Nomeansno With Andy Kerr, You Kill Me, Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed (1983-1989) Did they release any albums during this time? The You Kill Me EP in 1985 What songs were from that album? exhibited their experimental sound on dark and ponderous songs like "Body Bag" and a "tuneless" cover of "Manic Depression" by Jimi Hendrix.
Did people enjoy their music?
Did people enjoy Nomeansno, With Andy Kerr's music?
The Infamous Scientists disbanded, and their guitarist and vocalist Andy Kerr joined Nomeansno in 1983. Kerr brought a distinct hardcore punk edge to Nomeansno's sound, creating a buzz-saw guitar tone by playing through a Fender Bassman amplifier and a P.A. speaker. Nomeansno became a fixture in the British Columbia punk scene despite playing music which did not always conform to punk rock standards. The You Kill Me EP in 1985 on the Undergrowth Records imprint exhibited their experimental sound on dark and ponderous songs like "Body Bag" and a "tuneless" cover of "Manic Depression" by Jimi Hendrix. The three also began performing Ramones covers and more traditional punk music as The Hanson Brothers, a side project which would later receive more of their attention.  Issued initially by the Montreal punk label Psyche Industry, the band released Sex Mad, their second LP and first with Kerr. The album further expanded the band's experimental and progressive punk sound, yielding the single "Dad". The song was a minor college radio hit, which AllMusic reviewer Adam Bregman called "a bit chilling, even though it's spit out at slam-pit's pace". Kerr, the song's lead vocalist, increasingly became responsible for lead vocals as Rob Wright suffered from nodules on his vocal cords. They soon signed with the seminal punk rock label Alternative Tentacles, run by Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys. This, along with frequent touring in North America and Europe, helped the band to garner a larger audience.  In 1988, the group issued two releases which were recorded with producer Cecil English: The Day Everything Became Nothing, an EP, and the Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed album. Alternative Tentacles compiled the two together on a single CD, The Day Everything Became Isolated and Destroyed. AllMusic reviewer Sean Carruthers called the experimental recordings "less aggressive" than, but nonetheless worthy of, the band's previous efforts. CANNOTANSWER
This, along with frequent touring in North America and Europe, helped the band to garner a larger audience.
Nomeansno (sometimes stylized as NoMeansNo or spelled No Means No) was a Canadian punk rock band formed in Victoria, British Columbia and later relocated to Vancouver.  They issued 11 albums, including a collaborative album with Jello Biafra, as well as numerous EPs and singles.  Critic Martin Popoff described their music as "the mightiest merger between the hateful aggression of punk and the discipline of heavy metal."  Nomeansno's distinct hardcore punk sound, complex instrumentation, and dark, "savagely intelligent" lyrics inspired subsequent musicians.  They are often considered foundational in the punk jazz and post-hardcore movements, and have been cited as a formative influence on the math rock and emo genres.

Formed in 1979 by brothers Rob and John Wright, the group began as a two-piece punk band influenced by jazz and progressive rock.  They self-released their debut Mama LP in 1982.  Adding guitarist Andy Kerr the following year, the group signed with the Alternative Tentacles imprint and continued to expand their audience.  Kerr departed in 1992 after five LPs with the band, and the group returned to its two-piece formation for the Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? album.

Guitarist Tom Holliston, and briefly second drummer Ken Kempster, joined in 1993, and Nomeansno continued touring and recording extensively while operating their own Wrong Records label.  After three further LPs, they left Alternative Tentacles and issued their final album, All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt, in 2006.  They were inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2015, and announced their retirement the following year.

History

Early years as two-piece, Mama (1979–1982)
In 1979 and at age 25, Rob Wright returned to his family's home in Victoria after studying in Calgary. John Wright, Rob's younger brother by eight years, played drums in the school jazz band, and the two were inspired to play punk rock after seeing D.O.A. perform at the University of Victoria.  They began rehearsing in their parents' basement in 1979, and took the name Nomeansno from an anti-date rape slogan. They also briefly gigged as the rhythm section for the local cover band Castle.

Nomeansno recorded its earliest material in the months that followed on a TASCAM four-track recorder, with Rob playing electric guitar and bass, John playing keyboards and drums, and both brothers singing.  Some of these recordings were issued as their first two self-released 7"s, the "Look, Here Come the Wormies / SS Social Service" single (a 1980 split with Mass Appeal, whose recording lineup featured both Wright Brothers), and the Betrayal, Fear, Anger, Hatred EP of 1981.

The brothers began performing live as a bass-and-drums duo in 1981.  Their sound developed without a guitar, and John Wright later reflected on these developments:

Some of the songs they played in this period were released on the Mama LP, which was self-released in a limited pressing in 1982.  Writing for Trouser Press, critic Ira Robbins described Mama and the early 7"s as "Devo on a jazz trip, Motörhead after art school, or Wire on psychotic steroids."  This same year, John Wright also joined the Victoria punk band The Infamous Scientists.

With Andy Kerr, You Kill Me, Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed (1983–1989)
The Infamous Scientists disbanded in 1983, and their guitarist and vocalist Andy Kerr joined Nomeansno several months later. Kerr brought a distinct hardcore punk edge to Nomeansno's sound, creating a buzz-saw guitar tone by playing through a Fender Bassman amplifier and a P.A. speaker.  Nomeansno became a fixture in the British Columbia punk scene despite playing music that did not always conform to punk rock standards.  The You Kill Me EP in 1985 on the Undergrowth Records imprint exhibited their experimental sound on dark and ponderous songs like "Body Bag" and a cover of "Manic Depression" by Jimi Hendrix. The three also began performing Ramones covers and more traditional punk music as The Hanson Brothers, a side project that would later receive more of their attention.

Issued initially by the Montreal punk label Psyche Industry, the band released Sex Mad, their second LP and first with Kerr.  The album further expanded the band's experimental and progressive punk sound, yielding the single "Dad". The song was a minor college radio hit, which AllMusic reviewer Adam Bregman called "a bit chilling, even though it's spit out at slam-pit's pace".  Kerr, the song's lead vocalist, increasingly became responsible for lead vocals as Rob Wright suffered from nodules on his vocal cords.

They soon signed with the seminal punk rock label Alternative Tentacles, run by Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys. This, along with frequent touring in North America and Europe, helped the band to garner a larger audience.  In 1988, the group issued two releases recorded with producer Cecil English: The Day Everything Became Nothing EP and the Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed album.  Alternative Tentacles compiled the two together on a single CD, The Day Everything Became Isolated and Destroyed.  AllMusic reviewer Sean Carruthers called the experimental recordings "less aggressive" than, but nonetheless worthy of, the band's previous efforts.

Wrong, 0 + 2 = 1, Kerr's departure (1989–1992)

Rob Wright's vocal cords began to heal, and he again began acting as the group's lead vocalist.  In 1989, the band issued their fourth album, Wrong, to wide critical acclaim.  For AllMusic, Carruthers wrote that "[t]he playing is incredibly skilled;" critic Martin Popoff in writing for The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal called Wrong the band's best album and rated the album 10 out of 10 points.  The band's extensive touring in support of the record is documented in part on the Live + Cuddly album, recorded in Holland in 1990. John Wright later reported that circa 1990 the band became profitable enough that "we didn't have to have day jobs."

The band released a collaborative LP with Biafra, The Sky Is Falling and I Want My Mommy, in 1991.  Shortly thereafter, they issued 0 + 2 = 1, their fifth album and final release with Kerr.  In a mixed review, AllMusic critic Adam Bregman praised 0 + 2 = 1 for its finer moments, but was concerned by its overall length and ponderousness.

Kerr departed the band after touring in support of the record and emigrated to the Netherlands. He went on to release two LPs with Hissanol, a collaboration with Scott Henderson of Shovlhed. He subsequently released a solo album in 1997 before forming the duo Two Pin Din with Wilf Plum of Dog Faced Hermans in 2005.

Side projects, Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? (1992–1993)
The Wright brothers had begun to focus on their side project, The Hanson Brothers. Dressing as a mock group of backward Canadian ice hockey players and fans, they derived the band's name and personae from a group of characters in the 1977 George Roy Hill film Slap Shot starring Paul Newman. With John acting as lead vocalist, the Wright brothers were joined by guitarist Tom Holliston of the Showbusiness Giants and drummer Ken Jensen of D.O.A.  With encouragement from Alternative Tentacles to record an LP, The Hanson Brothers issued the Gross Misconduct album in 1992.

The Wright brothers also remained active with other endeavors.  Rob Wright began performing as a solo artist under the name Mr. Wrong, appearing as a character dressed as an authoritarian priest.  John Wright became a member of D.O.A. for several years. The brothers also continued to expand Wrong Records, their own imprint.

In 1993, the brothers assembled material for a sixth Nomeansno LP and recorded Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? as a duo. AllMusic critic Ned Raggett later praised the album's balance, arguing that it reached dark and sinister depths while also exhibiting subtler and more introspective moments.  The Wrights also compiled the collection Mr. Right & Mr. Wrong: One Down & Two to Go, comprising early demos, studio outtakes, and additional material, which was released on Wrong the following year.

With Tom Holliston, Worldhood of the World (As Such), Dance of the Headless Bourgeoisie (1993–1999)
For touring in support of Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy?, Nomeansno assembled their first four-piece lineup, completed by Hanson Brothers guitarist Holliston and second drummer Ken Kempster.  Holliston replaced Kerr as their full-time guitarist, while Kempster went on to tour sporadically with Nomeansno over the next four years.

The first Nomeansno album to feature Holliston was The Worldhood of the World (As Such), released in 1995.  Receiving its title from philosopher Martin Heidegger's seminal text Being and Time, the album featured simpler and more melodic songs than its predecessors while nonetheless retaining the band's "taste for blood and gristle." After focusing briefly on the Hanson Brothers and releasing their second LP, Sudden Death, Nomeansno followed with the EPs Would We Be Alive? and In the Fishtank 1, each featuring a cover of "Would We Be Alive?" by The Residents.

Their eighth studio album, the double LP Dance of the Headless Bourgeoisie, was released in 1998.  The album featured some of the band's longest songs, including its title track.  The album received mixed, but generally positive, reviews.  In a retrospective review, AllMusic critic Tom Schulte praised the album in its experimental tone as "dark and unforgettable, poignant and cutting." A critic writing for The A.V. Club, however, dismissed the album as "dull, meandering punk" and likened the band pejoratively to Rush.

One, All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt (2000–2006)

The band issued its final Alternative Tentacles album, One, in 2000.  Featuring a slow stoner rock cover of The Ramones's "Beat on the Brat" and a fifteen-minute version of Miles Davis's "Bitches Brew" with electric piano and congas, the album was well received.  AllMusic's Schulte assessed the album as "intense and heavy collegiate punk" as praised it as the band's finest effort since Wrong.  Three outtakes from the album were also issued as the Generic Shame EP on Wrong.

The band left Alternative Tentacles in 2002, and began slowly reissuing their back catalogue through Wrong and distributors Southern Records.  With new drummer Ernie Hawkins, The Hanson Brothers released their third album, My Game, later that year.  Nomeansno continued touring extensively, but ultimately took six years to release their next album.  In the meantime, they issued the best-of compilation The People's Choice.

Their tenth studio album, All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt,  was released on August 22, 2006, by AntAcidAudio in the United States and Southern in Europe. AllMusic critic Jo-Ann Greene praised the album's exhausting diversity as befitting of the band's legacy and career-spanning accomplishments.  Greene wrote that with the record Nomeansno travel "yet again through the undergrowth and underbelly of the rock realm, and with all the piss and vinegar that they started out with a quarter century ago."

Later years, retirement (2007–2016)
The band toured frequently in the years that followed, but ceased recording albums.  Fang drummer Mike Branum joined The Hanson Brothers in 2008.  In 2010, Nomeansno digitally released outtakes and demos from the 0 + 2 = 1 sessions as 0 + 2 = 1 ½.  They next released two four-track EPs, Tour EP 1 (alternatively known as Old) and Tour EP 2 (alternatively Jubilation).  They continued performing live through 2013, and toured as The Hanson Brothers in the following year with Byron Slack on drums, but entered a hiatus thereafter.

Holliston continued to perform with The Showbusiness Giants and release solo albums, while John Wright began working as musical director for the all-robot rock band Compressorhead.  In 2015, Nomeansno was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame.  They played an acoustic set at the awards ceremony, and a Ramones cover set (with Slack on drums) on New Year's Eve, which became their final public appearances.  Holliston announced his departure from the band in August 2016.  On September 24, John Wright announced the band's official retirement.

In 2021, Wrong was named the public vote winner of the Polaris Heritage Prize at the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.

Band members
Rob Wright – bass, vocals, guitar (1979–2016)
John Wright – drums, vocals, keyboards (1979–2016)
Andy Kerr – guitar, vocals, bass (1983–1992)
Tom Holliston – guitar, vocals (1993–2016)
Ken Kempster – drums (1993–1997)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums
Mama (1982)
Sex Mad (1986)
Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed (1988)
Wrong (1989)
0 + 2 = 1 (1991)
Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? (1993)
The Worldhood of the World (As Such) (1995)
Dance of the Headless Bourgeoisie (1998) 
One (2000)
All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt (2006)

Collaborative albums
The Sky Is Falling and I Want My Mommy (with Jello Biafra) (1991)

Live albums
Live + Cuddly (1991)

EPs
Betrayal, Fear, Anger, Hatred (1981)
You Kill Me (1985)
The Day Everything Became Nothing (1988)
The Power of Positive Thinking (1990)
Would We Be Alive? (1996)
In the Fishtank 1 (1996)
Generic Shame (2001)
Tour EP 1 (2010)
Tour EP 2 (2010)

Singles
"Look, Here Come the Wormies / SS Social Service" (split with Mass Appeal) (1980)
"Dad/Revenge" (1987)
"Oh, Canaduh" (1991)

Compilations
The Day Everything Became Isolated and Destroyed (1988)
Sex Mad/You Kill Me (1991)
Mr. Right & Mr. Wrong: One Down & Two to Go (1994)
The People's Choice (2004)
0 + 2 = 1 ½ (2010)

Bootlegs
Live at the Paradiso Amsterdam – bootleg – VPRO Radio station recording (1988)
Live in Warsaw – bootleg cassette (1990)
Sasquatch – The Man, The Myth, The Compilation  – includes cover tracks "I Don't Care" and "Glad All Over" (1991)
Where are they now file - live compilation, includes "I Want it All" (1991)
The Infamous Scientist 45" – bootleg 7" (1993)
Leave the Seaside – live bootleg 7" (1994)

Compilation appearances
It Came from the Pit (1986)
Random Thought: A Victoria Sampler (Volumes 1 & 2) – includes, "Getting Colder", "Burn" and "Love Thang" (1986)
Oops!  Wrong Stereotype  (Alternative Tentacles compilation) (1988)
Terminal City Ricochet (soundtrack Terminal City Ricochet movie) (1990)
Clam Chowder & Ice Vs. Big Macs and Bombers (1992)
Virus 100 (a cappella version of Dead Kennedys song, "Forward to Death") (1992)
Over a Century of Vivisection and Anti-Vivisection (How Much Longer?) – Includes the 1981 Mama outtake, "No Means No" (1992)
The Making of Allied One Two Three (1995)
Basement Tapes: A KSPC Compilation of Live Recordings  – includes "I Don't Want To Go Down To The Basement" (1995)
Short Music for Short People (1999)
Sex With Nothing (2002)
Fubar: The Album (2002)
All Your Ears Can Hear (2007)

Videography
Would We Be...Live? (Live footage of Nomeansno and The Hanson Brothers, filmed in London, on DVD) (2004)
We Played At Squats (Portrait about Nomeansno and The Hanson Brothers, produced in Austria, on DVD) (2014)

See also
List of bands from Canada

References

External links

 Nomeansno discography
 

1979 establishments in British Columbia
2016 disestablishments in British Columbia
Alternative Tentacles artists
Musical groups established in 1979
Musical groups disestablished in 2016
Musical groups from Vancouver
Canadian hardcore punk groups
Canadian post-hardcore musical groups
Sibling musical groups
"Enjoy the Silence" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. Recorded in 1989, it was released as the second single from their seventh studio album, Violator (1990), on 5 February 1990. The single is Gold certificated in the US and Germany. The song won Best British Single at the 1991 Brit Awards. "Enjoy the Silence" was re-released as a single in 2004 for the Depeche Mode remix project Remixes 81–04, and was titled "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted)" or, more simply, "Enjoy the Silence 04".

Background
Songwriter Martin Gore created a ballad-like first version of the song, which the band took into the studio in 1989. At band member Alan Wilder's insistence, the song was re-worked into the up-tempo version released on the album.

Release
"Enjoy the Silence" was released as a single on 5 February 1990. It was initially released as a 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl single as well as a cassette and CD single. There are two instrumental B-sides to "Enjoy the Silence". "Sibeling" (the 12" B-side) is a soft piano-tune while "Memphisto" (the 7" B-side) is a darker, eerier track. The title of "Sibeling" refers to Finnish classical composer Jean Sibelius. According to Martin Gore, "Memphisto is the name of an imaginary film about Elvis as a Devil, that I created in my mind", and is a portmanteau of "Memphis" (where Elvis lived at Graceland) and "Mephisto".

Critical reception
Andy Healy from Albumism wrote that the song "combined much loved elements of lush synth beds, haunting melodies, and aching lyrics, which coalesced with house beats and slick guitar lines." He added, "Gahan's vocals are intimate and seductive as they draw you in, with lyrics that examine the quiet satisfaction of a relationship, those tender moments when silence fills the void and your lover is in your arms and the world ceases to exist. There was something inviting. Something powerful in those declarations. Something that you could latch on to and feel a part of." AllMusic editor Tim Di Gravina stated that it is one of Depeche Mode's "greatest songs", with a "pristine and lush yet punishing musical environment", and "lyrics of violence and darkness". Bill Coleman from Billboard called it an "engaging charmer" and a "more radio-viable effort" than the group's last hit, "Personal Jesus". He noted further that the track "blends [the] quintet's recognizable techno-pop melodies with trendy house grooves." 

David Giles from Music Week commented, "The best Depeche Mode single in years heralds a return to the classic pop approach of their early Eighties hits like Everything Counts in contrast to the electro beat obsession of recent recordings. the song itself is heavily to the fore here, and strong enough, perhaps to furnish the band with their first number one hit." A reviewer from People Magazine said the song is "enriched", "with a strong bass and percussive bottom overwhelming the band’s penchant for thin, ethereal synthesizer motifs." Stephen Gore from Sputnik Music noted the juxtaposition on Violator between "Enjoy the Silence" – where the narrator wants silence from the world as words are "like violence" – and the next song "Policy of Truth", which argues that a successful relationship can only be based on lies.

Music videos

Original versions
The Anton Corbijn-directed music video for "Enjoy the Silence" references the themes and storyline of the philosophical children's book The Little Prince from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Footage of Dave Gahan dressed as a stereotypical king wandering the hillsides of the Scottish Highlands, the coast of the Algarve in Portugal and finally the Swiss Alps with a deck chair is intercut with black-and-white footage of the band posing. Brief flashes of a single rose (which is also on the album cover of Violator) appear throughout the scenes.

When Corbijn presented the concept of the video to the band, which at the time was simply "Dave dressed up as a king, walking around with a deck chair", they initially rejected it. They changed their minds, when he explained that the idea was that the King (Dave) represented "a man with everything in the world, just looking for a quiet place to sit"; a king of no kingdom. Andy Fletcher jokes that he favoured the video because "[he] only had to do about an hour's worth of work".

The video uses a slightly different mix of the album version of the song (the most notable difference being a new and extended introduction) that has not been released in any audio format. The final long shots of the king walking through the snow are not Gahan but rather the video's producer, Richard Bell. Gahan had left the set, tired of the cold in Switzerland (recounted by Gahan in the intro to The Videos (86-98) and to the DVD of The Best of Depeche Mode Volume 1).

There are two edited versions of the Corbijn-directed video. One version begins with Andy Fletcher looking towards his right as the song begins. Shots of Dave Gahan dressed as a king singing directly to the camera are intercut with scenes of his walking through the Scottish Highlands, the coast of Portugal and the Swiss Alps. The video ends with Gahan singing the last line, "Enjoy the silence", then putting his finger in front of his lips as if to quiet the viewer. 
The second version begins with Martin Gore looking to his right as the song begins. This version omits the shots of Gahan singing directly to the camera. In this version, the only lines Gahan is shown singing are "Words are very unnecessary/They can only do harm." The video ends with Gahan sitting on a deck chair in the snow while the last line, "Enjoy the silence", is sung. There are also differences in the group shots of the band standing together between the two versions.

Fellow British rock band Coldplay collaborated with Corbijn in 2008 to make a video for their single “Viva la Vida” based on the Corbijn-Depeche Mode video. The Coldplay video features Chris Martin dressed similarly to the king that was played by Gahan in the original version, although Martin forgoes the blue deck chair for the cover of the album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, which is the famous French Revolution painting Liberty Leading the People.

Promotional video
On 2 December 1989, "Enjoy the Silence" was performed live on Peter's Pop Show in Germany.

On 19 December 1989, a promotional single for "Enjoy the Silence" was pressed.

In 1990, a promotional video for "Enjoy the Silence" was shot by French TV (for the TV Show "Champs-Élysées" with Michel Drucker) featuring Depeche Mode lip-synching the song while standing on the observation deck atop the South Tower of the original World Trade Center.

Impact and legacy
Pitchfork Media ranked "Enjoy the Silence" number 15 in their list of Top 200 Tracks of the 90s. Rolling Stone included it in their list of 500 Best Songs of All Time in 2021.

Track listing

7": Cassette: Mute / Bong18, CBong18 (UK)
 "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15
 "Memphisto" – 4:02

12": Mute / 12Bong18 (UK)
 "Enjoy the Silence (7“ Version)" – 4:15
 "Enjoy the Silence (Hands and Feet Mix/12“ Version)" – 7:18
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ecstatic Dub)" – 5:54
 "Sibeling" – 3:14

12": Mute / L12Bong18 (UK)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Bass Line)" – 7:40
 "Enjoy the Silence (Harmonium)" – 2:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ricki Tik Tik Mix)" – 5:27
 "Memphisto" – 4:05

12": Mute / XL12Bong18 (UK)
 "Enjoy the Silence (The Quad: Final Mix)" – 15:30

CD: Mute / CDBong18 (UK)
 "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:16
 "Enjoy the Silence (Hands and Feet Mix 3" Edit)" – 6:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ecstatic Dub Edit)" – 5:45
 "Sibeling" – 3:15
 released as 3" CD, rereleases as 5" CD

CD: Mute / LCDBong18 (UK)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Bass Line)" – 7:40
 "Enjoy the Silence (Harmonium)" – 2:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ricki Tik Tik Mix)" – 5:27
 "Memphisto" – 4:05
 released as 3" CD

CD: Mute / XLCDBong18 (UK)
 "Enjoy the Silence (The Quad: Final Mix)" – 15:27

Promo CD: Sire/Reprise / PRO-CD-3976 (US)
 "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:18
 "Enjoy the Silence (Hands and Feet Mix)" – 7:20
 "Enjoy the Silence (Bass Line)" – 7:40

CD: Mute / CDBong18X (EU)
 "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15
 "Memphisto" – 4:02
 "Enjoy the Silence (Hands and Feet Mix 3" Edit)" – 6:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ecstatic Dub Edit)" – 5:45
 "Sibeling" – 3:15
 "Enjoy the Silence (Bass Line)" – 7:42
 "Enjoy the Silence (Harmonium)" – 2:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ricki Tik Tik Mix [Promo Version])" – 5:59
 "Enjoy the Silence (The Quad: Final Mix)" – 15:30
 This CD is the 2004 box set re-release

Promo 12": Mute / P12Bong18 (UK)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Bass Line)" – 7:40
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ricki Tik Tik Mix [Promo Version])" – 6:41
 "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15

Promo CD: Mute / CDBong18R (UK)
 "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15
 "Memphisto" – 4:02

12"/Cassette: Sire/Reprise / 0-21490 / 4-21490 (US)
 "Enjoy the Silence (The Quad: Final Mix)" – 15:27
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ecstatic Dub)" – 5:54
 "Enjoy the Silence (Bass Line)" – 7:40
 "Enjoy the Silence (Hands and Feet Mix)" – 7:20
 "Memphisto" – 4:05

CD: Sire/Reprise / 21490-2 (US)
 "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:15
 "Enjoy the Silence (Hands and Feet Mix)" – 7:18
 "Sibeling" – 3:15
 "Enjoy the Silence (Bass Line)" – 7:40
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ecstatic Dub)" – 5:54
 "Memphisto" – 4:02
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ricki Tik Tik Mix)" – 5:27
 "Enjoy the Silence (Harmonium)" – 2:41

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Sales and certifications

"Enjoy the Silence 04"

"Enjoy the Silence" was re-released as a single on 18 October 2004 for the remix project Remixes 81–04 and was entitled "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted)", or "Enjoy the Silence 04". The "Reinterpreted" version was remixed by Mike Shinoda, the rapper and producer for the American band Linkin Park, who played most of the instruments.

Track listings

CD: Mute / CDBong34 (EU)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted)" – 3:32
 "Halo (Goldfrapp Remix)" – 4:22

CD: Mute / LCDBong34 (EU)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Timo Maas Extended Remix)" – 8:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Remix [Radio Edit])" – 3:33
 "Something to Do (Black Strobe Remix)" – 7:11

CD: Mute / XLCDBong34 (EU)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Richard X Extended Mix)" – 8:22
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Extended Remix)" – 8:39
 "World in My Eyes (Cicada Remix)" – 6:18
 "Mercy in You (The BRAT Mix)" – 7:03

12": Mute / 12Bong34 (EU)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Timo Maas Extended Remix)" – 8:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Extended Remix)" – 8:39

12": Mute / L12Bong34 (EU)
 "Something to Do (Black Strobe Remix)" – 7:11
 "World in My Eyes (Cicada Remix)" – 6:18
 "Photographic (Rex the Dog Dubb Mix)" – 6:20

12": Mute / XL12Bong34 (EU)
 "Halo (Goldfrapp Remix)" – 4:22
 "Clean (Colder Version)" – 7:09
 "Little 15 (Ulrich Schnauss Remix)" – 4:52

Promo 2x12": Mute / P12Bong34 (EU)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Timo Maas Extended Remix)" – 8:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Extended Remix)" – 8:39
 "Enjoy the Silence (Richard X Extended Mix)" - 8:22
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Extended Instrumental)" - 8:35

Promo 12": Mute / PL12Bong34 (EU)
 "Something to Do (Black Strobe Remix)" – 7:11
 "World in My Eyes (Cicada Remix)" – 6:18
 "Photographic (Rex the Dog Dubb Mix)" – 6:20

Promo 12": Mute / PXL12Bong34 (EU)
 "Halo (Goldfrapp Remix)" – 4:22
 "Clean (Colder Version)" – 7:09
 "Little 15 (Ulrich Schnauss Remix)" – 4:52

Radio Promo CD: Mute / RCDBong34 (EU)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted By Mike Shinoda)" – 3:32
 "Enjoy the Silence (Richard X Mix)" – 3:30
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Remix (Radio Edit))" – 3:33

12": Reprise / 42757-0 (US)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Timo Maas Extended Remix)" – 8:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Extended Remix)" – 8:39
 "Enjoy the Silence (Richard X Extended Mix)" – 8:22
 "World in My Eyes (Cicada Remix)" – 6:18

CD: Reprise / 42757-2 (US)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted)" – 3:32
 "Enjoy the Silence (Timo Maas Extended Remix)" – 8:41
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Extended Remix)" – 8:39
 "Enjoy the Silence (Richard X Extended Mix)" – 8:22
 "World in My Eyes (Cicada Remix)" – 6:18
 "Something to Do (Black Strobe Remix)" – 7:11

Promo 12": Reprise / PRO-A-101419A (US)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted)" – 3:32
 "Nothing (Headcleanr Rock Mix)" – 3:30
 "Halo (Goldfrapp Remix)" – 4:22

Promo 2x12": Reprise / PRO-A-101430 (US)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted)" – 3:32
 "Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Extended Remix)" – 8:39
 "Enjoy the Silence (Richard X Extended Mix)" – 8:22
 "Enjoy the Silence (Timo Maas Extended Remix)" – 8:41
 "World in My Eyes (Cicada Remix)" – 6:18
 "Something to Do (Black Strobe Remix)" – 7:11

Promo CD: Reprise / PRO-CDR-101419 (US)
 "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted)" – 3:33
 "Nothing (Headcleanr Rock Mix)" – 3:31
 "Halo (Goldfrapp Remix)" – 4:22

Personnel
 Dave Gahan - lead vocals
 Mike Shinoda - piano, guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, synthesizers
 Martin Gore - guitars, backing vocals
 Rob Bourdon - drums

Music video
Mike Shinoda's "Enjoy the Silence 04" was a distortion guitar-driven version of the song, in which he imprinted Linkin Park's distinctive nu metal sound. Its animated music video was directed by Uwe Flade. Monitors in the animation show performances of "Enjoy the Silence" excerpted from Devotional and One Night in Paris, as well as footage from a concert from The Singles Tour filmed in Cologne in 1998 for MTV.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Notable cover versions

Tori Amos version 
Tori Amos covered the song for her 2001 concept album Strange Little Girls. Stereogum listed Tori's version as one of the 8 most memorable Depeche Mode covers.

Lacuna Coil version

"Enjoy the Silence" is the second single by Lacuna Coil from their album Karmacode. It made the New York Posts Top 100 Cover Songs list.

Music video
There is a UK version of the video and an international one. Both videos, shot with "Closer" music video on 12 March 2006, came out in June 2006, include the band performing in a dark room, but aside from that the UK version shows live clips of the London Forum show, while the international one shows scenes of a city (Portland, Oregon), the countryside, and a bay.

Charts

Track listings
There are three "volumes" of the single.
Volume I
 "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:08
 "The Edge" (live) – 3:28
 "Fragile" (live) – 4:40
 "Video Interview" (enhanced video)

Volume II
 "Enjoy the Silence"
 "To the Edge" (live)
 "Fragile" (live)
 "Tight Rope" (live)

Volume III (picture disc)
 "Enjoy the Silence"
 "Silence"

Digital single
 "Enjoy the Silence" – 4:06
 "Virtual Environment" – 5:23
 "To the Edge" (live) – 3:28
 "Fragile" (live) – 4:40
 "Tight Rope" (live) – 4:54
 "Enjoy the Silence" (live) – 4:22

Other cover versions
The only other version to be a hit single in the UK was by Mike Koglin. Slightly re-titled as "The Silence", it reached number 20 in 1998.

See also
List of European number-one airplay songs of the 1990s

References

External links
 Single information from the official Depeche Mode web site
 Allmusic review 
 Enjoy the Silence arranged by Eric Whitacre for SATB
 Single information from the official Depeche Mode web site

1989 songs
1990 singles
Brit Award for British Single
Depeche Mode songs
Songs written by Martin Gore
Song recordings produced by Flood (producer)
Music videos directed by Anton Corbijn
Mute Records singles
Number-one singles in Spain
Number-one singles in Denmark
2004 singles
Songs written by Mike Shinoda
2006 singles
Lacuna Coil songs
UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles Enjoy the Ride may refer to:

 Enjoy the Ride (Marie Serneholt album) (2006), by Swedish pop singer Marie Serneholt
 Enjoy the Ride (Marshall Dyllon album) (2001), by country music boy band Marshall Dyllon
 Enjoy the Ride (Sugarland album) (2006), by country duo Sugarland
 "Enjoy the Ride", by Morcheeba, 2008
 "Enjoy the Ride" (Krewella song)
 "Enjoy the Ride", a season 4 episode of the TV series Everwood
 "Enjoy the Ride" (Hollyoaks), storyline from the British soap opera Hollyoaks