"Behind the Wheel" is a song by English

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...

band

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). Depech ...

from their sixth studio album, ''

Music for the Masses ''Music for the Masses'' is the sixth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 28 September 1987 by Mute Records. The album was supported by the Music for the Masses Tour, which launched their fame in the US when ...

'' (1987). It was released on 28 December 1987 as the album's third single, reaching number 21 in the United Kingdom, number six in Switzerland and number six in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...

. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' called it a "dark, European funk tune for those who dance with a touch of sadness" that is "verry strange, yet appealing." In 1989, the single was ranked number 30 on ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...

'' magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Singles of All Time".

Track listings

"Behind the Wheel" was written by Martin L. Gore. "Route 66" was written by Robert William Troup Jr.

7": Mute / 7Bong15 (UK)

# "Behind the Wheel" (remix) – 4:03 # "Route 66" – 4:11

12": Mute / 12Bong15 (UK)

# "Behind the Wheel" (

Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...

mix) – 5:56 # "Route 66" (

Beatmasters The Beatmasters are an English electronic music group who gained success in the UK in the late 1980s with four top 20 hit singles. They then went on to produce and remix records for many other artists. The group's string of chart hit singles inc ...

mix) – 6:19

12": Mute / L12Bong15 (UK)

# "Behind the Wheel" (

mix) – 8:00 # "Route 66" (Casualty mix) – 10:40 (remixed by Dave Allen)

CD: Mute / CDBong15 (UK)

# "Behind the Wheel" (7" remix) – 4:03 # "Route 66" – 4:11 # "Behind the Wheel" (

mix) – 5:56 # "Behind the Wheel" (LP mix) – 5:19

CD: Mute / CDBong15 (UK)

# "Behind the Wheel" (remix) – 4:03 # "Route 66" – 4:11 # "Behind the Wheel" (Shep Pettibone mix) – 5:56 # "Route 66" (Beatmasters mix) – 6:19 # "Behind the Wheel" (Beatmasters mix) – 8:00 # "Route 66" (Casualty mix) – 10:40 # "Behind the Wheel" (LP mix) – 5:19 *The second CD is the 1992 re-release.

Cassette maxi-single: Mute / CBong15 (UK)

# "Behind the Wheel" (Shep Pettibone mix) – 5:56 # "Route 66" (Beatmasters mix) – 6:19 # "Behind the Wheel" (LP mix) – 5:19

7": Sire / 7-27991 (US)

# "Behind the Wheel" (remix) – 4:03 # "Route 66/Behind the Wheel" (mega-single mix) – 4:13 (remixed by Ivan Ivan)

12": Sire / 0-20858 (US)

# "Behind the Wheel/Route 66" (megamix) – 7:48 (remixed by Ivan Ivan) # "Behind the Wheel/Route 66" (megadub) – 6:10 (remixed by Ivan Ivan) # "Behind the Wheel" (extended remix) – 5:56 # "Behind the Wheel" (Beatmasters mix) – 8:00

12": Sire / PRO-A-2952 (US promo)

# "Behind the Wheel" (extended remix) – 5:56 # "Behind the Wheel" (dub) – 5:53 # "Behind the Wheel" (Beatmasters mix) – 8:00 # "Behind the Wheel" (7" DJ remix) – 3:48

CD: Sire / PRO-CD-2953 (US promo)

# "Behind the Wheel" (remix) – 4:03 # "Behind the Wheel/Route 66" (mega-single mix) – 4:29 (remixed by Ivan Ivan) # "Route 66/Behind the Wheel" (mega-single mix) – 4:12 # "Behind the Wheel/Route 66" (Megamix) – 7:48 (remixed by Ivan Ivan) # "Behind the Wheel" (Beatmasters mix) – 8:00 # "Behind the Wheel" (extended remix) – 5:56

Music video

The music video was directed by

Anton Corbijn Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard (; born 20 May 1955) is a Dutch photographer, film director and music video director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2,Pitman, Joanna"The silent partner"' ...

and included on the '' Strange'' compilation. Shot entirely in black and white, the video depicts Dave Gahan's car from the Never Let Me Down Again video being towed away while he waits on crutches, only to discard those crutches as he rides on the back of a Vespa SS180 driven by a female companion to a local southwestern village, where the rest of the band play the song while Gahan and the woman dance. The video features the 7" remix of the song, although an alternative video also exists set to the original album version.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

"Behind the Wheel 2011"

"Behind the Wheel 2011" (Reprise / Rhino / Mute PRCD-400205) is a US-only promotional CD single, released in 2011. The title track is a remix made by former Depeche Mode member

Vince Clarke Vincent John Martin (born 3 July 1960), known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously ...

for the band's '' Remixes 2: 81–11'' album. The single was promotional only, and not for sale. It reached number three on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

chart in 2011. Track listing #"Behind the Wheel 2011" (Vince Clarke extended vocal) – 6:42 #"Behind the Wheel 2011" (Mark Picchiotti re–edited Vince Clarke dub) – 6:44 #"Behind the Wheel 2011" (Mark Picchiotti re-edited Vince Clarke radio mix) – 3:36

External links

Single information from the official Depeche Mode website

AllMusic review

References

{{authority control 1987 singles 1987 songs Black-and-white music videos Depeche Mode songs Music videos directed by Anton Corbijn Mute Records singles Songs written by Martin Gore UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles Songs about cars