Behind The Wheel

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Behind The Wheel
Single-Behind.JPG
Song
Artist
Depeche Mode
Album
Songwriter
Produced by
Recorded at
Guillaume Tell (Paris)
Konk (London)
Label
Length (mm:ss)
5:19 (album version)
4:03 (7" single version)
5:56 (12" single version)
Tempo
125 BPM
Time signature
4/4
Key
D Minor
Recorded
February - July, 1987
Originally released
December 28, 1987
Played live
622 times *
Total live plays
622 times *

Notes

Martin Gore said in Bong issue no. 37, 1998:

"I still really like that track. I remember when we finished it we went to the Montreux Pop Festival in Switzerland [in May 1987] before it was released and we performed it there. I remember being really pleased with it and it was so different to anything else at the festival."

Alan Wilder wrote in his 86-98 editorial in 1998:

"The entire concept for the single release of 'Behind The Wheel' is centred around the theme of motor travel, from the opening sample of a spinning saucepan lid designed to sound like a hub-cap [...]"

Q&A from Alan Wilder's Shunt:

couturier: What is this strange bass mix we hear on the bassline of 'Behind The Wheel' - moog and Obx?

Alan: If I remember correctly, it was a combination of three different sounds: A hand striking the end of a hoover tube and then sampled (true), a guitar pluck - sampled and pitched down, and a minimoog for added bottom end.

Carsten Vogt: Have your abilities to play the "most important rock'n'roll instrument" - the flute, ever been used on a DM song? What about the intro of 'Behind The Wheel'?

Alan: Well, technically speaking, we're talking panpipe rather than flute on 'Behind The Wheel' but you could be forgiven for mistaking the peruvian nose-flute for our own western version. Apart from that, it is possible that a few flute samples are mixed into various DM tracks over the years.

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

"It was a good track to start the evening with, because it's a fast, new and well known song. On the night we played in Pasadena I was even more nervous than usual, partly because of the crowd of 70.000 people, but mostly because of it being filmed and recorded, and I was wondering if everything would turn out okay. On stage, I had a bad reception, I could not hear myself sing. And then it started to rain a bit. Fortunately, it did not last long and it did not compromise our gear."

Lyrics


Behind The Wheel

My little girl

Drive anywhere

Do what you want

I don't care

Tonight

I'm in the hands of fate

I hand myself

Over on a plate

Now


Oh little girl

There are times when I feel

I'd rather not be

The one behind the wheel

Come

Pull my strings

Watch me move

I do anything

Please


Sweet little girl

I prefer

You behind the wheel

And me the passenger

Drive

I'm yours to keep

Do what you want

I'm going cheap

Tonight


You're behind the wheel tonight


Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing Information: ©1987 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dates with available recordings of Behind The Wheel

There are currently 469 recordings of Behind The Wheel available.

Dates where Behind The Wheel was played

1987-1988 Music For The Masses Tour

Behind The Wheel was played 101 times during this tour.

1990 World Violation Tour

Behind The Wheel was played 88 times during this tour.

1993 Devotional Tour

Behind The Wheel was played 97 times during this tour.

1994 Exotic Tour

Behind The Wheel was played 60 times during this tour.

1997 Ultra Parties

  • Behind The Wheel was not played during this tour.

1998 The Singles Tour

Behind The Wheel was played 11 times during this tour.

2001 Exciter Tour

  • Behind The Wheel was not played during this tour.

2003 Paper Monsters Tour (Dave Gahan solo)

  • Behind The Wheel was not played during this tour.

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

  • Behind The Wheel was not played during this tour.

2005-2006 Touring The Angel

Behind The Wheel was played 124 times during this tour.

2009-2010 Tour Of The Universe

Behind The Wheel was played 68 times during this tour.

2013-2014 Delta Machine Tour

Behind The Wheel was played 49 times during this tour.

2017-2018 Global Spirit Tour

  • Behind The Wheel was not played during this tour.
5. Little 15
6. Behind The Wheel
List of Music for the Masses songs
7. I Want You Now