Barrel of a Gun

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"Barrel of a Gun"
"Barrel of a Gun" cover
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Ultra
B-side(s) "Painkiller"
Released February 3, 1997
Format Vinyl record 7", 12", CD
Recorded 1996
Genre Synthpop
Length 5:29
Label Mute Records
Writer(s) Martin Gore
Producer(s) Tim Simenon
Chart positions
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"In Your Room"
(1994)		 "Barrel of a Gun"
(1997)		 "It's No Good"
(1997)

"Barrel of a Gun" is Depeche Mode's thirty-first UK single, released on February 3, 1997 (January 28 in the USA), and the first single for the then upcoming album Ultra.

"Barrel of a Gun" came after some tragic times by the band. Musician Alan Wilder left the band in 1995 and lead singer David Gahan nearly committed suicide. Martin Gore had a string of seizures, and Andrew Fletcher had some emotional problems of his own. In mid-1996 Martin tried to get Dave and Fletch back together by writing a few songs and see if anybody was interested in continuing after that. It worked, and the band were back together, except now a trio again for the first time since 1982's A Broken Frame.

"Barrel of a Gun" is another revolutionary DM track, bringing back in the industrial sound, and possibly being the darkest DM song yet. Martin wasn't sure if this was going to be a big hit on the radio, so he was reluctant to recommend this song as the first single, but when he eventually did, it turned out the rest of band, Daniel Miller, and producer Tim Simenon agreed.

The B-side is a 7+ minute instrumental called "Painkiller", which is very hard-rockish. A condensed version would show up as a hidden track on the Ultra album as "Junior Painkiller".

The music video for "Barrel of a Gun" is directed by Anton Corbijn. Dave has rather amusing commentary on it, on The Videos 86-98.

Contents

[edit] Track listings

Music sample:

[edit] 12": Mute / 12Bong25 (UK)

  1. "Barrel of a Gun" (5:29)
  2. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Hard Mix)" (9:37)
  3. "Barrel of a Gun (3 Phase Mix)" (5:23)
  4. "Barrel of a Gun (One Inch Punch Mix V2)" (5:28)
  5. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Soft Mix)" (6:29)

[edit] CD: Mute / CDBong25 (UK)

  1. "Barrel of a Gun" (5:29)
  2. "Painkiller" (7:29)
  3. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Soft Mix)" (6:29)
  4. "Barrel of a Gun (One Inch Punch Mix)" (5:25)

[edit] 12": Mute / L12Bong25 (UK)

  1. "Painkiller (Plastikman Mix)" (8:39)
  2. "Painkiller" (7:29)
  3. "Barrel of a Gun (One Inch Punch Mix)" (5:25)
  4. "Barrel of a Gun (United Mix)" (6:36)

[edit] CD: Mute / LCDBong25 (UK)

  1. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Hard Mix)" (9:37)
  2. "Barrel of a Gun (United Mix)" (6:36)
  3. "Painkiller (Plastikman Mix)" (8:39)

[edit] 12": Mute / P12Bong25 (UK)

  1. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Hard Mix)" (9:37)
  2. "Painkiller (Plastikman Mix)" (8:39)
  3. "Barrel of a Gun" (5:29)
  4. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Hard Instrumental)" (9:13)

[edit] CD: Mute / CDBong25X (EU)

  1. "Barrel of a Gun" (5:29)
  2. "Painkiller" (7:29)
  3. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Soft Mix)" (6:29)
  4. "Barrel of a Gun (One Inch Punch Mix)" (5:25)
  5. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Hard Mix)" (9:37)
  6. "Barrel of a Gun (United Mix)" (6:36)
  7. "Barrel of a Gun (3 Phase Mix)" (5:23)
  8. "Painkiller (Plastikman Mix)" (8:39)
  9. "Barrel of a Gun (One Inch Punch Mix V2)" (5:28)
  • The third CD is the 2004 re-release

[edit] CD: Sire/Reprise / 2-17409 (US)

  1. "Barrel of a Gun" (5:29)
  2. "Barrel of a Gun (United Mix)" (6:36)
  3. "Painkiller" (7:29)

[edit] CD: Sire/Reprise / 43828-2 (US)

  1. "Barrel of a Gun" (5:29)
  2. "Painkiller (Plastikman Mix)" (8:39)
  3. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Soft Mix)" (6:27)
  4. "Barrel of a Gun (One Inch Punch Mix V2)" (5:25)
  5. "Barrel of a Gun (Underworld Hard Mix)" (9:36)
  • "One Inch Punch Mix V2" was falsely mistaken for the regular "One Inch Punch Mix". The latter was not released in the USA till the 2004 re-release.

[edit] CD: Sire/Reprise / PRO-CD-8600 (US)

  1. "Barrel of a Gun (Radio Edit)" (4:01)
  2. "Barrel of a Gun" (5:29)

[edit] Chart trajectory

UK Singles chart trajectory
Week 01 02 03 04
Chart position
4
 23 48 74

[edit] External links

Depeche Mode
David Gahan | Martin Gore | Andrew Fletcher
Vince Clarke | Alan Wilder
Depeche Mode discography

Studio albums: Speak & Spell | A Broken Frame | Construction Time Again | Some Great Reward | Black Celebration | Music for the Masses | Violator | Songs of Faith and Devotion | Ultra | Exciter | Playing the Angel

Compilations: People Are People | The Singles 81>85 | Catching Up with Depeche Mode | The Singles 86>98 | Remixes 81 - 04 | The Best Of, Volume 1

Live Albums: 101 | Songs of Faith and Devotion Live

Tribute Albums: For the Masses | A Techno Tribute to Depeche Mode

Singles: Dreaming of Me | New Life | Just Can't Get Enough | See You | The Meaning of Love | Leave in Silence | Get the Balance Right | Everything Counts | Love, in Itself | People Are People | Master and Servant | Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody | Shake the Disease | It's Called a Heart | Stripped | A Question of Lust | A Question of Time | Strangelove | Never Let Me Down Again | Behind the Wheel | Little 15 | Everything Counts (Live) | Personal Jesus | Enjoy the Silence | Policy of Truth | World in My Eyes I Feel You | Walking in My Shoes | Condemnation | In Your Room | Barrel of a Gun | It's No Good | Home | Useless | Only When I Lose Myself | Dream On | I Feel Loved | Freelove | Goodnight Lovers | Enjoy the Silence 04 | Precious | A Pain That I'm Used To | Suffer Well | John the Revelator / Lilian | Martyr
Videography

Videos: The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg | Some Great Videos | Strange | 101 | Strange Too | Devotional | The Videos 86>98 | One Night in Paris | Touring the Angel: Live in Milan
Related articles
Synthpop | Depeche Mode Tours | Mute Records | Paper Monsters | Counterfeit e.p. | Counterfeit²
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