Martin Gore

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Martin Gore

Background information
Born July 23, 1961 (1961-07-23) (age 47)
Origin Dagenham, East London, England
Genre(s) Synthpop, Alternative dance, New Wave, Post-punk, Electronica
Instrument(s) Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards, Bass
Voice type(s) Tenor
Years active 1979–present
Label(s) Mute
Sire
Reprise
Associated acts Depeche Mode
Website www.martingore.com

Martin Gore (born Martin Lee Gore, 23 July 1961, Dagenham, East London, England[1]) is an English songwriter, lyricist, singer, guitarist and keyboardist. He is a founding member of Depeche Mode. His work now spans over three decades, but he is best known as the composer of hits such as "People Are People", "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence". In 1999 Martin Gore received Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters for "International Achievement".[2]

Contents

[edit] Career

Martin Gore of Depeche Mode outside a hotel, just before leaving for a concert. (Los Angeles, July 1986)

Gore left Nicholas School, Basildon in 1977 and took a job as a bank teller. During evenings, weekends and any other spare time, he was involved with the local band Norman and the Worms.

In 1980, Gore met Andrew "Fletch" Fletcher at the Van Gogh club. Fletcher recruited Gore into his band with Vince Clarke, Composition of Sound. Soon the band drafted David Gahan to be the lead singer after hearing him sing "Heroes" by David Bowie. Gahan is credited with the name "Depeche Mode" after seeing the phrase as a title of a French fashion magazine, which later considered taking them to court, but thought it would be good publicity for the magazine to let the band have the name.

Clarke left Depeche Mode in 1981 shortly after the release of the debut album Speak & Spell. Gore then became the band's main songwriter. Gore sings lead vocals on several of the band's songs, notably ballads, his tenor voice providing a contrast to David Gahan's dramatic baritone. Clarke wrote most of Depeche Mode's first album, Speak & Spell. Gore contributed two tracks, "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and the instrumental "Big Muff". "Any Second Now (voices)" features Gore's first lead vocals for the band. When Clarke announced his departure from Depeche Mode in 1981, citing the pressures of fame and creative differences, Gore took over songwriting. Gore had been writing material since the age of twelve.

Songs Gore wrote for Depeche Mode's second album, A Broken Frame (1982) differed musically and lyrically from Clarke's. Gore's writing became gradually darker and more political on subsequent Depeche Mode albums.

Gore commonly uses guitar, typically his Gretsch White Falcon, for most of Depeche Mode music. The first time guitar was used as the main instrument was on "Personal Jesus". Gore's guitar playing developed even more on Songs of Faith and Devotion. Since then, synthesizers have replaced most of Martin's guitar.

Gore remains the primary songwriter for Depeche Mode. He has written every song on seven out of the twelve studio albums released thus far - A Broken Frame, Black Celebration, Music for the Masses, Violator, Songs of Faith and Devotion, Ultra, and Exciter .

[edit] Personal life

Gore's biological father was an African-American GI stationed in the UK[3]. Gore was raised by his stepfather and biological mother. Miller quotes childhood friends and Gore himself. According to Miller's source, Gore is of mixed ethnicity, and, as an adult, met his father in the American South. Gore responds to the source's information and is quoted in Miller's book saying, "It brings up family traumas" and "It's one of those things I'd rather not talk about."

Gore currently lives in Santa Barbara, California. He is now divorced from his wife of 12 years, lingerie designer and model Suzanne Boisvert-Gore. He has 3 children: two daughters Viva Lee Gore (born June 6, 1991) and Ava Lee Gore (born August 21, 1995) and a son Calo Leon Gore (born July 27, 2002).

[edit] Solo discography

[edit] Albums

  1. Counterfeit e.p. (Mute STUMM 67, 1989)
  2. Counterfeit² (Mute STUMM 214, 2003)

In 2003, Mute released Gore's Counterfeit², a follow up solo cover album to the 1989 Counterfeit EP. Both feature only versions of material by other songwriters.

[edit] Singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK
1989 "Compulsion" — #18 — — Counterfeit
2003 "Stardust" — — — #44 Counterfeit²
"Loverman EP²" — — — —

[edit] Covers and collaborations

  • Martin contributes a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Coming Back To You" on the 1995 tribute album Tower of Song: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen
  • Martin sang backing vocals on the Client song "Overdrive".
  • He also played guitar on the Gwen Stefani song "Wonderful Life" on her 2006 album The Sweet Escape.
  • He collaborated on the band Onetwo's track "Cloud Nine" by playing the guitar and as songwriter of the song.
  • In 2007, on the unreleased Nitzer Ebb track "Once You See", Gore sang backing vocals.
  • On 16th June 2009, a French band called Nouvelle Vague released a cover of Depeche Mode song "Master and Servant" on their album 3, with leading vocal of Melanie Pain. The album credits added the label "feat. Martin Gore" to that song, since Gore sings the backing vocals. [4]

[edit] Remixes

[edit] Lyrics Book

On April 12, 2009, French book-publishing company Editions Normant is slated to release the de-luxe collection "MARTIN L. GORE: LAYS" (216 pages; ISBN 978-2-915685-41-1) compiling for the first time ever in the form of a book most of the lyrics written by Gore between 1981 and 2005 for Depeche Mode. The Gore-authorized book features 87 songs -- picked from DM's first 11 studio albums and myriad B sides -- along with their translation in French by DM aficionado Jugurtha Harchaoui. The black-and-white cover photo is by Anton Corbijn. The book also benefits from the contribution of legendary German artist Klaus Voormann (of The Beatles's Revolver fame), who supplied a half-dozen illustrations made specifically for the occasion. According to the publishing house, the world-exclusive, 87-song retrospective will be more akin to a fine vintage poetry book than a typical rock coffee-table tome.

[edit] Depeche Mode songs with Gore on lead vocals

Depeche Mode's lead vocals are generally handled by David Gahan, but on occasion Gore will sing lead vocals. These are all the songs he sings in chronological order:

[edit] Duet

These are songs where Gahan and Gore have around equal singing time, in chronological order. In some instances, both sing at the same time (ex: "Behind the Wheel"), and in others, Gahan sings the verses while Gore sings the chorus (ex: "Everything Counts").

 This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (April 2009)

[edit] Live

These are songs that Gore has sung lead live, although the studio versions are sung by Gahan, in chronological order of the song's first live performance by Gore. Includes his solo concerts in 2003. To date, the only Gore-lead song that was sung by Gahan live was "Route 66" which was the closer during the World Violation Tour.

[edit] Sources

Miller, Jonathan "Stripped: Depeche Mode" 2003, 2004, Omnibus Press ISBN 1-84449-415-2

[edit] References

  1. ^ Malins, Steve. "Depeche Mode - Black Celebration"
  2. ^ http://www.nme.com/video/id/cJIjmzKK0eQ/search/Ivor+Novello Video of receiving the Ivor Novello Award
  3. ^ Miller, Jonathan (2003). Stripped: Depeche Mode. Omnibus Press. pp. 318–319. ISBN 1-84449-415-2. 
  4. ^ Homepage of Nouvelle Vagues

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Gore"
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