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A Question of Lust

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B-side
  
"Christmas Island"

Recorded
  
Late 1985

Label
  
Mute Records

Released
  
14 April 1986

Length
  
4:23

Format
  
Vinyl record (7" and 12"), Cassette, CD (1991 box set)

"A Question of Lust" is Depeche Mode's sixteenth UK single, released on 14 April 1986.

Contents

It is the second Depeche Mode single with Martin Gore on lead vocals, after "Somebody," and the first to be released in its own right. However, the 12" single was released as a double A-side with "A Question of Time" in the US, like "Somebody".

The single hit number 28 in the UK single charts. In West Germany, the single became a top ten hit on the sales chart.

B-sides

The B-side is an instrumental called "Christmas Island", named after the island of the same name. It is penned by both Martin Gore and Alan Wilder and was produced by Depeche Mode themselves.

The live tracks available on some versions of the single are taken from a 1984 concert in Basel, Switzerland.

Music video

The music video for "A Question of Lust" features the return of director Clive Richardson for his last video with the band. It also became the last music video the band filmed before the arrival of Dutch director Anton Corbijn, who since August 1986, became a regular collaborator for the band until mid-2010s.

7": Mute / 7Bong11 (UK)

  1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29 [*]
  2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
  • The Single version is basically the Album version, but without the cross-fade from the previous track ("Fly On The Windscreen").
  • 12": Mute / 12Bong11 (UK)

    1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
    2. "Christmas Island (Extended)" – 5:37
    3. "People are People (Live)" – 4:21
    4. "It Doesn't Matter Two (Instrumental)" – 2:49
    5. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:49

    Cassette: Mute / CBong11 (UK)

    1. "A Question of Lust (Flood Mix)" – 5:07 [*]
    2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
    3. "If You Want (Live)" – 5:16
    4. "Shame (Live)" – 4:13
    5. "Blasphemous Rumours (Live)" – 5:25
  • This format came in a 7"-sized card envelope with an insert and a badge. CBong11 was released as a 12" single in Germany and as a very rare CD single in France.
  • Alan Wilder is quoted as saying that when Flood eventually delivered his remix of 'A Question Of Lust', the band were surprised to hear that half of the sounds had been omitted. They were understandably annoyed therefore when it emerged that Mute Records hadn't actually sent him both the multitrack tapes.
  • CD: Mute / CDBong11 (UK)

    1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
    2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
    3. "Christmas Island (Extended)" – 5:37
    4. "People are People (Live)" – 4:21
    5. "It Doesn't Matter Two (Instrumental)" – 2:49
    6. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:49

    The CD single was released in 1991 as part of the singles box set compilations

    7": Sire / 7-28697-DJ (US)

    1. "A Question of Lust" [Edit] – 4:14 [*]
    2. "A Question of Lust (Robert Margouleff Remix)" – 3:45
  • The Edit version of "A Question Of Lust" on the US commercial 7 inch single is not actually labeled as such. The only difference between the "Edit" and the normal single version is that it is faded about 20 seconds earlier.
  • 12": Sire / 0-20530 (US)

    1. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:49
    2. "Black Celebration (Live)" – 6:05
    3. "A Question of Time (Extended Remix)" – 6:38
    4. "Something to Do (Live)" – 3:50
  • "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" is falsely titled "A Question of Lust (Extended Version)"
  • Double A-Side with "A Question of Time"
  • 12": Intercord / INT 126.844 (L12Bong11) (GER)

    1. "A Question of Lust (Flood Mix)" – 5:07
    2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
    3. "If You Want (Live)" – 5:16
    4. "Shame (Live)" – 4:13
    5. "Blasphemous Rumours (Live)" – 5:30

    This was the only 12" release of the UK Mute CBONG11 Cassette

    CD: Intercord / INT 826.841 (GER)

    1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
    2. "Christmas Island (Extended)" – 5:37
    3. "People are People (Live)" – 4:21
    4. "It Doesn't Matter Two (Instrumental)" – 2:49
    5. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:49

    The Germany CD was released in 1986

    CD: Virgin / 30167 (FRA)

    1. "A Question of Lust (Flood Mix)" – 5:07
    2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
    3. "If You Want (Live)" – 5:16
    4. "Shame (Live)" – 4:13
    5. "Blasphemous Rumours (Live)" – 5:30

    This was the only CD release of UK Mute CBONG11 Cassette. It was released in 1986

    All songs written by Martin L. Gore, except "Christmas Island" was written by Martin Gore and Alan Wilder and "If You Want" was written by Alan Wilder.

    References

    A Question of Lust Wikipedia