The Meaning of Love
Encyclopedia
"The Meaning of Love" is the fifth UK single by Depeche Mode
originally released on April 26, 1982.
The single version of "The Meaning of Love" is the same as the album version from A Broken Frame
, the album the song later appears on. The "Fairly Odd Mix" of "The Meaning of Love" breaks into a weird techno ditty after the second chorus.
The B-side is "Oberkorn (It's a Small Town)", an atmospheric instrumental written by Martin Gore
as an intro for the A Broken Frame Tour, in the town of Oberkorn
, Luxembourg
. A longer version called the "Development Mix" has an ambient intro before having the same song as the original, and afterwards having a new arrangement of music.
The video for "The Meaning of Love" is the second video with Alan Wilder
, although he did not contribute to the song. The director is Julien Temple
. The video was not put on the Some Great Videos VHS compilation because it was not well liked by the band.
The single was not released in the United States, but the 12" "Fairly Odd Mix" of the song features on the B-side of the "See You
" US 12" single.
7": Mute/7Mute22 (UK)
12": Mute/12Mute22 (UK)
CD: Mute/CDMute22 (UK)1
Notes
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
originally released on April 26, 1982.
The single version of "The Meaning of Love" is the same as the album version from A Broken Frame
A Broken Frame
* All compositions by Martin Gore.* David Gahan sings lead vocals on all songs except "Shouldn't Have Done That" which is a duet with Gore. "Nothing to Fear" and "Further Excerpts From: My Secret Garden" are instrumental.-2006 re-release:...
, the album the song later appears on. The "Fairly Odd Mix" of "The Meaning of Love" breaks into a weird techno ditty after the second chorus.
The B-side is "Oberkorn (It's a Small Town)", an atmospheric instrumental written by Martin Gore
Martin Gore
Martin Lee Gore is an English songwriter, lyricist, singer, guitarist, keyboardist, remixer and DJ. He is a founding member of Depeche Mode and has written the vast majority of their songs...
as an intro for the A Broken Frame Tour, in the town of Oberkorn
Oberkorn
Oberkorn is a town in the commune of Differdange in south-western Luxembourg. , the town has a population of 4,493. In 1982, Depeche Mode released a song called "Oberkorn, it's a small town", which refers to the town...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. A longer version called the "Development Mix" has an ambient intro before having the same song as the original, and afterwards having a new arrangement of music.
The video for "The Meaning of Love" is the second video with Alan Wilder
Alan Wilder
Alan Charles Wilder is a British musician, formerly of Depeche Mode. His current musical project is called Recoil, started as a side project to Depeche Mode. When he left the latter in 1995, it became Wilder's primary project...
, although he did not contribute to the song. The director is Julien Temple
Julien Temple
Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...
. The video was not put on the Some Great Videos VHS compilation because it was not well liked by the band.
The single was not released in the United States, but the 12" "Fairly Odd Mix" of the song features on the B-side of the "See You
See You
"See You" is the fourth UK single by Depeche Mode and the first written by Martin Gore. The single was released on 29 January 1982 and was later included on the band's second album A Broken Frame. The single launched a small world tour, with extra band member Alan Wilder, although he did not...
" US 12" single.
Chart performance
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 64 |
| Hungarian Singles Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
17 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 17 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 16 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
12 |
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of " The Meaning Of Love ":7": Mute/7Mute22 (UK)
- "The Meaning Of Love " – 3:05
- "Oberkorn (It's A Small Town)" – 4:07
12": Mute/12Mute22 (UK)
- "The Meaning Of Love (Fairly Odd Mix)" – 4:59
- "Oberkorn (It's A Small Town) (Development Mix)" – 7:37
CD: Mute/CDMute22 (UK)1
- "The Meaning Of Love " – 3:05
- "Oberkorn (It's A Small Town)" – 4:07
- "The Meaning Of Love (Fairly Odd Mix)" – 4:59
- "Oberkorn (It's A Small Town) (Development Mix)" – 7:37
Notes
- 1:CD released in 1991
External links
- Single information from the official Depeche Mode web site
- Allmusic review [ link]