Blasphemous Rumours

Blasphemous Rumours
Song Artist Depeche Mode Album Some Great Reward Songwriter Martin L. Gore Produced by Depeche Mode Daniel Miller Gareth Jones Recorded at Music Works (Highbury, London) Hansa Mischraum (Berlin) Label Mute Records Length (mm:ss) 5:06 (album version) 6:20 (12" version) Tempo 120 BPM Time signature 4/4 Key B Major Engineering assistance Ben Ward Stefi Marcus Colin McMahon Design Martyn Atkins David A. Jones Marcx Photography Brian Griffin Photography assistance Stuart Graham Recorded June 1984 Originally released October 29, 1984 Played live 257 times * Total live plays 257 times *

Notes

Martin Gore tells WLIR in 1986:

"['Blasphemous Rumours'] was mainly inspired from the early days of the band or even before the band got started, when Andy and Vince were regular churchgoers, and I just used to go along because they were my friends. I just thought it was quite interesting. I was never a practicing Christian, although they were. And when you're not involved in it, I think you really notice the hypocrisy and just the funny side to things. One thing I often quoted is this thing called the "prayer list": every week they would sit and pray for people who were seriously ill, and you could guarantee that most of them, the majority of the people who they prayed for, would die. But they took that as, like, being very, very positive, that was "God's will" and "They've gone to somewhere better". And it's just, when you're not part of it, it just seems very ridiculous, very funny. I know a lot of people out there are not gonna agree with me."

Andy Fletcher told the 18th May 1985 issue of No.1 Magazine:

"The song 'Blasphemous Rumours' stems from our experiences then. There was a prayer list of people who were sick in some way and you'd pray for the person on top of that list until they died. When Martin first played me 'Blasphemous Rumours' I was quite offended. I can see why people would dislike it. It certainly verges on the offensive."

Alan says in the November 1984 issue of International Musician And Recording World:

"We sampled some concrete being hit for what turned out to be the snare sound. All that entailed was us hitting a big lump of concrete with a sampling hammer. The engineer / producer we use, Gareth Jones, has got this brilliant little recorder called a Stellavox which we use with two stereo mikes and it's as good as any standard 30ips reel-to-reel but this is very small and therefore very portable. So we just took the Stellavox out into the middle of this big, ambient space and miked up the ground and hit it with a big metal hammer. The sound was… like concrete being hit. I can't really put it any other way."

Throughout this track, an "arr, arr" sound can be heard that can be heard at the beginning of 'Something To Do' as well. When Alan Wilder was asked about this on Shunt, he replied:

"I can't really remember exactly - you are asking me about a sound made about 14 years ago! It sounds like it was a piece of speech put through a modular synth (possibly some other effects) and distorted. I would think it was then sampled and reproduced from either the Emulator or Synclavier."

Quotes from the documentary on the DVD of the Some Great Reward remaster from 2006:

Neil Ferris: "The problem came with Blasphemous Rumours: that was a very, very difficult record, and there were a lot of people who felt that that song, lyrically, and just the title of it, that the record shouldn't be on the radio. And we did struggle with radio play, and there were certain people who objected to playing it, and they made their feelings very strongly known."

Dave Gahan: "Alternatively, over in the States, it got played. You know, stations out here in Long Island, WDRE, played us, started to play it, on the sort of underground, alternative stations."

When Depeche Mode was interviewed about the songs on the '101' CD for the April 1989 issue of French magazine 'Best', Martin Gore said (translated from French):

"Of all of our songs, this is one that gets the most response. I'm not just talking about live on stage. Although it's a track that is starting to age, I continue to receive letters from fans who tell me about it. Nowadays, they tell me they like it. But when it was released, I received a lot of letters from people who were shocked by the lyrics. They wanted to have 'Blasphemous Rumours' banned on the radio."

All four members of Depeche Mode discussed the reception to Blasphemous Rumours in an October 1985 interview with English magazine No. 1:

Andrew Fletcher: "When we went to America we thought we´d get a lot of the same stick[sic] for this record that we´d get over in Europe but we didn't. We got a lot of letters slagging it."
Alan Wilder: "In Europe, the problem was they couldn't say it."
Martin Gore: "Neither this nor 'Master And Servant' had any shock value, they weren't intended to shock people. They both had a good meaning."
Dave Gahan: "I think the problem arose because it had the word 'Blasphemous' in the title, so the record itself must be, whereas it´s just the thoughts of one man looking for some kind of a reason in the goings on in the world. We did get response from Christian associations saying that they understood what we were trying to say."
Andrew Fletcher: "There was also a feature in a Christian magazine, which I used to read, putting across our side."

Lyrics

Blasphemous Rumours

Girl of sixteen

Whole life ahead of her

Slashed her wrists

Bored with life

Didn't succeed

Thank the lord

For small mercies

Fighting back the tears

Mother reads the note again

Sixteen candles burn in her mind

She takes the blame

It's always the same

She goes down on her knees and prays

I don't want to start

Any blasphemous rumours

But I think that God's

Got a sick sense of humour

And when I die

I expect to find Him laughing

Girl of eighteen

Fell in love with everything

Found new life

In Jesus Christ

Hit by a car

Ended up

On a life support machine

Summer's day

As she passed away

Birds were singing

In the summer sky

Then came the rain

And once again

A tear fell from her mother's eye

I don't want to start

Any blasphemous rumours

But I think that God's

Got a sick sense of humour

And when I die

I expect to find Him laughing

Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1984 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dates with available recordings of Blasphemous Rumours

There are currently 197 recordings of Blasphemous Rumours available.

• 1984-10-05 SFX, Dublin, Ireland/Source 1
• 1984-10-08 Apollo, Manchester, England, UK/Source 1
• 1984-10-13 Odeon, Birmingham, England, UK/Source 1
• 1984-10-16 Barrowlands, Glasgow, Scotland, UK/Source 1
• 1984-10-20 City Hall, Newcastle, England, UK/Source 1
• 1984-10-23 The Dome, Brighton, England, UK/Source 1
• 1984-11-02 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK/Source 2
• 1984-11-02 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK/Source 3
• 1984-11-15 Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark/Source 1
• 1984-11-16 Eriksdalshallen, Stockholm, Sweden/Source 1
• 1984-11-17 Olympen, Lund, Sweden/Source 1
• 1984-11-17 Olympen, Lund, Sweden/Source 2
• 1984-11-20 Grugahalle, Essen, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-11-21 Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Ludwigshafen, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-11-23 Stadthalle, Freiburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-11-26 Teatro Tenda, Florence, Italy/Source 1
• 1984-11-27 Teatro Tenda, Bologna, Italy/Source 1
• 1984-11-28 Teatro Tenda, Milan, Italy/Source 1
• 1984-11-28 Teatro Tenda, Milan, Italy/Source 2
• 1984-11-30 St. Jacobs Sporthalle, Basel, Switzerland/Source 1
• 1984-11-30 St. Jacobs Sporthalle, Basel, Switzerland/Source 2
• 1984-11-30 St. Jacobs Sporthalle, Basel, Switzerland/Source 3
• 1984-12-01 Deutches Museum, Munich, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-12-03 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-12-04 Eilenriedehalle, Hannover, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-12-05 Münsterlandhalle, Münster, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-12-07 Weser-Ems-Halle, Oldenburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-12-08 Ostseehalle, Kiel, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-12-09 Alsterdorf Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-12-09 Alsterdorf Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 2
• 1984-12-11 Sporthalle, Böblingen, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-12-14 Alsterdorf Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1984-12-17 Bercy, Paris, France/Source 1
• 1984-12-18 Zaal Brielpoort, Deinze, Belgium/Source 1
• 1985-03-14 Warner Theatre, Washington, D.C., USA/Source 1
• 1985-03-15 Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY, USA/Source 1
• 1985-03-16 Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, USA/Source 1
• 1985-03-26 Cullen Auditorium, Houston, TX, USA/Source 1
• 1985-03-26 Cullen Auditorium, Houston, TX, USA/Source 2
• 1985-03-27 Bronco Bowl, Dallas, TX, USA/Source 1
• 1985-04-07 Koseinenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan/Source 1
• 1985-04-08 Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, Japan/Source 1
• 1985-04-09 Koseinenkin Hall, Osaka, Japan/Source 1
• 1985-04-12 Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, Japan/Source 1
• 1985-07-06 Torhout Festival, Torhout, Belgium/Source 1
• 1985-07-07 Werchter Festival, Werchter, Belgium/Source 1
• 1985-07-07 Werchter Festival, Werchter, Belgium/Source 2
• 1985-07-09 Theatre De Verdure, Nice, France/Source 1
• 1985-07-13 Rockscene Festival, Guehenno, France/Source 1
• 1985-07-13 Rockscene Festival, Guehenno, France/Source 2
• 1985-07-13 Rockscene Festival, Guehenno, France/Source 3
• 1985-07-13 Rockscene Festival, Guehenno, France/Source 4
• 1985-07-23 Volan Stadium, Budapest, Hungary/Source 1
• 1985-07-26 Panathinaiko Stadium, Athens, Greece/Source 1
• 1985-07-30 Torwar Hall, Warsaw, Poland/Source 1
• 1985-07-30 Torwar Hall, Warsaw, Poland/Source 2
• 1985-07-30 Torwar Hall, Warsaw, Poland/Source 3
• 1985-07-30 Torwar Hall, Warsaw, Poland/Source 5
• 1986-03-31 New Conference Centre, Brighton, England, UK/Source 1
• 1986-04-02 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland/Source 1
• 1986-04-06 S.E.C.C., Glasgow, Scotland/Source 1
• 1986-04-07 Icerink, Whitley Bay, England, UK/Source 1
• 1986-04-10 N.E.C., Birmingham, England, UK/Source 1
• 1986-04-10 N.E.C., Birmingham, England, UK/Source 2
• 1986-04-10 N.E.C., Birmingham, England, UK/Source 3
• 1986-04-12 Manchester Apollo, Manchester, England, UK/Source 1
• 1986-04-14 International Centre, Bournemouth, England, UK/Source 1
• 1986-04-16 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK/Source 1
• 1986-04-16 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK/Source 2
• 1986-04-16 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK/Source 3
• 1986-04-16 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK/Source 4
• 1986-04-16 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK/Source 5
• 1986-04-16 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK/Source 6
• 1986-04-17 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK/Source 1
• 1986-04-24 Skedsmohallen, Oslo, Norway/Source 1
• 1986-04-25 Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden/Source 1
• 1986-04-26 Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden/Source 1
• 1986-04-28 Valbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark/Source 1
• 1986-04-29 Eilenriedehalle, Hannover, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-04-30 Eurogress, Aachen, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-02 Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-02 Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Germany/Source 2
• 1986-05-02 Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Germany/Source 3
• 1986-05-03 Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, Munich, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-06 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France/Source 1
• 1986-05-07 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France/Source 1
• 1986-05-08 Palais des Sports, Lyon, France/Source 1
• 1986-05-10 Forest National, Brussels, Belgium/Source 1
• 1986-05-11 Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-11 Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany/Source 2
• 1986-05-13 Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Ludwigshafen, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-16 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-16 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 2
• 1986-05-17 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-18 Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-20 Münsterlandhalle, Münster, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-22 Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-05-22 Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany/Source 2
• 1986-05-24 Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands/Source 1
• 1986-05-25 Walter-Köbel-Halle, Rüsselsheim, Germany/Source 1
• 1986-06-01 Wang Theatre, Boston, MA, USA/Source 1
• 1986-06-08 Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY, USA/Source 1
• 1986-06-13 Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY, USA/Source 1
• 1986-06-14 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, USA/Source 1
• 1986-06-24 St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN, USA/Source 1
• 1986-07-01 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver, CO, USA/Source 1
• 1986-07-13 The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA/Source 1
• 1986-07-14 Irvine Meadows, Irvine, CA, USA/Source 1
• 1986-07-21 Koseinenkin Hall, Osaka, Japan/Source 1
• 1986-07-22 Koseinenkin Hall, Nagoya, Japan/Source 1
• 1986-07-23 NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan/Source 1
• 1986-08-04 Arènes de Frejus, Fréjus, France/Source 1
• 1986-08-04 Arènes de Frejus, Fréjus, France/Source 2
• 1986-08-06 Stadio Comunale, Rimini, Italy/Source 1
• 1986-08-08 Les Arenes, Nimes, France/Source 1
• 1986-08-12 Arènes de Bayonne, Bayonne, France/Source 1
• 1986-08-16 Valbyparken, Copenhagen, Denmark/Source 1
• 1986-08-16 Valbyparken, Copenhagen, Denmark/Source 2
• 1987-10-22 Pabellon De Real Madrid, Madrid, Spain/Source 1
• 1987-10-23 Blaugrana Sports Palas, Barcelona, Spain/Source 1
• 1987-10-25 Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany/Source 1
• 1987-10-26 Palasport, Bologna, Italy/Source 1
• 1987-10-27 Paleur, Rome, Italy/Source 1
• 1987-10-29 Palasport, Turin, Italy/Source 1
• 1987-10-29 Palasport, Turin, Italy/Source 2
• 1987-10-30 Palatrussardi, Milan, Italy/Source 1
• 1987-11-02 Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Germany/Source 1
• 1987-11-03 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany/Source 1
• 1987-11-04 Grugahalle, Essen, Germany/Source 1
• 1987-11-04 Grugahalle, Essen, Germany/Source 2
• 1987-11-06 Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany/Source 1
• 1987-11-06 Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany/Source 2
• 1987-11-06 Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany/Source 3
• 1987-11-07 Messehalle, Hannover, Germany/Source 1
• 1987-11-09 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany/Source 1
• 1987-11-11 Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Ludwigshafen, Germany/Source 1
• 1987-11-12 Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland/Source 1
• 1987-11-12 Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland/Source 2
• 1987-11-13 Halle des Fêtes, Lausanne, Switzerland/Source 1
• 1987-11-16 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France/Source 1
• 1987-11-17 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France/Source 1
• 1987-11-18 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France/Source 1
• 1987-12-04 The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA/Source 1
• 1987-12-04 The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA/Source 2
• 1987-12-12 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL, USA/Source 1
• 1987-12-15 The Forum, Montreal, QC, Canada/Source 1
• 1987-12-18 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA/Source 1
• 1987-12-18 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA/Source 2
• 1988-01-09 Newport Centre, Newport, Wales, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-11 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-12 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-15 N.E.C., Birmingham, England, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-16 Icerink, Whitley Bay, England, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-17 Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-19 G-MEX Centre, Manchester, England, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-20 Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield, England, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-21 St. George's Hall, Bradford, England, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-23 B.I.C., Bournemouth, England, UK/Source 1
• 1988-01-24 Centre, Brighton, England, UK/Source 1
• 1988-02-06 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1988-02-07 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1988-02-09 Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany/Source 1
• 1988-02-10 Weser-Ems-Halle, Oldenburg, Germany/Source 1
• 1988-02-12 Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden/Source 1
• 1988-02-12 Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden/Source 3
• 1988-02-12 Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden/Source 4
• 1988-02-13 Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden/Source 1
• 1988-02-13 Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden/Source 2
• 1988-02-15 Drammenshallen, Drammen, Norway/Source 1
• 1988-02-17 Valbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark/Source 1
• 1988-02-18 Valbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark/Source 1
• 1988-02-19 Ostseehalle, Kiel, Germany/Source 1
• 1988-02-21 Forest National, Brussels, Belgium/Source 1
• 1988-02-23 Espace Foire, Lille, France/Source 1
• 1988-02-26 La Beaujoire, Nantes, France/Source 1
• 1988-02-27 Patinoire, Bordeaux, France/Source 1
• 1988-02-29 Palais des Sports, Toulouse, France/Source 1
• 1988-03-01 Le Zenith, Montpellier, France/Source 1
• 1988-03-02 Palais des Sports, Lyon, France/Source 1
• 1988-03-05 Hall Rhenus, Strasbourg, France/Source 1
• 1988-03-07 Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle, East-Berlin, East-Germany/Source 1
• 1988-03-09 Sportcsarnok, Budapest, Hungary/Source 1
• 1988-03-10 Sportcsarnok, Budapest, Hungary/Source 1
• 1988-03-11 Sportovni Hala, Prague, Czech Republic/Source 1
• 1988-03-13 Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria/Source 1
• 1988-04-18 Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan/Source 1
• 1988-04-19 Koseinenkin Hall, Nagoya, Japan/Source 1
• 1988-04-21 NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan/Source 1
• 1988-04-22 NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan/Source 1
• 1988-04-29 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountainview, CA, USA/Source 1
• 1988-05-04 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, BC, Canada/Source 1
• 1988-05-08 Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT, USA/Source 1
• 1988-05-09 McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO, USA/Source 1
• 1988-05-18 Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN, USA/Source 1
• 1988-05-20 Poplar Creek Music Fest, Chicago, IL, USA/Source 1
• 1988-06-01 Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ, USA/Source 1
• Something Went Wrong (compilation)

Dates where Blasphemous Rumours was played

1984-1985 Some Great Reward Tour

Blasphemous Rumours was played 81 times during this tour.

• 1984-09-27 Coliseum, St. Austell, England, UK
• 1984-09-28 Victoria Hall, Hanley, England, UK
• 1984-09-29 Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England, UK
• 1984-10-01 Apollo, Oxford, England, UK
• 1984-10-02 Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, England, UK
• 1984-10-04 SFX, Dublin, Ireland
• 1984-10-05 SFX, Dublin, Ireland
• 1984-10-06 Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 1984-10-08 Apollo, Manchester, England, UK
• 1984-10-09 Leisure Centre, Gloucester, England, UK
• 1984-10-10 St. David's Hall, Cardiff, Wales, UK
• 1984-10-12 Odeon, Birmingham, England, UK
• 1984-10-13 Odeon, Birmingham, England, UK
• 1984-10-14 King George's Hall, Blackburn, England, UK
• 1984-10-16 Barrowlands, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
• 1984-10-17 Capitol Theatre, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
• 1984-10-18 Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• 1984-10-19 City Hall, Sheffield, England, UK
• 1984-10-20 City Hall, Newcastle, England, UK
• 1984-10-22 Colston Hall, Bristol, England, UK
• 1984-10-23 The Dome, Brighton, England, UK
• 1984-10-24 Guildhall, Portsmouth, England, UK
• 1984-10-27 Gaumont, Ipswich, England, UK
• 1984-10-29 De Montford Hall, Leicester, England, UK
• 1984-10-30 Gaumont, Southampton, England, UK
• 1984-11-01 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1984-11-02 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1984-11-03 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1984-11-04 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, UK
• 1984-11-15 Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1984-11-16 Eriksdalshallen, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1984-11-17 Olympen, Lund, Sweden
• 1984-11-20 Grugahalle, Essen, Germany
• 1984-11-21 Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Ludwigshafen, Germany
• 1984-11-22 Siegerlandhalle, Siegen, Germany
• 1984-11-23 Stadthalle, Freiburg, Germany
• 1984-11-26 Teatro Tenda, Florence, Italy
• 1984-11-27 Teatro Tenda, Bologna, Italy
• 1984-11-28 Teatro Tenda, Milan, Italy
• 1984-11-30 St. Jacobs Sporthalle, Basel, Switzerland
• 1984-12-01 Deutches Museum, Munich, Germany
• 1984-12-03 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany
• 1984-12-04 Eilenriedehalle, Hannover, Germany
• 1984-12-05 Münsterlandhalle, Münster, Germany
• 1984-12-07 Weser-Ems-Halle, Oldenburg, Germany
• 1984-12-08 Ostseehalle, Kiel, Germany
• 1984-12-09 Alsterdorf Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1984-12-11 Sporthalle, Böblingen, Germany
• 1984-12-12 Stadthalle, Offenbach, Germany
• 1984-12-13 Phillipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany
• 1984-12-14 Alsterdorf Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1984-12-16 De Doelen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• 1984-12-17 Bercy, Paris, France
• 1984-12-18 Zaal Brielpoort, Deinze, Belgium
• 1985-03-14 Warner Theatre, Washington, D.C., USA
• 1985-03-15 Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY, USA
• 1985-03-16 Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, USA
• 1985-03-18 Le Spectrum, Montreal, QC, Canada
• 1985-03-19 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1985-03-20 Royal Oak Theatre, Detroit, MI, USA
• 1985-03-22 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL, USA
• 1985-03-23 Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, USA
• 1985-03-24 Shryock Auditorium, Carbondale, IL, USA
• 1985-03-26 Cullen Auditorium, Houston, TX, USA
• 1985-03-27 Bronco Bowl, Dallas, TX, USA
• 1985-03-30 Palladium, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• 1985-03-31 Irvine Meadows, Laguna Hills, CA, USA
• 1985-04-01 Sports Arena, San Diego, CA, USA
• 1985-04-03 Kaiser Auditorium, Oakland, CA, USA
• 1985-04-07 Koseinenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan
• 1985-04-08 Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, Japan
• 1985-04-09 Koseinenkin Hall, Osaka, Japan
• 1985-04-12 Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, Japan
• 1985-07-06 Torhout Festival, Torhout, Belgium
• 1985-07-07 Werchter Festival, Werchter, Belgium
• 1985-07-09 Theatre De Verdure, Nice, France
• 1985-07-11 Espace Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
• 1985-07-13 Rockscene Festival, Guehenno, France
• 1985-07-23 Volan Stadium, Budapest, Hungary
• 1985-07-26 Panathinaiko Stadium, Athens, Greece
• 1985-07-30 Torwar Hall, Warsaw, Poland

1986 Black Celebration Tour

Blasphemous Rumours was played 75 times during this tour.

• 1986-03-29 Apollo, Oxford, England, UK
• 1986-03-31 New Conference Centre, Brighton, England, UK
• 1986-04-02 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
• 1986-04-04 Maysfield Leisure Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 1986-04-06 S.E.C.C., Glasgow, Scotland
• 1986-04-07 Icerink, Whitley Bay, England, UK
• 1986-04-09 N.E.C., Birmingham, England, UK
• 1986-04-10 N.E.C., Birmingham, England, UK
• 1986-04-12 Manchester Apollo, Manchester, England, UK
• 1986-04-13 Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol, England, UK
• 1986-04-14 International Centre, Bournemouth, England, UK
• 1986-04-16 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK
• 1986-04-17 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK
• 1986-04-24 Skedsmohallen, Oslo, Norway
• 1986-04-25 Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
• 1986-04-26 Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1986-04-28 Valbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1986-04-29 Eilenriedehalle, Hannover, Germany
• 1986-04-30 Eurogress, Aachen, Germany
• 1986-05-02 Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Germany
• 1986-05-03 Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, Munich, Germany
• 1986-05-04 Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
• 1986-05-06 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 1986-05-07 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 1986-05-08 Palais des Sports, Lyon, France
• 1986-05-10 Forest National, Brussels, Belgium
• 1986-05-11 Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany
• 1986-05-13 Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Ludwigshafen, Germany
• 1986-05-14 Saarlandhalle, Saarbrücken, Germany
• 1986-05-16 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1986-05-17 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1986-05-18 Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany
• 1986-05-20 Münsterlandhalle, Münster, Germany
• 1986-05-21 Stadthalle, Bremen, Germany
• 1986-05-22 Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
• 1986-05-24 Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• 1986-05-25 Walter-Köbel-Halle, Rüsselsheim, Germany
• 1986-06-01 Wang Theatre, Boston, MA, USA
• 1986-06-03 Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, USA
• 1986-06-04 Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, USA
• 1986-06-06 Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY, USA
• 1986-06-07 Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY, USA
• 1986-06-08 Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY, USA
• 1986-06-10 Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
• 1986-06-12 Finger Lakes, Rochester, NY, USA
• 1986-06-13 Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY, USA
• 1986-06-14 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, USA
• 1986-06-17 Verdun Auditorium, Montreal, QC, Canada
• 1986-06-18 Kingswood Music Theatre, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1986-06-20 Kingswood Music Theatre, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1986-06-21 Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI, USA
• 1986-06-22 Poplar Creek Music Fest, Chicago, IL, USA
• 1986-06-24 St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN, USA
• 1986-06-26 Will Rogers Auditorium, Fort Worth, TX, USA
• 1986-06-28 City Coliseum, Austin, TX, USA
• 1986-06-29 Southern Star Amphitheater, Houston, TX, USA
• 1986-07-01 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver, CO, USA
• 1986-07-03 Park West, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
• 1986-07-05 Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, USA
• 1986-07-06 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountainview, CA, USA
• 1986-07-08 Expo Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
• 1986-07-11 Sports Arena, San Diego, CA, USA
• 1986-07-13 The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA
• 1986-07-14 Irvine Meadows, Irvine, CA, USA
• 1986-07-15 Irvine Meadows, Irvine, CA, USA
• 1986-07-21 Koseinenkin Hall, Osaka, Japan
• 1986-07-22 Koseinenkin Hall, Nagoya, Japan
• 1986-07-23 NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan
• 1986-08-04 Arènes de Frejus, Fréjus, France
• 1986-08-05 Stadio Comunale, Pietra Ligure, Italy
• 1986-08-06 Stadio Comunale, Rimini, Italy
• 1986-08-08 Les Arenes, Nimes, France
• 1986-08-09 Stade D'Annecy Le Vieux, Annecy, France
• 1986-08-12 Arènes de Bayonne, Bayonne, France
• 1986-08-16 Valbyparken, Copenhagen, Denmark

1987-1988 Music For The Masses Tour

Blasphemous Rumours was played 101 times during this tour.

• 1987-10-22 Pabellon De Real Madrid, Madrid, Spain
• 1987-10-23 Blaugrana Sports Palas, Barcelona, Spain
• 1987-10-25 Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
• 1987-10-26 Palasport, Bologna, Italy
• 1987-10-27 Paleur, Rome, Italy
• 1987-10-29 Palasport, Turin, Italy
• 1987-10-30 Palatrussardi, Milan, Italy
• 1987-11-02 Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Germany
• 1987-11-03 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
• 1987-11-04 Grugahalle, Essen, Germany
• 1987-11-06 Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany
• 1987-11-07 Messehalle, Hannover, Germany
• 1987-11-09 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany
• 1987-11-11 Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Ludwigshafen, Germany
• 1987-11-12 Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
• 1987-11-13 Halle des Fêtes, Lausanne, Switzerland
• 1987-11-16 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 1987-11-17 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 1987-11-18 Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 1987-12-01 Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA, USA
• 1987-12-04 The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA
• 1987-12-05 The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA
• 1987-12-07 Sports Arena, San Diego, CA, USA
• 1987-12-08 Compton Terrace, Phoenix, AZ, USA
• 1987-12-10 Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX, USA
• 1987-12-12 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL, USA
• 1987-12-14 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1987-12-15 The Forum, Montreal, QC, Canada
• 1987-12-17 Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA, USA
• 1987-12-18 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA
• 1988-01-09 Newport Centre, Newport, Wales, UK
• 1988-01-11 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK
• 1988-01-12 Wembley Arena, London, England, UK
• 1988-01-15 N.E.C., Birmingham, England, UK
• 1988-01-16 Icerink, Whitley Bay, England, UK
• 1988-01-17 Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• 1988-01-19 G-MEX Centre, Manchester, England, UK
• 1988-01-20 Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield, England, UK
• 1988-01-21 St. George's Hall, Bradford, England, UK
• 1988-01-23 B.I.C., Bournemouth, England, UK
• 1988-01-24 Centre, Brighton, England, UK
• 1988-02-06 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1988-02-07 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
• 1988-02-09 Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
• 1988-02-10 Weser-Ems-Halle, Oldenburg, Germany
• 1988-02-12 Johanneshov Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1988-02-13 Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
• 1988-02-15 Drammenshallen, Drammen, Norway
• 1988-02-17 Valbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1988-02-18 Valbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1988-02-19 Ostseehalle, Kiel, Germany
• 1988-02-21 Forest National, Brussels, Belgium
• 1988-02-23 Espace Foire, Lille, France
• 1988-02-25 Parc De Penfeld, Brest, France
• 1988-02-26 La Beaujoire, Nantes, France
• 1988-02-27 Patinoire, Bordeaux, France
• 1988-02-29 Palais des Sports, Toulouse, France
• 1988-03-01 Le Zenith, Montpellier, France
• 1988-03-02 Palais des Sports, Lyon, France
• 1988-03-04 Palais Des Sports, Besancon, France
• 1988-03-05 Hall Rhenus, Strasbourg, France
• 1988-03-07 Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle, East-Berlin, East-Germany
• 1988-03-09 Sportcsarnok, Budapest, Hungary
• 1988-03-10 Sportcsarnok, Budapest, Hungary
• 1988-03-11 Sportovni Hala, Prague, Czech Republic
• 1988-03-13 Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
• 1988-04-18 Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan
• 1988-04-19 Koseinenkin Hall, Nagoya, Japan
• 1988-04-21 NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan
• 1988-04-22 NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan
• 1988-04-29 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountainview, CA, USA
• 1988-04-30 Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA, USA
• 1988-05-02 Coliseum, Seattle, WA, USA
• 1988-05-04 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, BC, Canada
• 1988-05-05 Civic Auditorium, Portland, OR, USA
• 1988-05-06 Civic Auditorium, Portland, OR, USA
• 1988-05-08 Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
• 1988-05-09 McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO, USA
• 1988-05-11 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX, USA
• 1988-05-13 Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, TX, USA
• 1988-05-14 Southern Star Amphitheater, Houston, TX, USA
• 1988-05-15 Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA, USA
• 1988-05-17 Five Seasons Center, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
• 1988-05-18 Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN, USA
• 1988-05-20 Poplar Creek Music Fest, Chicago, IL, USA
• 1988-05-21 Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI, USA
• 1988-05-22 Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
• 1988-05-24 Starwood Amphitheatre, Nashville, TN, USA
• 1988-05-25 Southern Star Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA, USA
• 1988-05-27 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA, USA
• 1988-05-28 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, USA
• 1988-05-30 Blossom Music Festival, Cleveland, OH, USA
• 1988-06-01 Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ, USA
• 1988-06-03 Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY, USA
• 1988-06-04 Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY, USA
• 1988-06-07 Great Woods Amphitheater, Mansfield, MA, USA
• 1988-06-08 The Forum, Montreal, QC, Canada
• 1988-06-09 CNE Grandstand, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1988-06-11 AJ Palumbo Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
• 1988-06-15 Compton Terrace, Phoenix, AZ, USA
• 1988-06-18 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA, USA

1990 World Violation Tour

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

1993 Devotional Tour

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

1994 Exotic Tour

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

1997 Ultra Parties

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

1998 The Singles Tour

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

2001 Exciter Tour

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

2003 Paper Monsters Tour (Dave Gahan solo)

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

2003 "A Night With Martin L. Gore" (Martin L. Gore solo)

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

2005-2006 Touring The Angel

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

2013-2014 Delta Machine Tour

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

2017-2018 Global Spirit Tour

• Blasphemous Rumours was not played during this tour.

← 8. If You Want

9. Blasphemous Rumours List of Some Great Reward songs

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