Music For The Masses

Music For The Masses is the title of the fifth studio album recorded by British group Depeche Mode, released on Mute records with catalogue number STUMM 47 in September 1987. Production was by David Bascombe and the group 8with additional production by Daniel Miller), and all songs were written by band member Martin Gore, who also shared lead vocal duties with Dave Gahan. The album was preceded by the singles Strangelove and Never Let Me Down Again and two further tracks behind the Wheel and Little 15 were also released as singles.

The album's 'symbol' is a megaphone (as used on the artwork and video for Strangelove) and the slogan is "Spreading the News around the World", a line taken from album track Sacred.

Reception
Although reception was relatively modest in the group's native UK (reaching only no.10 on the Top 40 album charts and remaining for only one more week), Music For The Masses increased the band's popularity on a worldwide scale especially in the United States, where commercial success was consolidated by the promotional live tour culminating in the concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on 18 June 1988, where the band performed in front of a sold out crowd of 60,453 people.

Support was also growing behind the Iron Curtain. The group also toured Eastern Europe (for the second time) with concerts in East Berlin, Budapest and Prague.

Tracklisting
original LP / MC STUMM 47, Mute, 1987

Side One Side Two * Side Two ends with short instrumental later known as Interlude #1
 * 1) Never Let me Down Again
 * 2) The Things You Said
 * 3) Strangelove
 * 4) Sacred
 * 5) Little 15
 * 1) Behind The Wheel
 * 2) I Want You Now
 * 3) To Have An To Hold
 * 4) Nothing
 * 5) Pimpf*

original CD CD STUMM 47, and MC C STUMM 47 feature bonus tracks:


 * Agent Orange
 * Never Let Me Down Again (Aggro Mix)
 * To Have And To Hold (Spanish Taster)
 * Pleasure, Little Treasure (Glitter Mix)

Re-releases

 * All successive CD issues of Music For the Masses feature the 14 tracks as above.


 * A remastered version of the album, including a special 'Collector's Edition' SACD + DVD, was released on 03 April 2006.
 * CD: original 10 tracks, remastered
 * DVD: a short entitled Depeche Mode : 1987 – 88 (Sometimes You Do Need Some New Jokes), the original 10 tracks in 5.1 and Stereo, Bonus 5.1 Audio Mixes of the four bonus tracks above, plus Agent Orange, Pleasure, Little Treasure, Route 66, Stjarna and Sonata No.14 In C#M (Moonlight Sonata) (see Singles section)

Singles
to be completed


 * Strangelove


 * Never Let Me Down Again


 * Behind the Wheel


 * Little 15

Live performances
enter details of promo tour and live recordings of album tracks here

See: 1987-1988 Music For The Masses Tour