Demos & Studio Outtakes/Fake tracks

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This section contains demos which are commonly attributed to Depeche Mode or one of their solo members, but are really other artists' demos or tracks. This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of fake demos and tracks, but it tries to be.

There are also noteworthy fake reel tapes purporting to contain an early live recording and demos; see more: Robin Neale's early tapes

Disco Hell

  • This track is by Dafne and the Tenderspots,[1] a band that Alan Wilder was a part of in 1979. He is co-credited along with the rest of that band for writing this track as well as the B-side, "I'm A Natural". This track isn't really "fake", just often not correctly credited to Dafne and the Tenderspots. For example, on a couple bootlegs, it's claimed as one of Alan's demos from 1981 (along with some other tracks below), in much worse quality also. The excerpt below is from a rip of an original pressing vinyl done by DMLiveWiki. A 45 second excerpt is provided below for your listening pleasure. You can hear the entire B-side, "I'm A Natural", on YouTube in good quality.

Most hardcore Mode fans may have been exposed to this track via a lousy recording of what sounds like an American radio DJ poking fun at "Disco Hell" some time in 1985. It sounds like he played the vinyl at the wrong speed. The same exact segment played on this radio spot is what I decided to supply above as an excerpt from the original-pressing vinyl. You can listen to the best quality copy of that radio spot below:

From Shunt Q&A:[2]

Not to humiliate you, but I just heard the Dafne and the Tenderspots tune 'Disco Hell' around the net and laughed my ass off. Was that YOU screaming "no soul..no rhythm"?

No I wasn't singing on that track, it was Graham [Smith][3] the guitarist. Anyway, if you think that was bad, you should hear some of the other songs (and no, I'm not lending you my copy) ;-)

Will The New Baby Grow

  • This track is attributed to French Look (a band Martin was part of during 1980), but the actual song is Will The New Baby by Gammer & His Familiars. Appears on the "Rarities Of Mode" CD bootleg[4] in dreadful quality. DM Live somehow ended up with this song on a cassette tape entitled "DM Strange Cuts", which ironically has no Depeche Mode on it at all!

Nodisco (Instrumental)

  • A very good instrumental claimed to be a demo is actually a cover done by the Italian duo Atrium,[5] released as a B-side of another cover in 1985 on vinyl.[6] A vocal version also exists and it was released along with this version.

Another instrumental cover of the track superbly and very faithfully done by Stripped Productions using recreated samples is available to listen to on YouTube.

Early live-only songs by "Coming Back To You"

In 1998, German musician George Lindt under the pseudonym Coming Back To You released a CD called Coming Back To You Present: A Tribute To Depeche Mode (And Others), which contains covers of six early live-only songs performed by Depeche Mode between 1980 - 1982. These songs are inaccurately labeled as Vince Clarke demos on some bootleg compilations. This CD was later reissued in 2006.

The back artwork states:

Between the years 1980 and 1982, Depeche Mode performed some tracks live that have never been officially released. Until now, these tracks have only been available on bootlegs of dubious quality. Many fans will never understand why these tracks have never been released. But now the time has come at last: COMING BACK TO YOU have covered these brilliant songs in the style of the early '80s. As far as we know, most of the original tracks were written by Vince Clarke, but at least one of the tracks was penned by Jason Knott, an old friend of Clarke's. At long last, studio-quality versions of early gems such as "Television Set" and "Addiction" are finally available. Also included are versions of "I Like It" (Gerry & The Pacemakers) and "The Price Of Love" (Everly Brothers), covers that Depeche Mode would occasionally perform live. An essential part of any fan's collection.

The music is exceptionally faithfully recreated; however, the lyrics are unfortunately inaccurate. I'd personally love to see these covers updated with accurate lyrics.

Short samples of each song are available for reference below:

I Like It

Source (Facebook login required)

An "unreleased demo tape track" uploaded on YouTube of I Like It is a fan-made recreation using isolated live vocals from 1982-03-06 Rockola, Madrid, Spain/Source 1. Daryl Bamonte has said on Facebook regarding I Like It:

I definitely do not recall "ILI" ever being demoed, or even played live until 1982.

What Do I Get?

A YouTube video uploaded in 2011 called "What Do I Get?" is falsely attributed to Depeche Mode.

Wrathchild (Iron Maiden cover)

A YouTube video titled Depeche Mode cover Iron Maiden - 'Wrathchild' (c.1981) is inauthentic as it's not Dave Gahan or any other member of Depeche Mode singing vocals.

Return To Oberkorn (Instrumental)

  • An instrumental bearing some musical resemblance to Oberkorn (It's A Small Town), but it's not Depeche Mode. Appears on the "Rarities Of Mode" CD bootleg.[4] The actual performer is unknown.

The Sun & The Rainfall (Instrumental)

  • An instrumental cover made by the "Satellite" Fan Club in Milan, Italy[7] and released exclusively as a promo vinyl for said fan club in 1987 appears on the "Depeche Mode 79-82" CD bootleg[8] in dreadful quality:

An incomplete version (missing the beginning) though much better sounding copy of the song also appears on the cassette tape compilation bootleg entitled "Black Tulips", and is available to listen to here:

If somebody has a higher quality complete version, please contact us.

Transcanadian Track (Instrumental)

  • Another instrumental attributed to Depeche Mode. Appears on the "Rarities Of Mode" CD bootleg.[4] The actual performer is unknown.

Get The Balance Right (Instrumental)

  • This is a fan-made instrumental cover version, not a real demo. There are many instrumental cover / "demo" versions of various songs, but this one is occasionally thought as genuine given its closeness in melody and overall sound to the real track. The actual performer is unknown.

Treadmill Of Time

  • This track is claimed to be Alan Wilder's circa 1981. It's sometimes titled "Treadmill Of Fire", which doesn't make any sense, but that title is included here for anybody doing some Googling with that title. The actual performer is unknown. If somebody has more info, a higher quality version, or even a tape with this song on it, please contact us.

Lyrics

Treadmill Of Time

I want to get off now

I'm trying to learn how

Why can't it just slow down?

Slow right down

Not sure of it all anymore


Tied to the treadmill of time

Climbing up an endless stair

Slide with no reason or rhyme

Headlong into who knows where


There was once a time when everything was fine

And water towers seemed living entities

I believed in all kinds of absurdities

How strange, the thoughts of innocence

Times change, I've lost that hidden sense


I want to get off now

I'm trying to learn how

Why can't it just slow down?

Slow right down

Not sure of it all anymore


Hands on the clock face turn 'round

Getting older, moving fast

Sands in the hourglass fall down

Letting go of times past


There was once a dream I had in which it seemed

A rose bush grew in the house where I used to live

I suppose I know those are days I can't relive

How true, the thoughts I've pushed aside

Wish I knew they could simply be denied


I've been waiting for

I've been waiting for

The key to the door

The key to the door


And freedom galore

And freedom galore

I seem to want more

I seem to want more


I've been waiting for

I've been waiting for

The key to the door

The key to the door


And freedom galore

And freedom galore

I seem to want more

I seem to want more


I want to get off now

I'm trying to learn how

Why can't it just slow down?


I want to get off now

I'm trying to learn how

Why can't it just slow down?


I want to get off now

I'm trying to learn how

Why can't it just slow down?

Slow right down

Not sure of it all anymore

Not sure of it all anymore


Songwriter: Unknown
Publishing Information: No publishing information available.

Here To Have Fun

  • This track is claimed to be Alan Wilder's circa 1981. The actual performer is unknown. If somebody has more info, a higher quality version, or even a tape with this song on it, please contact us.

Lyrics

Here To Have Fun

Standing in a room

People everywhere

This will be my tomb

If I don't come up for air

Music hits the brain

Heart and drums synchronized

Driving me insane

Reason has to compromise

All the doors are locked

All the clocks have stopped

No escaping

No evading

No turning back


You're here to have fun

You're here to have fun


I find it hard to bear

Watching people dancing

Girls with orange hair

Who won't admit they can't sing

They're being pulled around

By a puppet master

And falling to the ground

'Cause they can't go much faster


All the girls and boys

Playing with their toys

Voice inside me

Whispers quietly

Go and join their game


You're here to have fun


Lose myself

I want to lose myself

Become mechanical

Like everybody else

I've got to switch myself

To automatic mode

How that's done

I'd like to know


I wish I could

Lose myself

Become mechanical

Like everybody else

I've got to switch myself

To automatic mode

How that's done

I'd like to know

I wish I could


You're here to have fun

You're here to have fun


Standing in a room

People everywhere

This will be my tomb

If I don't come up for air

Music hits the brain

Heart and drums synchronized

Driving me insane

Reason has to compromise

All the doors are locked

All the clocks have stopped

No escaping

No evading

No turning back


You're here to have fun


Songwriter: Unknown
Publishing Information: No publishing information available.

Chart Rundown

  • This track is claimed to be Alan Wilder's circa 1981. The actual performer is unknown. If somebody has more info, a higher quality version, or even a tape with this song on it, please contact us.

Lyrics

Chart Rundown

Thursday evening blues are here

Simon says give a tired cheer

And move your mouth to the ice cream tunes

With fragile friends like party balloons


Pop, there goes another song

Three more minutes have elapsed and gone

Fun served up on a paper plate

Easily disposed at a later date


The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

The needle's-

Nothing injected but money infected motives

The needle's stuck


Tuesday lunch time lottery show

Says yes to soap and to music no

Here today and gone tomorrow

Washed away without the slightest sorrow


Media circus of family troupes

And gift-wrap perfectly symmetrical grooves

From east to west and north to south

Hear model music from the modeled mouth


The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

The needle's-

Nothing injected but money infected motives

The needle's stuck


Remixing yesterday in the hope of molding today

Follow up to one-time one-offs

Wallow up to your ears in spin-offs

Whatever became of music

For just its own sake


Pop, there goes another song

Three more minutes have elapsed and gone

Fun served up on a paper plate

Easily disposed at a later date


The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

...

Nothing injected but money infected motives

The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

...

Nothing injected but money infected motives

The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

...

Nothing injected but money infected motives

The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

...

Nothing injected but money infected

The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

...

Nothing injected but money infected

The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

...

Nothing injected but money infected

The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

...

Nothing injected but money infected

The needle's stuck

The needle's stuck

...

Nothing injected but money infected motives


Songwriter: Unknown
Publishing Information: No publishing information available.

Postulate (Recoil)

Shake The Disease (Martin's Demo Version Instrumental)

  • This is a very well made instrumental cover of Martin's original demo. It appears on the CD-R bootleg Shake The Disease (20 Years Edition).[9] The remixer "Beyond" created this version back in 2005, and the streamable audio below is encoded from a lossless source.

Black Celebration (Khoa Ho Version)

  • This is Khoa Ho's piano cover of Black Celebration, appearing on "MODEified 1 - The Strangest Devotion". This is claimed to be Alan Wilder's demo on at least one bootleg, obviously false given that it doesn't sound like him and also for the fact that Martin was the one who wrote the song, so why would have Alan created a demo of it?

World Full Of Nothing

  • This is a cover created by an unknown fan.

Mother Me / Monghi

  • This song circulates as an instrumental track misattributed to Depeche Mode; it is truly Monghi by Vienna. Appears on the "Rarities Of Mode" CD bootleg[4] in dreadful quality. The real "Mother Me" demo has Martin's vocals and the demo exists on the "Perversion" demo tape, but it does not circulate and its lyrics are not known. Alan reveals a bit of info on Shunt Q&A about this track:[10]
The song you mentioned for 'Violator' called 'Mother Me', will you please give a description of what it sounded like, any possible lyrics, whether this song was ever actually recorded and who sang it, Dave or Martin?

Wilder: It sort of got started with some drums, bass [and] a couple of other parts but was shelved quite quickly. It was medium tempo and if I remember correctly it slipped into 7
8
time signature for the chorus - oops. I think Dave [Gahan] would have sung it.

Alan also says in his editorial on Violator: "There was a song called 'Mother Me' which we also recorded during this period but never finished." Based on that quote, it can be inferred that a "work-in-progress" version of "Mother Me" exists in the vaults.

Furthermore, Daryl Bamonte said regarding this track: "I remember a track called 'Mother Me, Smother Me' that I believe was recorded for Violator, but didn't make the final cut for some reason. It was a really good song, but I don't think it was even used for a b-side."[11]

Dirty Alright Now

  • A song claimed to be a Dave Gahan demo circa 1992. Appears on the "Rarities Of Mode" CD bootleg in poor quality.[4] celestinocamcia positively identified this track in June 2020 as "Journey On The Nile" by Tunnelvision.

Take A Look At Me Now

  • Another song erroneously claimed to be a Dave Gahan demo circa 1992. Appears on the "Rarities Of Mode" CD bootleg in poor quality.[4] celestinocamcia positively identified this track in June 2020 as "I'm Gonna Cry" by Tunnelvision.

For Joanne

  • A track claimed to be one of Dave's demos from 1992 is actually Joanne by Wall Of Voodoo. Appears on the "Rarities Of Mode" CD bootleg[4] in dreadful quality.

Personal Jesus (Studio Rough)

From Svenner's demo page.[12] This snippet just doesn't agree with the process of recording Personal Jesus as described by Flood in this video, and so is likely a falsification.

Sister Of Night (Demo)

  • Martin singing over an acoustic guitar. This is a falsification that uses the isolated vocal track from the "One Night In Paris" DVD's center channel overlaid over someone playing guitar. Furthermore, DM Live is told by a reputable source that this is not what appears on the "Ultra" demo tape. Only this short 30-second snippet is available as an MP3; the track was speed-corrected and normalized, then encoded as WAV to prevent further quality loss.

References