Singles Discography

Condemnation

Charts

UK (9) Germany (23)

Notes

With a good album comes options. Options like how to string the tracks you've recorded into a cohesive album package to selecting the right tracks for singles. It's similar to what a manager in baseball does with his batting lineup. You want your lead single to be a hit. Then your second release should build upon that, and so on until the momentum of the campaign is spent. With two obvious choices already spent, the band made an odd choice for their third release off SOFAD: "Condemnation". With standouts "In Your Room", "Rush", and "Mercy in You" sitting in the dugout waiting to go to bat, releasing "Condemnation" at this stage was quite a risk. Granted, it was at the very least Dave's best vocal ever recorded, which is saying something. But how does a gospel-styled song like this fit in with the post-madchester, present-grunge rock landscape? Well when you package it with a bunch of "Rush" mixes, it works quite nicely, yet it makes this single more of a misnomer. In reality, the band try to do too much with this release.

Although technically it's a release for "Condemnation" and "Death's Door" as its b-side, it's more remembered for being a platform for the "Rush" mixes. Right there, BONG 23 immediately suffers from an identity crisis. Why is it called "Condemnation" when there's mostly "Rush" mixes? Then for the L12 and LCD releases, it becomes a live EP that supports their Devotional tour. Why not release another live album similar to 101? The points may have been moot in the UK where it charted at #9, but suffered considerably in the US. "Rush" would have done well stateside given the landscape and remixes for the clubs but no radio versions were developed for it. "Death's Door", at least an outstanding remix of a track that was exclusive to the "Until the End of the World" soundtrack, was released a couple of years too late to capitalize on the airplay that it received late in 1991. Despite the Paris Mix made for it (guess where they mixed it?), "Condemnation" is a release that drops the ball, failing to build on the successes of the past two singles. All this despite solid mixes for "Rush" and an excellent Live EP complement. So much so, that a solid single would be released afterwards but would figure to be dead upon arrival stateside.

Let's talk video shall we? Dave, now well into his Heroin Dave phase, is escorted by a gaggle of what appears to be a gospel choir making a slow crawl across a dry, hilly, grassy landscape. Along the way, Anton offers depictions of happy couples in love and the like, kinda in the same way Clive Richardson used stock footage to get his points across in earlier videos. Then Dave comes to his final destination as he is chained to an angelically clad model. Yada yada yada. Not one of Anton's best. The band may have agreed as it was left off initially in The Videos 86>98 in favour of a live clip taken from "Devotional".

US Releases

	Sire/Reprise 12" Single 41058-0 Condemnation (live) Enjoy the Silence (live) Halo (live) Death's Door (Jazz Mix) Rush (Spiritual Guidance Mix) Rush (Nitrate Mix) Rush (Wild Planet Mix) Condemnation (Paris Mix)
	Sire/Reprise Cassette Maxi Single 41058-4 Condemnation (live) Enjoy the Silence (live) Halo (live) Death's Door (Jazz Mix) Rush (Spiritual Guidance Mix) Rush (Nitrate Mix) Rush (Wild Planet Mix) Condemnation (Paris Mix)
	Sire/Reprise CD Single 41058-2 Condemnation (Paris Mix) Rush (Spiritual Guidance Mix) Death's Door (Jazz Mix) Rush (Nitrate Mix) Enjoy the Silence (live) Halo (live) Condemnation (live)
	UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD SOUNDTRACK WARNER BROTHERS RECORDS 26707-2 One DM track: Death's Door Notes: Released November 1991. This is a different version than what was released in 1993. The guitar parts are more 'Violator' sounding than the Jazz Mix. Recorded by Martin and Alan only.
	US Bong fanzine flexi FLX-2039-1 Death's Door (Jazz Mix) Notes: Issued march 1992, came free with issue 16 of US Bong fanzine.
^ Return to Top ^

UK Releases

	Mute Cassette Single C BONG 23 Condemnation (Paris Mix) Death's Door (Jazz Mix)
	Mute 5" CD Single CD7 BONG 23 Condemnation (Paris Mix) Death's Door (Jazz Mix) Notes: Rare UK 2-Track 5" CD Single in cardboard sleeve.
	Mute 12" Single 12 BONG 23 Condemnation (Paris Mix) Death's Door (Jazz Mix) Rush (Spiritual Guidance Mix) Rush (Amylnitrate Mix - Instrumental) Rush (Wild Planet Mix)
	Mute 5" CD Single CD BONG 23 Condemnation (Paris Mix) Death's Door (Jazz Mix) Rush (Spiritual Guidance Mix) Rush (Amylnitrate Mix - Instrumental)
	"Depeche Mode/Live..." Mute Limited Edition 12" Single L12 BONG 23 Condemnation (live) Personal Jesus (live) Enjoy the Silence (live) Halo (live) Notes: Officially titled "Depeche Mode/Live..." Released as a gatefold L12" sleeve with black inner sheet with photos.
	"Depeche Mode/Live..." Mute Limited Edition 5" CD Single LCD BONG 23 Condemnation (live) Personal Jesus (live) Enjoy the Silence (live) Halo (live) Notes: Officially titled "Depeche Mode/Live..." Released as a gatefold LCD case with black inner sheet with photos.
	Mute White Label Promo 12" Single P12 BONG 23 Condemnation (Paris Mix) Death's Door (Jazz Mix) Rush (Spiritual Guidance Mix) Rush (Amylnitrate Mix - Instrumental)
	Mute White Label Promo 12" Single PL12 BONG 23R Rush (Wild Planet Mix) Rush (Amylnitrate Mix - Instrumental) Rush (Spiritual Guidance Mix) Notes: Rare UK Promo 12" for Rush.
^ Return to Top ^