A Question of Lust

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Top

  • Artist: Depeche Mode
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1986
  • Total Time: 24:03
  • Type: Single
  • Genre: Rock

Review

One of the few Martin Gore-sung singles Depeche Mode have released, "A Question of Lust" is one of his trademark blends of up-front feeling and cynical emotional games -- a blend that shouldn't work, but so often does for him, to great effect. His passionate vocals, so often overlooked in favor of David Gahan's more straightforward approach, suit the slow, perversely tender sonic melange of the arrangement, reverbed percussion, stentorian piano lines, and an intermingled wash of other elements to create a power ballad to beat them all. When an extra synth part adds to the concluding chorus, it makes everything even more prettily beautiful. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given that it's much more a slow dance song than anything else, there's only one extra version of the song on the disc -- the "minimal" take. Removing most of the percussion and some of the overall texturing, pumping up Gore's singing, then sliding into an extended instrumental coda, it's pleasant but not much more than that. "Christmas Island," the second and final song that shares a Gore/Alan Wilder co-writing credit, is the sole original B-side -- portentous and gloom-ridden, it's attractively dour but fits more in with Wilder's solo work as Recoil than anything else. The stripped-down break mid-song that focuses in on the lighter percussion is its best part, while the extended mix that also appears provides more music without adding more to the song's overall appeal. There's a live version of "People Are People," recorded at a Swiss date in 1986, which appears as a precursor to the more widely known in-concert version from 101. It doesn't reveal much, since the basic overall arrangement and performance are the same. An instrumental version of Black Celebration's "It Doesn't Matter Two" fills out the disc. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi

Previous:A Question of Balance (1992 Album by Six of a Perfect Pair)
Next:A Question of Lust [Bonus Track] (1986 Album by Depeche Mode)
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

A Question of Lust

Top
"A Question of Lust"
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Black Celebration
B-side "Christmas Island"
Released 14 April 1986
Format Vinyl record (7" and 12"), CD (1991 box set)
Recorded Late 1985
Genre New Wave, Synthpop
Length 4:11 (edit)
4:20 (album version)
4:29 (7"/single version)
5:09 (12" version)
Label Mute Records
Writer(s) Martin Gore
Producer Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller, Gareth Jones
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Stripped"
(1986)
"A Question of Lust"
(1986)
"A Question of Time"
(1986)

"A Question of Lust" is Depeche Mode's sixteenth UK single, released on 14 April 1986.

It is the second Depeche Mode single with Martin Gore on lead vocals, after "Somebody" and the first to be released in its own right. However, the 12" single was released as a double A-side with "A Question of Time" in the US, like "Somebody".

Contents

B-sides

The B-side is an instrumental called "Christmas Island", named after the island of the same name. It is penned by both Martin Gore and Alan Wilder and was produced by Depeche Mode themselves.

The live tracks available on some versions of the single are taken from a 1984 concert in Basel, Switzerland.

Music video

The music video for "A Question of Lust" features the return of director Clive Richardson for his last video with the band.

Track listings

7": Mute / 7Bong11 (UK)

  1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
  2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51

12": Mute / 12Bong11 (UK)

  1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
  2. "Christmas Island (Extended)" – 5:37
  3. "People are People (Live)" – 4:21
  4. "It Doesn't Matter Two (Instrumental)" – 2:49
  5. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:46

Cassette: Mute / CBong11 (UK)

  1. "A Question of Lust (Flood Mix)" – 5:08
  2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
  3. "If You Want (Live)" – 5:16
  4. "Shame (Live)" – 4:13
  5. "Blasphemous Rumours (Live)" – 5:25
  • This format came in a 7"-sized card envelope with an insert and a badge. CBong11 was released as a 12" single in Germany and as a very rare CD single in France.

CD: Mute / CDBong11 (UK)

  1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
  2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
  3. "Christmas Island (Extended)" – 5:37
  4. "People are People (Live)" – 4:21
  5. "It Doesn't Matter Two (Instrumental)" – 2:49
  6. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:46

The CD single was released in 1991 as part of the singles box set compilations

7": Sire / 7-28697-DJ (US)

  1. "A Question of Lust" [edit] – 4:11
  2. "A Question of Lust (Robert Margouleff Remix)" – 3:50

12": Sire / 0-20530 (US)

  1. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:47
  2. "Black Celebration (Live)" – 6:05
  3. "A Question of Time (Extended Remix)" – 6:38
  4. "Something to Do (Live)" – 3:50
  • "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" is falsely titled "A Question of Lust (Extended Version)"
  • Double A-Side with "A Question of Time"

12": Intercord / INT 126.844 (L12Bong11) (GER)

  1. "A Question of Lust (Flood Mix)" – 5:08
  2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
  3. "If You Want (Live)" – 5:16
  4. "Shame (Live)" – 4:13
  5. "Blasphemous Rumours (Live)" – 5:30

This was the only 12" release of the UK Mute CBONG11

CD: Intercord / INT 826.841 (GER)

  1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
  2. "Christmas Island (Extended)" – 5:37
  3. "People are People (Live)" – 4:21
  4. "It Doesn't Matter Two (Instrumental)" – 2:49
  5. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:46

The Germany CD was released in 1986

CD: Virgin / 30167 (FRA)

  1. "A Question of Lust (Flood Mix)" – 5:08
  2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
  3. "If You Want (Live)" – 5:16
  4. "Shame (Live)" – 4:13
  5. "Blasphemous Rumours (Live)" – 5:30

This was the only CD release of UK Mute CBONG11. It was released in 1986

All songs written by Martin L. Gore, except "Christmas Island" was written by Martin Gore and Alan Wilder and "If You Want" was written by Alan Wilder.

External links


Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

Copyrights:

Mentioned in

Some Great Videos [Video] (1986 Album by Depeche Mode)
Depeche Mode: The Videos 86-98 (1998 Music Film)
Singles Box, Vol. 3 (1991 Album by Depeche Mode)
Videos 1986-1998 (1998 Album by Depeche Mode)