Depeche Mode Interviews

1984-12-07 Popjournaal, Hilversum 3, Hilversum, Netherlands

Host: Last night, you saw Depeche Mode live on Countdown with their hit Somebody. Depeche Mode is a peculiar band: three members of the band play synthesizer, and one sings. Depeche Mode doesn't have a drummer nor bassist. All those conventional instruments emerge out of their computer.

Martin: Nobody's got their set role. Like, nobody plays the bass part, nobody plays the lead part or anything, in fact, a computer plays most of the bits, most of the musical parts.

Host: Coincidentally, Martin Gore's story about a computer accompanying Depeche Mode's records in a musical way is not applicable to the hit Somebody: that is a beautiful song which was recorded by just two members of the group, namely Martin Gore and Alan Wilder. Whenever two members of a group manifest themselves, there will be rumours as though the band is about to break up. Alan Wilder would love to deny that:

Alan: We all do everything, and so that's why, when somebody else sings a song, it's not a problem for us. It's only in other people's eyes that it seems strange, but for us, it can be anybody who sings.

Host: Depeche Mode is definitely not splitting up. The members give each other a lot of freedom and that is why they can afford to make solo-endeavours.