Depeche Mode — Behind the Wheel

JUL 01 1987 · 12:00

Depeche Mode — Behind the Wheel (1987) Director: Anton Corbijn Era: Late Synth-Pop / Post-Punk Crossover Era (1987) - Peak period of British electronic music's mainstream ascendancy, coinciding with Depeche Mode's transitional Music for the Masses campaign that bridged cult European following with emerging US stadium-scale ambitions. High curatorial value as a documented collaboration between Depeche Mode and Anton Corbijn at an early, formative stage of their multi-decade creative partnership. Represents a confirmed transitional moment in both the band's commercial trajectory and Corbijn's development as a narrative music video director. The black-and-white road-narrative format, intertextual sequel structure, and Spanish location shoot make this a distinctive and well-documented artefact of late-1980s British synth-pop visual culture, suitable for retrospective exhibition, academic study, and genre canonisation. Context: Released on 28 December 1987 as the third single from Music for the Masses, 'Behind the Wheel' arrived at a pivotal moment in Depeche Mode's trajectory — the album marked a deliberate push toward the American market, evidenced by the Route 66 cover version on the B-side. The video, shot in black-and-white near Málaga, Spain, positions Corbijn's signature European art-photography aesthetic against a road-movie idiom deeply associated with American popular culture, creating a productive transatlantic tension. The single reached #21 in the UK and #6 in both Switzerland and West Germany, reflecting the band's stronger continental European foothold. In 1989, Spin magazine ranked it #30 on its list of the 100 Greatest Singles of All Time, cementing its critical standing. The video's intertextual link to the 'Never Let Me Down Again' clip — sharing Gahan's car as a recurring prop — reinforced the serialised visual mythology Corbijn was constructing around the band's Music for the Masses campaign. Director notes: Directed for Depeche Mode's third single from Music for the Masses, released 28 December 1987 on Mute Records (UK). The video is specifically cut to the Shep Pettibone Remix version of the track, not the album version. Filmed near Málaga, Spain. Shot entirely in black and white, the video presents a road-narrative vignette in which Dave Gahan's car is towed away; he subsequently rides pillion on a Vespa SS180 with a female companion through a rural village setting. The video functions as a loose narrative sequel to the 'Never Let Me Down Again' video, maintaining visual and character continuity. Included on the Strange (1988) VHS compilation and later The Videos 86–98 and Video Singles Collection (2016). Production company: The State. Producer: Richard Bell.