Red River Cargo

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04. Stalker
05. Red River Cargo
List of Unsound Methods songs
06. Control Freak
Red River Cargo
Song Red River Cargo
By Recoil
Songwriter Alan Wilder
Thomas A. Dorsey
Produced by Alan Wilder
Recorded at The Thin Line (Sussex)
Mixed by Alan Wilder
Mixing assistance Paul Stevens
Simon Shazell
Mastered by Ian Cooper
Studio assistance Hepzibah Sessa
Published by Mute Song
Not Normal Music
Zoetrope Music Company
Carlin Music Corp.
Chappell, Inc.
Warner/Chappell Music Ltd.
Recorded September 1996 - June 1997
Originally released 27 October 1997
Live performances as Recoil 0 times *
Total live performances 0 times *

"Red River Cargo" is a song from the 1997 album Unsound Methods by Recoil.

Lyrics


Red River Cargo

Lead me on through the night

Take my hand, precious Lord

And lead me home


Take my hand, precious Lord

Lead me on through the night

Take my hand, precious Lord

And lead me home


Songwriter: Alan Wilder/Thomas A. Dorsey
Publishing Information: ℗ 1997 Reprise Records

Dates where Red River Cargo was played

Red River Cargo has never been played live.

Composition

Sample sources

"Red River Cargo"
Recoil
1997
Self-made samples
Sample Notes Audio
Vocal elements A series of vocal elements performed by Recoil collaborator Hildia Campbell audible throughout "Red River Cargo" are believed by Depeche Mode Live Wiki to be interpolations partly based on performances of traditional songs "So Glad I'm Here" and "Amen" by the all-women African-American gospel ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock as featured on the 1989 album All For Freedom.

Sample sources
Sample Source Status Notes Audio
Synth, ambient elements Trevor Jones - Mississippi Burning (Original Soundtrack Recording) - "Murder In Mississippi (Part 1)" - 1989
Confirmed
A series of audio samples derived from "Murder In Mississippi (Part 1)" as featured on the 1989 Mississippi Burning film soundtrack are utilised throughout the intro of "Red River Cargo".
Drum, ambient elements Peter Gabriel - Passion - "Zaar" - 1989
Confirmed
A manipulated section of audio derived from "Zaar" by Peter Gabriel for the 1989 film The Last Temptation of Christ is utilised prominently in the intro of "Red River Cargo".
Vocal elements Sweet Honey in the Rock - All For Freedom - "The Little Red Caboose" - 1989
Confirmed
A manipulated section of audio derived from "The Little Red Caboose" by Swwet Honey in the Rock is utilised sporadically throughout the intro and outro of "Red River Cargo".

Notably, a CD copy of All For Freedom was among the items sold as part of the 18 August 2024 Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode / Recoil) Personal Record and CD Collection sale, hosted at Beat The Clock Records in Brighton. This CD, sold online by Beat The Clock Records in the months following the event, was purchased by Depeche Mode Live Wiki in September 2025 and referenced throughout the process of reviewing the use of this sampled audio within "Red River Cargo".[footnotes 1]

Click to display/hide audio example

Synth, drum elements Big Daddy Kane - Looks Like a Job For... - "Rest In Peace" - 1993
Confirmed
A drum loop derived from "Rest In Peace" by Big Daddy Kane is utilised throughout "Red River Cargo".

Click to display/hide audio example

Drum elements Big Daddy Kane - Looks Like a Job For... - "Here Comes Kane, Scoob and Scrap" - 1993
Confirmed
A drum loop derived from "Here Comes Kane, Scoob and Scrap" by Big Daddy Kane is utilised throughout "Red River Cargo".

Click to display/hide audio example

Orchestral elements Richard Strauss, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Jessye Norman - David Lynch's Wild At Heart (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - "Im Abendrot (Excerpt)" - 1990
Confirmed
A series of manipulated orchestral elements derived from an excerpt of a 1983 performance of "Im Abendrot" by the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig as featured on the 1990 Wild At Heart film soundtrack are audible sporadically throughout "Red River Cargo".[footnotes 2]

Click to display/hide audio example

Choir elements Samuel Barber, Trinity College Choir, Cambridge, Richard Marlow - Miserere - Agnus Dei - 1994
Confirmed
A series of manipulated sections of audio derived from a 1994 performance of Agnus Dei by the Trinity College Choir, Cambridge as conducted by the late Richard Marlow are utilised mid-way through "Red River Cargo".

Notably, following the identification of this sample source in October 2022, a CD copy of Miserere was among the items sold as part of the 18 August 2024 Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode / Recoil) Personal Record and CD Collection sale, hosted at Beat The Clock Records in Brighton. This CD, sold online by Beat The Clock Records in the months following the event, was purchased by Depeche Mode Live Wiki in October 2025 and referenced throughout the process of reviewing the use of this sampled audio within "Red River Cargo".[footnotes 1]

Click to display/hide audio example

Woodwind elements Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel - "The Rhythm Of The Heat" - 1982
Confirmed
A woodwind rhythm derived from "The Rhythm Of The Heat" by Peter Gabriel is utilised mid-way through "Red River Cargo".

Click to display/hide audio example

Drum, electric piano elements John Martyn - And. - "All In Your Favour" - 1996
Confirmed
A manipulated section of audio derived from "All In Your Favour" by John Martyn is utilised in the outro section of "Red River Cargo".

Notably, a CD copy of And. was among the items sold as part of the 18 August 2024 Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode / Recoil) Personal Record and CD Collection sale, hosted at Beat The Clock Records in Brighton. This CD, sold online by Beat The Clock Records in the months following the event, was purchased by Depeche Mode Live Wiki in April 2025 and referenced throughout the process of reviewing the use of this sampled audio within "Red River Cargo".[footnotes 1]

Click to display/hide audio example

Drum, 808 bass drum elements AMG - HITCD08 - Pascal Gabriel's Dance Samples - Track 16 - "808 BD - Long" - 1991
Confirmed
A manipulated 808 bass drum derived from AMG's 1991 sample CD HITCD08 - Pascal Gabriel's Dance Samples is utilised mid-way through "Red River Cargo".
Ambient elements, crickets chirping British Broadcasting Corporation - BBC Sound FXCD 6 - Animals and Birds - JUNGLE HABITATS AROUND THE WORLD > "African bush after sunset (rec. in Salagi Forest, Gambia)" - 1987
Confirmed
A manipulated sample featuring forest ambience and crickets chirping audible in the intro of "Red River Cargo" is derived from "African bush after sunset", a sample featured on the 1987 British Broadcasting Corporation sample CD BBC Sound FXCD 6 - Animals and Birds.
Synthesizer elements Korg Inc. - Korg 01/W > PROG BANK A > A27: AnalogPad
Confirmed
An ambient pad utilised throughout "Red River Cargo" is performed using Korg 01/W Bank A Voice #27 "AnalogPad".
Drum elements, shaker Korg Inc. - Korg 01/W > PROG BANK A > A09: Total Kit
Confirmed
A shaker element derived from Korg 01/W Bank A Voice #09 "Total Kit" is audible throughout "Red River Cargo".

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Thanks to Stuart Avis with Beat The Clock Records and Alan Wilder for coordinating the August 2024 Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode / Recoil) Personal Record and CD Collection sale.
  2. Written by Richard Strauss to the words of the poem "Im Abendrot" (At Sunset) by Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, the piece was published posthumously alongside "Frühling" (Spring), "September", and "Beim Schlafengehen" (When Falling Asleep) as the Four Last Songs by the composer's friend Ernst Roth in 1950.

References