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It's Called A Heart: Difference between revisions

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== Notes ==
== Notes ==


[[Dave Gahan]] and [[Andrew Fletcher]] appeared on '{{EL|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQBaB7gI2VI Saturday Picture Show: Pop Profile' in September 1985}}, and they took a note from {{MLG}} with them on which Gore wrote the meaning of {{S|It's Called A Heart}}:
[[Dave Gahan]] and [[Andrew Fletcher]] appeared on '[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQBaB7gI2VI Saturday Picture Show: Pop Profile' in September 1985], and they took a note from {{MLG}} with them on which Gore wrote the meaning of {{S|It's Called A Heart}}:
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
'''Interviewer''': Now, your new single is called...?<br>
'''Interviewer''': Now, your new single is called...?<br>
Line 61: Line 61:
== Selection as a single ==
== Selection as a single ==


In a documentary included in the remastered edition of the ''[[Black Celebration (album)|Black Celebration]]'' album, it is revealed that there was some internal debate between Depeche Mode and [[Mute Records]] as to which song was to be the A-side on what would eventually become the 'It's Called A Heart' single release. The group initially wished to release 'Fly On The Windscreen' as a single, but were denied due to the input of a Mute Records publicist who found its use of the word "death" in the leading line of the song too problematic for serious contention as a single. Debate ensued, in which [[Alan Wilder]] rigorously argued in favour of flipping 'Fly On The Windscreen' to the A-side. Wilder was outvoted due to the input of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher, [[Daniel Miller]], and Neil Ferris of Ferret & Spanner, a P.R. firm who promoted records in the United Kingdom for Mute Records, who each argued in favour of releasing 'It's Called A Heart' as the A-side.<ref>Credit to [https://www.facebook.com/groups/depechemodeclassicfansphotosandvideos/ Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos] for this information.</ref> As a result, 'It's Called A Heart' was released as the A-side on Depeche Mode's fourteenth UK single on 16 September 1985, with the 5:03 version of 'Fly On The Windscreen' as the B-side. The 'Final' version of 'Fly On The Windscreen was included as an album track on ''Black Celebration'' the following year.
In a documentary included in the remastered edition of the ''[[Black Celebration (album)|Black Celebration]]'' album, it is revealed that there was some internal debate between Depeche Mode and [[Mute Records]] as to which song was to be the A-side on what would eventually become the 'It's Called A Heart' single release. The group initially wished to release 'Fly On The Windscreen' as a single, but were denied due to the input of a Mute Records publicist who found its use of the word "death" in the leading line of the song too problematic for serious contention as a single. Debate ensued, in which [[Alan Wilder]] rigorously argued in favour of flipping 'Fly On The Windscreen' to the A-side. Wilder was outvoted due to the input of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher, [[Daniel Miller]], and Neil Ferris of Ferret & Spanner, a P.R. firm who promoted records in the United Kingdom for Mute Records, who each argued in favour of releasing 'It's Called A Heart' as the A-side.<ref>Credit to {{EL|https://www.facebook.com/groups/depechemodeclassicfansphotosandvideos/ Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos}} for this information.</ref> As a result, 'It's Called A Heart' was released as the A-side on Depeche Mode's fourteenth UK single on 16 September 1985, with the 5:03 version of 'Fly On The Windscreen' as the B-side. The 'Final' version of 'Fly On The Windscreen' was included as an album track on ''Black Celebration'' the following year.
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{{Template:Lyrics|It's Called A Heart|
{{Template:Lyrics|It's Called A Heart|

Revision as of 14:46, 25 January 2023

"A Depeche Mode fan is anyone who still gives us the time of day after having heard 'It's Called A Heart (Slow Mix)'."
- Alan Wilder, BONG 52[1]

It's Called A Heart
Single-ICAH.jpg
Song It's Called A Heart
By Depeche Mode
Songwriter Martin L. Gore
Produced by Depeche Mode
Daniel Miller
Gareth Jones
Recorded at Hansa Mischraum (Berlin)
Length (mm:ss) 3:48 (7"/single/album version)
7:19 (12" version)
Time signature 4
4
Recorded July 1985
Originally released 16 September 1985
Live performances as Depeche Mode 76 times *
Total live performances 76 times *

"It's Called A Heart" is a song from the 1985 compilation album The Singles 81→85 by Depeche Mode. It was released as a single on 16 September 1985.

Notes

Dave Gahan and Andrew Fletcher appeared on 'Saturday Picture Show: Pop Profile' in September 1985, and they took a note from Martin Gore with them on which Gore wrote the meaning of "It's Called A Heart":

Interviewer: Now, your new single is called...?
Dave Gahan: 'It's Called A Heart'.
Interviewer: Thank you. And what's that about?
Dave Gahan: (nods towards Fletch)
Andrew Fletcher: Well basically... let me get my instructions out from the songwriter!
Dave Gahan: Andy phoned up Martin this morning, let's find out about it.
Andrew Fletcher: Basically, the heart, Martin thought it was quite a mystical thing and the centre where good and evil were supposed to stem from...
Dave Gahan: (opens a note, hands the note to Fletch)
Andrew Fletcher: ...that's right, yeah, where good and evil are supposed to stem from, yeah that's what the song is about.

Martin Gore says in the November 1985 issue of Popcorn magazine (translated from German):

"The text deals with the dangers within a romantic relationship, but even more clearly than our last hit 'Shake The Disease' in which it was especially about mutual ache through words. In the new song, it's about feelings in general – how they arise, how to keep them and how to deal with it. There is a line in there that says "I'll lend it to you if you treat it tenderly" – that should mean: you should not play with love and expressions of love, because the heart of every human being is their most vulnerable part. You cannot run away immediately when something is not quite working well in a relationship. I am someone who is very much into long-term relationships. Crises are actually good for couples. With them, you get to know each other better and you must pull through together. And what's also very important to me: two people who love each other must avoid exploiting the psychological weaknesses of the other. When that happens, I think something is not right anyway."

He also says in the 1985-10-23 issue of Mädchen magazine (translated from German):

"Anyone who loves, surrenders themself[sic] to the other. One who plays with the feelings of the other and even exploits them, commits an unforgivable cruelty."

Quotes from the documentary on the DVD of the Black Celebration remaster from 2006:

Martin Gore: "We just didn't have a song that was good and suitable to go on that compilation at that time, and we ended up recording 'It's Called A Heart', which is probably my least favourite track that we ever released."

Alan Wilder: "I remember I was vehemently against it, because I felt it was really going backwards, it was so poppy and trite, and he had other songs that were much better, like 'Fly On The Windscreen', because that was the B-side. It was a much, much stronger song, and I tried to argue to get it flipped over to become the A-side, but I think the first word is "death", and Neil Ferris said "NO". And I was outvoted, really, but I wasn't happy about it, and I sulked for a long time."

Gahan discussed 'It's Called A Heart' in an October 1985 interview with British magazine No. 1:

Dave Gahan: "Our latest. I do find it very hard to enjoy singles until a good while after they've been out. At the time there are just too many other things to do to sit back and think about the single."
Interviewer: Why have the singles compilation?
Dave Gahan: "It's the end of a period for us. We need to start afresh on the new LP and this will give us enthusiasm."[2]

Lyrics


It's Called A Heart

There's something beating here inside my body

And it's called a heart

You know how easy it is

To tear it apart

If I lend it to you

Will you keep it safe for me

I'll lend it to you

If you treat it tenderly

There's something beating here inside my body

And it's called a heart


There's a sun shining in the sky

But that's not the reason why

I'm feeling warm inside

The answer isn't classified, it's my heart

From the moment I started

I tried to be goodhearted

Yes I tried my best

And more or less

I spoke from my heart


There's a lot to be learned

And you learn when your heart gets burned


Hearts could never be owned

Hearts only come on loan

If I want it back

I will take it back, I'll take my heart

But I will try my best and more or less

I will speak from my heart

Yes I will speak from my heart

Speak from my heart


Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1985 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Music video

The music video for 'It's Called A Heart' was directed by Peter Care.

According to an email received on 28 June 2022 by DM Live from Phil Ball, who was present for the video shoot, "the video was shot in a reed bed at the northern end of White Swan Lake in Dinton Pastures Country Park, Winnersh". He further added, "The opening sequence is shot from a boat on the lake being pushed by myself after the outboard which had worked fine throughout the night during filming failed just as dawn was breaking!"

Dates with available recordings of It's Called A Heart

There are currently 62 recordings of It's Called A Heart available.

Dates where It's Called A Heart was played

1986 Black Celebration Tour

It's Called A Heart was played 76 times during this tour.

1987-1988 Music For The Masses Tour

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

1990 World Violation Tour

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

1993 Devotional Tour

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

1994 Exotic Tour

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

1997 Ultra Parties

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

1998 The Singles Tour

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

2001 Exciter Tour

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

2003 Paper Monsters Tour (Dave Gahan solo)

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

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

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

2005-2006 Touring The Angel

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

2013-2014 Delta Machine Tour

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

2017-2018 Global Spirit Tour

  • It's Called A Heart was not played during this tour.

References

  1. ↑ Source: BONG magazine, issue 52, pg. 13, 2002.
  2. ↑ Source: No. 1 – 19 October 1985 – EVERYTHING COUNTS (in large amounts)


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
1992-1998: Faith Healer • Drifting • Stalker / Missing Piece
2000-2008: Strange Hours • Jezebel • Prey • Allelujah
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
1989-2003: Compulsion • Stardust • Loverman
2012-2015: Spock • Single Blip • Aftermaths • Europa Hymn • "Pinking" (Christoffer Berg Remix)
Official releases
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