Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode was originally founded in 1980 as a synth pop band in the town of Basildon, England. They have been one of the longest-lived and most successful bands to have emerged during the New Wave/New Romantic era; many of their videos have been heavily rotated on MTV and MuchMusic. As of 2005, Depeche Mode are estimated to have sold over 70 million albums worldwide. They have influenced many of today's popular recording artists, in part due to their innovative work, recording techniques and use of sampling. Their 1990 album Violator is considered a gem of electronic music. Though influential in the modern techno scene, they remain in the alternative genre.

Middle History

In the mid-80s and '90s, the band's popularity in the US grew, as did their influence on the emerging techno and house music scenes. Techno pioneers Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins regularly quoted Depeche Mode as an influence in their development of proto-techno music during the Detroit Techno explosion in the late 80s.

Related Topics:
Techno - House - Derrick May - Kevin Saunderson - Juan Atkins - Detroit Techno

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The band's 1988 Music for the Masses tour culminated in a final concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl with a sell-out attendance of 80,000 (the highest in 8 years for the venue). The tour was documented in a film by D.A. Pennebaker, notable for its portrayal of fan interaction. An album release of the concert, titled 101 (the show was the 101st and final stop on the tour) became a bestseller in 1989.

Related Topics:
Music for the Masses - Pasadena - Rose Bowl - D.A. Pennebaker - 101

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Later that year, the band recorded the bluesy country-western-influenced "Personal Jesus", in Milan. Prior to its release, advertisements were placed in the personal columns of UK regional newspapers with the words "Your own personal Jesus." Later, the ads included a phone number which, if dialed, played the song. The controversy helped the single to number 13 on the UK charts, becoming one of their biggest sellers and their first gold single in the US.

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In Feb 1990, "Enjoy the Silence", Depeche Mode's most successful single to date, reached #8 in the US charts (#6 in the UK), eventually becoming the band's signature song. To promote their new album Violator, they held an in-store autograph signing in Los Angeles, which attracted 17,000 fans. The album (Top Ten in the UK and US) and the subsequent World Violation Tour were further successes. Notably, 40,000 tickets for the (New York) Giants Stadium show sold within 8 hours, and 48,000 tickets for the (Los Angeles) Dodger Stadium show sold within an hour of going on sale.

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By 1991, Depeche Mode had emerged as one of the world's most successful acts, relying on a proto-techno sound to distiguish themselves. The band changed pace in 1993 with Songs of Faith and Devotion, a rock-oriented album that "butched up" the group's sound. The album moved away from keyboards and synthesizer influences, for the first time introducing live drums (by Wilder) and outside musicians into the music.

Related Topics:
Techno - Songs of Faith and Devotion

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The album debuted at number 1 in both the US and the UK; highlights included the country-blues/techno "I Feel You", the soulful "Walking in My Shoes", and the gospel-tinged "Condemnation". The 14-month "Devotional" world tour followed. Strains became apparent when Fletcher declined to participate in the second "exotic" leg of the tour.

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In June 1995 after the tour Alan Wilder left the band citing "unsatisfactory internal working conditions"; he continued to work on his personal project, Recoil. Contributing factors that have been suggested include the drug addiction issues of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore's admission of "battling his own demons" at this time, and growing tensions between Wilder and Andrew Fletcher. Wilder had stated that he contributed a lion's share of work while receiving the least credit on past albums.

Related Topics:
June - 1995 - Alan Wilder - Recoil - Drug addiction - Dave Gahan - Martin Gore - Andrew Fletcher

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Wilder's departure was quickly followed by news of Gahan attempting suicide at his home in L.A.; he later entered a drug rehabilitation program to battle a heroin addiction.

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In 1996, with Gahan out of rehab, Depeche Mode held recording sessions with producer Tim Simenon; the next year, the album Ultra and its first single "Barrel of a Gun" were released to critical acclaim. The album again debuted at #1, but the band declined to tour, perhaps on account of the results of the 'Devotional' tour.

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A best-of collection The Singles 86>98 followed in 1998, with the new single "Only When I Lose Myself". The band set off on a 4 month tour that cemented their place as a quasi-permanent attraction, with a large touring attendance regardless of album sales. (U2, the Rolling Stones, and Rod Stewart are some others in this category).

Related Topics:
The Singles 86>98 - U2 - Rolling Stones - Rod Stewart

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