Where's The Revolution
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"Where's the Revolution" is a song by English
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
band
Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
from their fourteenth studio album '' Spirit''. It was released as the album's first single on 3 February 2017, on the 20th anniversary of "
Barrel of a Gun "Barrel of a Gun" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 3 February 1997 as the first single from their ninth studio album, ''Ultra''. The song reached No. 1 in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain and Sweden and re ...
". The cover art was designed 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" ...
. The single was premiered on the Polish radio Trójka at midnight on 3 February. This single is notable for being the first Depeche Mode lead single to not chart on the UK Singles Chart, a trend that would continue with ''Spirit''s following singles.


Background

It was one of the first songs written for the album—according to
Martin Gore Martin Lee Gore (born 23 July 1961) is an English musician and songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the electronic music band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist and keyboardist, and occasiona ...
, it was written at least two years before the release of album. The song is written from the perspective of Martin's view of the issues that were occurring in the world at the time. He discusses in an interview that "there was a sense of things going wrong and the world wasn't in a great place." He further goes, "The Syrian crisis had been dragging on for years... I live in America, and around that time there were blacks getting shot on a kind of weekly basis by the police and rioting, you know—the whole Middle East, is just a big mess." In many interviews, the band have also stated that producer James Ford taught himself to play Gore's
pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings, enabling more varied and complex music to be played than with other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play ...
within one day while in the studio, and thus this guitar was used in "Where's the Revolution" and other tracks on the album.


Promotion

The song was premiered audio-only on YouTube. A dystopian-themed black-and-white music video was released a week later, on 9 February. The music video, as well as the animated visuals with flying flags and marching boots for the audio-only video, were directed and designed 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" ...
.


Releases

The song is available as digital download from Amazon, HMV, Google Play Music and iTunes. It is also available as a 5-track CD single, as a double vinyl (containing 9 remixes, released on 28 April 2017) and as an exclusive 7″ vinyl promotional release in the April edition of the German music magazine Musik Express, with a live version of a ''
Delta Machine ''Delta Machine'' is the thirteenth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 22 March 2013 by Columbia and Mute Records. It is the band's first album released under Columbia. Recorded in 2012 in Santa Barbara, Ca ...
'' song " Should Be Higher" as B-side.


Track listing

*CD / digital download #"Where's the Revolution" – 4:59 #"Where's the Revolution" (
Ewan Pearson Ewan Pearson (born 1 April 1972) is an English electronic music producer/remixer who works under various aliases including Maas, Sulky Pup, Villa America, World of Apples, and Dirtbox. He is also in Partial Arts with Al Usher. He has remixed ...
remix) – 8:36 #"Where's the Revolution" (
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
remix) – 4:55 #"Where's the Revolution" (Terence Fixmer remix) – 6:23 #"Where's the Revolution" (
Autolux Autolux is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. The group formed as a trio and have released three full-length albums, ''Future Perfect'' (2004), '' Transit Transit'' (2010) and '' Pussy's Dead'' (2016). T ...
remix) – 4:17 *Double 12″ #"Where's the Revolution" (Autolux remix) – 4:17 #"Where's the Revolution" (Pearson Sound remix) – 6:28 #"Where's the Revolution" (Algiers Click Farm remix) – 3:28 #"Where's the Revolution" (
Simian Mobile Disco Simian Mobile Disco are an English electronic music duo and production team, formed in 2003 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production. Ford is also known for his production work. ...
remix) – 8:46 #"Where's the Revolution" (Pearson Sound Beatless remix) – 4:20 #"Where's the Revolution" (Simian Mobile Disco dub) – 8:45 #"Where's the Revolution" (Terence Fixmer Spatial mix) – 6:34 #"Where's the Revolution" (Patrice Bäumel remix) – 6:57 #"Where's the Revolution" (Ewan Pearson Kompromat dub) – 8:20


Credits and personnel

*
Martin Gore Martin Lee Gore (born 23 July 1961) is an English musician and songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the electronic music band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist and keyboardist, and occasiona ...
– composer, lyrics * James Ford – drums, mixer, producer *
Matrixxman Matrixxman, otherwise known as Charles McCloud Duff, is an American electronic musician Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general ...
– programming *Kurt Uenala – programming *Jimmy Robertson – engineer, mixer *Connor Long – assistant engineer *Oscar Munoz – assistant engineer *David Schaeman – assistant engineer *Brendan Morawski – assistant engineer, mix assistant *Brian Lucey – mastering


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


References


External links


Single information from the official Depeche Mode website
{{authority control 2017 singles 2016 songs Depeche Mode songs Black-and-white music videos Music videos directed by Anton Corbijn Songs written by Martin Gore Song recordings produced by James Ford (musician) Columbia Records singles Protest songs