Precious

"Precious"
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Playing the Angel
B-side	"Free"
Released	3 October 2005 11 October 2005 (12")
Format	12", CD, DVD, digital download
Recorded	2005
Genre	Alternative dance
Length	4:09 (Album Version) 3:45 (Radio Version)
Label	Mute
Writer(s)	Martin Gore
Producer	Ben Hillier
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Enjoy the Silence 04" (2004) "Precious" (2005) "A Pain That I'm Used To" (2005)
Music sample Depeche Mode – "Precious"

"Precious" is Depeche Mode's forty-first single, and the first single from the album Playing the Angel. It was released on 3 October 2005 in the UK by Mute Records and 11 October 2005 in the US by Sire/Reprise. The single reached No. 4 in the UK, No. 71 on the Hot 100, and No. 23 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.

It was the band's first single of original music in more than three years. "Precious" was released to international radio stations and as a digital download on 22 August 2005. Musically, it resembles "And Then..." from the band's third album Construction Time Again.

Since its live debut, "Precious" has been played at every Depeche Mode concert between 2005 and 2010.

Meaning

Although the meaning of almost all of Depeche Mode's songs are not revealed (because Martin Gore prefers people to find their own meanings for each song) he made an exception with "Precious", revealing that the song is written about his children and what they must have been going through when he was getting a divorce from their mother.

Music video

To accompany the new single and album, a program called the Depeche Mode Receiver was released. The video for "Precious" received its worldwide premiere via this program on 12 September 2005.

An early version of the video (with unfinished rendering and many sketch placeholders) was leaked to the internet long before the song was even out, so most fans were able to listen to "Precious" about two months ahead of the release. In fact, the digital download may not have even been released if not for the leak, which was widespread within days.

The music video for "Precious" features the band performing on an empty, computer-generated cruise ship, before walking out into an alien-looking (also CG) forest. The video was directed by Uwe Flade, who directed the "Enjoy the Silence 04" video. It is streamable for free on the Depeche Mode website in the archives.

B-sides

"Free" is the B-side to "Precious". It's a techno beat with an old school feel. It was unavailable in the US, aside from importing, but is now available on iTunes. It also appears as a bonus track on the Japanese version of Playing the Angel. There is no remix of the song, aside from an early version that was heard at the Touring the Angel press conference, as shown on the Playing the Angel Electronic Press Kit, however, the full/stand-alone version is not available for download or purchase at this time.

Other appearances

"Precious" was also featured in Smallville's fifth season premiere episode. The song was also played during episodes of the TV shows Bones, Charmed (Season 8 episode "Payback's a Witch"), and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Trance act Blank & Jones remixed the single though their production has yet to be released. However, they have played their remix out during their live DJ sets.

Covers

• Tangerine Dream, in their 2010 album Under Cover – Chapter One.

Chart performance

UK

The single was released to digital downloads and to shops on the same day, 3 October 2005. It was added to XFM's playlist in mid-September. It also made it to BBC Radio 2's A-List. On 2 October 2005 it reached No. 49 on the UK airplay chart, jumping to No. 27 on 16 October 2005. On 9 October 2005 the single debuted No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart, giving them their highest UK chart position in eight years (Barrel of a Gun in 1997), and also matching that of People Are People in 1984. The single spent a total of five weeks on the chart.

US

"Precious" reached No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 23 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was Depeche Mode's first single to make either chart since 2001's "Dream On". The song also topped both the Hot Dance Music/Club Play and the Hot Dance Singles Sales charts.

"Precious" was originally released to US radio and digital download on 22 August 2005. Soon after this release, it reached No. 70 on the Billboard Pop 100, No. 53 on the Hot Digital Songs chart, and No. 47 on the Hot Digital Tracks chart.

Over the next two months, grew to be supported by 53 US alternative rock radio stations. During this time, it climbed up the Modern Rock Tracks from an original debut at No. 38 on 8 October 2005 to No. 24 on 25 November 2005. It remained at No. 24 throughout December and finally peaked at No. 23 on 7 January 2006.

"Precious" was released to stores in the US on 11 October 2005. One week later, on the chart dated 29 October 2005, it reached at No. 3 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart and also debuted on the Hot 100 at No. 99, after "bubbling under" the week before. This same day it topped both the Hot Dance Music/Club Play and the Hot Dance Singles Sales charts and reached No. 27 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

The next week, on 5 November 2005, "Precious" reached No. 1 on the Singles Sales chart. This propelled it to No. 71 on the Hot 100 and No. 52 on the Pop 100.

"Precious" debuted at No. 39 on the Adult Top 40 on 3 December 2005. It reached No. 32 on 31 December 2005.

Formats and track listing

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Precious"

Credits: Music Video

• Director: Uwe Flade
• Editing: Markus Gerwinat
• Creative Direction, Designs: Niklas Briner
• Photography: Fabian Hothan
• Post-production: Effekt-Etage, Berlin
• Producer: Mark Entzelmann
• Shoot Location: London, United Kingdom
• Production Company: Q Film, Hamburg
• Label: Mute Records UK, 2005

Charts

References