mute ‎– 9 20696-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: May 20, 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-po

CREDITS:
Design, Photography By – T&CP Assoc.*
Producer – David Bascombe, Depeche Mode
Written-By – M.L. Gore*

NOTES:
Original version appears on the LP “MUSIC FOR THE MASSES”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Sovtek 12AX7LPS Vacuum Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi