"Little 15" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Depeche Mode | ||||
from the album Music for the Masses | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | 16 May 1988 | |||
Recorded | February–July 1987 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Length | 4:15 | |||
Label | Mute | |||
Songwriter(s) | Martin L. Gore | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Depeche Mode singles chronology | ||||
|
"Little 15" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 16 May 1988 as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987). [1] The song was never intended to be a single; in fact, it barely made it onto the album, but a French record label wanted to release the song as a single, which became a popular import and reached number 60 on the UK Singles Chart. [2]
The song's title, as well as its status as a minor release, contributed to its special catalog number "LITTLE15". In this vein, it can be seen as a "little" release between BONG15 ("Behind the Wheel") and BONG16 ("Everything Counts [Live]"). "Little 15" didn't chart in France, but finally was also released as a single in other countries becoming a success: in West Germany, where it hit #16, in Austria where it reached #25 and in Switzerland where it entered the Top 20 at #18. [3]
There was no remix of the song at the time of release (the 12" and 7" versions were the same); however, there are two piano instrumental B-sides, both performed by Alan Wilder. The first is "Stjärna" ( Swedish for 'star') (mislabelled "St. Jarna"), written by Martin Gore. The 12" b-side also contains a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's " Moonlight Sonata #14". According to his website, Wilder did not intend for it to be a b-side, as he was merely performing it for fun, but Gore stealthily recorded it. Wilder did not perform the piece perfectly (his error occurs near the end of the song). [4]
The music video for "Little 15" was directed by Martyn Atkins, who had done previous design work for the band. [5] The music video was filmed in the Trellick Tower in London.[ citation needed]
In a positive review for AllMusic, Ned Raggett highlighted the song's "subtle orchestrations" and " David Gahan's subtly impassioned performance" and also observed that "it's nowhere near as immediate or catchy as ' Never Let Me Down Again' or ' Behind the Wheel'." [6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Little 15" | Martin L. Gore | 4:15 |
2. | "Stjärna" | Gore | 4:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
3. | " Sonata No. 14 in C#m (Moonlight Sonata)" | Ludwig van Beethoven | 5:37 |
Chart (1988) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40) [7] | 25 |
Europe ( Eurochart Hot 100 Singles) [8] | 59 |
Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade) [9] | 18 |
UK Singles ( OCC) [2] | 60 |
UK Indie ( OCC) [10] | 4 |
West Germany ( Official German Charts) [11] | 16 |
"Little 15" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Depeche Mode | ||||
from the album Music for the Masses | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | 16 May 1988 | |||
Recorded | February–July 1987 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Length | 4:15 | |||
Label | Mute | |||
Songwriter(s) | Martin L. Gore | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Depeche Mode singles chronology | ||||
|
"Little 15" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 16 May 1988 as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, Music for the Masses (1987). [1] The song was never intended to be a single; in fact, it barely made it onto the album, but a French record label wanted to release the song as a single, which became a popular import and reached number 60 on the UK Singles Chart. [2]
The song's title, as well as its status as a minor release, contributed to its special catalog number "LITTLE15". In this vein, it can be seen as a "little" release between BONG15 ("Behind the Wheel") and BONG16 ("Everything Counts [Live]"). "Little 15" didn't chart in France, but finally was also released as a single in other countries becoming a success: in West Germany, where it hit #16, in Austria where it reached #25 and in Switzerland where it entered the Top 20 at #18. [3]
There was no remix of the song at the time of release (the 12" and 7" versions were the same); however, there are two piano instrumental B-sides, both performed by Alan Wilder. The first is "Stjärna" ( Swedish for 'star') (mislabelled "St. Jarna"), written by Martin Gore. The 12" b-side also contains a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's " Moonlight Sonata #14". According to his website, Wilder did not intend for it to be a b-side, as he was merely performing it for fun, but Gore stealthily recorded it. Wilder did not perform the piece perfectly (his error occurs near the end of the song). [4]
The music video for "Little 15" was directed by Martyn Atkins, who had done previous design work for the band. [5] The music video was filmed in the Trellick Tower in London.[ citation needed]
In a positive review for AllMusic, Ned Raggett highlighted the song's "subtle orchestrations" and " David Gahan's subtly impassioned performance" and also observed that "it's nowhere near as immediate or catchy as ' Never Let Me Down Again' or ' Behind the Wheel'." [6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Little 15" | Martin L. Gore | 4:15 |
2. | "Stjärna" | Gore | 4:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
3. | " Sonata No. 14 in C#m (Moonlight Sonata)" | Ludwig van Beethoven | 5:37 |
Chart (1988) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40) [7] | 25 |
Europe ( Eurochart Hot 100 Singles) [8] | 59 |
Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade) [9] | 18 |
UK Singles ( OCC) [2] | 60 |
UK Indie ( OCC) [10] | 4 |
West Germany ( Official German Charts) [11] | 16 |