Depeche Mode sample sources: Difference between revisions
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|| Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that [[Never Let Me Down Again]] employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks" which were sampled second-hand from a rap record (Beastie Boys - "Rhymin And Stealin"). These samples were later re-purposed for use in [[Halo]] and [[Get Right With Me]]. Massive Attack would use the sampled drum elements from "Get Right With Me" on the song "Man Next Door" from their 1998 album <i>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezzanine_(album) Mezzanine]</i>, bringing the number of times this famous drum sound had been directly sampled from | || Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that [[Never Let Me Down Again]] employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks" which were sampled second-hand from a rap record (Beastie Boys - "Rhymin And Stealin"). These samples were later re-purposed for use in [[Halo]] and [[Get Right With Me]]. Massive Attack would use the sampled drum elements from "Get Right With Me" on the song "Man Next Door" from their 1998 album <i>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezzanine_(album) Mezzanine]</i>, bringing the number of times this famous drum sound had been directly sampled by an artist only to then be sampled from their record by another artist to a total of three (Led Zeppelin original > Beastie Boys > Depeche Mode > Massive Attack). | ||
|- | |- | ||
|| Classic John Bonham drum one-shots | || Classic John Bonham drum one-shots |
Revision as of 22:10, 19 August 2019
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In music, sampling is the reuse of a portion (or sample) from a sound recording within another recording. As pioneers of the developing electronic music genre in the early 1980s, Depeche Mode were among the first acts to make common use of new sampling technology in a traditional pop music format, bringing the technique to the forefront of the music industry.
Among the thousands of original samples recorded and utilized by Depeche Mode to enhance the atmosphere of their musical output are many that originated elsewhere, including brief passages of musical recordings by other artists, snippets of audio from television shows, radio broadcasts, films, environmental sounds, and more. Analysis of these sample sources and how they are manipulated is a common topic of discussion among fans of the group.
Information
Key | ||||
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The sample is confirmed to have been used in the specified song by a past/present member of Depeche Mode, an individual involved in its production, or band archivist Daniel "BRAT" Barassi. | |||
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The sample is independently confirmed to have been used in the specified song. | |||
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The sample is likely to have been used in the specified song but has not yet been confirmed. | |||
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The sample is not yet confirmed to have been used in the specified song. | |||
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The sample is confirmed to not have been used in the specified song. | |||
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It is unclear if the sample was used in the specified song. |
Within reason, this page aims to document all verifiable sound sources for many of the musical parts used by Depeche Mode in the production of their studio albums, official remixes, and live performances, as well as the samples used in the production of former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder's Recoil studio albums, official remixes, live performances, and other works.
Due to the passage of time, fading memories, and the inherent nature of samples in this article (which were often transposed, reversed, tweaked, processed, layered, and otherwise manipulated nearly beyond recognition), there is unavoidable potential for journalistic error or misattribution. To combat this, the content of this article is comprised of verified quotes from band members and recording personnel, verifiable sources with citations, audio examples, and independent research voluntarily contributed by Depeche Mode and Recoil fans across the world. It is written with the humble goal of providing an interesting document on this topic in a tabular format that is organized, well-researched, and reasonably accurate.
This article differentiates samples by their origin: Self-made samples, which describes any material originally recorded by Depeche Mode or Recoil, and Sourced samples, which describe samples which were not originally recorded by either group. In addition to confirmed samples, this article also covers samples that are commonly misreported as being used but have been directly refuted by a member or associate of Depeche Mode or Recoil.
As ever, if you see any errors, please feel free to contact us.
Depeche Mode
Speak And Spell
Speak And Spell does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.
A Broken Frame
A Broken Frame does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.
Construction Time Again
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Notes |
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Everything Counts (1993 Devotional Tour version) | 1983 | One-shot guitar chug | Part of the one-shot "chugging" guitar rhythm best heard during the opening bars of Mercy In You is sampled, transposed up several notes, and filtered to produce a rhythmic element best heard during the choruses and break section of Everything Counts as it was performed on the 1993 Devotional Tour. |
Resonant synth pad | A resonant synth pad heard throughout the Walking In My Shoes (Grungy Gonads Mix) is used to play a series of chords during the outro of Everything Counts as it was performed on the 1993 Devotional Tour. |
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
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Everything Counts (Tim Simenon/Mark Saunders Remix) |
1989 | Breathing sound | Kraftwerk - Tour de France | 1983 | Unconfirmed | |
Intro sweep | Kraftwerk - Die Roboter | 1978 | Unconfirmed | |||
The Landscape Is Changing | 1983 | Spoken word in German | Einstürzende Neubauten - Merle (Die Elektrik) | 1983 | Unconfirmed |
Some Great Reward
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Notes |
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Blasphemous Rumours | 1984 | Metallic snare | The heavy snare used throughout the song is produced by recording the sound of a hammer smashing against a concrete floor. Alan says in the November 1984 issue of International Musician And Recording World:
Wilder later recalled in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
|
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
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Master And Servant (Slavery Whip Mix/12" Version) | 1984 | Drum elements | Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax | 1983 | Disproven | The Face magazine reported in February 1985:
Electronics & Music Maker magazine then reported in 1986:
Wilder directly refutes this claim in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site in response to a fan question regarding the authenticity of the story as reported in an unofficial 1986 biography Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward by Dave Thompson:
|
People Are People (Are People People? Mix) | 1984 | Doo-wop vocal sample | The Citadels - When I Woke Up This Morning | 1964 | Confirmed | Credit to Brat/Daniel Barassi for this discovery.[2] |
Black Celebration
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Notes |
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Fly On The Windscreen | 1986 | "Over and done with" Daniel Miller vocal sample | Wilder confirms the origin of this vocal sample in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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"Horse" Daniel Miller vocal sample | Wilder confirms the origin of this vocal sample in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
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A Question Of Time | 1986 | Moan vocal sample | The Chanters - She Wants To Mambo | 1954? (Re-release by Jazzman Records in 2014) | Officially confirmed | The second feminine moan in the song is sampled and played in a descending two note passage with EQ for added top-end during the chorus sections of A Question Of Time. Martin Gore confirmed the use of the sample in the August 1986 issue of Electronics & Music Maker:
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Fly On The Windscreen | 1986 | "Their living hell" vocal sample | Peter Jennings, ABC News (Television News Report, unidentified date) | ? | Likely | Jennings was an active news anchor from 2/1/1965 to 4/1/2005. It is likely the exact date of the report sampled by Depeche Mode occurred sometime before or between approx. November 1985 and December 1985 at the latest. |
Fly On The Windscreen (Death Mix) | 1986 | "I don't care how you feel!" vocal sample | Richard Pryor - Unidentified film | ? | Unconfirmed | |
"Help the dying" vocal sample | Steve Kroft, CBS News (Television News Report, unidentified date) | ? | Likely | Kroft was an active television news anchor with CBS news starting in 1980. It is likely the exact date of the report sampled by Depeche Mode occurred sometime before or between approx. November 1985 and December 1985 at the latest. | ||
Sometimes | 1986 | "Sometimes" vocal sample | Louis Armstrong - Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child | 1958 | Likely | Credit to Home user 'personal cheese' for this discovery.[5] |
Music For The Masses
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Notes |
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Never Let Me Down Again | 1987 | Processed guitar riff | In a July 4, 2019 interview with Super Deluxe Edition, Dave Bascombe recalls the production of the guitar riff:
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I Want You Now | 1987 | Female 'ah' vocal samples / Sample of multiple laughing girls | Two girls described by Wilder as "hanging around" the studio during the recording of Music For The Masses were utilized during the production of I Want You Now. The women were recorded performing distinct 'ah' vocal "utterances" that act in place of snares alongside comparable vocals provided by Martin Gore throughout the song. Wilder recalled in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
In a July 4, 2019 interview with Super Deluxe Edition, Dave Bascombe recalls the vocals were recorded at Guillaume Tell studio by models in the area during Paris Fashion Week:
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'Breathing' accordion loop | The "breathing" effect heard throughout I Want You Now is produced by an accordion being inflated and deflated without depressing a key.[7] | ||
Nothing | 1987 | Hi-hat derived from the sound of a pneumatic coach door shutting | In a July 4, 2019 interview with Super Deluxe Edition, Dave Bascombe recalls the unique production of a hi-hat as used in Nothing and other album songs:
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Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
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Never Let Me Down Again | 1987 | Classic John Bonham drum one-shots | Beastie Boys - Rhymin' And Stealin' | 1982 | Officially confirmed | The heavy drums of Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks sampled on the Beastie Boys song Rhymin And Stealin were subsequently sampled by Depeche Mode. One-shot samples of the bass drum and snare drum are sampled and sequenced to form the primary drum pattern of Never Let Me Down Again. Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. The sampled parts would later be re-purposed for Halo and Get Right With Me.
In a July 4, 2019 interview with Super Deluxe Edition, Dave Bascombe recalls how the sampled percussion came to be used in Never Let Me Down Again:
|
Classic John Bonham drum one-shots | Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks | 1971 | Officially confirmed | Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin). | ||
N/A | Gary Wright - Love Is Alive | 1976 | Unconfirmed | |||
Guitar riff and drum elements | 3rd Bass - Wordz Of Wisdom, Pt. 2 | 1989 | Officially confirmed | American hip-hop group 3rd Bass employed an uncredited sample of the opening guitar riff from Depeche Mode's Never Let Me Down Again for their 1989 track Wordz Of Wisdom, Pt. 2. Depeche Mode were fond of their use of the sample, and would in turn sample it back from Wordz Of Wisdom, Pt. 2 and employ it during the live interlude of Never Let Me Down Again as performed on the 1990 World Violation Tour. Former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder would later use this sample and other elements from Wordz Of Wisdom, Pt. 2 in the live production of In Your Room as part of Recoil's 2010-2011 Selected Events tour. | ||
I Want You Now | 1987 | Female orgasm vocal samples (x2) | Unidentified pornographic film' | ? | Confirmed | The pornographic film sampled by Depeche Mode for use in the production of I Want You Now is likely to have enjoyed an official release on VHS or Betamax cassette and would have been in widespread circulation by July 1987. |
Nothing | 1987 | Classic John Bonham drum one-shots | Beastie Boys - Rhymin' And Stealin' | 1982 | Confirmed | Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin). The Bonham snare drum sample is processed and re-purposed for the snare sequence of Nothing. The primary fill sequence features the snare playing a descending "melody" of 3-3-2, where each number corresponds to the number of snare hits and the key of the snare descends by one note from its root key every three hits. |
Classic John Bonham drum one-shots | Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks | 1971 | Confirmed | Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin). The Bonham snare drum sample is processed and re-purposed for the snare sequence of Nothing. The primary fill sequence features the snare playing a descending "melody" of 3-3-2, where each number corresponds to the number of snare hits and the key of the snare descends by one note from its root key every three hits. | ||
Strangelove (The Fresh Ground Mix) | 1987 | N/A | Cameo - Word Up | 1986 | Unconfirmed | |
Route 66 (Beatmasters Mix) | 1987 | "They come from everywhere to take the challenge", "If they can name it they can claim it", "It's big money, high hopes, near misses, and love and kisses", "So, join host Tom Kennedy, tonight at 7:30, and 'Name That Tune!'" vocal samples from a television promotion for the television game show Name That Tune | Unspecified television advertisement for Name That Tune (game show) | ? | Confirmed |
Violator
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Notes |
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World In My Eyes | 1990 | Primary snare | The origin of the primary snare sound used throughout the production of World In My Eyes (and, relatedly, its similar-but-different counterpart audible during the electronic interlude during the album version outro of Personal Jesus) is unclear. Wilder posits in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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Minimoog/ARP 2600 bass | The origin of the bass is a combination of a series of unique synthesized parts, including a frequentially 'dark' synth bass with a heavy low frequency Moog-like quality, a velocity-sensitive synthesized bass part with a high resonance and slight filter cutoff settings, and a potentially ring-modulated velocity-sensitive synthesized bass part with a subtle filtered white noise setting (likely produced by the ARP 2600, though this is not confirmed). Wilder summarizes its production in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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Personal Jesus | 1989 | 'Stomp' drum elements | Wilder recalls in separate Q&A and Editorial features on the official Recoil project site:
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Halo | 1990 | Minimoog/ARP 2600 bass | The origin of the bass is a combination of likely two or more unique synthesized parts, including a frequentially 'dark' synth bass with a heavy low frequency Moog-like quality performed with a sensitive velocity setting for dynamic sonic changes per note, with an additional velocity-sensitive bass part produced with an identifiable square oscillator modulated in the synthesizer pipeline (likely produced by the ARP 2600, though this is not confirmed). Wilder summarizes its production in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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Various drum loops | |||
Waiting For The Night | 1990 | ARP 2600 bass sequence with multiple delays | Wilder describes the production of this bass part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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Enjoy The Silence | 1990 | Vocal 'ahs' | The outro choir melody is comprised of a series of looped vocal 'ah' samples. Notably, these vocal elements are re-used to dramatic effect as a solo vocal element in Memphisto, and are also layered with other processed vocals for use as a choir during the second verse of In Your Room as it was performed on the 1993 Devotional Tour. These vocal 'ah' samples were retired from live use with Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode and replaced with a different sample-based choir element as of the 2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe with one exception, where they were included on playback for a live television promotion. |
Policy Of Truth | 1990 | Main guitar rhythm | The primary guitar rhythm used prominently during the first two verses is produced by a single note played from a guitar, which is processed and looped to provide a built-in vibrato effect. The sample is then allocated across the keyboard for playback. Though not directly confirmed, it is likely a second sample is used to produce the faux guitar 'lick' present in the rhythm part in every other bar. Wilder recalled in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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Hi-hat loops | Policy Of Truth employs sampled hi-hat rhythms sequenced as dynamic alternating loops, introducing an evolving rhythm to the song. Wilder explains the benefits of using loops over one-shot samples in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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Clean | 1990 | Female 'ah' vocal sample | Clean employs a re-purposed female 'ah' vocal part originally recorded for use in Depeche Mode's I Want You Now. The part is performed in chorus with the snare starting from the second verse. Wilder recalled the recording of this vocal part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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Various drum loops | |||
Memphisto | 1990 | Vocal 'ahs' | Seemingly unlooped versions of the samples comprising the vocal 'ah' melody heard in the outro of Enjoy The Silence are re-used to dramatic effect as a solo vocal element in Memphisto. Notably, this vocal element is also layered in with other processed vocals for use as a choir during the second verse of In Your Room as it was performed on the 1993 Devotional Tour. |
Resonant bass stabs | Reverberated resonant bass stabs heard throughout Clean are layered in as bass elements in Memphisto |
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
World In My Eyes | 1990 | Bell tree sample | Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman | 1982 | Confirmed | This sample is used for two distinct sounds in the production of World In My Eyes:
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Sweetest Perfection | 1990 | Bell tree sample | Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman | 1982 | Confirmed | This sample is looped and manipulated to produce a ghostly pad with oscillating pitch and creative panning effects during the verses. |
Personal Jesus | 1989 | Vocal huffing rhythm | Kate Bush - The Dreaming | 1982 | Likely | |
'Preacher' vocal sample "I'm not crazy anymore!" | A Cry In The Wilderness (film) | 1974 | Likely | |||
Halo | 1990 | Classic John Bonham drum loop | Beastie Boys - Rhymin' And Stealin' | 1982 | Officially confirmed | Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. The sampled parts would later be re-purposed for Halo:
|
Classic John Bonham drum break | Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks | 1971 | Officially confirmed | Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin). These samples were later re-purposed for use in Halo and Get Right With Me. | ||
Orchestral string samples, including one-shots and looped elements | Edward Elgar - Unidentified composition | ? | Confirmed | Wilder confirmed in a July 27, 2011 interview with electricityclub.co.uk that Halo employs orchestral string elements sampled from an unidentified recording(s) of music composed by celebrated English composer Edward Elgar. The sampled recording would have been released prior to May 1989. The nature of the samples vary, including two one-shot string staccato parts and sampled chords stretched and mixed with additional strings:
Notably, one of two sampled string loops as heard in the ending of Clean are re-purposed for use as orchestral stabs employed for the verse and chorus sections of Halo. | ||
Policy Of Truth | 1990 | Delayed, sampled, and looped guitar and/or synthesized part | Tony Halliday - Time Turns Around | March 1989 | Likely | The looped part appears sporadically throughout Toni Halliday's Time Turns Around, and is re-purposed for use during the bridge sections of Policy Of Truth. Notably, this song enjoyed a remix by Wilder in the form of the Euro-Tech Mix. Credit to Home user 'Alex' for this discovery.[12] |
Clean | 1990 | Bass guitar | Pink Floyd - One Of These Days | 1971 | Disproven | Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Clean does not employ a sample from Pink Floyd:
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Orchestral string elements | Unidentified classical music recording, possibly Edward Elgar | ? | Confirmed | Notably, one of two sampled string loops as heard in the ending of Clean are re-purposed for use as orchestral stabs employed for the verse and chorus sections of Halo. | ||
Memphisto | 1990 | Orchestral string elements | Unidentified origin; possibly classical music recording, possibly Edward Elgar | ? | Confirmed | An orchestral string staccato (one of two) originally heard during the choruses of Halo is re-purposed as a looped bass element with a slow attack throughout Memphisto. It is unclear if this musical part is original or sampled from a third-party source. |
Orchestral string elements | Unidentified classical music recording, possibly Edward Elgar | ? | Confirmed | Similar to their use in Halo, both sampled string loops best heard in the outro of Clean are also used throughout Memphisto, notably during the second chorus section onward. | ||
Happiest Girl (Pulsating Orbital Mix) | 1990 | Engine idling/orchestral hit sample | The Tornadoes- Telstar | 1962 | Confirmed | Credit to Brat/Daniel Barassi for this discovery.[14] |
Sea Of Sin (Sensoria Mix) | 1990 | N/A | Madonna - Vogue | 1990 | Unconfirmed | |
Policy Of Truth (Trancentral Mix) | 1990 | "I'm not a politician, I'm a businessman" Robert Hoskins vocal sample | The Long Good Friday (film) | 1980 | Likely | |
N/A | My Side of the Story - The "Checkers" Speech, Richard M. Nixon speech broadcast, 1952 | 1952 | Uncomfirmed | |||
World In My Eyes (Oil Tank Mix) | 1990 | N/A | Kraftwerk - Musique Non-Stop | 1986 | Unconfirmed |
Songs of Faith and Devotion
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Notes |
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I Feel You | 1993 | Introductory distorted noise loop | Wilder confirms this particular part is a processed sound that originated from a non-described synthesizer in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
Part of the initial transient of the distorted noise loop present in the album version of I Feel You is removed so that the part begins on a brief moment of elevated pitch. This subtle edit produces an exciting result that would see use in all live performances of I Feel You from the 1993 Devotional Tour onward. |
Walking In My Shoes | 1993 | Processed piano/harpsichord main riff | The main riff is a combination of piano and harpsichord processed with liberal amounts of compression and guitar amplifier tremolo. Wilder confirms the composition of this sound in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
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Condemnation | 1993 | Improvised flight case bass drum | Wilder describes the recording of various elementary elements of Condemnation in an editorial on the official Recoil project site:
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Tambourine | The tambourine fill present at the end of each bar repeating throughout the piece is produced by scraping the tambourine against a wall. | ||
Judas | 1993 | "If you want my love" choir | This vocal performance is comprised of a large number of individual vocal recordings of individuals employed during the recording of Judas, the final album track to be recorded at Chateau du Pape Studio, with each individual's vocal performance multitracked six times each for a total of ninety indiidual voices, with additional delay, reverb, and EQ to introduce an intimate southern church-like quality to the vocals. Wilder describes the recording of this particular part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
|
Brass | Judas and Higher Love each employ similar sample-based brass parts during their respective bridge sections. | ||
In Your Room | 1993 | Textured variphone pad | This textured pad is derived from the variphone and is used to atmospheric effect during the first verse and the outro of In Your Room. A 'fuller' variation of this pad with added distortion is used during the build-up to the outro of Mercy In You.[15] |
Processed and double-tracked guitar "splang" chord samples | Wilder describes the recording of this particular part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
| ||
Orchestral tremolo string pads | A series of sustained orchestral tremolo string parts are employed throughout the track. The strings play in alternating chords to enhance the atmosphere of the choruses and build tension during the third verse's instrumental crescendo. | ||
Processed choir pads (reversed) | |||
Looped "noise" pad | A textured loop used sporadically during the introduction of In Your Room is a brief sample of ambient noise with audible wind chimes in the background introducing a "grainy" texture to the sound. The sample is reversed and subsequently looped, then transposed down several notes from its root key for the final result. | ||
Vocal 'ahs' | Samples comprising the vocal 'ah' melody heard in the outro of Enjoy The Silence are layered in with other processed vocals for use as a choir during the second verse of In Your Room as it was performed on the 1993 Devotional Tour. | ||
Higher Love | 1993 | Brass | Judas and Higher Love each employ similar sample-based brass parts during their respective bridge sections. |
My Joy | 1993 | Distorted bass hit | A distorted bass hit with built-in descending pitch originally recorded as part of the bassline of I Feel You is re-purposed as an accent in My Joy. The sample occurs on the beat at bar forty-seven (or at 1:48) at the start of the break, and plays one note above its root key. |
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Walking In My Shoes | 1993 | Drum loop | Funkadelic - Nappy Dugout | 1973 | Unconfirmed | |
Mercy In You | 1993 | Drum loop | The Headhunters - God Make Me Funky | 1975 | Unconfirmed | |
In Your Room | 1993 | Drum loop | Rusty Bryant - Fire Eater | 1971 | Confirmed | |
Drum loop | Simtec & Wylie - Bootleggin' | 1971 | Unconfirmed | |||
Drum loop | Melvin Bliss - Synthetic Substitution | 1973 | Unconfirmed | |||
Get Right With Me | 1993 | Classic John Bonham drum one-shots | Beastie Boys - Rhymin' And Stealin' | 1982 | Officially confirmed | Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks" which were sampled second-hand from a rap record (Beastie Boys - "Rhymin And Stealin"). These samples were later re-purposed for use in Halo and Get Right With Me. Massive Attack would use the sampled drum elements from "Get Right With Me" on the song "Man Next Door" from their 1998 album Mezzanine, bringing the number of times this famous drum sound had been directly sampled by an artist only to then be sampled from their record by another artist to a total of three (Led Zeppelin original > Beastie Boys > Depeche Mode > Massive Attack). |
Classic John Bonham drum one-shots | Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks | 1971 | Officially confirmed | Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks" which were sampled second-hand from a rap record (Beastie Boys - "Rhymin And Stealin"). These samples were later re-purposed for use in Halo and Get Right With Me. | ||
N/A | N.W.A. - Unspecified song | N/A | Unconfirmed | |||
Higher Love | 1993 | Drum loop | U2 - So Cruel | 1991 | Officially confirmed | Wilder indirectly confirmed in a response to a question regarding the sonic similarity between the drums of Depeche Mode's Higher Love and U2's "So Cruel" in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that a drum loop from U2's "So Cruel" was utilised by affirming producer Flood assisted in the production of both records (Depeche Mode would later cover this song, see So Cruel):
The loop is produced by sampling various parts from the introduction of the U2 original, where the piano and vocals are not present and the drum rhythm is most exposed. The sample is stretched to match Higher Love's tempo of approx. 98 and subsequently sliced into separate parts for the bass drum and snares, which are sequenced accordingly. The piano remains audible in the final result, adding a sense of space to the loop. A separate slicing process and treatment of this loop is performed for drum fills, where the loop is reversed and repeated every two beats. |
My Joy | 1993 | 'Rolling' percussion fill | Beastie Boys - Funky Boss | 1992 | Confirmed | The 'rolling' percussion fill audible in the intro of the Beastie Boys' "Funky Boss" is sampled and stretched via resampling to match My Joy's approx. 102 BPM tempo, with light distortion/saturation added to introduce a 'dirty' quality to the part. As it was in the Beastie Boys original, this sample remains in use as a drum fill, appearing sporadically throughout the song. |
Heavy drum loop with built-in bass drum, snare, and programmed hi-hat sequence | Beastie Boys - Pass The Mic | 1992 | Confirmed | The heavy drum loop present in the brief instrumental break of the Beastie Boys' song "Pass The Mic" is sampled and streched via resampling to match My Joy's slightly faster BPM. Once matched for tempo, the sample is sliced into two bars, placing the part that originally plays in the second bar (which features a "slurred" quality on the first snare hit) into the first bar, and the remaining content is placed into the second bar. The results are then looped with some light processing added, creating the main drum bed of My Joy. For drum fills, the final beat of the first bar containing a snare hit is sliced and placed prior to the start of the loop. For bars containing reverse percussion fills, a brief snippet of the second bar including just the first bass drum hits and the snare drum is sampled, reversed, stretched, and played from the seventh step in the bar. The drums were originally performed by Mike D. (Michael Diamond) during the recording of Check Your Head at G-Son Studios, Atwater Village, CA. According to the late MCA (Adam Yauch) in 1999:
| ||
Orchestral string samples: two looped samples, one one-shot | Edward Elgar - Unidentified composition | ? | Confirmed | Orchestral string elements originally used throughout Halo and during the outro of Clean are re-purposed for My Joy's outro. The looped orchestral sample most obviously heard during the fifth bar of the first verse of "Halo" is reversed, looped, and played from its root key to two notes above its root key to form the melodic two bar orchestral phrase heard during the line "I'm not a mountain, no, you move me". Next, the first of the two looped orchestral samples heard during the outro of Clean plays three notes down from its root key on the third bar. Finally, the "soaring" one-shot orchestral phrase heard on the final bar of all choruses in "Halo" besides the first chorus is looped with a short loop point towards the end of the sample and played three notes above its root key with a slow attack and a medium to long release time, forming the orchestral phrase heard on the fourth bar. The resulting four bar sequence then repeats for the remainder of the song.
Wilder confirmed in a July 27, 2011 interview with electricityclub.co.uk that Halo (and My Joy by proxy) employs orchestral string elements sampled from an unidentified recording(s) of music composed by celebrated English composer Edward Elgar. The sampled recording would have been released prior to May 1989. The nature of the samples vary, including two one-shot string staccato parts and sampled chords stretched and mixed with additional strings:
| ||
My Joy (Slow Slide Mix) | 1993 | Drum loop | James Brown - Funky Drummer | 1970 | Confirmed | |
Drum loop | Dexter Wansel - Theme From The Planets | 1976 | Confirmed | |||
In Your Room (Jeep Rock Mix) | 1993 | Drum loop | Skull Snaps - It's A New Day | 1973 | Confirmed | |
Walking In My Shoes (Extended Twelve Inch Mix) | 1993 | Drum loop with distinct bass drum, "roomy" snares, and ethnic percussion | The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Language Of Violence | 1992 | Confirmed | |
Walking In My Shoes (Grungy Gonads Mix) | 1993 | Drum loop | Mountain - Long Red | 1972 | Confirmed | |
Orchestral string passage | Ennio Morricone - In Chiesa, from the Ad Ogni Costo (film) soundtrack | 1967 | Officially confirmed | The string passage in the introduction to this orchestral piece was sampled by the late trip-hop pioneer Jonny Dollar and Portishead member Geoff Barrow[19] for use in the Walking In My Shoes (Grungy Gonads Mix). The sample is stretched to match the tempo of Walking In My Shoes, with sixteen manual scratches on the third bar producing an exciting scratch effect. The sample appears in multiple "Walking In My Shoes" remixes from the period, and has commonly been employed in many performances of this song since its live introduction on the 1993 Devotional Tour. Credit to Christopher Baird for this discovery.[20] | ||
Walking In My Shoes (Random Carpet Mix) | 1993 | Orchestral string samples | Doctor Zhivago (film) | 1965 | Unconfirmed |
Ultra
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Useless (The Kruder & Dorfmeister Session) | 1997 | Slide guitar stab | Depeche Mode - Policy Of Truth | 1990 | Confirmed | The Useless (Kruder & Dortmeister Session) includes a sample of a slide guitar stab from Depeche Mode's Policy Of Truth time-stretched to a slightly faster tempo. |
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Painkiller | 1997 | N/A | Vanessa Paradis - The Future Song | 1992 | Unconfirmed | |
It's No Good (Hardfloor Mix) | 1997 | Drum elements | Fat Larry's Band - Down In The Avenue | 1976 | Confirmed | Credit to Christopher Baird for this discovery.[21] |
Useless (Cosmic Blues Mix) | 1997 | "I want to hear you play some bass" vocal sample | National Lampoon's That's Not Funny, That's Sick (Sketch comedy album) | 1977 | Likely |
Exciter
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dream On (Remix) | 2001 | N/A | Kraftwerk - The Robots | 1978 | Unconfirmed | |
The Sweetest Condition | 2001 | N/A | Kraftwerk - Musique Non-Stop | 1986 | Unconfirmed |
Playing The Angel
Playing The Angel does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.
Sounds Of The Universe
Sounds Of The Universe does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.
Delta Machine
Delta Machine does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.
Spirit
Spirit does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.
Recoil
Upon his departure from Depeche Mode in 1995, Alan Wilder would expand upon the creative sampling techniques he developed through the years as a member of Depeche Mode for his Recoil music project, utilising samples from contemporary music, films, film soundtracks, and samples from his own past work with Depeche Mode.
1 + 2
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 & 2 | 1986 | N/A | Depeche Mode – Any Second Now (Altered) | 1981 | Confirmed | |
N/A | Depeche Mode – If You Want | 1984 | Confirmed | |||
N/A | Depeche Mode – The Sun & The Rainfall | 1982 | Confirmed | |||
N/A | Depeche Mode – "Oberkorn (It's A Small Town) | 1982 | Confirmed | |||
N/A | Depeche Mode – The Great Outdoors | 1983 | Confirmed | |||
N/A | Depeche Mode – Shouldn't Have Done That | 1982 | Confirmed | |||
N/A | Depeche Mode – Tora! Tora! Tora! | 1981 | Confirmed | |||
N/A | Depeche Mode – Shake The Disease (Edit the Shake) | 1985 | Confirmed | |||
N/A | Depeche Mode – Pipeline | 1983 | Confirmed | |||
N/A | Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours | 1984 | Confirmed |
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 & 2 | 1986 | N/A | Kraftwerk – Radioaktivität | 1975 | Unconfirmed | |
N/A | Kraftwerk – Uran | 1975 | Unconfirmed | |||
N/A | Kraftwerk – Radioland | 1975 | Unconfirmed | |||
N/A | Duet Emmo – Or So It Seems | 1983 | Unconfirmed | |||
N/A | Duet Emmo – Heart of Hearts | 1983 | Unconfirmed | |||
N/A | The Hitmen – Shade in, fade out | 1981 | Unconfirmed | |||
N/A | Hard Corps - Je Suis Passée | 1985 | Unconfirmed |
Hydrology
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stone | 1988 | French vocal sample | French train announcer, unidentified source | ? | Confirmed | Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Stone employs a vocal sample of a French train announcer, but is unsure of its origin.[22] |
Sermon | 1988 | Polish vocal sample | Report about Pope John Paul II's sermon in Warsaw | 9 June 1987 | Confirmed | Alan Wilder: The two fragments state the following:
|
Bloodline
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Faith Healer | 1992 | Bell tree sample | Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes | 1990 | Confirmed | This sample was originally sampled for use in Depeche Mode's World In My Eyes, and is re-used to atmospheric effect in Faith Healer. |
Snare | Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes | 1990 | Confirmed | |||
Drum fill elements | Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus | 1989 | Unconfirmed | |||
Combination of Xpander 'zap' and Pro One bass sweep[25] | Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence | 1990 | Confirmed | |||
"Eyes" vocoder sample | Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes (Dub In My Eyes Mix) | 1990 | Confirmed | |||
Looped 'ahh' vocal/choir sample (one of two) | Depeche Mode - Clean | 1990 | Confirmed | Credit to Christopher Baird for this discovery.[26] |
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Faith Healer | 1992 | Bell tree sample | Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman | 1982 | Confirmed | This sample was originally sampled for use in Depeche Mode's World In My Eyes, and is re-used to atmospheric effect in Faith Healer. |
Electro Blues for Bukka White | 1992 | N/A | David Bowie - Aladdin Sane | 1973 | Likely | |
Bukka White vocal performance | Bukka White - Shake 'Em On Down | 1937 | Confirmed | |||
Curse | 1992 | Diamanda Galás vocal sample | Diamanda Galás - Unidentified source | ? | Unconfirmed | |
Snare | Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance | 1990 | Confirmed | |||
The Defector | 1992 | Anthony Hopkins "Closer...", "That is his nature", "No, no, no, no, no" vocal samples | Silence Of The Lambs (film) | 1991 | Likely | |
The Defector | 1992 | N/A | LFO - El Ef Oh | 1991 | Unconfirmed |
Ebbhead (Nitzer Ebb album)
During the downtime between the conclusion of the 1990 World Violation Tour and the recording of Songs of Faith and Devotion, Alan Wilder would step into London's KONK Studios to record Recoil's Bloodline between January and March 1991. A month later, he would return to the studio to produce Depeche Mode support act Nitzer Ebb's Ebbhead record in collaboration with producer Flood and mix engineer Steve Lyon. As with his work in Depeche Mode and Recoil, Wilder would employ samples from a wide variety of sources in the production of this album.
Nitzer Ebb's Bon Harris on Wilder's musical prowess in 1991: "Alan has a very musical ear. He's classically trained, so he knows what he's doing when it comes to melody, but has no tolerance for pop - that's quite a good combination."[27]
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unidentified song | 1991 | N/A | Prince - Kiss | 1990 | Unconfirmed | In 1991, a fan contest was held where the winner would have the chance to spend a day in the studio with the members of Nitzer Ebb and Wilder during the recording of Ebbhead. During their time in the studio, the contest winner was played back a variety of samples by the group to see if they were able to identify their origin. One sample played to the contest winner was from Prince's 1990 lead single "Kiss", which the fan had difficulty identifying. This sample may or may not have made it onto the completed album. |
Unsound Methods
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Incubus | 1997 | Percussion elements | Depeche Mode - Clean | 1990 | Confirmed | This percussive loop was originally recorded for use in Depeche Mode's Clean, and is re-used among other percussive elements for a rhythmic, tribal atmosphere in Incubus. |
Last Breath | 1997 | E-bow guitar sample | Depeche Mode - Walking In My Shoes | 1993 | Unconfirmed |
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Incubus | 1997 | Shouting vocal sample | Peter Gabriel - Rhythm Of The Heat | 1982 | Likely | |
Last Breath | 1997 | Drum loop | The Incredible Bongo Band - Last Bongo in Belgium | 1973 | Likely | |
N/A | Ernest Gold and Pat Boone - The Exodus Song (This Land Is Mine) | 1960 | Unconfirmed | |||
Shunt | 1997 | Gated synth element | Piquet - Caress | 1996 | Confirmed | |
Sub bass and bass drum element | Massive Attack - Better Things | 1994 | Likely | |||
Drifting | 1997 | Gated synth element | Peter Gabriel - Slow Marimbas | 1985 | Confirmed | |
Stalker | 1997 | Ambient pads | Peter Gabriel - Birdy (film soundtrack) - Unidentified source song | 1985 | Unconfirmed | |
N/A | The Last Seduction (film) | 1994 | Unconfirmed | |||
Luscious Apparatus | 1997 | Introduction guitar chord | The Cure - Club America | 1996 | Likely | |
Control Freak | 1997 | N/A | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - You're All I Need To Get By | 1968 | Unconfirmed |
Liquid
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black Box (Full) | 2000 | Orchestral string part | Symphony No. 3 (Górecki) | 1992 | Unconfirmed | |
N/A | Plastikman - Consumed | 1998 | Unconfirmed | |||
Want | 2000 | Drum loop | PJ Harvey - Is This Desire? | 1998 | Likely |
SubHuman
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allelujah | 2007 | Processed and double-tracked guitar "splang" chord sample | Depeche Mode - In Your Room | 1993 | Confirmed | Wilder describes the recording of this particular part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:
|
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allelujah | 2007 | N/A | Tangerine Dream - Rubycon | 1975 | Unconfirmed | |
Drum loop | Elbow - Fugitive Motel | 2003 | Unconfirmed | |||
The Killing Ground | 2007 | Harmonica and drum elements | Talk Talk - The Rainbow | 1988 | Likely | |
99 To Life | 2007 | N/A | Digital Intervention - La Louve | 2003 | Unconfirmed |
Miscellaneous remixes
Self-made samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In Chains (Alan Wilder Remix) | 2011 | Ambient pads | Depeche Mode - The Darkest Star | 2005 | Confirmed | |
Orchestral string arrangement | Depeche Mode - I Am You | 2001 | Confirmed | |||
Inheritance | 2012 | Percussion elements | Depeche Mode - Nothing's Impossible | 2005 | Unconfirmed | |
Dum Dum Girl feat. Shara Worden | 2012 | Percussion elements | Depeche Mode - Nothing's Impossible | 2005 | Confirmed |
Sourced samples
Song | Song release year | Sample Description | Source of sample | Source release year | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I Am Undone (Alan Wilder Remix) | 2011 | Percussion elements | Scott Walker - Manhattan | 1995 | Unconfirmed |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Source: SHUNT : ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : SOME GREAT REWARD
- ↑ Source: User 'fishureprice' (Brat/Daniel Barassi) Instagram post
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Source: SHUNT : ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : BLACK CELEBRATION
- ↑ Source: Muzines.co.uk : Articles : Modes Of Operation (Electroics & Music Maker, August 1986)
- ↑ Source: Home user 'personal cheese' forum post
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Source: Super Deluxe Edition July 4, 2019 Producer Dave Bascombe on Depeche Mode's 'Music For The Masses'
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : MUSIC FOR THE MASSES
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : VIOLATOR
- ↑ Source: SHUNT : ARCHIVES : REPORT : EDITORIAL : VIOLATOR
- ↑ Source: SHUNT : ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : VIOLATOR : PAGE TWO
- ↑ Source: ALAN WILDER Interview - July 27, 2011
- ↑ Source: Home user 'Alex' forum post
- ↑ Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : VIOLATOR
- ↑ Source: Home user 'BRATMix' forum post
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION
- ↑ Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : EDITORIAL : DM Singles 86-98
- ↑ Source: Beastiemania Song Spotlight : Pass The Mic
- ↑ Source: ALAN WILDER Interview - July 27, 2011
- ↑ Source: Alan Wilder Facebook comment
- ↑ Source: HOME user 'Bairdicus' comment HOME : Depeche Mode : In General : Simple Questions. Quick Answers
- ↑ Source: HOME user Bairdicus comment HOME : Depeche Mode : In General : Sampled by Depeche Mode
- ↑ Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : Recoil : 1 + 2 / HYDROLOGY
- ↑ Sources: Interview with Alan Wilder for Wyborcza Poland, 2010-04-19 + Interview with Alan Wilder for Devotees.pl, 2008-02-21
- ↑ Transcribed by Aleksandra Lech for DMLiveWiki on 2019-07-30
- ↑ Source: Depeche Mode remixer Black Light Odyssey (GearSlutz user 'dubnspace') GearSlutz : Forum : Electronic Music Instruments and Electronic Music Production : Depeche Mode Enjoy The Silence synth sweep sound
- ↑ Source: HOME user 'Bairdicus' comment HOME : Depeche Mode : In General : Sampled by Depeche Mode
- ↑ Source: American Radio History : Archive: 1991-07-05