Halo

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Halo
Album-Violator.jpg
Song
Artist
Depeche Mode
Album
Songwriter
Produced by
Recorded at
Puk Studios, Denmark and Logic Studios, Milan
Label
Length (mm:ss)
4:30
Tempo
112 BPM
Time signature
4/4
Key
E♭ Minor
Recorded
May 1989 – January 1990
Originally released
March 19, 1990
Played live
431 times *
Total live plays
431 times *

Notes

Martin Gore says in the 1990-02-17 issue of NME:

"I suppose my songs do seem to advocate immorality but if you listen there's always a sense of guilt. On 'Halo' from the new album, you're right that I'm saying 'Let's give in to this' but there’s also a real feeling of wrongfulness."

Alan Wilder told Electricity Club in 2011:

Q: If there’s a favourite all time Depeche Mode track here at The Electricity Club, it’s 'Halo'. Could you tell us how you and co-producer Flood put together the palette of sounds that comprised the final arrangement?

A: "From memory, the drums were sampled from Led Zeppelin's 'When the Levee Breaks' (but secondhand from a rap record). It is one of the most commonly used drum samples – for obvious reasons as it has that very special Bonham sound. The same snare drum sound appears on DM’s 'Get Right With Me'. I've also heard that snare on a Massive Attack record and many others. [...] Other sounds on 'Halo', I'm more vague about, but we certainly would have used Flood's ARP 2600 in conjunction with other modular synths to create the bass parts and other sequencer parts. For the end choruses, there are some string samples which I think were derived from Elgar. One of my techniques is to find sections of classical strings and transpose / stretch these, then add my own samples, in order to formulate new and unusual arrangements. This was a case in point. The DM track 'Clean' utilised classical strings in a similar way."

Q&A on Alan Wilder's Shunt:

Kev & Schtace: Specifically, what are the elements of the song 'Halo' that you like. This is one of my favourite DM songs. The mood/atmosphere is powerful with an excellent build-up - it reminds me of the feeling I get when I listen to the LP version of 'In Your Room'.

A: "I like the string arrangement and the fact that we used drum loops on it - something we had hardly done before that time. It's not a bad song either."

Alan Wilder in his editorial on Violator:

"As for singles, 'Halo' was on a short-list but was never really a major contender. We ended up using it in a roundabout way by making a video (as well as one for 'Clean') to fill out the 'Strange Too' compilation."

Lyrics


Halo

You wear guilt

Like shackles on your feet

Like a halo in reverse

I can feel

The discomfort in your seat

And in your head it's worse


There's a pain

A famine in your heart

An aching to be free

Can't you see

All love's luxuries

Are here for you and me


And when our worlds

They fall apart

When the walls come tumbling in

Though we may deserve it

It will be worth it


Bring your chains

Your lips of tragedy

And fall into my arms


And when our worlds

They fall apart

When the walls come tumbling in

Though we may deserve it

It will be worth it


Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1990 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dates with available recordings of Halo

There are currently 328 recordings of Halo available.

Dates where Halo was played

1990 World Violation Tour

Halo was played 88 times during this tour.

1993 Devotional Tour

Halo was played 97 times during this tour.

1994 Exotic Tour

Halo was played 60 times during this tour.

1997 Ultra Parties

  • Halo was not played during this tour.

1998 The Singles Tour

  • Halo was not played during this tour.

2001 Exciter Tour

Halo was played 86 times during this tour.

2003 Paper Monsters Tour (Dave Gahan solo)

  • Halo was not played during this tour.

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

  • Halo was not played during this tour.

2005-2006 Touring The Angel

  • Halo was not played during this tour.

2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe

  • Halo was not played during this tour.

2013-2014 Delta Machine Tour

Halo was played 99 times during this tour.

2017-2018 Global Spirit Tour

Halo was played only once during this tour.

3. Personal Jesus
4. Halo
List of Violator songs
5. Waiting For The Night