you have so good memenories- angels dies earlier

my little son loves depeche mode and imitates dave,s gahan singing kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h61deq2Ztp23dIk.html

What drum stick? Sure you're thinking of the right band her?

AMAZING STORY my DM friend.Thank you for sharing it.I also always adored the way Fletchy would do silly little dances while performing...especially when playing “Tora Tora Tora” in the old school live videos. Man i guess he was the REAL DEAL to interact with you in such a cosmically beautiful and profound way.🤘😎💫

yes he was using it for midi triggers @@VTiDelSol

So he can stand next to them and not play them?

@@Alex-kh3dv bruh

Cosa cavolo scrivete

I hope they have a cozy pub with great beer, too.

So essential for the chemistry of the band that Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder quit while he was around.

well said my friend and I am sure that the vast majority of fans agree with you. No one really hates fletch but its an interesting conversation topic!! Thank you for your interest in the channel !! V :-)

The first few lines of Now This Is Fun sum up Fletch's role.⚒⛓📢👑🌹💡⚜✋🔺

I have nothing against him, great guy I'm sure. It's just that Alan was super disrespected and I feel that was wrong. I've got nothing against Andy. I met him once, very sweet guy. Just bring Alan back that's all.

@@@VaughnGeorge Make sure you stay politically correct. You wouldn't want to have the balls to actually own an opinion on anything.

King Trance omg. Wtf? Politically correct? Are you saying that someone has to have a wild opinion on everything? Maybe someone is MODERATE, let them be so.

I recon I could dedicate an entire video to "The Fletch Killer Clap!!" V :-)

@@VaughnGeorge He had a lot of energy and entusiasm on stage until "Music for the Masses Tour". Was dancing and clapping a lot and seemed to have fun.When you take a look at "Devotional" he is barely moving and looks depressed...

@@ash23neuro That's because he was.

@@rubaidaallen2764 I know he was. I read about it in "Stripped" by Jonathan Miller. After "Music for the masses" they changed they modus operandi during album recordings and his role was marginalized.

ohhh yesss

Bob Can thanks for sharing 👍😎V

Congratulations. So what?

@@sobrevalorado Moron.

Wow, what a lucky guy! Nice :)

@@Sarasapien He was a true gentleman. x

Brilliant story there!! Thank you for sharing !! V;-)

lol that’s hilarious thank you for sharing

Yes, poor Fletch, most probably he pointed them out to the right direction..

This story was incredible and a blast to read.Thank you for putting SO much time and effort in your comment just to share that with complete strangers like myself.Rock on mate 🤘😎💫🎶🇬🇧

He does ZERO and is handsomely paid.

Yes, exactly for doing nothing.,

Martin Maksylewicz even more luckier than Charlie watts or Andrew Ridgeley

Says the guy that doesn't even work in the music industry lol.

Well. Catch planes at 5:00 am then at 6:pm the same day or the next.Jet Lag gallore. Do that stuff for 30 years or so. Sleep in buses for at least the first years THEN come here and type. You dont have to be Nicolo paganini in order to suffer.

LOL!!! v:-)

Moving in time to the beat was also something he tried to imitate. No offence Fletch 🙏

OMG, I feel bad for laughing at this lol

Lol! I remember reading some interesting DM memories on Alan's site. Seems Dave was good friends with Alan.

In a 1997 interview, (post rehab), Dave said, "I wear Martin's feelings on my sleeve... and they fit..."

I think you nailed it! 😁

That's why Fletch is in the band, but it is also why Martin originally joined the band. Fletch gets to stay because Martin and Dave are grateful to Fletch for helping Vince assemble the band in the first place.

I thought vince was fletchs best mate.

​@@glennoc8585 It's hard to know without having been there personally at the time, and of course things change over time, including friendships. That said, from what I gather and am reasonably sure about, Vince's "best" friend back in the day was Robert Marlow, who was likewise an ambitious singer-songwriter (Vince actually sang lead back then). The two were among the leaders of the music scene in Basildon and had been in bands together, but clashed creatively, so they decided to remain buddies and form/join different, competing bands. Many bands quietly came into and went out of existence, and at one point Vince and Fletch formed No Romance in China. Vince knew Fletch from the Boys' Brigade (a Christian boys' club). I'm not sure how close they were; they were friends, but Vince always called Robert his best friend. Meanwhile Fletch had known Martin since they were young children, as they went to the same school, and in later years they seemed very close, so I'm guessing that they were closer friends than Vince and Fletch, but I'm not absolutely sure. I am sure that Vince didn't know Martin well at all, although eventually Fletch got Martin to join the Boys' Brigade, so they got to know each other at least a little. They all lived in Basildon, but Vince went to a different ("enemy" or rival) school, while Fletch, Martin, and for that matter Alison Moyet all went to the same school. Vince sure knew *of* Martin and his talents, though, and got Fletch to convince his friend (perhaps his "best" friend?) to join them, forming Composition of Sound. Martin agreed but also remained a member of the band French Look, which was led by Robert. Vince and Robert were unhappy with each other, basically fighting over Martin, so did Fletch become Vince's new best friend at this time? I don't know, but the two bands did gigs together and sabotaged each other at the same time, so Vince and Robert were pretty much "frenemies" at this point--very complicated. Dave was also sort of with French Look at the time as their assistant, by the way. I think Robert knew he could sing well, but Robert saw himself as the singer and band leader, so he did nothing with Dave (aside from letting him carry and set up their gear), while Vince heard Dave singing one night after a combined gig, called him up, and invited him to join Composition of Sound as the lead singer, which he did, forming Depeche Mode. So basically the two core members of Depeche Mode were both with Robert's band, and Vince lured them away (when pressed to choose, Martin chose to leave French Look and stay with Depeche Mode). Vince can't be accused of stealing success, however, since none of these people would have gotten anywhere without him. Vince also tried to help Robert get going in the business later, so they were still friends after all of this, although Robert's career didn't quite pan out. And of course Vince soon left Depeche Mode after he and Dave made them a big success, and formed Yazoo with Alison, whom they all at least knew of. In terms of friendships, make of this what you will. I believe that Fletch was closer to Martin than to Vince, but only they really know. Since then, Vince and Fletch have remained friends, but obviously Fletch and Martin have been though so many more things together.

@@rbrtck thanks for this 👍

Dependable to do... nothing? You don’t need sobriety for that

@@cs0rpc I dont think the band would have kept him if he was a total useless ... sometimes when you are in a band you need someone who bring some humanity and understanding, it doesnt matter if he sux you know...

@@pedroroggla8129 doesn’t really justify his position as a supposed musician

@@cs0rpc evidently thats not the way the rest of thr group thinks, maybe they enjoy having him there

@@pedroroggla8129 They literally do think that though. Dave and Martin have both said that Fletch does nothing in the studio and that he is given parts to play live, but they’re not taxing at all. So, they don’t regard him as any sort of musician.

I think it's more Martin. I suspect that David wants Alan to rejoin the band or at least hopes that will happen.

Rubaida Allen I think you're absolutely right. Alan is a genius...

Thomas Gary agreed with that yep!!V 😎👍

Not only do I agree with you @Thomas... I applaud Martin and Dave for it. There is something to be said for loyalty.

Let's not forget that Fletcher is Gore's best friend. They know each other since they were kids.

Jorge Andrés Arango damn for real? Brutal. It would have been funny and ironic that he failed to play fletchs part properly and was denied a call back. The nerve of Fletch. Haha.

Do you have that link my friend?

@@Mauri3600 Either Martin or Dave has joked that if Alan could have an erect penis on stage he could play with that too.. edit: spelling bees as cees

Trekking S It’s I think in the Broken Frame re-masters vid? When they released the re-masters they also had additional singles and a video about each album. They mentioned that none of them were classically trained so they tried to foul him up and get him to play both bass and melody with both hands since it was “difficult” for everyone else in the band to do so. Of course Alan did it easily. Hell, it may have even been Alan saying that. Can’t recall but it was one of the re-master vids. I’d start with Broken Frame. Pretty sure that one (not all of them) is on KZfaq.

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rJdnectet5qugKc.html here is the interview where they talk about the audition :)

Michael David hahahhaha that’s hilarious mate!! Did make me laugh 😂!! Yeah his role is to look like Elton John but the only difference being that Elton can really really play!! 😎👍V

Ольга Вертинская thank you for sharing your story with us!!😎V👍

He also drives and operates the tour chuck wagon--well, someone has to.

bwahahahaa!

😁

Absolutely true. We are a mob.

Devotees/black swarmers x

Amen to that brother !! V :-)

This is the man that arranged the bass lines and during live work, makes sure everything is in order. Programing wise. (sound effect and sampled sounds) As for Mr Wilder. I too miss him. He was their "Orchestra". It has been years now since his departure but the band is still going on. I'm happy. My point is. They are still with us and for that, I too will clap my hands. Best wishes to all D.M. devotes

By the way MarkoBricksUk. U2! Same line up. Have a great day.

Pet Shop Boys.

Rush beat that. Still ahead even though the great Neil Peart is no longer with us.

Not quite. Vince Clarke was the mastermind, but Fletch was a mutual friend of his and Martin's, and Vince needed Fletch to help recruit Martin, who was well known in their social circle to be a good songwriter, into DM from the band he was already in.

rbrtck I know man, but Fletch was the conduit, with his bass guitar in tow. If Fletch didn’t exist, Depeche would not exist. We would have Erasure Mode, which would’ve been one album, then Vince would’ve walked.

@@greckendale No argument here. As I said in another, longer comment somewhere, DM as we know it would not exist without Fletch, who I called its "central" founder. I just meant that Vince was originally the mastermind, and he coveted having Martin in the band, but it was Fletch who delivered him. And without Martin, of course the definitive lineup of DM (which for me also includes Alan) would have never been. It's impossible to tell what else would have happened if Fletch hadn't been able to recruit Martin. With his plan thwarted, Vince might have called up Alison Moyet earlier and formed Yazoo-plus-Fletch. ;) One way or another, I bet that Vince would have eventually made it in the business (after all, he did start three highly successful bands), while Martin probably would not, since he wasn't confident and maniacally driven like Vince was. We would have missed out on Martin's songwriting entirely. It was joining DM and then Vince leaving them seemingly in the lurch that really lit a fire in Martin to prove himself.

Well the least out of it would be more applicable. Fletch remained the most English and untainted by fame in my mind, he still loved a pint and never moved abroad.

​@@ColonelRogeSame could be said about Alan he didn't leave England and stayed sober during the faith and devotional tour.

I agree with you!! VG :-)

@@VaughnGeorge The question is whether Fletcher CREATED those parts he played ... or was it assigned to him to play it after Alan had created it in the studio ... In Alan's statements it sound like he was mainly the guy who worked through the nights to come up with all the synth riffs and sounds based on Gore's bare bone melodies and lyrics ... And the rest of the band would just come in to record the song after Alan had the amazing background music engineered overnight in an act of musical inspirations after inspirations ... Thats why he felt unappreciated because he felt he was responsible for the bulk of all the great sounds he engineered on the keyboards but does not get any specific credits with his name alone (producer was credited as "Depeche Mode" while Gore would get song writing credit by his own name) .. And its true that DM's greatness owes greatly to the type of very recognisable, atmospheric and improvisional synth sounds without which the lyrical and melodic contents would probably make for just some above average songs rather than a great musical experience ...

I also don't believe Andy plays ANYTHING live. I have watched many live shows and often his fingers just hover, other than when he does nothing or is just clapping. Embarrasing.

@@FireMunki63 There is a video somewhere that proves he is actually plugged in. I'll find it Edit: this is not it but... kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gaqaebCAtbKdZGQ.html Here it is: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j9CJmKept6evmGg.html

Rather fond of that song.

LOL!!! V :-)

He counts the money, and divides it equally among the lads.

nick wood hahhaha yeah well said mate !! Fletch is such a clown really 😂V

Exactly right

The late Matt Fretton toured with them as support (with backing tapes) and he said at the time that he reckoned Fletch's vocals and keyboards never made it past the band's monitors. Ultra is the only good post-Alan Wilder album, and they used two programmers - he was clearly missed for his technical input. Playing The Angel - two programmers.....

Momtnz two programmers used yes that’s right !!😎👍V

nick wood you can clearly hear Fletch vocals in blasphemous rumours on bootleg "une nuit a la mode".

Or maybe they just want to market that assumption and profit from it... genius!

@QTee Fletch does some legwork like making certain phone calls and such, but he's hardly their manager, who would be Jonathan Kessler. Fletch describes the band members' basic roles quite succinctly in _101_ , saying something like Martin's the songwriter, Dave's the singer, Alan's a good musician, and I bum around--there you go.

Unfortunately it only seems to strengthen the notion that he doesn't do much at all. lol classic lol

Yeah, instead of a musician, he could have been the official manager of the band. After all, he is the mediator, the reconciliator, Martin's mouthpiece and friend.

Patricia Chisholm thank you fur an awesome post and kind words!! Welcome onboard!! VG👍🎹😎

Well written and very detailed post there Gabor!! Thank you very much!! Really enjoyed it !! V:-)

Great post x

Yes a sober figure that give us more depeche mode to enjoy so much more valuable than alan wilder in the long term so my love and respect to fletcher

Let's be serious please. Fletcher's musical input is sparse to say the least. He can play ok. But he's not talented at all, musically speaking. So what, he plays the basslines. DM is not known for it's basslines. I don't begrudge Andy any accolades or success, but his impact on the music is next to nil. Always was curious why a solid musician like Adam Clayton who has written great basslines & is so integral in U2's music gets so much jealousy hate on YT & Fletcher is spared that kind of hate. I wish no hate on Andy as he is a good guy, but just curious. Great video, thanks for the upload. Show less

Very good post! :) I agree

Thank you my friend , I’m glad you found me !! VG 🎹👍😎

DODGE THIS LUCAS MACKINTOSH thank you my friend !! Many other DM videos are to be seen on my channel so do enjoy yourself !! VG😎👍🎹

@@VaughnGeorge Thank you I will!

DODGE THIS LUCAS MACKINTOSH you’re welcome , I hope you will consider subscribing and join the tribe 😎👍🎹VG

Vaughn George consider it done!

Joseph Stone thanks for this detailed and well written post!! Absolutely agree with you on everything you said there!! Cheers and welcome to the community 👍😎V

Most bands especially electrinic acts now use loaded back tracks and only play fills or improvs to reduce margins of error and also to better interact with the audience. Ive got friends that use loop pedals and rack pedals with tracks for playing that second or third overlay. You sort-of have to if your music is very instrument layered and you're just a 3 piece. Technology has allowed Martin less time on the keys live and more up front on guitar. Alan sold on his old synths and samplers because now its just a basic keyboard hooked to the laptop. As mentioned the mixer is handling the backing but its all doable by a stroke of the key at the stage.

Yeah. That makes sense to me. Playing those bass keys live would be incredibly risky -- the slightest little hand slip and it would sound stupid! (Unnecessary stress while performing.)

Syracuse Music 1986: Thank you for your comment. Yes I do recall seeing that video clip of Andy McCluskey talking about this. I will post another video regarding the subject so keep following the channel for many more videos coming soon !! V :-)

No probs dude

I'm afraid I disagree too. Maybe I'm biased becasue I admit I can't stand the man. And not just because of his lack of musical talent - I agree most of the parts you showed are played by him indeed - but I think his presence in DM has tarnished the band and its full potential. Alan and him hated each other, Dave and him hated each other (and they still don't like each other). And I was told some stories about him by people in the know which make him responsible of putting the band's existence in serious, serious jeopardy, particularly during the Violator era. It's great you showed he does indeed play a little ( even though I've watched him mime too), because it's true, but I actually think he gets way more respect than he deserves. As for sticking to a managerial role, well, it seems Jonathan Kessler does a better role at it.

@@alejandromorales8715 : Brilliantly stated my friend !! I did think to myself when I made that video how simplistic Fletch's parts really are. He must be the world's most overpaid keyboard player if you consider how little he does !! Many musicians have been contacting me and said they to have seen him clearly miming and pretending to play when it was obvious that what he was doing made no sense. I'm sure we keyboard players could spot it easily !! :-) V

He didn't play anything. Trust.

Glad you enjoyed it! Welcome to the channel my friend !! VG :-)

You are very welcome Birgit! VG :-)

Michael you are so welcome and I would like to welcome you to this community !! V:-)

good luck hahhaha yes. These parts are what we play “hypothetically”. In reality , the bass would ALWAYS be on backing tape and he’d merely play along with it A volume which would be bearly audible . There are many theories to this but I can assure you that Fletch was playing mainly simplistic sweep, drone and Fx sounds !! Thank you for your interest in the channel!! V😎👍

Yes. He never, NEVER claps out of sync.

Glad you enjoyed it Ed!! Thank you!! VG :-)

Eliana Gianoli haha a human coffee machine brilliant !! 😎V👍

I always thought it sounded like a tugboat. 🙂

No it is definitely from Dave's Porsche. They brought a motorbike on stage for a live gig once

@Minoudy Watusi your link below does not work/ been removed... but Yann LE ROCH is correct, ...and actually you BOTH are it appears--so stop fighting. ;P The Wikiped. quote says: "The beginning of the song samples the sound of the ignition of lead singer Dave Gahan's Porsche automobile,[1] while the underlying beat is the sound of an idling motorcycle engine distorted and slowed down. The ending also incorporates the sound of fireworks.[2]" Boom.

@Minoudy Watusi Again, your link does not work. So, no. I believe u, if you heard him say that -- again, the above quote does not dispute that; the noise was an OVERLAY of Both motorcycle & Porsche. (and no one is disputing the idling motor came from the EMU .;))

I've always thought of it as a pumping heart.

cinqo7 you are very welcome my friend !! V 😎👍

Sarah hello again and thank you for your constant interactions !! I think you're going to like it here !! V:-)

Me Too! My Brain Exploded

Paola thank you so much for your kind words!! More Depeche Mode coming soon !! V :-)

M. M. Thank you and I’m glad you got value from this!! V😎👍

You’re right

locksmithuk brilliant comment thank you!! 😎👍V

I agree with the vast majority of what you said, except that Alan's own decision to leave wasn't made lightly and was final, so there was no way they could have gotten him back. For various reasons, including some he didn't quite understand himself, Alan was burnt out on DM and being a rock star--as he put it, "something inside me died," and I don't think he is prone to exaggeration or histrionics. He was done and could no longer see himself, particularly at his age, continuing in this type of career. He wanted to work with other people and do different things musically, which he has done.

Totally right!!

Thank you so much I am glad to have you in the community!! V ;-)

You are very welcome my friend!! Welcome to the channel !! VG :-)

Komhaus: Thank you for your comment my friend. I am going to do a follow up video regarding Fletch to address some of the comments which my subscribers have made. It turns out he is not that popular in the eyes of the fans after all !! V :-)

I've heard that too. Mr. Wilder felt slighted. Rightfully so. He's a classically trained musician, worked so hard to create gorgeous, beautiful music only to be treated like the help. Fletcher does nothing and he and Mr. Wilder made the same amount of $$$. F'n shame.

What was Andy McCluskey saying about Alan or Andy? Can you point out a video here with that? Thanks in advance. EDIT: Found it now :)… For anyone else wanting to see that: just watch "Fletch's Killer Clap" video here on this channel :). Really great quote from Andy/OMD :-D

@@Lofote i have tried Google it, but can't find what i he said about fletch

@@ThePalle44 Thanks for your time searching it. I have found it myself now :)… It's in the "Fletch's Killer Clap" Video Right at the start on this very channel :)

James Paputis : Thank you so much for your kind world matey!! It's comments like this that make the channel a joy for me !! Keep watching for many more Depeche Mode videos !! Cheers, V :-)

Thank you my friend!! More to come !! V:-)