Strangelove (song)

For other uses, see Strangelove (disambiguation).

"Strangelove"
Song
B-side	"Pimpf"

"Strangelove" is Depeche Mode's eighteenth UK single, released on April 13, 1987, and the first single for the then upcoming album Music for the Masses. It reached #16 in the UK charts (Depeche Mode would fail to make the Top 10 of the UK singles chart throughout the second half of the 1980s), but hit #2 in West Germany and in South Africa, and was a Top 10 success in several other countries (Sweden, Switzerland, etc.).

The original version of "Strangelove" is a fast-paced poppy track. Though successful, this did not seem to fit with the Music for the Masses's darker style, so Daniel Miller made a slower version of "Strangelove" which became the album version. The album version was released as a single itself in the USA, as "Strangelove '88". Former member Alan Wilder, in the Q&A section of his Recoil website, writes that the band felt the single version was "too cluttered" and was the reason Miller's remix was commissioned. Miller expounded on this in the Music for the Masses re-master documentary DVD, stating that he felt the original single version was too complicated and would benefit from being simplified.

B-sides

There are two B-Sides for "Strangelove", both instrumental. "Pimpf" is a dark instrumental that is mostly piano, named after the members of one of the Hitler Youth organizations. "Pimpf" later shows up as the final track on the vinyl version of Music for the Masses.

The second instrumental is "Agent Orange", named after the herbicide used in the Vietnam War. At the end of the song, you can hear some morse code. Rumoured to mean "If anybody can hear this, please help me", it is actually just gibberish (LAXI ".-.. .- -..- ..", several times repeated). "Agent Orange" later shows up as the first bonus track on the CD/Cassette version of Music for the Masses.

Music videos

The music video for "Strangelove" was directed by Anton Corbijn and appears on the Strange video and The Videos 86>98. Shot on Super 8 and in black and white, the video sees the band in various Paris locations, hotel rooms and in a studio posing in front of a rolling backdrop. The live action is combined with short stop-frame animation sequences. The video also stars two underwear models (one of who became Anton Corbijn's partner) as well as random pedestrians, featured in the closing 'out-takes' sequence of fast-edit shots. In the USA, MTV objected to some of the more revealing footage of the models and the video was edited to replace them with images of the band.

There was also a Corbijn-directed video for "Pimpf", exclusive to the Strange video, which features David Gahan, Alan Wilder and Andrew Fletcher shouting at each other syncing with the synthetic chanting, while Martin Gore plays the song on a Piano. It is to note that while Martin plays the piano in the video, it is Alan Wilder who plays the piano in all piano-instrumentals by the band from 1987–1990 as well as "Somebody".

In 1988, another video for "Strangelove" was released, set to the tune of the album version of "Strangelove". It was directed by Martyn Atkins who did photography for earlier DM albums. It was not publicly released until the The Videos 86>98+ DVD in 2002. This video is much simpler than the original, and features the band performing inside a castle-like location.

Other appearances

On September 7, 1988, the band played "Strangelove" on the MTV Video Music Awards in the US. You can view it on the official Depeche Mode website

"Strangelove" has been sampled in the songs "Life Ain't a Game" by Ja Rule, "I Won't Be Crying" by Infernal and "Point of View" by Samantha Mumba.

A version of 'Strangelove' has been covered by the Friendly Fires for the Gucci Guilty perfume advert in the UK. (August 2010)

Track listings

7": Mute / 7Bong13 (UK) & 7": Sire / 7-28366 (US)

1. "Strangelove" – 3:45
2. "Pimpf" – 4:33

12": Mute / 12Bong13 (UK)

1. "Strangelove (Maxi Mix)" – 6:32
2. "Strangelove (Midi Mix)" – 1:38
3. "Fpmip" – 5:21

12": Mute / L12Bong13 (UK)

1. "Strangelove (Blind Mix)" – 6:31
2. "Pimpf" – 4:33
3. "Strangelove (Pain Mix)" – 7:19 (remixed by Phil Harding)
4. "Agent Orange" – 5:05

12": Mute / DanceBong13 (UK)

1. "Strangelove (Blind Mix)" – 6:31
2. "Strangelove (The Fresh Ground Mix)" – 8:14 (remixed by Phil Harding)

• Very rare promo release, with a white label. Though some bootlegs are available.

CD: Mute / CDBong13 (UK)

1. "Strangelove (Maxi Mix)" – 6:32
2. "Pimpf" – 4:33
3. "Strangelove (Midi Mix)" – 1:38
4. "Agent Orange" – 5:05
5. "Strangelove" – 3:45

• Originally released in Cardsleeve [1987] in two different versions [black labeled/red labeled disc]
• Rereleased as 5track CD Single in Slim Jewel Case in 1991.

CD: Mute / CDBong13 (UK)

1. "Strangelove" – 3:45
2. "Pimpf" – 4:33
3. "Strangelove (Maxi Mix)" – 6:32
4. "Agent Orange" – 5:05
5. "Strangelove (Blind Mix)" – 6:31
6. "Fpmip" – 5:21
7. "Strangelove (Pain Mix)" – 7:19
8. "Strangelove (Midi Mix)" – 1:38

• The second CD is the 1992 re-release

12" Sire / 0-20696 (US)

1. "Strangelove (Maxi Mix)" – 6:32
2. "Strangelove (Midi Mix)" – 1:38
3. "Strangelove (Blind Mix Edit)" – 6:10
4. "Fpmip" – 5:21

12" Sire / 0-20769 (US)

1. "Strangelove (Pain Mix)" – 7:19
2. "Strangelove (Pain Mix 7" Edit)" – 3:29
3. "Agent Orange" – 5:05

• "Fpmip" is "Pimpf" with a different intro that sounds like the song played backwards, afterwards it's exactly the same song.

All songs written by Martin L. Gore

3"CD Sire/Reprise / 2-27777 (US)

1. "Strangelove (Remix Edit)" – 3:52 (remixed by Tim Simenon & Mark Saunders)
2. "Nothing (Remix Edit)" – 3:58 (remixed by Justin Strauss)

7" Sire / 7-27777 (US)

1. "Strangelove (Album Version 7" Edit)" – 3:44
2. "Nothing (Remix Edit)" – 3:58

• Also released on Cassette (Sire / 27991-4)

12" Sire / 0-21022 (US)

1. "Strangelove (Highjack Mix)" – 6:30 (remixed by Tim Simenon & Mark Saunders)
2. "Strangelove (Remix Edit)" – 3:46
3. "Nothing (Zip Hop Mix)" – 7:06 (remixed by Justin Strauss)
4. "Nothing (Dub Mix)" – 6:40 (remixed by Justin Strauss)

CD Sire / PRO-CD-3213 (US)

1. "Strangelove (Remix Edit)" – 3:46
2. "Strangelove (Album Version 7" Edit)" – 3:44
3. "Strangelove (Blind Mix 7" Edit)" – 3:57
4. "Strangelove (Highjack Mix)" – 6:30

• US promo CD

The "Zip Hop Mix" of Nothing appeared on the rare fourth disc of Depeche Mode's remix compilation, Remixes 81-04 in 2004.

• All songs written by Martin L. Gore

External links

• Strangelove information from the official Depeche Mode web site
• Strangelove '88 information from the official Depeche Mode web site