It's Called a Heart

"It's Called a Heart"
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album The Singles 81→85
B-side	"Fly on the Windscreen"
Released	16 September 1985
Format	Vinyl record (7" and 12"), CD (1991 box set)
Recorded	1985
Genre	Synthpop, industrial, New Wave
Length	3:48 (7"/single/album version) 7:19 (12" version)
Label	Mute Records
Writer(s)	Martin Gore
Producer	Depeche Mode, and Daniel Miller Allmusic (2.5/5) link
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Shake the Disease" (1985) "It's Called a Heart" (1985) "Stripped" (1986)

"It's Called a Heart" is Depeche Mode's fourteenth UK single (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 #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".

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 Black Celebration, 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."

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.

Track listings

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
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. (With 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 Bevins)
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
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.

External links

• Single information from the official Depeche Mode web site