| "Little 15" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Depeche Mode | ||||
| from the album Music for the Masses | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | 16 May 1988 | |||
| Recorded | February–July 1987 | |||
| Studio |
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| Length | 4:15 | |||
| Label | Mute | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Martin L. Gore | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Depeche Mode singles chronology | ||||
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"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]
Release
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]
Reception
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]
Track listing
| 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 |
Charts
| 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 |
References
- ^ "Little 15". depechemode.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ a b "Depeche Mode: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ "Depeche Mode Little 15". Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ^ Miller, Jonathan (2004). Stripped: A True Story of Depeche Mode. Omnibus Press. pp. 257–258. ISBN 1-84449-415-2.
- ^ "Martyn Atkins". IMDb. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ " Depeche Mode – Little 15" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 24. 11 June 1988. p. 23. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- ^ " Depeche Mode – Little 15". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ "Top Indie Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 11 June 1988. p. 22. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
- ^ " Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – Little 15" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
