Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

It's Called a Heart

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Released
  
16 September 1985

Label
  
Mute Records

B-side
  
"Fly on the Windscreen"

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

Recorded
  
July 1985 Genetic Studios

Length
  
3:48 (7"/single/album version) 7:19 (12" version)

"It's Called a Heart" is Depeche Mode's fourteenth UK single recorded at Genetic Studios (released on 16 September 1985). It was included as one of two new songs on the compilation The Singles 81→85 the same year, along with "Shake the Disease". It reached number 18 in the UK singles chart. The American version of The Singles 81→85, Catching Up with Depeche Mode, also includes the B-side, "Fly on the Windscreen".

Contents

Martin Gore and Alan Wilder have often been quoted as saying "It's Called a Heart" is their least favourite single ever recorded by Depeche Mode, and is not particularly well-liked by many fans either. On the documentary included on the remastered edition of the Black Celebration album, it is revealed that the band wanted to release "Fly on the Windscreen" as a single, but the Mute Records publicist nixed that idea, as the song starts with the word "death". However, the so-called "Final" version of the song was included on Black Celebration, released the following year.

There is no limited edition ("L12 Bong") version of this single in the way that most other Depeche Mode singles have been. Instead there was a "D12 Bong", a double 12", that featured both the standard 12" and the remix 12".

The music video was directed by Peter Care and shot on location in a Berkshire cornfield. This is the last video which presents Dave Gahan with blonde hair, after that he returned to his natural black hair.

7": Mute / 7Bong9 (UK)

  1. "It's Called a Heart" – 3:48
  2. "Fly on the Windscreen" – 5:03

12": Mute / 12Bong9 (UK)

  1. "It's Called a Heart (Extended)" – 7:19
  2. "Fly on the Windscreen (Extended)" – 7:47

12": Mute / D12Bong9 (UK)

  1. "It's Called a Heart (Extended)" – 7:19
  2. "Fly on the Windscreen (Extended)" – 7:47
  3. "It's Called a Heart (Slow Mix)" – 4:49 (remixed by Gareth Jones)
  4. "Fly on the Windscreen (Death Mix)" – 5:06 (remixed by Gareth Jones)

Double discs with the cover reading "Special Limited Edition Twin Set Costing No More Than Two Pounds & Ninety Nine Pence" with tracks 1 & 2 on the first record and tracks 3 & 4 on the second record, tracks 3 & 4 being exclusive to the limited edition.

12": Sire / 0-20402 (US)

  1. "It's Called a Heart (Emotion Remix)" – 6:48 (remixed by Joseph Watt)
  2. "It's Called a Heart (Emotion Dub)" – 5:33 (remixed by Joseph Watt)
  3. "Flexible (Deportation Mix)" – 4:38 (remixed by Bert Bevans)
  4. "It's Called a Heart" – 3:48

CD: Mute / CDBong9 (UK)

  1. "It's Called a Heart" – 3:48
  2. "Fly on the Windscreen" – 5:03
  3. "It's Called a Heart (Extended)" – 7:19
  4. "Fly on the Windscreen (Extended)" – 7:47
  5. "Fly on the Windscreen (Death Mix)" – 5:06

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

CD: Intercord/Virgin / INT 826.832/30303 (Germany/France)

  1. "It's Called a Heart (Extended)" – 7:19
  2. "Fly on the Windscreen (Extended)" – 7:47
  3. "It's Called a Heart (Slow Mix)" – 4:49 (remixed by Gareth Jones)
  4. "Fly on the Windscreen (Death Mix)" – 5:06 (remixed by Gareth Jones)

The German and French CD singles were released in 1985.

All songs written by Martin Gore.

Credits

  • Dave Gahan - lead vocals
  • Martin Gore - synthesizers, sampler, backing vocals
  • Andy Fletcher - synthesizers, sampler, backing vocals
  • Alan Wilder - synthesizers, sampler, drum machine, backing vocals, producer

    • References

    It's Called a Heart Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA