Sony Music Entertainment’s Depeche Mode 12″ vinyl singles project continues with the release of Construction Time Again | The 12″ Singles and Some Great Reward | The 12″ Singles on December 14, 2018.
Each of these definitive box sets contains six 12″ vinyl singles contemporaneous to either Construction Time Again (1983) or Some Great Reward (1984). A pair of pivotal releases in the Depeche Mode canon, these albums significantly advanced the band’s sound and vision, introducing audiences to some of the most inventive mixes in DM history while catapulting their international mass appeal to soaring new heights.
Construction Time Again marked the first time that Depeche Mode released limited edition versions of an album’s 12″ singles, each containing the original mix of each track. With this and Some Great Reward, Depeche Mode’s commitment to the 12″ single format as a distinct art form became even more evident.
Construction Time Again | The 12″ Singles and Some Great Reward | The 12″ Singles contain reproductions of limited edition versions of releases showcasing rare tracks, alternate mixes, 7″ vinyl versions, live shows and more. The Construction Time Again | The 12″ Singles box includes three reproductions of limited singles which each feature four bonus live performances recorded at London’s Hammersmith Odeon on October 25, 1982. The Some Great Reward | The 12″ Singles box includes select live recordings from the Liverpool Empire Theatre, recorded September 29, 1984.
Groundbreaking 12″ single tracks like “Everything Counts” (from Construction Time Again) and “People Are People” (from Some Great Reward) became staples in Depeche Mode’s live shows; the new 12″ singles box sets feature extended versions plus original 7″ mixes of these songs. Some Great Reward | The 12″ Singles includes a new version of the 7″ “Blasphemous Rumours” EP, available on 12″ vinyl for the first time ever.
Depeche Mode embraced the power of 12″ vinyl and the avenues of innovation it opened up. The 12″ single allowed the band to explore new sonic possibilities while the physical beauty of the packaging gave Depeche Mode room to develop a sophisticated and commanding visual aesthetic. Depeche Mode used their singles discography as a means of offering left field remixes and other delights for their fans.
The first two box sets in the series–Speak & Spell | The Singles and A Broken Frame | The Singles–were released by Sony Music Entertainment on August 31, 2018.
Each box set in the series will contain the singles from each Depeche Mode album on audiophile-quality 12″ vinyl, with audio mastered from the original tapes at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The artwork for the exterior of each of the new box sets draws on street art iconography inspired by the original releases, while the vinyl sleeves themselves feature the original single artwork.
The Depeche Mode 12″ Singles Series will continue over the coming years, with plans to release boxes containing the singles from each of the band’s albums in similar deluxe audiophile-grade collector’s editions.
Depeche Mode recently completed the Global Spirit Tour, a worldwide concert tour that started in May 2017 and finished summer 2018 with a pair of shows at the Waldbühne in Berlin on July 23 and 25. The 15-month Global Spirit Tour saw the band play to more than 3 million fans across Europe, North America and South America.
