Martin L. Gore

·STARDUST·

Still from the video · dir. Mike Mills

·PLAY·

Martin Gore, Depeche Mode’s main songwriter, takes on David Essex’s 1974 film theme as the single and second track of Counterfeit² — his first solo album, an all-covers record following the 1989 Counterfeit e.p. Mike Mills directed the video, shot in Los Angeles in February 2003. After it, three takes on the original: the 1974 recording, the scene from the film Stardust, and Essex on Dutch TV’s TopPop.

2003 · Mute

directorMike Mills

filmedLos Angeles, February 2003

words & musicDavid Essex

producedAndrew Phillpott, Paul Freegard

fromCounterfeit² — Mute, April 28, 2003 · track 2 of 11

originalDavid Essex, 1974 — CBS, prod. Jeff Wayne, UK No. 7; theme of the film Stardust

anecdote

“In the nineties I saw the film Stardust with David Essex for the first time — one of the best rock & roll films ever. The lead character reminded me of Martin Gore from Depeche Mode, so I taped a copy on VHS and gave him the film as a present backstage at one of the concerts in Valby Hallen. A few years later the song turned up as a cover on Martin’s first solo album. So you could say I indirectly chose the song. Haha.”

ronnierocket.com

the original · David Essex · 1974

·THE·RECORDING·