Permanent Record Podcast: Martin L. Gore - Counterfeit e.p. (1989)

Martin L. Gore - Counterfeit e.p. (1989) - Part 2

Apr 30, 2021

Episode 127: Martin L. Gore - Counterfeit e.p. (1989) Part 2

After a brief interruption in the schedule to hold the third annual Trivia Showdown, followed by a break to celebrate Brian's Milestone Birthday, Sarah and Brian are back to discuss the rest of Martin Gore's first solo offering, Counterfeit e.p, released in 1989.

As we learned on Side One, Mr. Martin L. Gore chose an eclectic selection of songs to interpret in his own inimitable style for this effort, and Side Two is no different. There's a song by a band from Sheffield who has a connection to the very early history of Depeche Mode; a song by a band founded in Los Angeles in 1967 and is still recording music today; and a song whose origins date back to the 19th-century American South.

Brian and Sarah talk about the original versions of the songs as well as Martin Gore's interpretation of them. Along the way they also bring up the hosts' ground-breaking revelation last year that not all bands from Sheffield sound like The Human League; the speculation that Depeche Mode's 1987 Christmas gift to their fans may not have been a group effort; and in a reference to Part One's discussion, some 1989 chart listings from the influential New Wave radio station, KROQ in Los Angeles. (Thanks go out to friend of the show Bill Gagnon for the last bit of information!)

Gone
Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth
Motherless Child

Extra Credit

The hosts' reactions to the songs on Counterfeit e.p. have been decidedly mixed. So before the final rating is conferred, Brian and Sarah provide a chance for the record to gain some extra record adapters by discussing the unreleased track "Down in the Boondocks," recorded during the Counterfeit sessions. Why was the song not included on the record, and do Brian and Sarah think that was a wise decision?

Final Review and Rating

Then the time comes for our hosts to provide their final reviews and ratings on this 6-song EP. Brian and Sarah both love Depeche Mode and Martin Gore, but how much do they love Counterfeit?

Depeche Mode version of "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth"