Length 41:01 | Release date 17 March 1986 | |
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Released 17 March 1986 (1986-03-17) Recorded November 1985 – January 1986Westside Studios, Genetic Studios (London); Hansa Mischraum (Berlin) Genres Synthpop, New wave, Alternative rock, Dark wave Similar Depeche Mode albums, Synthpop albums | ||
Black Celebration is the fifth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 17 March 1986 by Mute Records. The album further cemented the darkening sound created by Alan Wilder which the band later used for the acclaimed and globally successful albums Music for the Masses, Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion, a sound that was initially hinted towards on their albums Construction Time Again and Some Great Reward.
Contents
Despite not being a commercial success at the time its official release, as the band said in 1998 during an interview available on The Videos 86–98 DVD, Black Celebration has been cited as one of the most influential albums of the 1980s. To promote the album, the band embarked on the Black Celebration Tour.
Three years after its release, Spin ranked it at number 15 in its list of "The 25 Greatest Albums of All Time."
Nitronoise black celebration
Re-release
In 2007, Black Celebration was re-released with a bonus DVD. It was released as a part of the third wave of re-issues (along with Construction Time Again). The first CD was remastered and (except in the US) released on a CD/SACD hybrid. The bonus DVD includes the B-sides in addition to the singles and B-sides for "Shake the Disease" and "It's Called a Heart", two songs that were recorded shortly before the album and were released too early to be put on the album. There are also several live versions of some of the songs from Black Celebration. The album is released the way it was originally intended and ends with "New Dress" (not "Black Day" or "But Not Tonight").
Like the other re-issues, the DVD includes a documentary on the album. The title ("The Songs Aren't Good Enough, There Aren't Any Singles and It'll Never Get Played on the Radio") is Martin paraphrasing Daniel Miller about his demos for Black Celebration in the film. The double-documentary discusses both The Singles 81→85 and Black Celebration, its more challenging commercial success (especially the song "Stripped") and all five related singles. It also includes a plethora of behind-the-scenes footage of the making of Black Celebration and the ensuing tour. Highlights include the band meeting The Cure, and behind the scenes footage of several of the music videos. The documentary is nearly an hour long.
It was released 20 March 2007 in the US, 26 March in the UK and 2 April in the rest of Europe.
The remastered album was released on "deluxe" vinyl on 2 April 2007 in Europe and on 11 September 2007 in the United States.
Track listing
All tracks written by Martin Gore, except "Black Day" written by Gore, Alan Wilder and Daniel Miller, and "Christmas Island" written by Gore and Wilder.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Black Celebration.
Songs
1Black Celebration4:57
2Fly on the Windscreen (Final)5:19
3A Question of Lust4:28