Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Behind the Wheel
"Behind the Wheel" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987). It was released December 1987 as the album's third single, reaching number 21 in the United Kingdom and number six in both Switzerland and West Germany.
"Behind the Wheel" was written by Martin Gore as part of the recording sessions for the band's sixth studio album, Music for the Masses. The demo was prepared by Gore at his home studio in London in mid-1986, along with the other tracks from the album. Although Gore wrote the demos, it was left to band member and music producer Alan Wilder to arrange, produce and record the songs into the final versions of the songs that would appear on the album. Recording for the song took place between sessions at Studio Guillaume Tell near Paris, France and Konk studios in London, England. Mixing of the track took place at Puk Recording Studios in Denmark.
The song has a sequence of four chords that keep cycling, which band member / producer Alan Wilder compared to Penrose stairs; "once you get around [to the top], you're back at the bottom again. That's kind of how the chord sequence works [in the song]." "Behind the Wheel" incorporated some of Gore's guitar playing, who played his Gretsch guitar for the part. Wilder said the song's bassline was made up of three components: "a hand striking the end of a Hoover tube and then sampled, a guitar-pluck sampled and pitched down, and a Minimoog for added bottom end."
"Behind the Wheel" was released on 28 December 1987 by Mute Records in the UK, Sire Records in the US and Intercord Records in West Germany. In the UK, the release saw a wide variety of vinyl releases, some of which have become valuable collector's items if they can be found: a 7" test pressing (catalogue number SBONG15), a regular 7" single (7BONG15), a promotional 7" containing a unique mix (DJBONG15), a 12" single (12BONG15), a limited 12" single (L12BONG15), and a promotional 12" single (DBONG15). In West Germany, 12" and limited 12" vinyl singles were released with initial pressings in orange vinyl and yellow vinyl, respectively, with catalogue numbers INT 126.87 and INT 126.876. The US saw unique mixes that combined "Behind the Wheel" and "Route 66" into a single remix, issued on 7" and 12" vinyl and released in April 1988.
The single version of the song was remixed by the American music producer Shep Pettibone. His version was chosen for release because the band felt it was more danceable than the album version. The B-side, a cover version of the Bobby Troup song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" was chosen because Gore said he "thought it would be a good idea to record a driving song on the B-side of 'Behind the Wheel'". "Route 66" was remixed by the Beatmasters and was made up from elements of "Behind the Wheel".
When the single started to rise in the charts, Depeche Mode were invited to perform the song on the BBC's "Top of the Pops, which they did on 7 January 1988.
Remixes of "Behind the Wheel" appear on compilations: The Singles 86–98 (1998) and Remixes 2: 81–11 (2011).
The music video was directed by Anton Corbijn near Málaga, Spain. It was included on the Strange (1988) compilation, The Videos 86–98 (1988), and their Video Singles Collection (2016).
Hub AI
Behind the Wheel AI simulator
(@Behind the Wheel_simulator)
Behind the Wheel
"Behind the Wheel" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987). It was released December 1987 as the album's third single, reaching number 21 in the United Kingdom and number six in both Switzerland and West Germany.
"Behind the Wheel" was written by Martin Gore as part of the recording sessions for the band's sixth studio album, Music for the Masses. The demo was prepared by Gore at his home studio in London in mid-1986, along with the other tracks from the album. Although Gore wrote the demos, it was left to band member and music producer Alan Wilder to arrange, produce and record the songs into the final versions of the songs that would appear on the album. Recording for the song took place between sessions at Studio Guillaume Tell near Paris, France and Konk studios in London, England. Mixing of the track took place at Puk Recording Studios in Denmark.
The song has a sequence of four chords that keep cycling, which band member / producer Alan Wilder compared to Penrose stairs; "once you get around [to the top], you're back at the bottom again. That's kind of how the chord sequence works [in the song]." "Behind the Wheel" incorporated some of Gore's guitar playing, who played his Gretsch guitar for the part. Wilder said the song's bassline was made up of three components: "a hand striking the end of a Hoover tube and then sampled, a guitar-pluck sampled and pitched down, and a Minimoog for added bottom end."
"Behind the Wheel" was released on 28 December 1987 by Mute Records in the UK, Sire Records in the US and Intercord Records in West Germany. In the UK, the release saw a wide variety of vinyl releases, some of which have become valuable collector's items if they can be found: a 7" test pressing (catalogue number SBONG15), a regular 7" single (7BONG15), a promotional 7" containing a unique mix (DJBONG15), a 12" single (12BONG15), a limited 12" single (L12BONG15), and a promotional 12" single (DBONG15). In West Germany, 12" and limited 12" vinyl singles were released with initial pressings in orange vinyl and yellow vinyl, respectively, with catalogue numbers INT 126.87 and INT 126.876. The US saw unique mixes that combined "Behind the Wheel" and "Route 66" into a single remix, issued on 7" and 12" vinyl and released in April 1988.
The single version of the song was remixed by the American music producer Shep Pettibone. His version was chosen for release because the band felt it was more danceable than the album version. The B-side, a cover version of the Bobby Troup song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" was chosen because Gore said he "thought it would be a good idea to record a driving song on the B-side of 'Behind the Wheel'". "Route 66" was remixed by the Beatmasters and was made up from elements of "Behind the Wheel".
When the single started to rise in the charts, Depeche Mode were invited to perform the song on the BBC's "Top of the Pops, which they did on 7 January 1988.
Remixes of "Behind the Wheel" appear on compilations: The Singles 86–98 (1998) and Remixes 2: 81–11 (2011).
The music video was directed by Anton Corbijn near Málaga, Spain. It was included on the Strange (1988) compilation, The Videos 86–98 (1988), and their Video Singles Collection (2016).