Depeche Mode ~ Wrong [2⊘⊘9]

Sadly, many of us are mourning the recent loss of keyboardist Andrew (Andy) Fletcher (AKA Fletch), who with fellow schoolmates Martin Gore (vocalist) and Vince Clarke (keyboardist) founded band Composition Of Sound, later adding vocalist David Gahan and rechristening themselves Depeche Mode (French for fast fashion). Vince would drop out after the band’s initial release Speak & Spell‘s subsequent tour, connecting with Alison Moyet to form the soul/synth band known as Yazoo in the U.K. (Yaz in the U.S.), and even later teaming with Andy Bell to form synthpop group Erasure. Alan Wilder (keyboardist) was then selected to replace Vince after the group’s second release A Broken Frame, only because the original trio wanted to prove they could create the new album without assistance. Alan would leave the band in 1995 to form his mostly instrumental electronica band Recoil.

Andrew himself ended up spending a good deal of time managing Depeche Mode over the years. “Martin’s the songwriter, Alan’s the good musician, Dave’s the vocalist, and I bum around,” said Fletcher in D.A. Pennebaker’s 1989 documentary about Depeche Mode.

“I was in the wrong place, At the wrong time,
For the wrong reason, And the wrong rhyme,
On the wrong day, Of the wrong week,
Used the wrong method, With the wrong technique,
Wrong.”

In 2020, Depeche Mode was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by actress Charlize Theron. “Depeche Mode is the soundtrack of my adolescence. I’m not kidding — there was literally a song for every occasion of my life,” she said in a speech at the ceremony. [people.com]

DEPECHE MODE’s Andrew (Andy) Fletcher © Steve Jennings

Wrong’s disturbingly-twisted video was filmed in December 2008, conceived of and directed by Patrick Daughters, known for his video work on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ Maps and Feist‘s 1 2 3 4. “The video depicts a Ford Crown Victoria rolling backward down a Los Angeles downtown street, seemingly with no driver at the wheel. A shot inside the car reveals a man in a latex mask lying unconscious in the front seat, played by Liars‘ drummer Julian Gross.” [wikipedia.org] In regards to DM’s mere cameo appearance in the 3-1/2 minute video, Patrick told PEEPSHOW, “They didn’t want their appearance to compromise the idea and were quite honest about saying that upfront. … After they decided to go with my idea, they trusted me completely to execute it. That’s really the ideal kind of artist to work with–where they just let you do your thing.“

“The wrong mix, In the wrong genes,
I reached the wrong ends, By the wrong means,
It was the wrong plan, In the wrong hands,
The wrong theory, For the wrong man,
The wrong eyes, On the wrong prize,
The wrong questions, With the wrong replies,
Wrong.”

Rest in peace Andrew Fletcher, you will be missed.