Little 15
"Little 15" | ||||
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Single by Depeche Mode | ||||
from the album Music for the Masses | ||||
B-side | "Stjärna" | |||
Released | 16 May 1988 | |||
Recorded | February–July 1987 | |||
Studio | Studio Guillaume Tell, Paris[1] Konk, London Puk Studios, Denmark | |||
Genre | Synth-pop | |||
Length | 4:15 | |||
Label | Mute Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Martin Gore | |||
Producer(s) | Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller, Dave Bascombe | |||
Depeche Mode singles chronology | ||||
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"Little 15" is a song by English electronic group Depeche Mode. It was released on 16 May 1988 as the fourth single from the album Music for the Masses (1987).[2] The song was never intended to be a single; in fact, it barely made it onto the album, but a French record label wanted to release the song as a single, which became a popular import and a minor hit in the UK, reaching #60 on the UK Singles Chart.[3]
Release
The song's title, as well as its status as a minor release, contributed to its special catalog number "LITTLE15". In this vein, it can be seen as a "little" release between BONG15 ("Behind the Wheel") and BONG16 ("Everything Counts [Live]"). "Little 15" didn't chart in France, but finally was also released as a single in other countries becoming a success: in West Germany, where it hit #16, in Austria where it reached #25 and in Switzerland where it entered the Top 20 at #18.[4]
There was no remix of the song at the time of release (the 12" and 7" versions were the same); however, there are two piano instrumental B-sides, both performed by Alan Wilder. The first is "Stjärna" (Swedish for 'star') (mislabelled "St. Jarna"), written by Martin Gore. The 12" b-side also contains a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata #14." According to his website, Wilder did not intend for it to be a b-side, as he was merely performing it for fun, but Gore stealthily recorded it. Wilder did not perform the song perfectly (his error occurs near the end of the song).[5]
The music video for "Little 15" was directed by Martyn Atkins, who had done previous design work for the band.[6] The music video was filmed in the Trellick Tower in London.[citation needed]
Reception
In a positive review for AllMusic, Ned Raggett highlighted the song's "subtle orchestrations" and "David Gahan's subtly impassioned performance".[7]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Little 15" | Martin L. Gore | 4:15 |
2. | "Stjärna" | Martin L. Gore | 4:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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3. | "Sonata No. 14 in C#m (Moonlight Sonata)" | Ludwig van Beethoven | 5:37 |
References
- ^ Studios Guillaume Tell
- ^ "Little 15". depechemode.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ "Depeche Mode UK Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ^ "Depeche Mode Little 15". Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ^ Miller, Jonathan (2004). Stripped: A True Story of Depeche Mode. Omnibus Press. pp. 257–258. ISBN 1-84449-415-2.
- ^ "Martyn Atkins". IMDb. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
- ^ Allmusic review
External links