A Question of Lust

"A Question of Lust"
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Black Celebration
B-side"Christmas Island"
Released14 April 1986 (1986-04-14)[1]
RecordedLate 1985
Genre
Length4:23
LabelMute
Songwriter(s)Martin L. Gore
Producer(s)
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Stripped"
(1986) 		"A Question of Lust"
(1986) 		"A Question of Time"
(1986)
Music video
"A Question of Lust" on YouTube
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]

"A Question of Lust" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their fifth studio album, Black Celebration (1986). It was released on 14 April 1986 as the album's second single.

It is the second Depeche Mode single to feature Martin Gore on lead vocals, following "Somebody", and the first to be released in its own right. However, the 12-inch single was, like "Somebody", released as a double A-side with "A Question of Time" in the United States.

The single reached number 28 in United Kingdom and number 8 in West Germany.

B-sides

The B-side is an instrumental called "Christmas Island", named after the island of the same name. It is penned by both Martin Gore and Alan Wilder and was produced by Depeche Mode themselves. The song was featured in the end credits for the second episode of the Disney+ series, Hawkeye.

The live tracks available on some versions of the single are taken from a 1984 concert in Basel, Switzerland.

Music video

The music video for "A Question of Lust" features the return of director Clive Richardson for his last video with the band. It also became the last music video the band filmed before the arrival of Dutch director Anton Corbijn, who, since August 1986, became a regular collaborator for the band.[5]

Track listings

All songs written by Martin L. Gore, except "Christmas Island", written by Gore and Alan Wilder, and "If You Want", written by Wilder.

  • 7" single: Mute / 7Bong11 (UK)
  1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
  2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
  • The single version is basically the album version but without the cross-fade from the previous track ("Fly on the Windscreen").[6]
  • 12" single: Mute / 12Bong11 (UK)
  1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
  2. "Christmas Island (Extended)" – 5:37
  3. "People are People (Live)" – 4:21
  4. "It Doesn't Matter Two (Instrumental)" – 2:49
  5. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:49
  • Released on CD in Germany by Intercord: INT 826.841 (1986)
  • Cassette single: Mute / CBong11 (UK)
  1. "A Question of Lust (Flood Mix)" – 5:07 [*]
  2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
  3. "If You Want (Live)" – 5:16
  4. "Shame (Live)" – 4:13
  5. "Blasphemous Rumours (Live)" – 5:25
  • This format came in a 7" card envelope with an insert and a badge.
  • Released on 12" in Germany by Intercord: INT 126.844 (L12Bong11) (1986). This was the only vinyl release of the UK Mute CBONG11 cassette
  • Released on CD in France by Virgin: 30167 (1986). This was the only, very rare CD release of the CBONG11 cassette.
  • Alan Wilder is quoted as saying that when Flood eventually delivered his remix of "A Question of Lust", the band were surprised to hear that half of the sounds had been omitted. They were understandably annoyed therefore when it emerged that Mute Records had not actually sent him both the multi-track tapes.[6]
  • CD single: Mute / CDBong11 (UK)
  1. "A Question of Lust" – 4:29
  2. "Christmas Island" – 4:51
  3. "Christmas Island (Extended)" – 5:37
  4. "People Are People (Live)" – 4:21
  5. "It Doesn't Matter Two (Instrumental)" – 2:49
  6. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:49
  • The CD single was released in 1991 as part of the singles box set compilations
  • 7" single: Sire / 7-28697-DJ (US)
  1. "A Question of Lust (Robert Margouleff Remix)" – 3:45
  2. "A Question of Lust" [Edit] – 4:14 [*]
  • The Edit version of "A Question of Lust" on the US commercial 7" single is not actually labelled as such. The only difference between the "Edit" and the normal single version is that it is faded about 20 seconds earlier.[7]
  • 12" single: Sire / 0-20530 (US)
  1. "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" – 6:49
  2. "Black Celebration (Live)" – 6:05
  3. "A Question of Time (Extended Remix)" – 6:38
  4. "Something to Do (Live)" – 3:50
  • "A Question of Lust (Minimal)" is titled "A Question of Lust (Extended Version)"
  • Double A-side with "A Question of Time"

Charts

References

  1. ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 12 April 1986. p. 6. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  2. ^ Zaleski, Annie (26 February 2015). "Where to start with '80s U.K. synth-pop". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  3. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (18 March 2017). "The 10 Most Underrated Depeche Mode Singles: Critic's Take". Billboard. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  4. ^ Raggett, Ned. "A Question of Lust – Depeche Mode". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  5. ^ "1986". depechemodebiographie.de. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  6. ^ a b Barassi, Daniel. "Depeche Mode: The Archives". Depeche Mode: The Archives.
  7. ^ Barassi, Daniel. "Depeche Mode: The Archives". Depeche Mode: The Archives.
  8. ^ "Depeche Mode – A Question of Lust" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  9. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 20. 24 May 1986. p. 13. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  10. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  11. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – A Question of Lust". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Depeche Mode" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Depeche Mode – A Question of Lust" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  14. ^ "Depeche Mode – A Question of Lust". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  15. ^ "Depeche Mode – A Question of Lust". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  16. ^ "Depeche Mode: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Indies – Top 50 Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 3 May 1986. p. 11. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – A Question of Lust" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  19. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1986" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 20 December 2020.