Strangelove (song)

"Strangelove"
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Music for the Masses
B-side "Pimpf", "Agent Orange"
Released 13 April 1987
Format
Length 4:55
Label Mute (catalogue number: BONG 13)
Songwriter(s) Martin Gore
Producer(s)
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"But Not Tonight"
(1986)		 "Strangelove"
(1987)		 "Never Let Me Down Again"
(1987)

"Strangelove" is the eighteenth UK single by Depeche Mode, released on 13 April 1987[1] as the lead single from their sixth studio album Music for the Masses. It reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart,[2] 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[3] and was the first of 9 number-ones on the US Dance charts, where it stayed for three weeks at the top.[4]

The original version of "Strangelove" is a fast-paced pop track. Though successful, this did not seem to fit with Music for the Masses's darker style, so Daniel Miller made a slower version that became the album version. Alan Wilder, in the Q&A section of his Recoil website, writes that the band felt the single version was "too cluttered" and was the reason Miller's remix was commissioned. Miller expounded on this in the Music for the Masses re-master documentary DVD, stating he felt the original single version was too complicated and would benefit from being simplified.

It was remixed by production team Bomb the Bass and released again as a single in the US as "Strangelove '88", finally reaching number 50 on the Hot 100.[3]

B-sides

There are two B-sides for "Strangelove", both instrumental. "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).

The second instrumental is "Agent Orange", named after the herbicide used in the Vietnam War. At the end of the song, you can hear some Morse code. Rumoured to mean "If anybody can hear this, please help me", it is actually just gibberish (LAXI ".-.. .- -..- ..", several times repeated). "Agent Orange" later shows up as the first bonus track on the CD/Cassette version of Music for the Masses.

 Note: There are 3 different durations for "Pimpf":

  1. "Pimpf" 3.56: This version appears on the original vinyl releases
  2. "Pimpf" 4.55: This version appears on vinyl & compact disc versions and contains a hidden track, Interlude #1, which starts at 4.18 (20 seconds after "Pimpf" has ended)
  3. "Pimpf" 4.34: This version appears on the "Strangelove" single release.

Music videos

The music video for "Strangelove" was directed by Anton Corbijn and appears on the Strange video and The Videos 86>98. Shot on Super 8 and monochrome, the video sees the band in various Paris locations, hotel rooms and in a studio posing in front of a rolling backdrop. The live action is combined with short stop-frame animation sequences. The video also stars two models in underwear (one of whom was Anton Corbijn's partner), as well as passing pedestrians, featured in the closing 'out-takes' sequence of fast-edit shots. In the USA, MTV objected to some of the more revealing footage of the models and the video was edited to replace them with images of the band.

There was also a Corbijn-directed video for "Pimpf", exclusive to the Strange video, which features Dave Gahan, Andy Fletcher and Alan Wilder shouting at each other and syncing with the synthetic chanting, while Martin Gore plays the song on a piano. While Gore plays the piano in the video, it is Wilder who plays the piano on all piano-instrumentals by the band from 1987–1990 as well as "Somebody".

In 1988, another video for "Strangelove" was released for the album version. It was directed by Martyn Atkins, who did photography for earlier DM albums. It was not publicly released on any videocassettes or DVDs until The Videos 86>98+ DVD in 2002. This video is much simpler than the original, and features the band performing inside a city-scape location (Senate House, the federal headquarters of the University of London).

Track listings

7": Mute / Bong13 (UK) & 7": Sire / 7-28366 (US)

  1. "Strangelove" – 3:45
  2. "Pimpf" – 4:33

12": Mute / 12Bong13 (UK)

  1. "Strangelove (Maxi Mix)" – 6:32
  2. "Strangelove (Midi Mix)" – 1:38
  3. "Fpmip" – 5:21

12": Mute / L12Bong13 (UK)

  1. "Strangelove (Blind Mix)" – 6:31
  2. "Pimpf" – 4:33
  3. "Strangelove (Pain Mix)" – 7:19 (remixed by Phil Harding)
  4. "Agent Orange" – 5:05

12": Mute / DanceBong13 (UK)

  1. "Strangelove (Blind Mix)" – 6:31
  2. "Strangelove (The Fresh Ground Mix)" – 8:14 (remixed by Phil Harding)
  • Very rare promo release, with a white label, though some bootlegs are available.

CD: Mute / CDBong13 (UK)

  1. "Strangelove (Maxi Mix)" – 6:32
  2. "Pimpf" – 4:33
  3. "Strangelove (Midi Mix)" – 1:38
  4. "Agent Orange" – 5:05
  5. "Strangelove" – 3:45
  • Originally released in Cardsleeve [1987] in two different versions [black labeled/red labeled disc]
  • Re-released as 5track CD Single in Slim Jewel Case in 1991.

CD: Mute / CDBong13 (UK)

  1. "Strangelove" – 3:45
  2. "Pimpf" – 4:33
  3. "Strangelove (Maxi Mix)" – 6:32
  4. "Agent Orange" – 5:05
  5. "Strangelove (Blind Mix)" – 6:31
  6. "Fpmip" – 5:21
  7. "Strangelove (Pain Mix)" – 7:19
  8. "Strangelove (Midi Mix)" – 1:38
  • The second CD is the 1992 re-release

12" Sire / 0-20696 (US)

  1. "Strangelove (Maxi Mix)" – 6:32
  2. "Strangelove (Midi Mix)" – 1:38
  3. "Strangelove (Blind Mix Edit)" – 6:10
  4. "Fpmip" – 5:21

12" Sire / 0-20769 (US)

  1. "Strangelove" (Pain Mix) – 7:19
  2. "Strangelove" (Pain Mix 7" Edit) – 3:29
  3. "Agent Orange" – 5:05
  • "Fpmip" is "Pimpf" with a different intro that sounds like the song played backwards.

All songs written by Martin Gore

3"CD Sire/Reprise / 2-27777 (US)

  1. "Strangelove (Remix Edit)" – 3:52 (remixed by Tim Simenon & Mark Saunders)
  2. "Nothing (Remix Edit)" – 3:58 (remixed by Justin Strauss)

7" Sire / 7-27777 (US)

  1. "Strangelove" (Album Version 7" Edit) – 3:44
  2. "Nothing" (Remix Edit) – 3:58
  • Also released on Cassette (Sire / 27991-4)

12" Sire / 0-21022 (US)

  1. "Strangelove (Highjack Mix)" – 6:30 (remixed by Tim Simenon & Mark Saunders)
  2. "Strangelove (Remix Edit)" – 3:46
  3. "Nothing (Zip Hop Mix)" – 7:06 (remixed by Justin Strauss)
  4. "Nothing (Dub Mix)" – 6:40 (remixed by Justin Strauss)

CD Sire / PRO-CD-3213 (US)

  1. "Strangelove" (Remix Edit) – 3:46
  2. "Strangelove" (Album Version 7" Edit) – 3:44
  3. "Strangelove" (Blind Mix 7" Edit) – 3:57
  4. "Strangelove" (Highjack Mix) – 6:30
  • US promo CD

The "Zip Hop Mix" of Nothing appeared on the rare fourth disc of Depeche Mode's remix compilation, Remixes 81-04 in 2004.

Charts

Chart (1987) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[5] 29
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 20
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[7] 14
Canada (RPM 20 Dance Singles)[8] 11
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[9] 2
France (SNEP)[10] 25
Germany (Official German Charts)[11] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 5
Italy (FIMI)[13] 16
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 24
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 30
Poland (Polish Singles Chart)[16] 4
South African Chart[17] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[2] 16
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 50
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play1 [20] 1
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales1 [20] 5

1Remix

Other appearances and versions

See also

References

  1. ↑ "DM Archives". depechemode.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Depeche Mode: Billboard Hot 100 history". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 75.
  5. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Depeche Mode – Strangelove" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Depeche Mode – Strangelove" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Strange Love – DEPECHE MODE". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 14
  8. ↑ "Dance/Urban – Volume 48, No. 26, October 15, 1988". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  9. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  10. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Depeche Mode – Strangelove" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – Strangelove". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". IRMA. Retrieved 23 July 2013. Only one result when searching "Strangelove"
  13. ↑ "I singoli più venduti del 1987". HitParadeItalia (in Italian). Creative Commons. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
    71. Strangelove – Depeche Mode [#16]
  14. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Depeche Mode – Strangelove" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Depeche Mode – Strangelove" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  16. ↑ "STRANGE LOVE – Depeche Mode". Nowe Media, Polskie Radio S.A. LP3.polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  17. ↑ John Samson. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (D)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Depeche Mode – Strangelove". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Depeche Mode – Strangelove". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  20. 1 2 "Depeche Mode awards on Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  21. ↑ the official Depeche Mode website Archived 18 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
  22. ↑ "Ja Rule's Life Ain't a Game sample of Depeche Mode's Strangelove". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "Infernal's I Won't Be Crying sample of Depeche Mode's Strangelove". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 23 July 2013.


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