Stripped

"Stripped" is Depeche Mode's fifteenth UK single, released on 10 February 1986. It was the first single from the album Black Celebration, and the band's thirteenth overall and sixth consecutive single to hit the UK Top 20, peaking at #15. "Stripped" is well-known for its innovative use of sampling. The underlying beat is a distorted and slowed-down sound of a motorcycle engine running, while the main melody begins with a car's ignition starting, and the end uses sounds of fireworks. The band's U.S. label Sire Records, however, decided to use the B-side "But Not Tonight" on the soundtrack to the movie Modern Girls and included the song on US editions of Black Celebration. As a result, the single was flipped, and released as "But Not Tonight" in the United States to help promote the movie. The band was not happy with this decision, seeing "But Not Tonight" as a useless pop track recorded in less than a day. The single did not chart. The other two B-Sides are "Breathing in Fumes" and "Black Day". "Breathing in Fumes" was a new song using samples from "Stripped", mixed by the band and Thomas Stiehler. "Black Day" is an acoustic, alternate version of "Black Celebration" sung by Martin Gore, and is co-written by him, Alan Wilder, and producer Daniel Miller - the only Depeche Mode song where Miller receives a writing credit. The "Highland Mix" of "Stripped" was mixed by Mark Ellis (better known as Flood), who in the future would produce Depeche Mode's Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion records. UK Editions of the Black Celebration CD include the extended remix of "But Not Tonight" along with "Black Day", and "Breathing in Fumes" as bonus tracks. The music video for "Stripped" was the last Depeche Mode video to be directed by Peter Care and was filmed outside of Hansa Studios. The music video for "But Not Tonight" was directed by Tamra Davis and is available in multiple versions.