Episode 196: Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 3) and Bowie Bingo Announcement

In this episode, Brian and Sarah resume their review of Depeche Mode home video concert releases. They're up to the 2005 album Playing the Angel, which the band supported with the "Touring the Angel" concert tour in 2005 and 2006.

The home video "Touring the Angel: Live in Milan" documents the band's two nights performing in Milan, Italy in February 2006. The director of this film is Blue Leach, who has worked with many other artists including R.E.M., Beck, and The Pet Shop Boys.

Blue Leach takes a decidedly different approach to filming and editing Depeche Mode in concert compared to past directors such as Anton Corbijn. "Touring the Angel" is a very dissimilar viewing experience to "Devotional" or "101," and Brian and Sarah have quite a lot to say about it.

They also, of course, go over the same topics/questions they're addressing for each home concert video release. However, in this episode, Sarah seems especially hard-pressed to pick a single answer for each category.

Also included in the discussion are topics such as the stage design and setup; which member of the band is almost unrecognizable after a certain point in the show; and Depeche Mode's increasing popularity as a live act.

And, as referenced in the episode title, Brian and Sarah share information about the return of Bowie Bingo this holiday season! Make sure you sign up for a slot to participate in this fun Zoom event!

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Details on how to join your friends Brian & Sarah for a few rounds of festive Bowie Bingo!

Episode 195: In Conversation with Rob Rowe and Von Hertzog (VH x RR) – New EP "101"

Brian and Sarah are interrupting their current effort of looking back at Depeche Mode home video concert releases to bring you a terrific chat with Von Hertzog and Rob Rowe.

Von and Rob comprise the excellent synth duo VH x RR, who Brian has declared to be his "favorite new band of the 2020s."

Since the completion of The Cosmos Trilogy—a series of three EPs that you should definitely check out, if you haven't already—VH x RR has released a couple of singles here and there. But in this discussion, we learn that a new EP is set for an imminent release!

The EP is titled "101," so of course the first question our hosts have for Von and Rob is regarding the title. That question is answered, along with many others—and along the way, there's a lot of interesting discussion about science fiction movies, the current state of technology, which is the best Rocky movie, and recent music projects that both Von and Rob have been involved with, outside of VH x RR.

The revelation of the upcoming new EP should be reason enough to listen, but in case it's not, there's a minor announcement at the beginning of the episode, and another major announcement towards the end of the episode, that should surely entice you to download this episode immediately! Don't delay; listen today!

Visit https://vhxrr.com for information and access to their music.

Also, be sure to visit Blaklight on Kickstarter to grab a copy of "The Haunting of Us"! It's going to be a fantastic release!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blaklightband/blaklight-the-haunting-of-us

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Episode 194: Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 2)

Brian and Sarah's mini-series on Depeche Mode's home video concert releases continues in this episode. Unlike the previous episode, which covered two movies, Depeche Mode: One Night in Paris – The Exciter Tour 2001 is the only release discussed here.

However, before getting into the discussion of that concert, Brian and Sarah spend a little time talking about their adventures on opening day of the latest DM concert movie, Depeche Mode: M. They don't go into details about their movie experience just yet, though; these stories are about the people, places and things they enjoyed before the movie.

After that sidebar, the discussion about Depeche Mode: One Night in Paris begins. There are eight years between the previous concert video (Devotional) and this one, and as DM fans know very well, a lot transpired for the band during those eight years. As of this concert, Dave Gahan is now clean and sober, and Alan Wilder has moved on from the band. Peter Gordeno and Christian Eigner appear on keyboards and drums, respectively, and of course founding members Martin Gore and Andy "Fletch" Fletcher are still around and join Dave on stage.

Longtime Depeche Mode collaborator Anton Corbijn directs this film, as well as providing background video footage shown during the concert. Brian and Sarah talk about his approach to filming and editing this show, as they answer the same ten questions for One Night in Paris as they did for …Live in Hamburg and Devotional.

In case you don't know or don't remember, a few of the other topics covered in the questionnaire are "Song to watch on repeat;" "Song to skip next time," and "Who wore it best? Favorite onstage garb." Of course, Brian and Sarah go off on tangents and discuss plenty of other things too!

Join them on this trip back to Paris in October 2001 and relive some exciting Exciter moments!

Halo - Live in Paris 2001

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Episode 193: Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 1)

With our attention turned to tomorrow's premiere of Depeche Mode's latest cinematic offering "M", we thought it would be fun to make our way through all of the previously released home video concert offerings from our favorite lads from Basildon.

This first installment covers two releases, which we still have on VHS (remember that your VCR was king back in 1985 and even 1993): "The World We Live in and Live in Hamburg" and "Devotional."

These two films carry with them the label of "classic" in our household, so it was a real treat to revisit them, armed with a set of ten hard-hitting questions to cover various aspects of each. We'll discuss such diverse topics as "Most interesting deviation from the studio version", "Do we enjoy the way this was filmed & edited?", "Favorite Fletch Move", and more!

So, as Meta AI is prompting me to say: "Relive the music, relive the moment. Join us on a trip through Depeche Mode's live legacy."

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Episode 192: PRP/Synthpop Symphony Crossover: Red Flag Part 2 (with DJ Matt Williams)

Brian and Sarah are once again joined by DJ Matt Williams, creator and host of the synth-tastic radio show Synthpop Symphony. Matt's show is aired on dozens of terrestrial radio stations around the world and can also be found on podcast platforms.

In the previous episode, Brian, Sarah and Matt started a discussion about the San Diego-based duo Red Flag, whose well-crafted electronic tracks were heard in countless clubs at the end of the 1980s. Their debut album, Naïve Art, was released in 1989, and the three hosts shared both information on and memories of the album, touching on numerous other topics along the way.

This episode dives into four tracks from Naïve Art, three of which were singles, and one which Brian and Sarah learned from Matt was at least considered as a single.

The chart information Sarah has for the singles is primarily for the dance charts, although Brian does take great joy being able to use one of his 1980s pop chart books to confirm some information. Matt tells stories of receiving and playing the remixes in dance clubs. Sarah also has some single reviews, and in what may be a first for the show, a video review!

The three hosts discuss each song in depth, but the conversation encompasses many other topics as well. The PRP hosts chat with Matt about the time and effort involved in planning a radio show playlist.

Information Society member and famed producer Paul Robb is mentioned, along with the group T42. And once again, Depeche Mode makes the list of discussion topics; this time the focus is on Depeche Mode's influence on music.

Songs discussed in this episode: Russian Radio If I Ever Broken Heart Pretty in Pity

Watch the video discussed: Russian Radio

Catch up with DJ Matt Williams at http://synthpopsymphony.com

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Episode 191: PRP/Synthpop Symphony Crossover: Red Flag Part 1 (with DJ Matt Williams)

Brian and Sarah are thrilled to present the first in what will hopefully become a series of crossover episodes with DJ Matt Williams. Matt is the brains and the voice behind the amazing radio show Synthpop Symphony, which airs on radio stations in 60 countries and is also available for download on virtually all podcast platforms.

As Matt states, "Synthpop Symphony is where the past, present, and future of synth-driven music collide." And as PRP and Synthpop Symphony collide, the hosts shine a spotlight on a past synthpop group that often goes overlooked: Red Flag.

In this first of two parts, Matt, Brian, and Sarah discuss Red Flag's history, the recording of their debut album, Naïve Art, and each person's history with the album. However, that's only the tip of the iceberg. The three also talk about cool radio stations, the demise of synthpop in the 90s, Depeche Mode's US Top 40 history, the history Razormaid, the comparison of bands like Red Flag, Cause & Effect, and Anything Box to Depeche Mode, the return of Tom Bailey, and the Red Flag Fan Club.

It's a fun discussion that sets the stage for Part Two, where they'll dive deep into four selections from Naïve Art.

And be sure to visit http://synthpopsymphony.com to learn more about DJ Matt Williams and his Synthpop Symphony radio show!

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Episode 190: End of Summer Special 2025 (Part 2) – The Alarm & Duran Duran

Brian and Sarah are back and ready to continue their discussion of a couple of 'summery' songs, as the summer draws closer to an end in the Northern Hemisphere. (For those in the Southern Hemisphere, maybe think of this as a summer preview!)

As in the previous episode, the first song selection comes from Sarah. She chose the 1987 single "Rain in the Summertime" by The Alarm.

This song was released in advance of The Alarm's third studio album "Eye of the Hurricane," which Sarah explains was a tumultuous period in the band's history. She recounts stories of the song's creation and recording which expose some of the difficulties with and among bandmates. However, the anecdotes also reveal some surprising uses of computer technology for the time.

Both hosts mention comparisons and similarities between The Alarm and U2, even down to the desert setting of this song's video. In discussing the video, Sarah can't help but bring up a pet peeve of hers when watching movies—a phenomenon Brian says is often identified with the classic film "Casablanca."

After wrapping up the discussion on Sarah's song, it's time for Brian to reveal his second selection. He chose the 1990 single from Duran Duran, "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)."

With his selection, Brian shares a "hot take"-- his great love of the 1990 album Liberty. He confesses this love caused his research for the song to stray into research for the entire album, which he then had to reign in. However, since he did take the time and effort to do the work, he decides to share a few tidbits regarding Liberty as well.

1990 was an interesting time for Duran Duran—the band's lineup had changed yet again, and they were in kind of a limbo period compared to the widespread popularity and exposure they experienced in the first half of the 1980s. Brian reveals some thoughts Simon LeBon shared about Liberty and its place in the Duran Duran catalog, and both hosts talk about highlights on the album.

The discussion of the video for "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" finds Sarah rather confused about what she's seeing, at least some of the time. Brian brings up a funny story about the frequently-shirtless Warren Cuccurullo and how that affected the rest of the band. And Brian is thrilled when Sarah references Dead or Alive!

Watch the videos here: "Rain in the Summertime" - The Alarm "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" - Duran Duran

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Episode 189: End of Summer Special 2025 (Part 1) - The Power Station & Bananarama

In the United States, the Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer. Brian and Sarah just aren't ready to say goodbye to summer yet, so over the holiday weekend, they recorded a couple of episodes featuring songs that invoke the feeling of summer. Each episode in this mini-series will feature one song chosen by Brian and one chosen by Sarah.

The first song up for discussion is the only one without the word "Summer" in the title. However, there's no question that it makes you think of summer and other sultry situations. Sarah selected the 1985 hit "Some Like It Hot" from supergroup The Power Station.

Sarah shares chart information and reviews for the song, and she also explains the origin of the supergroup and the recording of the song. Brian is quite enthusiastic about Sarah's choice and shares memories of purchasing the album on cassette and watching the video for "Some Like It Hot" many times back in the day.

As discussion turns to the video, both hosts can't contain their amusement at some of the promo's elements; Sarah even provides a bulleted list of the more notable features.

To wrap up the discussion on "Some Like It Hot," Sarah shares a bit of 'extra credit' information about the song's use in some network television promotions, back in 1985 but also in the 2020s!

Then it's time to move on to Brian's selection. His choice is "Cruel Summer" by British girl group Bananarama (NOT a certain American solo artist). Brian also provides 'the usual' information such as chart positions, reviews, the writing and recording of the song, and his personal history.

Discussion of the "Cruel Summer" video reveals a common thread—or should we say line?—between the songs in this episode: cocaine! There's also a brief James Bond reference made, although it's from Sarah, rather than Brian!

The episode wraps up with Brian sharing a recent review, which are always read aloud on the show, and always very much appreciated by both hosts.

Watch the videos here: "Some Like It Hot" - The Power Station "Cruel Summer" - Bananarama CBS Daytime Drama Promos featuring "Some Like It Hot"

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Episode 188: Depeche Mode – Speak & Spell (1981) Part 5 (Featuring Will Crewdson)

With this fifth installment, Brian and Sarah wrap up their discussion of Depeche Mode's debut album. Our hosts have been covering the US version of Speak & Spell, so there's only one more song on that release to be discussed. Fortunately, they always do an Extra Credit section at the end of an album, so the song that's missing from the US version will get some attention then.

The last track on Depeche Mode's 1981 release is a little ditty called "Just Can't Get Enough." The US album features the extended, "Schizo Mix," which our hosts do talk about in some detail, but there's more focus put on the single version.

Our hosts take a deep dive into "Just Can't Get Enough," talking about the usual things like chart positions, reviews, the record sleeves, and the recording of the song. And, for the first time on this album, there's even a video to discuss, much to the delight of Brian and Sarah.

"Just Can't Get Enough" was a pretty important song for Depeche Mode when it was released, and its importance in the world of synthpop and 80s music in general has only increased with time. Our hosts explore the legacy of the song and its place in pop culture over the past four decades. There are dozens of cover versions of "Just Can't Get Enough," and as Brian and Sarah start talking about them, they decide to take a chance and call up someone they know who has done a cover version of this song, to see if he's available to chat.

After they finish talking about "Just Can't Get Enough," Brian and Sarah move on to the "Extra Credit" portion of the episode, which in this case ends up being two parts. The first part is about the song missing from the US version of Speak & Spell, "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead." The second part is about Vince Clarke's departure from Depeche Mode. Additionally, our hosts have the pleasure of sharing some Speak & Spell memories recorded by listeners.

It's then time, at long last, for the final evaluations and record-adapter ratings. Sarah goes first, and as usual, Brian is concerned about what kind of rating she'll give, as she's a harsher critic. Brian, on the other hand, is a self-professed Vince Clarke fanatic, so it's less of a concern that he'll give a low rating. But how high does he go? Listen to find out!

Links mentioned in the episode: Just Can't Get Enough video Early live version of "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead"

Will Crewdson-related websites and Bandcamp sites: https://www.scantregard.com/home https://www.shemmdi.com/home https://scantregard.bandcamp.com/ http://shemademedoit.bandcamp.com/

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