Songs of Faith and Devotion | The 12" Singles is a definitive, audiophile-grade deluxe box set released on 30 October 2020 by Rhino and Sony Music Entertainment. Serving as the eighth installment in Depeche Mode's chronological 12" singles box set series, this massive 8-LP collection gathers all the original 12" vinyl singles and limited-edition releases spawned by their landmark 1993 album. Every track was painstakingly remastered from the original master tapes at Abbey Road Studios, and the physical discs are housed in high-quality replicas of the band's iconic, original UK street-release artwork. The package also features a poster of the Devotional era artwork and a digital download code, providing collectors with the ultimate archival deep dive into this tumultuous period of the band's history.
Musically, the box set functions as a sprawling, 36-track exploration of the Songs of Faith and Devotion era, capturing the raw, gospel-and-grunge-infused energy that defined their sound at the time. It comprehensively compiles rare non-album B-sides like "My Joy" and "Death's Door", alongside legendary period remixes crafted by high-profile contemporary producers such as Brian Eno, François Kevorkian, and Butch Vig. Additionally, the collection dedicates multiple discs to electrifying live recordings captured in Liévin, France, during the infamous 1993 Devotional world tour. By compiling these rare edits, extended club mixes, and visceral live performances in one place, the box set stands as an essential historical document of the band’s most radical sonic transformation.
Songs of Faith and Devotion | The 12" Singles box set is far more than a mere exercise in vinyl nostalgia; it is a sprawling, high-fidelity archive of a band intentionally fracturing their own identity. Released in 2020 as part of Sony’s prestigious collector's series, this 8-LP powerhouse captures Depeche Mode at their most volatile and creatively daring juncture. By 1993, the band had largely abandoned the pristine, calculated loops of the studio to chase a sweaty, stadium-shaking rock-and-gospel fusion. This box set serves as the ultimate anatomical dissection of that transformation, preserving the raw textures of an era that pushed the group to the absolute brink of psychological and physical collapse.
The sonic depth offered by these specific 12" pressings—painstakingly remastered from the original master tapes at Abbey Road Studios—reveals a breathtaking level of detail often compressed away on standard digital formats. Across the eight discs, listeners can track how a single track like "I Feel You" or "In Your Room" was radically dismantled and rebuilt for different club subcultures. The collection highlights an extraordinary cross-pollination of genres, showcasing legendary remixes from high-profile visionaries of the era. Brian Eno’s "Apex Mix" strips "In Your Room" into a haunting, ambient piece of industrial dread, while Garbage producer Butch Vig injects "Our Mix" of "A Question of Time" with a furious, alternative rock edge.
Beyond the headlining tracks, the box set shines a much-needed spotlight on the crucial, often overlooked B-sides and experimental variations that defined the period. The inclusion of "My Joy"—a heavy, guitar-driven track that stands as one of the band’s most aggressive rock songs—and the jazz-tinged desolation of "Death's Door" offer a fascinating look at the creative overflow running through Martin Gore and Alan Wilder at the time. Furthermore, the inclusion of the "L" (Limited) editions brings rare promotional versions to vinyl for the first time in decades. This includes the elusive "Spanish Taster" and "Ambient Whale" mixes, which highlight the group's ongoing obsession with cinematic, avant-garde soundscapes.
The true emotional anchor of this collection, however, lies in the extensive live recordings captured in Liévin, France, during the infamous 1993 Devotional tour. Spanned across multiple discs, these live performances are electric with a frantic, unhinged energy that perfectly mirrors the internal chaos of the band. Dave Gahan’s gravelly, passionate delivery on live versions of "Condemnation" and "Personal Jesus" sounds less like a standard pop concert and more like a desperate, spiritual exorcism. Packaged in flawless replicas of the original Mute Records street-release artwork, this box set stands as the definitive, uncompromising monument to Depeche Mode's most radical artistic rebellion.
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Box Set Tracklist by Disc
Disc 1: I Feel You (12BONG 21)
A1. I Feel You (Throb Mix) – (6:47)
A2. I Feel You (7" Mix) – (4:34)
B1. I Feel You (Babylon Mix) – (7:53)
B2. One Caress (Single Version) – (3:32)
The 8 piece set includes the following 12" singles and their companion "L" editions, featuring various mixes, B-sides, and live tracks from the Devotional tour:
Disc 2: I Feel You (L12BONG 21) – Features Life's Too Short, Swamp, Afghan Surgery, and Helmet At The Helm mixes.
Disc 3: Walking In My Shoes (12BONG 22) – Includes Grungy Gonads, Seven Inch, and My Joy mixes.
Disc 4: Walking In My Shoes (L12BONG 22) – Includes Extended, Random Carpet, Anandamidic, and Ambient Whale mixes.
Disc 5: Condemnation (12BONG 23) – Includes Paris Mix, Death's Door (Jazz Mix), and various Rush mixes.
Disc 6: Condemnation (L12BONG 23 - Live) – Live tracks from Liévin, including Condemnation, Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, and Halo.
Disc 7: In Your Room (12BONG 24) – Features Zephyr, Apex (remixed by Brian Eno), Jeep Rock, and Higher Love mixes.
Disc 8: In Your Room (L12BONG 24 - Live) – Live tracks from Liévin, featuring In Your Room, Policy Of Truth, World In My Eyes, and more.
Mercy buckets.
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