"Blasphemous Rumours" / "Somebody" is a single by English

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

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 ...

. It was released on 29 October 1984, as their twelfth UK single and first double A-side single. Both A-side songs are from the album ''

Some Great Reward ''Some Great Reward'' is the fourth studio album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 24 September 1984 by Mute Records. The album peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 51 in the United States, and was ...

''.

Background

"Blasphemous Rumours"

The verses to "Blasphemous Rumours" describe a 16-year-old girl who attempts suicide but fails. She experiences a religious revival but is then "Hit by a car / Ended up / On a life support machine" (from the lyrics). The chorus uses these incidents to conclude, "I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours / But I think that God's got a sick sense of humour / And when I die, I expect to find him laughing." Like other songs on ''

'', the song uses a dense sound with extensive sampled percussion. The song stems from the times that

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 ...

would go with bandmate

Andy Fletcher Andrew Fletcher may refer to: Government * Andrew Fletcher, Lord Innerpeffer (died 1650), Scottish judge * Andrew Fletcher (patriot) (1655–1716), Scottish writer, politician and patriot * Andrew Fletcher, British Member of Parliament for Haddin ...

and former bandmate

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 ...

to the church. When Gore initially showed Fletcher the song, he found it quite offensive. Gore describes the song's meaning:

Dave Gahan David Gahan ( ; né Callcott; born 9 May 1962) is an English singer best known as the lead singer of electronic music band Depeche Mode since their formation in 1980. Noted for his commanding stage presence and unique baritone voice, Gahan was ...

said, When Depeche Mode announced that they were planning to release "Blasphemous Rumours" as a single, pushback from the religious community resulted, and consequently, the band decided as a compromise to release the single as a double-A side with "Somebody".

"Somebody"

"Somebody", which was sung by Gore in the studio in the nude, includes one of Gore's "little twists", where the song builds as if it is a song about finding your perfect love, only to have him reveal at the end "though things like this make me sick / in a case like this I'll get away with it." Gore added this because "I simply can't write your conventional pop fare. A pleasant song to me is unfinished, it isn't telling the full story. Which is why I introduced the twist at the end of 'Somebody' because the song was just too nice. You say I'm cynical about love in my songs and perhaps I am but I think that's an interesting angle. Otherwise you just become mundane like most chart music. Relationships do have their darker side and I like to write about it." In a significant moment in the Tour of the Universe at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

Alan Wilder Alan Charles Wilder (born 1 June 1959) is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer and member of the electronic band Depeche Mode from 1982 to 1995. After his departure from the band, the musical project Recoil became his pri ...

made a surprise appearance accompanying by playing the piano while Gore sang "Somebody".

Track listings

All tracks written by Martin L. Gore, except "Ice Machine", written by

, and "Two Minute Warning", written by

7″: Mute / 7Bong7 (UK)

# "Blasphemous Rumours" – 5:06 # "Somebody" (remix) – 4:19

7″ EP: Mute / 7Bong7E (UK)

# "Somebody" (remix) – 4:19 # "Everything Counts" (live) – 5:53 # "Blasphemous Rumours" – 5:06 # "Told You So" (live version) – 4:54

12″: Mute / 12Bong7 (UK)

# "Blasphemous Rumours" – 6:20 # "Somebody" (live) – 4:26 # "Two Minute Warning" (live) – 4:36 # "Ice Machine" (live) – 3:45 # "Everything Counts" (live) – 5:53 * This version of the single was also released on CD. Intercord 826.839. No Bong number, same cover as the vinyl version.

CD: Mute / CDBong7 (UK)

# "Blasphemous Rumours" – 6:20 # "Told You So" (live) – 4:56 # "Somebody" (remix) – 4:19 # "Everything Counts" (live) – 5:53 * The CD single was released in 1991 as part of the singles box set compilations. All live tracks recorded at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, England on 29 September 1984

Charts

References

External links

Single information from the official Depeche Mode website
{{Authority control 1984 songs 1984 singles Depeche Mode songs Double A-side singles Songs written by Martin Gore Song recordings produced by Daniel Miller Song recordings produced by Gareth Jones Teenage tragedy songs Mute Records singles New wave ballads UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles Songs critical of religion Songs about suicide