Albums Discography

Black Celebration

Charts

UK (3) US (90)

Tracklisting

1. Black Celebration
2. Fly On The Windscreen - Final
3. A Question Of Lust
4. Sometimes
5. It Doesn't Matter Two
6. A Question Of Time
7. Stripped
8. Here Is The House
9. World Full Of Nothing
10. Dressed In Black
11. New Dress

Sire included 'But Not Tonight' as the final track on all its formats.

Singles

1. Stripped / But Not Tonight
2. A Question of Lust
3. A Question of Time

Notes

It's the band's most revered album. It's where the swarm gets its black colour from. It's where lust and time get questioned in song. It's where a fly spread its wings and ascended into DM lore, taking the other tracks with it. It's an album with a post-modern vision of the present-day "space age". It's an album that would ascend to be one of the best concept albums ever made.

"Black Celebration" is a brilliant balance of extroverted and introverted songs that comprised a singular view of future life. "Life in the so-called space age" was the slugline that galvanized what was contained within. The ominous mirrored building cover was flanked by an army of unique icons on a black background. The band's name and title were hung above in a vivid red and yellow print that stood out over the dark offering. It gets even better when you hear what's inside.

Never in the band's albums, before or after, had they strung three powerful tracks as cohesively as they did with the opening title track on one end, "A Question of Lust" on the other, and an upgraded "Fly on the Windscreen" to bond in between. "…Windscreen" was the victim of an unsuccesful campaign to supplant "It's Called a Heart" from being released as the second single off "The Singles 81>85". With the first line "Death is everywhere.", the song's prospects as a radio hit were slim to none and lost by default. When the album was being made, it was decided to use it, and the rest is history. "…Lust" was the standout Martin track on an album deep with classic Martin-sung ballads "Sometimes", "It Doesn’t Matter Two", and "World Full of Nothing". If you're a gore-whore, then "Black Celebration" is your bible! Dave gets a ballad of his own in "Dressed in Black". The song made the colour black a permanent fixture in the wardrobe of fans worldwide. The finale "New Dress" could potentially be a prophetic vision of the future in itself not too dissimilar from "A Clockwork Orange". It's a cold hard listing of calamities culled from newspapers with each verse being anchored with the line "Princess Di is wearing a New Dress". The listing served to the message of the song which tells you how you can change the world as it's sandwiched between verses outlining the results of inaction.

As great of an album as it was, the one criticism was its lack of hits to support the release. The atmospheres of both "Stripped" and "A Question of Time" failed to connect with the masses beyond the fanbase. In fact, Sire supposedly had better ideas for BONG 15 and released its b-side, But Not Tonight. Despite this, the release solidified the band's reputation as a formidable live touring act in the US and was well received worldwide. Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones make their final album production efforts with this release. From a creative standpoint, the band would look to a new producer for the next release while Daniel Miller would spend more time running the now very successful Mute label.

US Releases

2007 Sire/Reprise/Rhino Remastered SACD/CD & DVD 2 108604 SACD/CD: Black Celebration Fly On The Windscreen - Final A Question Of Lust Sometimes It Doesn't Matter Two A Question Of Time Stripped Here Is The House World Full Of Nothing Dressed In Black New Dress DVD: Black Celebration Fly On The Windscreen - Final A Question Of Lust Sometimes It Doesn't Matter Two A Question Of Time Stripped Here Is The House World Full Of Nothing Dressed In Black New Dress Shake The Disease Flexible It's Called a Heart Fly on the Windscreen But Not Tonight Breathing In Fumes Black Day Christmas Island Black Celebration (Live) A Question of Time (Live) Stripped (Live) Depeche Mode: 1985-86 (The songs aren't good enough, there aren't any singles and it'll never get played on the radio) (Video) Notes: Live tracks were recorded in Birmingham.

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UK Releases

	Mute CD Reissue CD STUMM 26 Black Celebration Fly On The Windscreen - Final A Question Of Lust Sometimes It Doesn't Matter Two A Question Of Time Stripped Here Is The House World Full Of Nothing Dressed In Black New Dress *Breathing In Fumes *But Not Tonight (Extended Remix) *Black Day Notes: *CD Exclusive Bonus Tracks.
	Solid EP 7" Dressed in Black (and 3 other tracks) No Cat# One DM track: *Dressed in Black Notes: Free with a 1986 issue of Record Mirror Magazine. *Different than the album version
	2007 Mute Remastered CD CDX STUMM 26 Black Celebration Fly On The Windscreen - Final A Question Of Lust Sometimes It Doesn't Matter Two A Question Of Time Stripped Here Is The House World Full Of Nothing Dressed In Black New Dress
	2007 Mute Remastered Gatefold LP DM LP 5 Black Celebration Fly On The Windscreen - Final A Question Of Lust Sometimes It Doesn't Matter Two A Question Of Time Stripped Here Is The House World Full Of Nothing Dressed In Black New Dress
	2007 Mute Remastered SACD/CD & DVD DM CD 5 SACD/CD: Black Celebration Fly On The Windscreen - Final A Question Of Lust Sometimes It Doesn't Matter Two A Question Of Time Stripped Here Is The House World Full Of Nothing Dressed In Black New Dress DVD: Black Celebration Fly On The Windscreen - Final A Question Of Lust Sometimes It Doesn't Matter Two A Question Of Time Stripped Here Is The House World Full Of Nothing Dressed In Black New Dress Shake The Disease Flexible It's Called a Heart Fly on the Windscreen But Not Tonight Breathing In Fumes Black Day Christmas Island Black Celebration (Live) A Question of Time (Live) Stripped (Live) Depeche Mode: 1985-86 (The songs aren't good enough, there aren't any singles and it'll never get played on the radio) (Video) Notes: Live tracks were recorded in Birmingham.
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