Shake the Disease

"Shake the Disease"
"Shake the Disease"
	Cover artwork by Tamara Capellaro
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album The Singles 81→85
B-side	"Flexible"
Released	29 April 1985
Recorded	March 1985
Studio	Hansa Mischraum (Berlin)
Genre	Synth-pop; dark wave;
Length	4:49
Label	Mute
Songwriter(s)	Martin L. Gore
Producer(s)	Daniel Miller; Depeche Mode; Gareth Jones;
Depeche Mode singles chronology
Music video
	"Shake the Disease" on YouTube

"Shake the Disease" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released as a single on 29 April 1985. It's one of two new songs on the 1985 compilation albums The Singles 81→85 and Catching Up with Depeche Mode, along with the band's subsequent single "It's Called a Heart".

Background

Band member Alan Wilder felt this song captured the essence of the band, saying that "there's a certain edge to what we do that can make people think twice about things. If we've got a choice between calling a song 'Understand Me' or 'Shake the Disease', we'll call it 'Shake the Disease'. There's a lot of perversity and innuendo in our lyrics, but nothing direct."^[2]

Music video

The music video is the first Depeche Mode video directed by Peter Care, and features a camera trick that makes the band members appear to slowly tip over.^[3]^[4] It was shot in the Docklands area of London, prominently featuring the cranes that were still in situ at that time. Between May and July 1985 the video was performed on 10 television programs across Europe.^[5]

Commercial performance

"Shake the Disease" reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart,^[6] while charting within the top 10 in Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland and West Germany.^[7]^[8] In France, it peaked at number 13, spending six months in the top 50.^[9] The track also reached number 33 on the Hot Dance/Disco 12 Inch Singles Sales chart in the United States.^[10]

It reached number one on the KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1985.^[11]

AllMusic reviewer Dave Thompson praised the song, saying, "with its plump melody and stirring refrain, it's a haunting and soulful number that deserved better than its #18 chart position."^{[citation needed]}

Track listings

All tracks are written by Martin L. Gore

7-inch single

A. "Shake the Disease" – 4:48

B. "Flexible" – 3:11

US and Canadian 7-inch single

A. "Shake the Disease" (fade) – 3:59

B. "Flexible" – 3:09

12-inch single

A. "Shake the Disease" (remixed extended version) – 8:44 (engineered by Flood)

B. "Flexible" (remixed extended version) – 6:15 (engineered by Flood)

12-inch single (special edition)
French and Italian cassette maxi single

A1. "Shake the Disease" (Edit the Shake) – 7:10

A2. "Master and Servant" (live) – 5:37

B1. "Flexible" (Pre-Deportation mix) – 4:40 (remixed by Bert Bevans)

B2. "Something to Do" (Metalmix) – 7:26 (remixed by Gareth Jones)

"Master and Servant" was recorded at the Basel, Switzerland, show on 30 November 1984.

1988 French CD single

"Shake the Disease" (Edit the Shake) – 7:10
"Master and Servant" (live) – 5:37
"Flexible" (Pre-Deportation mix) – 4:39 (remixed by Bert Bevans)
"Something to Do" (Metalmix) – 7:26 (remixed by Gareth Jones)
"Shake the Disease" (7″ mix) – 4:49

1990 Belgian and German CD single

"Shake the Disease" (Edit the Shake) – 7:09
"Master and Servant" (live) – 5:38
"Flexible" (Pre-Deportation mix) – 4:40 (remixed by Bert Bevans)
"Something to Do" (Metalmix) – 7:25 (remixed by Gareth Jones)

1991 CD single

"Shake the Disease" – 4:47
"Flexible" – 3:10
"Shake the Disease" (remixed extended) – 8:45
"Flexible" (remixed extended) – 6:16
"Shake the Disease" (Edit the Shake) – 7:10
"Something to Do" (Metalmix) – 7:27

The UK CD single was also released as part of the 3 (Singles 13–18) box set compilations.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Shake the Disease"
Chart (1985)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[12]	25
Europe (European Top 100 Singles)^[13]	5
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[14]	18
France (SNEP)^[9]	13
Ireland (IRMA)^[7]	9
Italy (Musica e dischi)^[15]	20
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)^[16]	2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[17]	47
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[8]	5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[18]	6
UK Singles (OCC)^[6]	18
UK Indie (OCC)^[19]	1
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)^[10]	33
West Germany (GfK)^[20]	4

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Shake the Disease"
Chart (1985)	Position
West Germany (Official German Charts)^[21]	29

References

^ ^a ^b Bein, Kat (20 September 2017). "The 20 Best Depeche Mode Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
^ Doole, Kerry (July 1989). "The Class of 101". Music Express. Vol. 13, no. 138. pp. 40–44. ISSN 0848-9645.
^ Miller, Jonathan (5 November 2009). Stripped: Depeche Mode. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-026-7. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
^ Baker, Trevor (5 November 2009). Dave Gahan - Depeche Mode & The Second Coming. Bonnier Zaffre. ISBN 978-1-78418-955-6. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
^ Christopher, Michael (28 December 2020). Depeche Mode FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's Finest Synth-Pop Band. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-4930-5400-8. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Depeche Mode: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Shake the Disease". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Depeche Mode Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ "List of KROQ Top 106.7 Countdowns". RadioHitlist.
^ "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 24. 17 June 1985. p. 10. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Depeche Mode" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
^ "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ Lazell, Barry (1997). "Depeche Mode". Indie Hits 1980–1989: The Complete U.K. Independent Charts (Singles & Albums). Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-95172-069-4. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1985" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

External links

[billboard-1] Bein, Kat (20 September 2017). "The 20 Best Depeche Mode Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 1 February 2025.

[MM89-2] Doole, Kerry (July 1989). "The Class of 101". Music Express. Vol. 13, no. 138. pp. 40–44. ISSN 0848-9645.

[3] Miller, Jonathan (5 November 2009). Stripped: Depeche Mode. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-026-7. Retrieved 24 May 2021.

[4] Baker, Trevor (5 November 2009). Dave Gahan - Depeche Mode & The Second Coming. Bonnier Zaffre. ISBN 978-1-78418-955-6. Retrieved 24 May 2021.

[5] Christopher, Michael (28 December 2020). Depeche Mode FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's Finest Synth-Pop Band. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-4930-5400-8. Retrieved 24 May 2021.

[uk-6] "Depeche Mode: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[ire-7] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Shake the Disease". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[swe-8] "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[fra-9] "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[dancesales-10] "Depeche Mode Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[11] "List of KROQ Top 106.7 Countdowns". RadioHitlist.

[sc_Flanders_Depeche_Mode-12] "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[13] "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 24. 17 June 1985. p. 10. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.

[14] Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.

[15] "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Depeche Mode" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".

[16] "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[sc_Dutch100_Depeche_Mode-17] "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[sc_Switzerland_Depeche_Mode-18] "Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[19] Lazell, Barry (1997). "Depeche Mode". Indie Hits 1980–1989: The Complete U.K. Independent Charts (Singles & Albums). Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-95172-069-4. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2022.

[sc_West_Germany_Depeche_Mode-20] "Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

[21] "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1985" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

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