Happy 35th: Depeche Mode, “New Life”

35 years ago today, Depeche Mode released their second single, but it also featured a first for the group.

When is a second a first? In this case, it’s because “New Life” was the first Depeche Mode song to feature a song receiving the 12” extended remix treatment. It wasn’t “New Life,” though: it was its b-side, “Shout!” Written by Vince Clarke, “Shout!” was tricked out with a “Rio Remix,” which upped its length from 3:44 to 7:31, and while it may not be remembered as one of the group’s most famous floor-fillers, it still holds a place in history which fans won’t soon forget.

As for the A-side, “ New Life” was one of the three singles written by Clarke during his relatively brief tenure with the group – he only composed one more single for DM (the legendarily catchy “Just Can’t Get Enough”) before departing their ranks – but it helped take Depeche Mode from being somewhat of a cult success to being dependable chart successes. Whereas their debut single, “Dreaming of Me,” only hit #57, “New Life” climbed to #11, raising their profile to a point where their next half-dozen singles all found their way into the top 2, and while they might’ve had a few duff performances on the charts since then, they’ve never been out of the spotlight.

Indeed, one might even say that “New Life” gave Depeche Mode new life…except that it’s so obvious that now we’re wishing we hadn’t said it. Oh, well.