Master and Servant

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"Master and Servant"
"Master and Servant" cover
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Some Great Reward
B-side(s) "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me"
Released August 20, 1984
Format Vinyl record (7" and 12"), CD (1991 box set)
Recorded 1984
Genre Synthpop
Length 7" - 3:48
12" - 9:38
Label Mute Records
Writer(s) Martin Gore
Producer(s) Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller, and Gareth Jones
Chart positions
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"People Are People"
(1984)
"Master and Servant"
(1984)
"Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody"
(1984)

"Master and Servant" is Depeche Mode's eleventh UK single (released on August 20, 1984) and the second single from the Some Great Reward album.

"Master and Servant" comes with the "Slavery Whip Mix", the longest 12" DM song at the time with the outro being turned into a swing version of the refrain, and the "Voxless" version which is an instrumental mix of the song. The B-side is "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me", its Release Mix is the 12" version.

Some versions include a song called "Are People People?" which uses samples from "People are People" and chanting. Both "Are People People?" and "Master and Servant [An ON-USound Science Fiction Dance Hall Classic]" appear on Remixes 81 - 04 in 2004. They are remixed by Adrian Sherwood.

The production and mixing process of "Master and Servant," are remembered by Alan Wilder, Daniel Miller, and Gareth Jones, as among the longest that Depeche Mode ever endured. One famous story about the song includes a mixing duration of seven days, and after all the reworking and final mastering of the mix, they realized they left the channel with the snare drum muted.

The Master and Servant music video was directed by Clive Richardson.

The overtly sexual lyrics of "Master And Servant" - complete with synthesized whip-and-chain sound effects - reportedly got the song banned by many radio stations in the United States (although the song reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart anyway, albeit only at #87 and for only a three-week chart stay). Reportedly the song narrowly avoided a radio ban by the BBC as well, and might have been banned if the one BBC staffer (a senior staffer, no less) who wanted to ban the record had not been away on vacation at the time the other staffers voted on whether to add "Master and Servant" to their playlist. [1]

Contents

[edit] Track listings

[edit] 7": Mute / Bong6 (UK)

  1. "Master and Servant" (3:46)
  2. "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me" (4:12)

[edit] 7": Sire / 7-28918 (US)

  1. "Master and Servant [Edit]" (3:27)
  2. "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me" (4:12)

[edit] 12": Mute / 12Bong6 (UK)

  1. "Master and Servant [Slavery Whip Mix]" (9:38)
  2. "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me [Release Mix]" (8:49)
  3. "Master and Servant [Voxless]" (4:00)

[edit] L12": Mute / L12Bong6 (UK)

  1. "Master and Servant [An ON-USound Science Fiction Dance Hall Classic]" (4:34)
  2. "Are People People?" (4:29)
  3. "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me" (4:12)

[edit] 12": Sire / 0-20283 (US)

  1. "Master and Servant [US Black and Blue Mix]" (8:02)
  2. "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me [US 12" Mix]" (7:59)
  3. "Are People People?" (4:29)

[edit] CD: Mute / CDBong6 (UK)

  1. "Master and Servant" (3:46)
  2. "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me" (4:12)
  3. "Master and Servant [Slavery Whip Mix]" (9:38)
  4. "(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me [Release Mix]" (8:49)
  5. "Master and Servant [Voxless]" (4:00)

The CD single was released in 1991 as part of the singles box set compilations

All songs written by Martin Gore.

[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