''Bloodline'' is the third album by Recoil, released April 14, 1992. It was recorded at

Konk Studio Konk is the name of a recording studio and record label,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, during sessions that lasted from January to March 1991, being mixed later that same year. The album was produced by Alan Wilder, engineered by Steve Lyon, and assisted by

Dave Eringa David James Eringa (born 30 July 1971 in Brentwood, Essex) is an English record producer, sound and mix engineer. Biography He has a career long association with the Manic Street Preachers, he was on tea making duties on their first single "M ...

. After completing

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

's most successful album, '' Violator'', and subsequent "

World Violation Tour The World Violation Tour was a 1990 concert tour by English electronic group Depeche Mode in support of the act's seventh studio album, '' Violator'', which was released in March 1990. It was estimated that by the end of the tour, Depeche Mod ...

" (with

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as the support act), Wilder co-produced Nitzer's 1991 album ''

Ebbhead ''Ebbhead'' is the fourth album of the United Kingdom, British Electronic body music, EBM group Nitzer Ebb. Co-produced by Depeche Mode's Alan Wilder in collaboration with Flood (producer), Flood, it was released by Mute Records on . The album f ...

''. This cemented both a good personal and working relationship with Nitzer lead singer Douglas McCarthy. After completing the Nitzer Ebb album, Wilder went to work on his solo project, and McCarthy returned the favor by performing on the Recoil album. Wilder recruited guest vocalists for the first time:

Moby Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...

, Toni Halliday (from

Curve In mathematics, a curve (also called a curved line in older texts) is an object similar to a line (geometry), line, but that does not have to be Linearity, straight. Intuitively, a curve may be thought of as the trace left by a moving point (ge ...

), and Douglas McCarthy, helping produce a significant move forward. It also marked the first Recoil single, a cover of the Alex Harvey song "Faith Healer". The album is also notable for the track "Electro Blues for Bukka White", which introduced the idea of taking very old recordings and setting them in a new electronic setting. Moby, who contributed vocals for the song "Curse", would later release his 1999 breakthrough album, '' Play'', which arguably contains clear stylistic similarities to “Electro Blues for Bukka White”. On '' Play'', Moby used several old field recordings by

Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, sch ...

, much as Wilder had used a 1937 recording of White's "

Shake 'Em on Down "Shake 'Em On Down" is a Delta blues song by American musician Bukka White. He recorded it in Chicago in 1937 around the beginning of his incarceration at the infamous Parchman Prison Farm in Mississippi. It was his first recording for produce ...

”.

Track listing

All music written by Alan Wilder except "Faith Healer" ( Alex Harvey and Hugh McKenna) # "Faith Healer" (vocals: Douglas McCarthy) # "Electro Blues for Bukka White" (vocals: Bukka White) # "The Defector" (instrumental) # "Edge to Life" (vocals: Toni Halliday) # "Curse" (vocals:

) # "Bloodline" (vocals: Toni Halliday) # "Freeze" (instrumental)

Credits and personnel

* Alan Wilder – production, instruments * Douglas McCarthy –

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

on "Faith Healer" * Toni Halliday – lead vocals on "Edge to Life" and "Bloodline" *

–

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

on "Curse" * Bukka White – vocals taken from the track "Shake 'Em on Down" and used for "Electro Blues for Bukka White" * Diamanda Galás – vocals on "Curse" * Jimmy Hughes – bass guitar on "Edge to Life" * Steve Lyon – engineering * Aaron Trinder – guitar on "Faith Healer" * Dave Eringa – engineering assistant * Martin Atkins, T + CP Associates – sleeve photography and design * Diamanda Galás contribution is unexplained in the credits, but she is mentioned as appearing on the album. The coda to "Curse" contains a backmasked sample from "The Lord Is My Shepherd" ( Psalm 23) from ''

You Must Be Certain of the Devil ''You Must Be Certain of the Devil'' is the fifth album by American avant-garde performer Diamanda Galás, released on May 23, 1988 by record label Mute. Content ''You Must Be Certain of the Devil'' is the final instalment in her "Masque of ...

''. * In the short interlude between "Electro Blues for Bukka White" and "The Defector", there's a piano sample from the end of

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

's "

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". * Samples of

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

' voice from '' The Silence of the Lambs'' are used throughout "The Defector". * In "Edge to Life", the end of Ippolita's monologue from Depeche Mode's ''

Strange Strange may refer to: Fiction * Strange (comic book), a comic book limited series by Marvel Comics * Strange (Marvel Comics), one of a pair of Marvel Comics characters known as The Strangers * Adam Strange, a DC Comics superhero * The title char ...

'' can be heard twice. * An interpretation (or slowed down sample) of "Laura Palmer's Theme" from ''

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company, ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cance ...

'' is featured in the instrumental interlude in "Bloodline". * "The Defector" is Alan's tribute to one of his favorite bands,

Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...

Single

"Faith Healer"

7" (MUTE 110) (UK)

# "Faith Healer (LP Version)" – Mixed by Wilder and Lyon # "Faith Healer (Healed Mix)" – Remixed by LFO

12" and CD (12 MUTE 110 / CD MUTE 110) (UK)

# "Faith Healer (LP Version)" – Mixed by Wilder and Lyon # "Faith Healer (Trance Mix)" – Mixed by Wilder and Lyon # "Faith Healer (Conspiracy Theory)" – Remixed by Daniel Miller and Philipp Erb, Engineered by Mike Bigwood # "Faith Healer (Disbeliever Mix)" – Remixed by LFO # "Faith Healer (Deformity)" – Mixed by Wilder and Lyon # "Faith Healer (Barracuda Mix)" – Additional production and mix by

(Listed as Richard Hall) # "Faith Healer (Conspiracy (Double Bullet) Theory)" – Remixed by Miller and Erb, Engineered by Bigwood

Notes

{{Authority control 1992 debut albums Mute Records albums Recoil (band) albums Sire Records albums