Route 66

Route 66
Song	Route 66
By	Depeche Mode
Songwriter	Bobby Troup
Produced by	Depeche Mode Dave Bascombe Daniel Miller
Recorded at	Guillaume Tell (Paris) Konk (London)
Length (mm:ss)	4:11
Tempo	124.923 BPM
Time signature	4 4
Key	A Minor
Recorded	March 10, 1987
Originally released	28 December 1987
Live performances as Depeche Mode	88 times *
Total live performances	88 times *

"Route 66" is a cover of the Bobby Troup song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" recorded by Depeche Mode during the production of the 1987 album Music For The Masses. It was released as a B-side on the "Behind The Wheel" single on 28 December 1987.

Notes

Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher said in the commentary track on the DVD of '101' in 2003:

Martin Gore: "I thought it would be a good idea to record a driving song on the B-side of 'Behind The Wheel', and it was a nice idea to try and incorporate the elements that made up the song 'Behind The Wheel' into that version."

Andy Fletcher: "This is a version of 'Route 66' that was remixed by The Beatmasters. So we did our original version, and then we gave it to these very talented people called The Beatmasters, and they came up with this. It was mixed with a track of ours, called 'Behind The Wheel'. We wanted a driving track to go with it, so we chose 'Route 66'. It was very apt, obviously, for this film, regarding the travelling throughout America. And also ending up in LA as well, so it was perfect. [...] Martin actually got a call from the guy [songwriter Bobby Troup] when we did it, to say that it was one of his favourite versions."

Martin Gore told Best magazine in 1990 (translated from French):

"'Route 66' was a complete DIY. We did this song in less than a day in the studio and it was mixed immediately the next day. For us, there was nothing very serious about it, it was just a good B-side for 'Behind The Wheel', a song for the road. But everyone was crazy about it and we used it a lot for the movie '101'. The Americans even wanted to put it on the A-side of the single. In fact, I think this song was publicised too much, it was not made for that."

Alan Wilder also wrote in his 86-98 editorial in 1998:

"The entire concept for the single release of 'Behind The Wheel' is centred around the theme of motor travel, from the opening sample of a spinning saucepan lid designed to sound like a hub-cap, through to the B-side - a strange hybrid cover of the classic 'Route 66' which included the middle 8 from the A-side. Apart from its obvious vehicular connotations, Alan reveals that this cover was also chosen because Martin didn't have any original songs to use at the time."

Newspaper The Springfield News-Leader quotes Dave Gahan from an unspecified issue of magazine Alternative Press as saying:

"[The highway] held something mysterious for us, and we're known for pursuing that kind of feeling. It is something of an enigma, isn't it? There's something wildly unnerving about that highway."

Lyrics

Route 66

Well if you ever plan to motor west

Travel my way

Take the highway that's the best

Get your kicks on Route 66

Well it winds from Chicago

To LA

More than two thousand miles

All the way

Get your kicks on Route 66

Well it goes to St. Louis

Down to Missouri

Oklahoma City looks oh so pretty

You'll see Amarillo

Gallup, New Mexico

Flagstaff, Arizona

Don't forget Winona

Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino

If you get hip to this kind of tip

And go take that California trip

Get your kicks on Route 66

Well it goes to St. Louis

Down to Missouri

Oklahoma City looks oh so pretty

You'll see Amarillo

Gallup, New Mexico

Flagstaff, Arizona

Don't forget Winona

Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino

If you get hip to this kind of tip

And go take that California trip

Get your kicks on Route 66

Songwriter: Robert William Troup Jr.
Publishing Information: ©1946 Chappel / Morris Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Live performances

Main article: Available recordings of "Route 66"

Main article: List of dates where "Route 66" was played

Depeche Mode songs released as singles 1981-1985: 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 1986-1989: Stripped • But Not Tonight • A Question Of Lust • A Question Of Time • Strangelove • Never Let Me Down Again • Behind The Wheel • Little 15 • Personal Jesus 1990-1998: 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 2001-2009: Dream On • I Feel Loved • Freelove • Goodnight Lovers • Precious • A Pain That I'm Used To • Suffer Well • John The Revelator / Lilian • Martyr • Wrong • Peace • Fragile Tension / Hole To Feed 2013-2017: Heaven • Soothe My Soul • Should Be Higher • Where's The Revolution • Going Backwards • Cover Me 2023: Ghosts Again Recoil songs released as singles 1992-1998: Faith Healer • Drifting • Stalker / Missing Piece 2000-2008: Strange Hours • Jezebel • Prey • Allelujah Dave Gahan songs released as singles 2003-2008: Dirty Sticky Floors • I Need You • Bottle Living / Hold On • A Little Piece • Kingdom • Saw Something / Deeper And Deeper 2012-2015: Longest Day • Take Me Back Home • All Of This And Nothing • Shine Martin Gore solo songs released as singles 1989-2003: Compulsion • Stardust • Loverman 2012-2015: Spock • Single Blip • Aftermaths • Europa Hymn • "Pinking" (Christoffer Berg Remix) Official releases Studio albums • Live albums • Compilation albums • Video albums • Singles