Missing Piece

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Missing Piece
Song	Missing Piece
By	Recoil
Songwriter	Alan Wilder Siobhan Lynch
Produced by	Alan Wilder
Recorded at	The Thin Line (Sussex)
Mixed by	Alan Wilder
Mixing assistance	Paul Stevens Simon Shazell
Mastered by	Ian Cooper
Studio assistance	Hepzibah Sessa
Published by	Mute Song Not Normal Music Zoetrope Music Company Carlin Music Corp. Chappell, Inc. Warner/Chappell Music Ltd.
Recorded	September 1996 - June 1997
Originally released	27 October 1997
Live performances as Recoil	0 times *
Total live performances	0 times *

"Missing Piece" is a song from the 1997 album Unsound Methods by Recoil. It was released alongside "Stalker" as a double A-side single on 9 March 1998.

Lyrics

Missing Piece

I wanna write myself

On the walls of your heart

Because the knot that holds us

Altogether throws us all apart

I'm gonna stop myself

Before I say something true

Because the answers

That roll from my tongue

Are nothing to do with you

And I hold a piece up to the light

Hold a piece up to my eye

Found a missing piece from my set

Found a person I'd not met

Hold a piece up to the light

Hold a piece up to my eye

Found a missing piece from my set

Found a person I'd not met

Sometimes is a lonely place

So tow me over to the light

The sound, the sound it is in sight

Found my heart was contained within a cell

Found my heart in this tuck-a-way-me world

I hold a piece up to the light

Hold a piece up to my eye

Found a missing piece from my set

Found a person I'd not met

Sometimes is a lonely place

Sometimes I held the missing piece

Songwriter: Alan Wilder/Siobhan Lynch
Publishing Information: ℗ 1997 Reprise Records

Composition

Sample sources

"Missing Piece" Recoil 1997	Self-made samples
	Sample	Notes			Audio
	Slide guitar	A slide guitar part used prominently in the final moments of "Clean" is re-purposed as a rhythmic element throughout the choruses of "Missing Piece". Notably, this sample is also used to atmospheric effect in "Death's Door".			✖
	Guitar ambience	A textured pad effect originally recorded for embellishment from the second chorus onwards of "Clean" is re-purposed for atmospherics in "Missing Piece".			✖
	E-bow guitar	A series of melodic e-bow guitar parts originally recorded for use during the middle eight and outro sections of "Walking In My Shoes" are re-used to ominous effect in chorus with orchestral strings at the three minute seven second mark.			✖
	Tremolo guitar	"Missing Piece" re-purposes a guitar chord processed through a tremolo effect originally recorded for "Blue Dress". This guitar part is also notably used during the chorus sections of "Death's Door".			✖
	Sample sources
	Sample	Source	Status	Notes	Audio
	Reversed electric piano, guitar atmospherics, drum elements	Björk - "Headphones (0 Remix)" - 1996	Confirmed	A manipulated section of audio featuring electric piano, guitar, and drum elements derived from mid-way through Bjork's 1996 "Headphones (0 Remix)" is utilised throughout "Missing Piece".	Click to display/hide audio example
	Drums, guitar, bass guitar, electric piano elements	Whale - We Care - "Eurodog" - 3 July 1995	Confirmed	A series of manipulated sections of audio derived from "Eurodog" by Whale are utilised throughout "Missing Piece".	✖
	Organ elements	Kool & the Gang - Light of Worlds - "Summer Madness" - September 1974	Confirmed	A manipulated section of audio derived from Kool & the Gang's 1974 instrumental "Summer Madness" is utilised sporadically throughout "Missing Piece".	✖
	Bass guitar, brass, drum elements	Angelo Badalamenti, David Lynch, Koko Taylor, G. Marq Roswell - David Lynch's Wild At Heart (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - "Up In Flames" - 1990	Confirmed	A manipulated section of audio derived from the intro of "Up In Flames" as performed by Koko Taylor for the soundtrack to David Lynch's 1990 film Wild at Heart is utilised sporadically throughout "Missing Piece".	Click to display/hide audio example
	Orchestral elements	John Williams - Schindler's List: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - "Auschwitz-Birkenau" - 1994	Confirmed	A series of orchestral strings derived from "Auschwitz-Birkenau", composed by John Williams for the 1993 film Schindler's List are utilized throughout "Missing Piece". Credit to Thomas of Forced To Mode for this discovery.	✖
	Drum elements	Primal Scream - Screamadelica - "Loaded" - 1990	Confirmed	A drum loop derived from the opening moments of "Loaded" by Primal Scream is utilised throughout "Missing Piece".	Click to display/hide audio example
	Guitar elements	Miranda Sex Garden - Fairytales of Slavery - "A Fairytale About Slavery" - 18 June 1994	Confirmed	A looping section of audio derived from "A Fairytale About Slavery" by Miranda Sex Garden is utilised sporadically throughout "Missing Piece".	✖
	Orchestral elements	Ralph Vaughan Williams, London Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Warren-Green, Nigel Warren-Green - The Lark Ascending • Tallis Fantasia • Introduction And Allegro • Serenade For Strings - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis - June 1988	Confirmed	A reversed, manipulated section of audio derived from a June 1988 performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis as performed by the London Chamber Orchestra with Christopher Warren-Green is utilised in the outro section of "Missing Piece".	✖
	Drum elements	The Dangerous CD Company - Danger 1 - Track 55 - "Percussion Loop 106bpm" - 1991	Confirmed	A drum loop derived from The Dangerous CD Company's 1991 sample CD Danger 1 is utilised sporadically throughout "Missing Piece". The loop as featured on Danger 1 is itself a sample derived from "1990 A New Decade" by Soul II Soul.	✖
	Drum elements, open hi-hat, closed hi-hat	Korg Inc. - Korg 01/W > PROG BANK A > A29: Dance Kit - "Open HH", "Close HH"	Confirmed	A series of open and closed hi-hats utilised throughout "Missing Piece" are sequenced using Korg 01/W Bank A Voice #29 "Dance Kit".	✖

Dates where Missing Piece was played

Missing Piece has never been played live.

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