Little 15

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"Little 15"
DepecheModeLittle15.jpg
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Music for the Masses
B-side"Stjarna"
Released16 May 1988
RecordedFebruary–July 1987
StudioStudio Guillaume Tell, Paris[1]
Konk, London
Puk Studios, Denmark
GenreSynth-pop
Length4:15
LabelMute Records
Songwriter(s)Martin Gore
Producer(s)Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller,
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Behind the Wheel"
(1987) 		"Little 15"
(1988) 		"Everything Counts (Live)"
(1989)

"Little 15" is a song by English electronic group Depeche Mode. It was released on 16 May 1988 as the fourth single from the album Music for the Masses (1987).[2] 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 a minor hit in the UK, reaching #60 on the UK Singles Chart.[3]

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.[4]

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 song perfectly (his error occurs near the end of the song).[5]

The music video for "Little 15" was directed by Martyn Atkins, who had done previous design work for the band.[6] 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".[7]

Track listing[]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Little 15"Martin L. Gore4:15
2."Stjarna"Martin L. Gore4:28
12" and CD single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
3."Sonata No. 14 in C#m (Moonlight Sonata)"Ludwig van Beethoven5:37

References[]

  1. ^ Studios Guillaume Tell
  2. ^ "Little 15". depechemode.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Depeche Mode UK Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Depeche Mode Little 15". Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  5. ^ Miller, Jonathan (2004). Stripped: A True Story of Depeche Mode. Omnibus Press. pp. 257–258. ISBN 1-84449-415-2.
  6. ^ "Martyn Atkins". IMDb. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  7. ^ Allmusic review

External links[]

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