Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody

Last updated

"I was going to church a lot at the time, not because I believed in it, but because there was nothing else to do on a Sunday. I found the service very hard to take seriously. The whole setup is quite handy but I'm not sure that's what God intended. Particularly a part of the service called the prayer list, when the preacher rattles off the names of those sick and about to die. The person at the top of the list was guaranteed to die, but still everyone went right ahead thanking God for carrying out his will. It just seemed so strange to me, so ridiculous and so removed from real experiences." [6]

Dave Gahan said,

"I'm by the way not anti-religious at all! I only oppose a certain kind of religion that was forced upon me when I was young. My mother was in the Salvation Army. So she sent me to the church every Sunday till my 18th birthday. Together with my sister, we usually went for a ride with the bike and told mom afterwards how lovely the homily was. The song only wants to say that no one should let someone force anything upon him. Whether it's politics or something else, that doesn't matter. You have to choose yourself what you wanna do with your life. And dare to take risks." [6]

When Depeche Mode announced that they were planning to release "Blasphemous Rumours" as a single, pushback from the religious community [7] resulted, and consequently, the band decided as a compromise to release the single as a double-A side with "Somebody". [7]

"Somebody"

"Somebody", which was sung by Gore in the studio in the nude, [8] includes one of Gore's "little twists", where the song builds as if it is a song about finding your perfect love, only to have him reveal at the end "though things like this make me sick / in a case like this I'll get away with it." [9] Gore added this because "I simply can't write your conventional pop fare. A pleasant song to me is unfinished, it isn't telling the full story. Which is why I introduced the twist at the end of 'Somebody' because the song was just too nice. You say I'm cynical about love in my songs and perhaps I am but I think that's an interesting angle. Otherwise you just become mundane like most chart music. Relationships do have their darker side and I like to write about it." [10]

In a significant moment in the Tour of the Universe at the Royal Albert Hall, Alan Wilder made a surprise appearance accompanying by playing the piano while Gore sang "Somebody". [11]

Track listings

All tracks written by Martin L. Gore, except "Ice Machine", written by Vince Clarke, and "Two Minute Warning", written by Alan Wilder

7″: Mute / 7Bong7 (UK)

  1. "Blasphemous Rumours" – 5:06
  2. "Somebody" (remix) – 4:19

7″ EP: Mute / 7Bong7E (UK)

  1. "Somebody" (remix) – 4:19
  2. "Everything Counts" (live) – 5:53
  3. "Blasphemous Rumours" – 5:06
  4. "Told You So" (live version) – 4:54

12″: Mute / 12Bong7 (UK)

  1. "Blasphemous Rumours" – 6:20
  2. "Somebody" (live) – 4:26
  3. "Two Minute Warning" (live) – 4:36
  4. "Ice Machine" (live) – 3:45
  5. "Everything Counts" (live) – 5:53
  • This version of the single was also released on CD. Intercord 826.839. No Bong number, same cover as the vinyl version.

CD: Mute / CDBong7 (UK)

  1. "Blasphemous Rumours" – 6:20
  2. "Told You So" (live) – 4:56
  3. "Somebody" (remix) – 4:19
  4. "Everything Counts" (live) – 5:53
  • The CD single was released in 1991 as part of the singles box set compilations.

All live tracks recorded at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, England on 29 September 1984

Charts

"Blasphemous Rumours" / "Somebody"
DepecheModeBlasphemousRumours.jpg
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Some Great Reward
Released29 October 1984
RecordedJune 1984
Studio
Genre
Length
  • "Blasphemous Rumours":
  • 5:06 (single version)
  • 6:20 (12″/album version)
  • "Somebody":
  • 4:19 (remix)
  • 4:27 (album version)
Label Mute
Songwriter(s) Martin L. Gore
Producer(s)
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Master and Servant"
(1984)		"Blasphemous Rumours" / "Somebody"
(1984)		"Shake the Disease"
(1985)
Music videos
"Blasphemous Rumours" on YouTube
Chart performance for "Blasphemous Rumours" / "Somebody"
Chart (1984–1985)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [12] 24
Ireland (IRMA) [13] 8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [14]
"Somebody"		27
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [15] 34
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [16] 19
UK Singles (OCC) [17] 16
West Germany (Official German Charts) [18] 22

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Depeche Mode</span> English electronic band

Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed by the lineup of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists of Gahan and Gore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Gahan</span> English singer

David Gahan is an English singer, best known as the lead singer of electronic band Depeche Mode since their formation in 1980. Noted for his commanding stage presence and unique baritone voice, Q magazine ranked him at No. 73 on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers" and No. 27 on its list of the "100 Greatest Frontmen". As part of Depeche Mode, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Gore</span> English musician

Martin Lee Gore is an English musician and songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the electronic rock band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist and keyboardist, and occasionally provides lead vocals. Gore possesses a tenor singing voice which contrasts with lead vocalist Dave Gahan's dramatic baritone. He is also known for his flamboyant and (sometimes) androgynous stage persona. Gore has also released several solo albums and collaborated with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke as part of VCMG.

<i>Some Great Reward</i> 1984 studio album by Depeche Mode

Some Great Reward is the fourth studio album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 24 September 1984 by Mute Records. The album peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 51 in the United States, and was supported by the Some Great Reward Tour. This also saw the band using samplers, much like they did in their previous studio album Construction Time Again (1983), which they would continue to use in their following studio albums Black Celebration (1986) and Music for the Masses (1987).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stripped (song)</span> 1986 song by Depeche Mode

"Stripped" is a song by British electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album Black Celebration (1986) on 10 February 1986, through Mute Records. Written by the band's lead songwriter Martin Gore, "Stripped" introduces the more dark and sample oriented composition that featured on the Black Celebration album. It incorporates various samples into its instrumental; most notably, the sound of an idling motorcycle engine was recorded, altered slightly, and inserted as a percussive element.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Wilder</span> English musician

Alan Charles Wilder is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer and member of the electronic band Depeche Mode from 1982 to 1995. Since his departure from the band, the musical project called Recoil became his primary musical enterprise, which initially started as a side project to Depeche Mode in 1986. Wilder has also provided production and remixing services to the bands Nitzer Ebb and Curve. Alan Wilder was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of Depeche Mode. He is a classically trained musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everything Counts</span> 1983 single by Depeche Mode

"Everything Counts" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their third studio album Construction Time Again (1983). A live version of the song was released in 1989 to support the band's live album 101. The original single reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart, whereas the live version reached No. 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Question of Lust</span> 1986 single by Depeche Mode

"A Question of Lust" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their fifth studio album, Black Celebration (1986). It was released on 14 April 1986 as the album's second single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Question of Time</span> 1986 single by Depeche Mode

"A Question of Time" is Depeche Mode's seventeenth UK single, released on 11 August 1986, following the similarly titled "A Question of Lust" single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Let Me Down Again</span> 1987 single by Depeche Mode

"Never Let Me Down Again" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released as the second single from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987), on 24 August 1987. It reached No. 22 in the UK, No. 2 in West Germany, and the top-10 in several other European countries such as Sweden and Switzerland, topping the Danish charts. In the US, it entered the Billboard Hot 100. The cover art features fragments of a Soviet map of Russia and Europe, with different fragments used for the different editions of the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal Jesus</span> 1989 single by Depeche Mode

"Personal Jesus" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released as the lead single from their seventh studio album, Violator (1990), in 1989. It reached No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single was their first to enter the US top 40 since 1984's "People Are People" and was their first gold-certified single in the US. In Germany, "Personal Jesus" is one of the band's longest-charting songs, staying on the West German Singles Chart for 23 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enjoy the Silence</span> 1990 single by Depeche Mode

"Enjoy the Silence" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. Recorded in 1989, it was released as the second single from their seventh studio album, Violator (1990), on 5 February 1990. The single is certified Gold in the US and Germany. The song won Best British Single at the Brit Awards 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrel of a Gun</span> 1997 single by Depeche Mode

"Barrel of a Gun" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released as the first single from their ninth studio album, Ultra (1997), on 3 February 1997. The song reached number one in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain and Sweden while reaching the top 10 in several other countries, including Finland, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. In North America, the song reached number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Canadian Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John the Revelator / Lilian</span> 2006 double A-side single by Depeche Mode

"John the Revelator" / "Lilian" is the second double A-side single released by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, issued on 5 June 2006. Both songs are included on Depeche Mode's 11th studio album, Playing the Angel (2005), and served as the fourth single from the album. The single became another UK top-20 hit for the band, reaching number 18. "John the Revelator" was edited down several seconds for the single, while "Lilian" was slightly remixed and the introduction was shortened.

<i>The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg</i> 1985 video by Depeche Mode

The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg is the first video release by Depeche Mode, featuring almost an entire concert from their 1984 Some Great Reward Tour, at the Alsterdorfer Sporthalle in Hamburg, West Germany on 9 December 1984. It was directed by Clive Richardson. The name is a play on a lyric of the song "Somebody".

<i>Sounds of the Universe</i> 2009 studio album by Depeche Mode

Sounds of the Universe is the twelfth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 17 April 2009 by Mute Records. The album was supported by the 2009–10 Tour of the Universe. Three singles were released from the album: "Wrong", "Peace", and a double A-side of "Fragile Tension" and "Hole to Feed". "Perfect" was also released in the United States as a promotional single.

<i>Spirit</i> (Depeche Mode album) 2017 studio album by Depeche Mode

Spirit is the fourteenth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 17 March 2017 by Columbia and Mute Records. The album was recorded with new producer James Ford, and was preceded by the single "Where's the Revolution". It was the final Depeche Mode studio album to feature co-founder and keyboardist Andy Fletcher before his death on 26 May 2022. The album produced three singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global Spirit Tour</span> 2017–18 concert tour by Depeche Mode

The Global Spirit Tour was a 2017–18 worldwide concert tour by English electronic music band Depeche Mode in support of the group's 14th studio album, Spirit. During the summer 2017, the band played to more than 3 million fans in total. This is the last concert tour to feature keyboardist Andy Fletcher before his death in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Going Backwards</span> 2017 song by Depeche Mode

"Going Backwards" is a song by English electronic band Depeche Mode from their fourteenth studio album Spirit. It was released as the album's second single on 23 June 2017. The cover art was designed by Anton Corbijn. A physical CD and vinyl release was released on 15 September 2017. A live video was released on 22 June 2017.

<i>Memento Mori</i> (Depeche Mode album) 2023 album by Depeche Mode

Memento Mori is the fifteenth studio album by English electronic band Depeche Mode, released on 24 March 2023 through Columbia. The album was produced by James Ford, and marks their first album in six years since 2017's Spirit, the longest period of time between albums in the band's history.

References

  1. ↑ Sutton, Michael. "Forever – Dune". AllMusic . Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Blasphemous Rumours – Depeche Mode". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  3. ↑ Baker, Trevor (5 November 2009). Dave Gahan - Depeche Mode & The Second Coming. Bonnier Zaffre. ISBN   978-1-78418-955-6 . Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  4. ↑ Christopher, Michael (28 December 2020). Depeche Mode FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's Finest Synth-Pop Band. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 88. ISBN   978-1-4930-5400-8 . Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  5. 1 2 "DM articles: Andy Fletcher, the brigade boy". 11 November 1999. Archived from the original on 11 November 1999. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours". Story of Song. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  7. 1 2 Thompson, Dave (15 November 1994). Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward . St. Martin's Press. pp.  152–155. ISBN   9780312112622.
  8. ↑ Robbins, Jenna Rose (12 July 2017). "The Hallowed Halls of Hansa". Where Traveler. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  9. ↑ Shaw, William (April 1993), "In The Mode", Details magazine : 90–95, 168
  10. ↑ "Sacred DM - NME 17 02 90 - page 2". 7 January 2009. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; Murray, Robin (19 February 2010). "Depeche Mode Joined By Former Member". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 15 October 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Blasphemous Rumours". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Depeche Mode" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  15. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  16. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  17. ↑ "Depeche Mode: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  18. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.