It's Called a Heart

Single infobox
Name = It's Called a Heart


Artist = Depeche Mode
from Album = The Singles 81>85
B-side = "Fly on the Windscreen"
Released = September 16 1985
Format = Vinyl record (7" and 12"), CD (1991 box set)
Recorded = 1985
Genre = Synthpop
Length = 7" - 3:48
12" - 7:19
Label = Mute Records
Writer = Martin Gore
Producer = Depeche Mode, and Daniel Miller
Chart position =
* #7 (Sweden, Switzerland)
* #8 (Germany)
* #18 (UK)
* #29 (French Singles Chart)
Reviews =
* allmusic (2.5/5) [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:lb0xlfdegcqt link]
Last single = "Shake the Disease"
(1985)
This single = "It's Called a Heart"
(1985)
Next single = "Stripped"
(1986)

"It's Called a Heart" is Depeche Mode's fourteenth UK single (released on September 16 1985), and was not released on an actual studio album but was released on the compilation "The Singles (81-85)" in the same year, along with "Shake the Disease". The American version of "The Singles 81>85", "Catching Up with Depeche Mode", also includes "It's Called a Heart"'s B-side, "Fly on the Windscreen".

This single is considered to be one of Depeche Mode's weakest. Alan Wilder considers it to be his most hated track, and fought for "Fly on the Windscreen" to be the A-side. Martin Gore has also stated that it is his least favourite Depeche Mode single. However, "Fly on the Windscreen" remained the B-side, as the record companies did not think the violent nature of that song would be suitable for radio play - on the DVD for the remastered "Black Celebration", Wilder states that Mute vetoed the song as an a-side because the first word of the lyric is "death". The band, still seeing potential in the song made an updated remix of "Fly on the Windscreen" and released it on the following album "Black Celebration" as the "Final" mix.

There is no limited edition ("L12 Bong") of this single in the way it was released for other DM singles. Instead there was a "D12 Bong", a double 12", that featured both the standard 12" and the remix 12".

The music video was directed by Peter Care.

Track listings

7": Mute / 7Bong9 (UK)

# "It's Called a Heart" – 3:48
# "Fly on the Windscreen" – 5:03

12": Mute / 12Bong9 (UK)

# "It's Called a Heart (Extended)" – 7:19
# "Fly on the Windscreen (Extended)" – 7:47

12": Mute / D12Bong9 (UK)

# "It's Called a Heart (Extended)" – 7:19
# "Fly on the Windscreen (Extended)" – 7:47
# "It's Called a Heart (Slow Mix)" – 4:49
# "Fly on the Windscreen (Death Mix)" – 5:06 (remixed by Gareth Jones)

Double discs with the cover reading "Special Limited Edition Twin SetCosting No More Than Two Pounds & Ninety Nine Pence" with tracks 1 & 2 on the first record and tracks 3 & 4 on the second record. (With tracks 3 & 4 being exclusive to the limited edition.)

12": Sire / 0-20402 (US)

# "It's Called a Heart (Emotion Remix)" – 6:48 (remixed by Joseph Watt)
# "It's Called a Heart (Emotion Dub)" – 5:33 (remixed by Joseph Watt)
# "Flexible (Deportation Mix)" – 4:38 (remixed by Bert Bevins)
# "It's Called a Heart" – 3:48

CD: Mute / CDBong9 (UK)

# "It's Called a Heart" – 3:48
# "Fly on the Windscreen" – 5:03
# "It's Called a Heart (Extended)" – 7:19
# "Fly on the Windscreen (Extended)" – 7:47
# "Fly on the Windscreen (Death Mix)" – 5:06

The CD single was released in 1991 as part of the singles box set compilations

All songs written by Martin Gore.

External links

* [http://archives.depechemode.com/discography/singles/14_itscalledaheart.html Single information from the official Depeche Mode web site]