Enjoy the Silence
| "Enjoy the Silence" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Memphisto", "Sibeling" |
| "Enjoy the Silence" | |
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| Song | |
| B-side | "Halo [Goldfrapp Remix]" |
"Enjoy the Silence" is Depeche Mode's twenty-fourth UK single, released on February 5 1990, and the second single from the album Violator. It is one of Depeche Mode's most successful singles to date; its accessible music and lyrics have made it one of the band's most recognizable songs. "Enjoy the Silence" was re-released as a single in 2004 for the Depeche Mode remix project Remixes 81 - 04, and was titled "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted)" or, more simply "Enjoy the Silence 04". The "Reinterpreted" version was remixed by Mike Shinoda, the rapper and producer for the American nu metal/rapcore band Linkin Park.
Background
When "Enjoy the Silence" was written by Martin Gore, it was intended to be a slow-paced ballad; the demo featured a harmonium with Gore singing. Alan Wilder saw hit potential in the track, and composed an upbeat tempo and structure for the song. The group liked it, and Gore added more himself together with Flood, notably the guitar parts heard throughout, though the final version includes David Gahan on vocals. The demo would later be remade into the "Harmonium" version (available on the limited edition 12" vinyl release), featuring Gore on vocals.
Chart success
"Enjoy the Silence" quickly became one of the band's most successful singles and its highest charting since the early 80s. The single rocketed up the UK Singles Chart to #6, remaining there for three weeks. This was the band's highest charting single since "People Are People" peaked at #4 in 1984. Additionally, other than "People Are People", only two other singles released by the band had reached as high as #6: 1982's "See You" and 1983's "Everything Counts".
In addition, the song reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, to date the only Depeche Mode single to achieve this status. At the time, the only other Depeche Mode single to hit the US Top 20 was "People Are People", which hit #13. The single also topped the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, another first for the band (as this chart had been created in 1988). The chart measures radio airplay on US modern rock stations.
"Enjoy the Silence 04" was almost equally successful in the UK, peaking at #7 on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, it reached #25 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play. In addition, the limited edition vinyl releases also charted, but due to the fact that their lead track was not "Enjoy the Silence", these releases charted separately. As a result, "Something to Do", the A-side to the L12 release, spent one week at #75 on the UK Singles Chart.
1990 chart trajectory
| UK Singles chart trajectory | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Week | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Chart position | 17 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 52 | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 chart trajectory
| UK Singles chart trajectory | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Week | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chart position | 15 | 24 | 41 | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Song versions
The original release of the single included a wide variety of remixes. The standard 12" version of the song is the "Hands and Feet Mix", while the B-side of the 12" version included a dub mix called the "Ecstatic Dub". The limited edition 12" release included three more remixes: the aforementioned "Harmonium" version which follows the structure of the original demo, the "Bass Line" version, and the "Ricki Tik Tik Mix." The latter one is actually an edit omitting a synth part in the middle because Mute had to fit everything on a 3" CD. The boxed rerelease finally had the full version. One of the more unusual mixes is "The Quad: Final Mix" which expands the song to over fifteen minutes in length, making it the longest commercially available Depeche Mode track.
Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Sample box end In addition to the "reinterpretation" by Mike Shinoda, there were several more remixes of the song released in 2004. The 12" version of the release included remixes by Timo Maas and Ewan Pearson, while one of the limited edition CD's included a remix from Richard X.
"Enjoy the Silence 04" also included a variety of remixes of other Depeche Mode songs, including a Goldfrapp remix of the Violator track "Halo", a Black Strobe remix of the Some Great Reward track "Something to Do", a Cicada remix of the single "World in My Eyes", and a Rex the Dog remix of the Speak and Spell track "Photographic". Producer/DJ Mike Koglin also made a non-lyrical, dance version titled "The Silence" which was relatively popular.
B-sides
There are two instrumental B-sides to "Enjoy the Silence". "Sibeling" (the 12" B-side) is a soft piano-tune while "Memphisto" (the 7" B-side) is a darker, eerier track. The title of "Sibeling" refers to Finnish classical composer Jean Sibelius. Regarding "Memphisto", according to Martin Gore, "Memphisto is the name of an imaginary film about Elvis as a Devil, that I created in my mind". [1] As such, the title is a combination of Memphis and Mephisto. "Sibeling" was produced by the combination of the band and Flood, who produced much of Depeche Mode's work from 1990 to 1993, while "Memphisto" was produced by the band alone.
Music videos
The Anton Corbijn music video for "Enjoy the Silence" is one of the most well known Depeche Mode videos and a particular fan favourite. The video depicts lead singer David Gahan dressed as a royal king roaming valleys and mountains with a folding chair looking for a place to relax and "enjoy the silence". The video features a slightly different mix of the song (the most notable difference being an extended introduction) that has not been released in any audio format.
There is also another video which shows them atop the former World Trade Centers on the Top of the World observatory.
There is an animated music video for "Enjoy the Silence 04", directed by Uwe Flade, who directed the video for David Gahan's "Bottle Living." Some monitors shown in the animation show excerpts of Enjoy The Silence of the live shows of Devotional and One Night In Paris.
Also, on YouTube, there is a Xiaolin Showdown fan-video for "Enjoy the Silence 04", only it is sped up and in sync with the episode Sizing Up Omi.
Track listing
Enjoy the Silence
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Notes and Personnel
- The US singles were released on February 27 1990.
- All songs written by Martin L. Gore.
- David Gahan sings all versions of "Enjoy the Silence" EXCEPT the "Harmonium" which is sung by Martin Gore.
- "Sibeling" and "Memphisto" are instrumentals.
- "Enjoy the Silence" was recorded at Puk Studios, Denmark and engineered by Peter Iversen.
- "Sibeling" and "Memphisto" were recorded and mixed at The Church, London and engineered by Steve Lyon.
- The 7" version of "Enjoy the Silence" and the "Ricki Tik Tik Mix" was mixed by Daniel Miller and Phil Legg at Master Rock Studios, London.
- The "Hands and Feet Mix" and "Ecstatic Dub" were mixed by Francois Kevorkian at The Church, London and engineered by Steve Lyon.
- The "Bass Line" version was mixed by Francois Kevorkian at Axis, New York and engineered by Goh Hotoda.
- The "Harmonium" version was mixed by Depeche Mode at The Church, London and engineered by Steve Lyon.
- "The Quad: Final Mix" was mixed by Tim Simenon, Holger Hiller, Gareth Jones with Mimi Izumi Kobayashi, and Adrian Sherwood with David Harrow at Worldwide Studios, London and engineered by Paul Kendall.
Enjoy the Silence 04
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Covers
- Anberlin covered this song for Fearless Records' compilation, Punk Goes '90s.
- Bell X1 covered the song on The Ray D'arcy Show on Today FM and occasionally incorporate it into their song "I'll See Your Heart And I'll Raise You Mine"
- Breaking Benjamin have covered the song live, and even recorded it,however it is unrealesed but is a fan favourite.
- Coldplay fans have claimed that lead singer Chris Martin would sing lines from the song while performing "Don't Panic" live.
- Entwine, [[Gothic-Doom ]] band, have covered the song on their album "The Treasures Within Hearts".
- Evergreen Terrace, Floridan metalcore band, covered the song at the end their album 'Burned Alive By Time' under the track "Heavy Number One (AKA: Foshizzle My Nizzle)".
- Failure, alternative rock band, covered it for the DM tribute album For the Masses.
- HIM, Finnish rock band, used to cover the song on their early tours.
- It Dies Today, American metalcore band, has also covered the song which was featured on the soundtrack for the Showtime horror series Masters of Horror.
- Janita, another Finnish native, also covered a melodic jazz/R&B version of the single which was released on her junior album titled Seasons of Life in May 2006.
- Lacuna Coil, gothic metal band features it as their album Karmacode's 13th and final track.
- Matthew Good Band, a Canadian band, covered the song for their 1998 limited EP, Lo-Fi B-Sides.
- Margret Heater, Baltimore metal band, released their version on the album "Manifest".
- Ryan Star, a contestant on the CBS television show Rockstar: Supernova, performed his own arrangement during his elimination night performance, which aided in saving him from being kicked-off.
- Tori Amos made a sparse-sounding cover of the song for her Strange Little Girls album.
- The band easyworld have also covered this song.
Lacuna Coil version
| "Enjoy the Silence" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Enjoy the Silence" is the second single by Lacuna Coil from their album Karmacode. There are three 'volumes' of this single.
Volume I:
- Enjoy the Silence
- Virtual Environment (An unreleased bonus track)
Volume II:
- Enjoy the Silence
- To the Edge - Live
- Fragile - Live
- Tight Rope - Live
Volume III (Picture Disc):
- Enjoy the Silence
- Silence