Never Let Me Down Again
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Never Let Me Down Again" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by Depeche Mode | ||
| from the album Music for the Masses | ||
| B-side(s) | "Pleasure, Little Treasure" | |
| Released | August 24, 1987 | |
| Format | Vinyl record (7" and 12"), CD (1992 box set) | |
| Recorded | 1987 | |
| Genre | Synthpop | |
| Length | 7" - 4:20 12" - 9:34 |
|
| Label | Mute Records | |
| Writer(s) | Martin Gore | |
| Producer(s) | Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller, and Dave Bascombe | |
| Chart positions | ||
|
||
| Depeche Mode singles chronology | ||
| "Strangelove" (1987) |
"Never Let Me Down Again" (1987) |
"Behind the Wheel" (1987) |
"Never Let Me Down Again" is Depeche Mode's nineteenth UK single, released on August 24, 1987, and the second single for the then upcoming album Music for the Masses. A relatively minor hit in the UK, at #22, it was a smash in West Germany, where it hit #2. The song became a favorite among fans, especially live. Shows during Depeche Mode's 1988 tour were often closed with this song, and it can be heard at the end of their live album/concert tour 101.
One of the most well-known remixes of "Never Let Me Down Again" was the "Split Mix", which was a 9 minute+ track which had the regular song, an added intro plus a new techno arrangement appended at the end. The arrangement got a spinoff song called "Never Let Me Down [Aggro Mix]" which is also bonus track on the CD/Cassette version of Music for the Masses. The Split Mix appears on Remixes 81 - 04. Another remix of the track, by German group Digitalism was released in 2006 as one of the Digital Deluxe Bonus Tracks of The Best Of, Volume 1.
There are two B-sides. Pleasure Little Treasure is a short dance track. An extended version called the "Glitter Mix" has some distorted vocals added to it, and some dialogue played backwards. The "Glitter Mix" showed up as the final track on the CD/Cassette version of Music for the Masses but was only labeled "Pleasure Little Treasure".
The rarer B-side is "To Have and To Hold [Spanish Taster]". Martin Gore's original plan for the song sounded a lot like this, but Alan Wilder turned it into the dark track it eventually became. While Alan's version was always set to be the final version, Martin wanted his version to be recorded as well. However, it sounds incomplete, the entire lyrics are not said in the song. It shows up as one of the bonus tracks on the CD/Cassette version of Music for the Masses and it's on the CD versions of "Never Let Me Down Again". The regular "To Have and To Hold" is one of the main tracks on Music for the Masses.
There are two music videos for "Never Let Me Down Again". The original version, from Strange uses the "Split Mix", minus the intro and outro, and during the techno portion, you see Dave's pair of dancing shoes walking without anyone wearing them, before someone puts them on and wears them to dance. There is also a shortened one with just the Single version of the song, without the dancing shoes. It appears on The Videos 86>98. They are directed by Anton Corbijn.
On November 8, 2001, shortly after their final Exciter Tour concert in Mannheim, Germany, the band played "Never Let Me Down Again" during the MTV Europe Music Awards in Frankfurt, but it did air in the US on MTV2. You can view it at the official Depeche Mode website.
Contents |
[edit] Track listings
[edit] 7": Mute / 7Bong14 (UK)
- "Never Let Me Down Again" (4:20)
- "Pleasure Little Treasure" (2:52)
[edit] 12": Mute / 12Bong14 (UK)
- "Never Let Me Down Again [Split Mix]" (9:34)
- "Pleasure Little Treasure [Glitter Mix]" (5:34)
- "Never Let Me Down Again [Aggro Mix]" (4:53)
[edit] 12": Mute / L12Bong14 (UK)
- "Never Let Me Down Again [Tsangarides Mix]" (4:22)
- "Pleasure Little Treasure [Join Mix]" (4:53)
- "To Have and To Hold [Spanish Taster]" (2:33)
[edit] CD: Mute / CDBong14 (UK)
- "Never Let Me Down Again [Split Mix]" (9:34)
- "Pleasure Little Treasure [Join Mix]" (4:53)
- "To Have and To Hold [Spanish Taster]" (2:33)
- "Never Let Me Down Again [Aggro Mix]" (4:53)
[edit] CD: Mute / CDBong14 (UK)
- "Never Let Me Down Again" (4:20)
- "Pleasure Little Treasure" (2:52)
- "Never Let Me Down Again [Split Mix]" (9:34)
- "Pleasure Little Treasure [Glitter Mix]" (5:34)
- "Never Let Me Down Again [Aggro Mix]" (4:53)
- "Never Let Me Down Again [Tsangarides Mix]" (4:22)
- "Pleasure Little Treasure [Join Mix]" (4:53)
- "To Have and To Hold [Spanish Taster]" (2:33)
The second CD is the 1992 re-release
- The American versions of "Never Let Me Down Again" are the same as the UK and do not have any exclusive mixes.
- The "Tsangarides Mix" of "Never Let Me Down Again" is basically the same song with a distorted intro and a slightly different beat.
All songs written by Martin L. Gore
[edit] Notable Covers
The Smashing Pumpkins recorded a cover of the song and released it as a b-side on their rare 1994 CD single "Rocket". The recording was done mainly by request of the band's bassist D'arcy Wretzky who is a long-time Depeche Mode fan.
American band Berlin (better known for their #1 hit "Take my breath away" ) also covered this song in 2005.
A 2006 cover version of "Never Let Me Down Again" was recorded by the Norwegian band Artifact, but it is unreleased. For the cover, the name of the song was changed to "Never Let Me Down".
In 2006, Tre Lux covered "Never Let Me Down Again" on the cover album A Strange Gathering.
