*This video was sponsored by Skillshare: The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/masakox10201 An in-depth and detailed song analysis of "Stripped" by Depeche Mode with detailed explanations of the song structure, the keyboard parts, piano improvisations and more.
I am gonna try it, it sounds great! Everyone always want a place where we can learn and even get better at something we already know, thank you vaughn!
@Vaughn Despite the fact that this really is one of my top 5 favourite songs, if you were to introduce Depeche Mode to someone you know, who might never have listened to DM, which song would you choose?
@@atouchofevil8079 tough choice but I’d probably play them “Enjoy the Silence” because it’s very DM and also very listenable for most people too!! VG 😎🎹👍
I was 16 years old when I stood on the chairs at the Rose Bowl that June of 88’. I was there with my then high school sweetheart. It was our first concert together. Martin’s riff brought tears to her gorgeous green eyes and the song will forever remind me of young love. As I sat in the stands just two weeks ago and watched a now 62 year old Dave sing Stripped in Los Angeles, it brings me back to a bygone era. Something I will never, ever forget…
@@olfreal no. We broke up less than a year later. But you never forget your first love. My parents still live in the same house and when I go back to visit, it brings back memories.
You can hear the depth, dark, raw emotions of a tormented soul not reaching the level of intimacy he is longing for. That is just my personal take on this song, I just love it.
Agreed, to me is not a purely sexual song, it reminds me of being in a relationship where the other person isnt interested in opening up or developing the relationship futher, it can drive you crazy.
"Let me hear you make decisions - without your television (cell phone these days)" - one of the most powerful lines I've ever heard. The emotion in it/behind it brings tears to this old man's eyes almost every time. I never thought of this song as a sexual one at all. It never even crossed my mind when I was younger, Rammstein's version made it sexual by dropping "to the bone" in their version. It's always been about naked emotion and wanting nothing but the purest form of closeness. My take anyway.
Stripping down Stripped ! I must have listened to this song a gazillion times and 40+ versions but hats off to Vaughn for the fresh coat of paint and fun analysis. Bravo! Looking forward to each and everyone of these and will be here when you tackle all the B-sides like Flexible in 3 years from now.
just found your channel, bingewatching it, for a few days now. Glad to see there are other people that love DM so much and are such a fan of Alan Wilder. Recently I got back into playing synthesizer ( I am active in a band as a bass player and starting to explore a taurus style of playing bass synth and synth pads with my feet to support the band).
Stripped is my favourite song from my favourite band since I listened to it for the first time in my mum’s car, when I was fifteen . I just can’t move ...and my mind flies Thank you for your devoted videos
I discovered Depeche when I bought the Singles 86-98. Stripped is the first song there. The song is like a divide. If you dont like it you can skip the rest of the songs on the album actually. If you dont like that song your most likely not gonna like Depeche Mode at all. Its a masterpiece. Depeche Mode at their best.
It's really amazing how much effort, heart and soul were put into each note! That's why this song is on everyone's favorite list and why 101 version is universally considered the best! Even if the majority of people cannot really understand and explain the structure of the song the way Vaughn does (he's a pro after all), they can certainly feel the beauty of it! You can never cheat the audience, it always feels everything even if it cannot explain it...
@@VaughnGeorge Thank you!!! By the way, Vaughn, you mentioned you're not a huge fan of how it's being played live nowadays, and I totally agree. The last live DM show I've been to was in 2017 in Moscow. Stripped went right after Everything Counts in the setlist. As much as I love live drums (I play some drums myself) and I really appreciate Christian Eigner's work, I really felt live drums were absolutely out of place there. There were perfectly fine in Everything Counts, it gave a song a kind of new feel, a lot of beat that really suits it, but in Stripped they are really unnecessary. This song is much more about its melodic than rhythmic part in my mind...
@@andreymalov9602 но ведь именно Ал начал играть её с барабанами на Экзотик туре! Интересно, его партии были распределены между оставшимися за клавишами коллегами, или были записаны на плёнку?
I am so grateful to you Vaughn. This song is also my favorite DM songs. Big thank for all you are doing on your wonderfull channel for those who loves DM and keyboards.
Astonishing piano playing! I always had some love-hate relationship with acoustic versions of DM songs, but your acoustic version of Stripped is simply beautiful, Vaughn
Fantastic stripping down of Stripped. Very insightful and i loved your piano improvisation at the end. Stripped is probably in my top 3 songs of all time. The chords and melodies are just so beautiful, not to mention the lyrcis. The chord transition from the verse to chorus is probably one of the best ever. In fact the reason, I came across your video is because I am making a reimagined version of this song, mainly on the guitar but im definitely going to add piano and strings...
"Stripped" is and always will be my favorite song of all time! Your piano versions are delicious. Thank you, Vaughn! Now, I'll go listen to the Highland Mix (again). 💜🙌
‘Let me hear you make decisions without your television’ What an amazing line. Seems amazingly relevant in the current climate. Stripped is a personal fave of mine. Great video as always. Love it when you break it all down. Stay safe.
Indeed - on the Spirit tour Dave has modernised his hand gestures so instead of drawing a square representing a TV, he holds something like a phone or tablet
Thanks Vaughn for this beautiful and very extensive review of this masterpiece. Excellent analysis as always, intimate, full of passion and details. Stripped reminds me of when I used to listen to the radio with the cassette deck ready (I was still 16 at the time). Then I recorded the Depeche Mode single and I literally destroyed both the cassette and the tape recorder. Then I bought the album, also on cassette (shortly after I switched to vinyl, of course), and listened to it twice a day for a whole year. To date the album I love the most. Stripped is definitely in the top 5, if not my absolute favorite. The sound of strings is iconic and the Highland Mix is possibly the most beautiful remix ever of all the DM tracks
I really enjoyed this🥰. Stripped is definitely on my top 5, if not actually THE number 1🤩. Love the 101 version, and can look at it on repeat. Sadly the live versions nowadays Will never top that. Stripped has, as many DM songs, that haunting, melancolic, bombastic, melodic and beautiful sound. Really appriciated that you stripped (😉) down the different parts and Who is Playing what in the song. There is something about Stripped that is hard to explain and put in words. That iconic melody (Martins part) is givivg me goosebumps every time. Loved your raw piano version and could listen for hours. Great job as always VG🖤
Such a beautiful song, based on a beautiful melody.I like the Highland mix very much too, the way it starts is so triumphal. I think is the most iconic songs from DM. Thanks for this analysis.
It is definitively one of my favorite track of Depeche ever. Well done, Vaughn! Can remember the smell (!) of my first 7-inch of Depeche. And the 12-inch Highland Mix is one of my favorites at all!
I've always felt that in Stripped..there's some "east asian" taste on the sounds and maybe the "childlike"-feeling of the melody goes hand in hand with that.
I initially hated Stripped. Don't even remember how or why. But a few months later I heard Breathing In Fumes and I loved that and realized it was basically Stripped. So I started listening to Stripped again and...it's definitely in my Top 5. It and Fly On The Windscreen, Top 5 also, are the best tracks on BC. Keep at it VG well done. Someone mentioned a Japanese vibe to the song and I agree, I ve always felt that and wondered if others had too.
As per usual. What an incredible breakdown/song analysis for what is in my mind and absolute classic song. Vaughn. The more intense you are the better you are doing these breakdowns. :)
First heard this song on the "Say Anything" soundtrack in 1995ish. I had bought the soundtrack for the Peter Gabriel song "In Your Eyes" however "Stripped" the live 101 version once found eclipsed the Gabriel song as the reason to have that soundtrack. I already liked DM but would no become a devotee until 1999 but that's another story.
the programming and the work on the rhythm and the drums and also incredible moreover recently I discovered the Backing Tapes of Stripped on the SOFAD Tour: And it's just incredible because we discover new sounds and super worked and very progressive with incredible effects it's funny this song it's been 35 years since I discovered it and it opened me to become a fan of the group and it still intrigues me as much and I still discover new things thank you again for the share Vaughan 😎👍
Love your breakdowns on these! Very talented and cool to see you play through them. 👍 Though DM, kinda lost me after Ultra... The top ten of my list always hits home.
Very nice deconstruction. I didn't know what line exactly was played by who. It was very interesting to watch this video and find out something new. Thanks Vaughn.
Please release an album of DM music on piano. It's always my favorite part of your videos, I love listing to them in the background in my office. Thank you for the great content.
Just starting to watch this and my expectations are very high because I think that "Stripped" is one of the MOST BESTIST DM track ever!! Can´t wait to see how this goes!!
Vaughn, your piano parts are playing around in my head still 20 minutes after listening to the video. I suggest you post a video of you playing Stripped on the piano entirely, just like you did with Agent Orange. It would be beautiful to hear. Excellent video by the way. Good job, man. Cheers!
The switch from the Staccato to the longer held notes live was the starkest change to the song live. It's amazing how many people who don't notice. I thought it was only my autistic ear that picked up this shit. I'm going to watch more because I absolutely went overboard as a kid analyzing every song. The Highland mix is mental and so good. I think I'm going to join the patron because I need someone to geek out with.
Yes, Stripped is one of my top5 DM songs. Hell, it light be top3 on my list, that's how much I love this song. It's a masterpiece. It's a shame no one write these kind of songs anymore...
Thank you so much for posting this video . I am always searching for videos on how to play these songs and what keyboards they used including presets and samples stripped is amazing song for me and deprche mode is reason I love all kinds of synths and why I started collecting them do I can one day play and pretend to be Alan wilder
One of my favorite songs EVAH! BTW, all the notes in the A-G-F-C-A... riff are modulating in pitch (bending) but you can hear it better with the lower D because samples are slowed down and stretched out with lower frequencies.
That's how I hear it, too, David Davidson. But generally, you're absolutely right, Vaughn: Alan put an amazing effort into configuring DMs live keyboard patches.
This is absolutely correct. Having looked at the actual mapping of the bank, they're all exactly the same, it all comes down to the slower speed of the lower pitches making it easier to hear
I heard this song for the first time in 94 on the say anything soundtrack (bought it for Gabriel's in your eyes) which lead me to buy black celebration which blew me away making me a devotee leading to wanting to get my hands on every piece if their music.
Vaughn G. Eunson I was straight on it - thanks so much for this. Really appreciate it, loved your breakdown of the song - exploring all those iconic sounds! I absolutely love Stripped - it's in danger of knocking NLMDA off my No1 spot... The atmosphere it creates is just...well... Something else isn't it? Enjoyed you going through the parts Fletch, Martin & Alan played... And the lovely piano version. Proper geeked out to all of it Brilliant analysis man, every Depeche Mode fan needs to watch it Mode On Brother 😎 🎹 👍
Not in my top 5 but definitely in my top 10. Black Celebration is my favorite album and to me...it is their most complete album to date. It weaves a musical story. I think Violator does that, and SoFad does that...but Black Celebration does it the best. Plus the atmosphere on that album is unmatched. Sort of weird Neo-Future Apocalyptic Distopian thing. It's awesome and I never tire of listening to it. It's perfect.
Hi Vaughn, yes, you are right, a fan fave and on my top 5, I am glad DM like it so much as well, that they have not stopped playing it live on any tour since Black Celebration!!!!
Sweet analysis of Stripped - this song is in my top 3. In honor of Gareth Jones' contribution to Depeche's sound, I recommend a Geek Talk with Gareth on sampling. Maybe you guys can even go on a field trip with a recorder and capture some sounds for us to mangle.
I believe this song d3serves a real in debth series...the majic in those keystrokes is like katnip for all depeche Mode Fans...in the ether of the efforts of a single keystroke the time they spent would make for addictive you tube content, much like your album breakdowns..if we ever get a Wilder interview, this song and or any other song he may recall the production of these sounds would be the things that could make our year...or at least mine. I know id appreciate and buy a documentary of what these bands did before digital age to create, store, and recall these sounds. People dont realise today...that even with the top of the line emulator...in one concert those keyboardist were shuffeling floppy disks some times three a song and went thru over a hundred different floppys....all being loaded in the time it takes for a modern comouter to boot up. I recall Alan recalling they often had loads of emulators and emax backstage as some would flake out, and the show must go one...and it took time to reboot a new synth mid song and the other bandmembers would drag out notes and or do solos while the grips were ripping the old synth off stage and the new one was being adjusted and set then load3d with the correct disk... They had 16kbs disks to hold music...we simply didnt have the capacity we take for granted on a simple sim card for a phone...some in 3 terabyte size..
Concerning the chugging sound that runs through the song... I can tell you what it is, Vaughn. It's an Emulator I patch...I can't remember just now what it's called but it's a factory E-Mu disk. There's a free Emulator I VST for PC and Mac by Digital Systemic Emulations which contains it...and other classics! Fantastic video by the way - Stripped is definitely one of DM's finest songs.
@@VaughnGeorge No worries! It's the least I can do after all the enjoyment I've had out of your videos. Fellow musician here, and it's a joy to interact with others like you and other subscribers, not forgetting our shared love of the Mode! 👍
Actually - concerning the Emulator I - the plugin I recommended seems to be missing just ONE sound, a preset called Cello I think. Depeche used it on The Landscape Is Changing. Paul Young's first album has it all over too. Since I really like that sound I'd love it, and I think I can recreate it. Muso Tech Alert.... I have a free Mellotron plugin that seems to contain that sound's origin on a C note - by sheer chance I loaded it, hit the key and it sounded identical, so I'm going to sample that, loop it and it should do the business! Construction Time Again! Sorry for the crappy humour! ;-)
I have that sound in the UVI Emulation One plugin and it's called "Motor Cycle 1". It's funny to listen to it on different keys cause the sound we hear on "Stripped" is pitched down. So if you play the sound an octave and a half upper, you clearly recognize the onIdle sound of a motorbike.
An interesting thing I've noticed is that when they first played stripped live on the Black Celebration tour, Martin's sound was not sustained like the album version and it sounds very different, but that was the original version. They still played it really well back then of course!
My top ten Depeche mode song and the track on Black Celebration that made me a devotee. Dark,Industrial synthwave. Alan Wilder's lead part are quite integral with powerful drum that has manufacture steel pound.
Such a great analysis V.. Stripped makes you go nuts, everytime you hear it. I' ve always wondered what Gahan says in 101 version, when the string part goes in and he sits down in front of the fan..He touches his hair and mumbles something...what could that be..Then he gets up almost crying and waves to the crowd.. Oh how I wish I could feel that paroxysm just for a second..
George, I've wondered the same thing, I imagine he says something like "this is just to much" . To have that many people under your spell must be a amazing feeling. he does well to keep it together.
If it's the part I'm thinking of (can't watch it at the moment), I maybe wrong but it's always seemed to me like he might be exclaiming "bastard!", like he can't believe what's going on
Most of the Sample presets you demonstrate are from the live banks, not the source sounds used in the studio. I'm under the impression when they put the live show together, they made samples from the synths and sounds on the original 24 track master tapes. What I mean is a lot of the "synth" sounds on the albums were originally created, sequenced, and tracked to tape with synthesizers, not these samples, then sampled later for the live show (instead of needing to take a ton of synths on tour). Obviously this doesn't include sounds like metal hits, and found sounds and things that were originally samples.
Hey Vaughn, props to your DM videos! Would be cool if you could do a video about some of the gear DM used on every album. Unfortunately there’s not much info regarding that. I know they’re not the kind of group that only uses drummer X on this album etc. But it would still be cool to know for example what kind of drum machine or drum sample was used for the kick in ‘behind the wheel’ etc. It would also be beneficial for historical uses to gather this knowledge and extract all you/the internet knows in a video or even just an article. Thanks!!
It’s one of their best songs, to me Stripped is a better song than Enjoy The Silence because it emotionally resonates with me more. Enjoy The Silence is a good song, but the problem is, it’s so upbeat it over shadows the emotional essence of the song.
Fletch is a glorified banker. He contributed nothing to the band. Not. A. Fucking. Thing. Alan Wilder is Depeche Mode's sound. I cannot imagine that Black Celebration would have ever been made if the original line up stayed the same. Everything changed when Alan showed up. He was a gift for Gods and that's how we got albums like BC to go back to. Stripped was the track that held the B side to the casette together (Stripped was the second track on the B side) and it's just so fucking good. When you hear that opening and the engine idle, you know the shit is going to hit. And it does. This is one track they can't screw up live ( meaning it better not get screwed up ) The missing bend on the final note is obvious! I'm glad someone else hears the bend. This is the track I have watched evolve over every tour. This song still has the effect of making you not know if you want to fight or fuck, or do both at the same time. My CD of Black Celebration is coming today and I can't wait to hear it on CD for the first time in close to 20 years. I'm sure my brain is going to stroke out.
Wonderful Vaughn! 👏👏👏 Yes, the motorcycle idling sound is a Emu Emulator I preset. Factory library. Once I get the files converted to audio, I’ll send you the patch WAV!
This, Halo and NLMDA are my top 3 DM tunes. The vibe and groove of this track just grab you and don't let go. To this day I still get goosebumps hearing it. Of course, the newer live versions leave me cold with the OTT drumming that wreck the groove of the track the idling sample and pitched down hi-hats give the track. Regarding the "doubled" part that both Alan and Martin play - I think that Martin plays the part during the second verse when Alan plays the other part on the woodblock/marimba sound (the closest "conventional" sound I can think of), as it does carry on underneath. This might explain why Martin's part is quieter in the mix as well. I think that the bend in the sample is in all of the notes - remember these samples are sped up or slowed down to get the pitches in the scale, so it may be that the bend on the low D of that riff is still in the higher note as it would just be sped up to make the appropriate pitch. If you were to take the higher pitched sample and slow it down, I suspect the bend would appear in the note. Unfortunately, I don't have the banks to confirm it :( The samples would be the shortest possible they could get away with as memory in samplers back then was scarce and expensive.
I'm a little behind the music, but I want to compliment you for this video. I always felt there was something missing in the after AW concerts, but I now know what it is/was 🙏🙏🙏
To my knowledge the sustained Martin string part was first used in 101 where they START the song with this iconic part as opposed to ending with it. The "staccato" version was used before doing this however. Case in point Stripped - Live - Birmingham N.E.C (Spotify) Stripped is indeed a top5 song. I was 16 when Black Celebration came out. I thought the way the songs were arranged to flow into one another was genius. all of them. Genius album. Gotta be in the top 4 as an album along with Music for the Masses, Violator and SOFD. Back to 101. It was a little disconcerting seeing Dave in full-on whites and Martin with a white Panama hat after knowing them since '81 in black leather mostly. I just watched 101 Stripped again and it's epic. Especially the hitting of the overhead panels for the metal pipe sounds.
This was the first Depeche song I ever heard. My aunt gave me the Singles 86-98 compilation when it came out and it was track 1 side 1. I fell in love with DM at age 14 and have had a love affair with them, with ups and downs, ever since.
Brilliant video. So, when Alan switched to live drums on "Stripped" half-way through the 1993-94 Devotional/Exotic Tour what happened to his keyboard parts? Did he allocate some to Martin and Fletch/Daryl or did he completely reprogram the track?
I got in to DM at 15, right before 101 came out. I got Music for the Masses and absolutely loved it! Rushed out to get 101 on double vinyl the day it came out and it changed my life! So good! And the 101 version of this song is just brilliant! So many hooks and layers of pure gold! They would make 5 songs just from the hooks on Stripped these days🙄
Another great video, brilliant insight into one of the DM classics, thanks. Top DG/MG vocals, with a powerful, primal, filmic lyric. The drums remind me of the tears for fears Shout type-(Bascombe engineer) Sounds epic on the piano, thanks for the lesson. (a bit more of the piano in the camera framing would be good, hands were obscured at points)
*This video was sponsored by Skillshare: The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/masakox10201
An in-depth and detailed song analysis of "Stripped" by Depeche Mode with detailed explanations of the song structure, the keyboard parts, piano improvisations and more.
Imagine making a Depeche Mode tribute album only acapella, doing all the sounds with your mouth. That would be great!
I am gonna try it, it sounds great! Everyone always want a place where we can learn and even get better at something we already know, thank you vaughn!
@@miqueasvalentinhernandez3998 well Vaughn has got the Boom da Bah Bah right, so the rest is up to you.. :)
@Vaughn Despite the fact that this really is one of my top 5 favourite songs, if you were to introduce Depeche Mode to someone you know, who might never have listened to DM, which song would you choose?
@@atouchofevil8079 tough choice but I’d probably play them “Enjoy the Silence” because it’s very DM and also very listenable for most people too!! VG 😎🎹👍
I was 16 years old when I stood on the chairs at the Rose Bowl that June of 88’. I was there with my then high school sweetheart. It was our first concert together. Martin’s riff brought tears to her gorgeous green eyes and the song will forever remind me of young love. As I sat in the stands just two weeks ago and watched a now 62 year old Dave sing Stripped in Los Angeles, it brings me back to a bygone era. Something I will never, ever forget…
Are you still together with her?
@@olfreal no. We broke up less than a year later. But you never forget your first love. My parents still live in the same house and when I go back to visit, it brings back memories.
Getting me chills thinking about what that concert must have been like...
You can hear the depth, dark, raw emotions of a tormented soul not reaching the level of intimacy he is longing for. That is just my personal take on this song, I just love it.
Agreed, to me is not a purely sexual song, it reminds me of being in a relationship where the other person isnt interested in opening up or developing the relationship futher, it can drive you crazy.
@@ricochetsixtytenit almost seems like a love song to politicians
"Let me hear you make decisions - without your television (cell phone these days)" - one of the most powerful lines I've ever heard. The emotion in it/behind it brings tears to this old man's eyes almost every time. I never thought of this song as a sexual one at all. It never even crossed my mind when I was younger, Rammstein's version made it sexual by dropping "to the bone" in their version. It's always been about naked emotion and wanting nothing but the purest form of closeness. My take anyway.
Dave's vocals on this...brilliant
Indeed!! VG :-)
Stripping down Stripped ! I must have listened to this song a gazillion times and 40+ versions but hats off to Vaughn for the fresh coat of paint and fun analysis. Bravo! Looking forward to each and everyone of these and will be here when you tackle all the B-sides like Flexible in 3 years from now.
Cheers Eric !! I am glad you enjoyed this !! VG :-)
just found your channel, bingewatching it, for a few days now. Glad to see there are other people that love DM so much and are such a fan of Alan Wilder. Recently I got back into playing synthesizer ( I am active in a band as a bass player and starting to explore a taurus style of playing bass synth and synth pads with my feet to support the band).
Bless you Jan!! glad you found me!! Welcome onboard my friend!! VG :-)
When you took part of a concert, the first notes were hypnotics and you filled like a cord that vibrates through all of your body. Unforgettable.
This is a 5-star analysis for my top 1 DM song!!! I'd love to hear the full classic version on piano.
Hats off!!
Stripped is my favourite song from my favourite band since I listened to it for the first time in my mum’s car, when I was fifteen . I just can’t move ...and my mind flies
Thank you for your devoted videos
I discovered Depeche when I bought the Singles 86-98.
Stripped is the first song there.
The song is like a divide. If you dont like it you can skip the rest of the songs on the album actually. If you dont like that song your most likely not gonna like Depeche Mode at all.
Its a masterpiece. Depeche Mode at their best.
For sure!! VG :-)
You said the same thing twice😆
It's really amazing how much effort, heart and soul were put into each note! That's why this song is on everyone's favorite list and why 101 version is universally considered the best! Even if the majority of people cannot really understand and explain the structure of the song the way Vaughn does (he's a pro after all), they can certainly feel the beauty of it! You can never cheat the audience, it always feels everything even if it cannot explain it...
Bless you Andrey !! Thank you for your kind words!! VG :-)
@@VaughnGeorge Thank you!!! By the way, Vaughn, you mentioned you're not a huge fan of how it's being played live nowadays, and I totally agree. The last live DM show I've been to was in 2017 in Moscow. Stripped went right after Everything Counts in the setlist. As much as I love live drums (I play some drums myself) and I really appreciate Christian Eigner's work, I really felt live drums were absolutely out of place there. There were perfectly fine in Everything Counts, it gave a song a kind of new feel, a lot of beat that really suits it, but in Stripped they are really unnecessary. This song is much more about its melodic than rhythmic part in my mind...
@@andreymalov9602 но ведь именно Ал начал играть её с барабанами на Экзотик туре! Интересно, его партии были распределены между оставшимися за клавишами коллегами, или были записаны на плёнку?
I really like the whole analysis of each sound and how beautifuly the song is put together almost subconsciously.
I love how it’s starts with the chorus. That was their signature back then on many songs.
Stripped is definitely in my top 3 Depeche Mode songs of all time. The groove and the rhythm is so infectious.
Stripped is definitely one of my favourites but I really love welcome to my world
I can watch and watch these Vaughn - I can’t play a note, but can appreciate these vids sooooo much
@@Glynn1965 you are so welcome ! VG 🙏
I am so grateful to you Vaughn. This song is also my favorite DM songs. Big thank for all you are doing on your wonderfull channel for those who loves DM and keyboards.
Astonishing piano playing! I always had some love-hate relationship with acoustic versions of DM songs, but your acoustic version of Stripped is simply beautiful, Vaughn
Vaughn deserves way more subscribers, thats all i feel like saying, great video Vaughn!
Thank you bro !! Trying my best to grow the channel !! VG :-)
Fantastic stripping down of Stripped. Very insightful and i loved your piano improvisation at the end.
Stripped is probably in my top 3 songs of all time. The chords and melodies are just so beautiful, not to mention the lyrcis. The chord transition from the verse to chorus is probably one of the best ever.
In fact the reason, I came across your video is because I am making a reimagined version of this song, mainly on the guitar but im definitely going to add piano and strings...
"Stripped" is and always will be my favorite song of all time! Your piano versions are delicious. Thank you, Vaughn! Now, I'll go listen to the Highland Mix (again). 💜🙌
‘Let me hear you make decisions without your television’ What an amazing line. Seems amazingly relevant in the current climate. Stripped is a personal fave of mine. Great video as always. Love it when you break it all down. Stay safe.
Cheers Mark !! Thank you as always!! VG :-)
Indeed - on the Spirit tour Dave has modernised his hand gestures so instead of drawing a square representing a TV, he holds something like a phone or tablet
Thanks Vaughn for this beautiful and very extensive review of this masterpiece. Excellent analysis as always, intimate, full of passion and details.
Stripped reminds me of when I used to listen to the radio with the cassette deck ready (I was still 16 at the time). Then I recorded the Depeche Mode single and I literally destroyed both the cassette and the tape recorder. Then I bought the album, also on cassette (shortly after I switched to vinyl, of course), and listened to it twice a day for a whole year. To date the album I love the most. Stripped is definitely in the top 5, if not my absolute favorite. The sound of strings is iconic and the Highland Mix is possibly the most beautiful remix ever of all the DM tracks
I really enjoyed this🥰. Stripped is definitely on my top 5, if not actually THE number 1🤩. Love the 101 version, and can look at it on repeat. Sadly the live versions nowadays Will never top that. Stripped has, as many DM songs, that haunting, melancolic, bombastic, melodic and beautiful sound. Really appriciated that you stripped (😉) down the different parts and Who is Playing what in the song. There is something about Stripped that is hard to explain and put in words. That iconic melody (Martins part) is givivg me goosebumps every time. Loved your raw piano version and could listen for hours. Great job as always VG🖤
Thank you Kindly my friend !! I agree with your comments and feelings on the great track!! Catch you soon one the next video !! VG :-)
Waiting patiently🥰
Such a beautiful song, based on a beautiful melody.I like the Highland mix very much too, the way it starts is so triumphal. I think is the most iconic songs from DM. Thanks for this analysis.
The Highland mix is the absolute BEST!!!
Excellent. I love the piano arrangement too.
This was awesome! Stripped is second only to Shake the disease on my list. Loved the piano part so much and drifted far away inside my headphones 😊
It is definitively one of my favorite track of Depeche ever. Well done, Vaughn!
Can remember the smell (!) of my first 7-inch of Depeche. And the 12-inch Highland Mix is one of my favorites at all!
Cheers Michael !! I too love the smell of vinyl and I make no apologies for smelling vinyl every time before I play it!! Cheers bro!! VG :-)
I've always felt that in Stripped..there's some "east asian" taste on the sounds and maybe the "childlike"-feeling of the melody goes hand in hand with that.
Great video, stripping down the song to its parts. ;) the amount of time spent making these videos has not gone un-noticed and is appreciated.
Thank you my friend!! I appreciate that you notice the effort that goes into producing these videos!! VG :-)
I initially hated Stripped. Don't even remember how or why. But a few months later I heard Breathing In Fumes and I loved that and realized it was basically Stripped. So I started listening to Stripped again and...it's definitely in my Top 5. It and Fly On The Windscreen, Top 5 also, are the best tracks on BC. Keep at it VG well done.
Someone mentioned a Japanese vibe to the song and I agree, I ve always felt that and wondered if others had too.
Hi Vaughn-excellent & enjoyable to listen to-many thanks & regards Andrew!
As per usual. What an incredible breakdown/song analysis for what is in my mind and absolute classic song. Vaughn. The more intense you are the better you are doing these breakdowns. :)
Bless you brother !! Thank you !! VG :-)
First heard this song on the "Say Anything" soundtrack in 1995ish. I had bought the soundtrack for the Peter Gabriel song "In Your Eyes" however "Stripped" the live 101 version once found eclipsed the Gabriel song as the reason to have that soundtrack. I already liked DM but would no become a devotee until 1999 but that's another story.
Lovely review once again 😊 Thank you for bringing the brilliance of this song in to the light. Great job. 🙏
Thank you Ewa!! VG :-)
Brilliant! And thanks for including the Fletch Synth Bass part - I studied that intensely when I watched your "What does Fletch do?" video in 2019 🤣
Top man Vaughn, thanks again, you are magic!!
@@pinkdamson bless you my friend ! Thank you ! VG
Please continue the fan boy alert, always love hearing it when Alan is mentioned!
no hand clapping during this song, Fletch!
Hahhaha No way!! Fletch has his hands full with this one!! VG🎹👍😎
Maybe they added that short drums-only section on the live versions to give him some clap time before the rest of the song kicks in 😂
the programming and the work on the rhythm and the drums and also incredible moreover recently I discovered the Backing Tapes of Stripped on the SOFAD Tour: And it's just incredible because we discover new sounds and super worked and very progressive with incredible effects it's funny this song it's been 35 years since I discovered it and it opened me to become a fan of the group and it still intrigues me as much and I still discover new things thank you again for the share Vaughan 😎👍
Love your breakdowns on these! Very talented and cool to see you play through them. 👍
Though DM, kinda lost me after Ultra... The top ten of my list always hits home.
Glad you like them! Yep I agree, Ultra was the last great album. VG ;-)
Very nice deconstruction. I didn't know what line exactly was played by who. It was very interesting to watch this video and find out something new. Thanks Vaughn.
Cheers Ivan!! Good to hear from you as always bro!! VG :-)
Stripped is definitely top ten, likely top 5. One of the best reviews yet. Love the depth and the improv at the end was gorgeous!
Thank you Lauren !! Glad you liked it!! VG :-)
Despite all the criticism, I still get goosebumps each time they play it
Please release an album of DM music on piano. It's always my favorite part of your videos, I love listing to them in the background in my office. Thank you for the great content.
Bless you Bryan !! Thank you so much Sir!! VG :-)
🙏🏼 Thank you! I really enjoyed this one, love the song and your piano version of it
You are very welcome Juul!! VG :-)
Just starting to watch this and my expectations are very high because I think that "Stripped" is one of the MOST BESTIST DM track ever!! Can´t wait to see how this goes!!
Vaughn, your piano parts are playing around in my head still 20 minutes after listening to the video. I suggest you post a video of you playing Stripped on the piano entirely, just like you did with Agent Orange. It would be beautiful to hear. Excellent video by the way. Good job, man. Cheers!
THANK YOU my friend I am glad you liked it !! VG :-)
The switch from the Staccato to the longer held notes live was the starkest change to the song live. It's amazing how many people who don't notice. I thought it was only my autistic ear that picked up this shit. I'm going to watch more because I absolutely went overboard as a kid analyzing every song. The Highland mix is mental and so good. I think I'm going to join the patron because I need someone to geek out with.
Welcome to my team !! I also tend hear things that others don't !! VG :-)
What's special about Stripped is how it effortlessly reaches such a sincerely hymnal sublimeness 🙌🏻🖤
Correct!! VG :-)
Is that an Alan Wilder alarm? I love you.
Bless you and lots of love to you too!! VG :-)
Fan Boy Alert!
Yes, Stripped is one of my top5 DM songs. Hell, it light be top3 on my list, that's how much I love this song.
It's a masterpiece. It's a shame no one write these kind of songs anymore...
Thank you so much for posting this video . I am always searching for videos on how to play these songs and what keyboards they used including presets and samples stripped is amazing song for me and deprche mode is reason I love all kinds of synths and why I started collecting them do I can one day play and pretend to be Alan wilder
Very nice, Sir. -And my favorite song in the whole world.
Stripped was my first favourite song by DM. A song like no others.
One of my favorite songs EVAH! BTW, all the notes in the A-G-F-C-A... riff are modulating in pitch (bending) but you can hear it better with the lower D because samples are slowed down and stretched out with lower frequencies.
That's how I hear it, too, David Davidson. But generally, you're absolutely right, Vaughn: Alan put an amazing effort into configuring DMs live keyboard patches.
This is absolutely correct. Having looked at the actual mapping of the bank, they're all exactly the same, it all comes down to the slower speed of the lower pitches making it easier to hear
Beautiful playing Vaughn
Thank you Sir!! VG :-)
I heard this song for the first time in 94 on the say anything soundtrack (bought it for Gabriel's in your eyes) which lead me to buy black celebration which blew me away making me a devotee leading to wanting to get my hands on every piece if their music.
Vaughn G. Eunson I was straight on it - thanks so much for this. Really appreciate it, loved your breakdown of the song - exploring all those iconic sounds!
I absolutely love Stripped - it's in danger of knocking NLMDA off my No1 spot... The atmosphere it creates is just...well... Something else isn't it?
Enjoyed you going through the parts Fletch, Martin & Alan played... And the lovely piano version. Proper geeked out to all of it
Brilliant analysis man, every Depeche Mode fan needs to watch it
Mode On Brother 😎 🎹 👍
Definitely one of their iconic and best songs and one of the gems that the 80s brought us
Brilliant as always Vaughn.
Thank you !! VG :-)
Very cool thanks Vaughn 🙇♂️
Not in my top 5 but definitely in my top 10. Black Celebration is my favorite album and to me...it is their most complete album to date. It weaves a musical story. I think Violator does that, and SoFad does that...but Black Celebration does it the best. Plus the atmosphere on that album is unmatched. Sort of weird Neo-Future Apocalyptic Distopian thing. It's awesome and I never tire of listening to it. It's perfect.
Hi Vaughn, yes, you are right, a fan fave and on my top 5, I am glad DM like it so much as well, that they have not stopped playing it live on any tour since Black Celebration!!!!
Many thanks as always bro!! VG:-)
Sweet analysis of Stripped - this song is in my top 3. In honor of Gareth Jones' contribution to Depeche's sound, I recommend a Geek Talk with Gareth on sampling. Maybe you guys can even go on a field trip with a recorder and capture some sounds for us to mangle.
Yes, definitely top of the list. This song also reminds me of the terminator 1 intro generic sort of with the metallic sounds and beat.
Thank you Vaughn, you motivated me to power up my keyboard after a... month maybe?
I believe this song d3serves a real in debth series...the majic in those keystrokes is like katnip for all depeche Mode Fans...in the ether of the efforts of a single keystroke the time they spent would make for addictive you tube content, much like your album breakdowns..if we ever get a Wilder interview, this song and or any other song he may recall the production of these sounds would be the things that could make our year...or at least mine.
I know id appreciate and buy a documentary of what these bands did before digital age to create, store, and recall these sounds.
People dont realise today...that even with the top of the line emulator...in one concert those keyboardist were shuffeling floppy disks some times three a song and went thru over a hundred different floppys....all being loaded in the time it takes for a modern comouter to boot up. I recall Alan recalling they often had loads of emulators and emax backstage as some would flake out, and the show must go one...and it took time to reboot a new synth mid song and the other bandmembers would drag out notes and or do solos while the grips were ripping the old synth off stage and the new one was being adjusted and set then load3d with the correct disk...
They had 16kbs disks to hold music...we simply didnt have the capacity we take for granted on a simple sim card for a phone...some in 3 terabyte size..
DM, such an important part of my youth and beyond,my face DM song, thanks for the breakdown
Concerning the chugging sound that runs through the song... I can tell you what it is, Vaughn. It's an Emulator I patch...I can't remember just now what it's called but it's a factory E-Mu disk. There's a free Emulator I VST for PC and Mac by Digital Systemic Emulations which contains it...and other classics!
Fantastic video by the way - Stripped is definitely one of DM's finest songs.
Thank you for the clarification !! VG :-)
@@VaughnGeorge No worries! It's the least I can do after all the enjoyment I've had out of your videos. Fellow musician here, and it's a joy to interact with others like you and other subscribers, not forgetting our shared love of the Mode! 👍
Actually - concerning the Emulator I - the plugin I recommended seems to be missing just ONE sound, a preset called Cello I think. Depeche used it on The Landscape Is Changing. Paul Young's first album has it all over too. Since I really like that sound I'd love it, and I think I can recreate it.
Muso Tech Alert....
I have a free Mellotron plugin that seems to contain that sound's origin on a C note - by sheer chance I loaded it, hit the key and it sounded identical, so I'm going to sample that, loop it and it should do the business! Construction Time Again!
Sorry for the crappy humour! ;-)
I have that sound in the UVI Emulation One plugin and it's called "Motor Cycle 1". It's funny to listen to it on different keys cause the sound we hear on "Stripped" is pitched down. So if you play the sound an octave and a half upper, you clearly recognize the onIdle sound of a motorbike.
@@vincee4191 awesome!! Thank you for clarifying this my friend!! VG 😎🎹👍
You Are So great! Nice voice 😊
Bless you ! Thank you ! VG :-)
An interesting thing I've noticed is that when they first played stripped live on the Black Celebration tour, Martin's sound was not sustained like the album version and it sounds very different, but that was the original version. They still played it really well back then of course!
Right you are!! VG :-)
My top ten Depeche mode song and the track on Black Celebration that made me a devotee. Dark,Industrial synthwave.
Alan Wilder's lead part are quite integral with powerful drum that has manufacture steel pound.
Such a great analysis V.. Stripped makes you go nuts, everytime you hear it. I' ve always wondered what Gahan says in 101 version, when the string part goes in and he sits down in front of the fan..He touches his hair and mumbles something...what could that be..Then he gets up almost crying and waves to the crowd.. Oh how I wish I could feel that paroxysm just for a second..
George, I've wondered the same thing, I imagine he says something like "this is just to much" . To have that many people under your spell must be a amazing feeling. he does well to keep it together.
If it's the part I'm thinking of (can't watch it at the moment), I maybe wrong but it's always seemed to me like he might be exclaiming "bastard!", like he can't believe what's going on
@@energymc22 "basterd" lol or maybe "fuck me"
Most of the Sample presets you demonstrate are from the live banks, not the source sounds used in the studio. I'm under the impression when they put the live show together, they made samples from the synths and sounds on the original 24 track master tapes. What I mean is a lot of the "synth" sounds on the albums were originally created, sequenced, and tracked to tape with synthesizers, not these samples, then sampled later for the live show (instead of needing to take a ton of synths on tour). Obviously this doesn't include sounds like metal hits, and found sounds and things that were originally samples.
John hi, yes of course, you are right !! These are indeed the I've banks I am demonstrating here. VG :-)
Yay, here it is! ❤️❤️❤️ Let’s get away just for one day... Never get tired of listening to this song 🎶
Thank you Vaughn!!!!
Cheers Perta !! VG :-)
@@VaughnGeorge I love your piano interpretations. Get lost in the beautiful melodies of DMs songs. 😉
@@petras6649 once again, thank you and I am happy to have you here !! VG :-)
First i was amazed by the engine/bassline sound and the drum pattern is awesome for a band that is not rock
My favourite song
Top 5 DM song for me. Never gets old. One of their best synth sounds
Hey Vaughn, props to your DM videos! Would be cool if you could do a video about some of the gear DM used on every album. Unfortunately there’s not much info regarding that. I know they’re not the kind of group that only uses drummer X on this album etc. But it would still be cool to know for example what kind of drum machine or drum sample was used for the kick in ‘behind the wheel’ etc. It would also be beneficial for historical uses to gather this knowledge and extract all you/the internet knows in a video or even just an article. Thanks!!
It’s one of their best songs, to me Stripped is a better song than Enjoy The Silence because it emotionally resonates with me more.
Enjoy The Silence is a good song, but the problem is, it’s so upbeat it over shadows the emotional essence of the song.
Fletch is a glorified banker. He contributed nothing to the band. Not. A. Fucking. Thing. Alan Wilder is Depeche Mode's sound. I cannot imagine that Black Celebration would have ever been made if the original line up stayed the same. Everything changed when Alan showed up. He was a gift for Gods and that's how we got albums like BC to go back to. Stripped was the track that held the B side to the casette together (Stripped was the second track on the B side) and it's just so fucking good. When you hear that opening and the engine idle, you know the shit is going to hit. And it does. This is one track they can't screw up live ( meaning it better not get screwed up ) The missing bend on the final note is obvious! I'm glad someone else hears the bend. This is the track I have watched evolve over every tour. This song still has the effect of making you not know if you want to fight or fuck, or do both at the same time. My CD of Black Celebration is coming today and I can't wait to hear it on CD for the first time in close to 20 years. I'm sure my brain is going to stroke out.
Wonderful Vaughn! 👏👏👏
Yes, the motorcycle idling sound is a Emu Emulator I preset. Factory library.
Once I get the files converted to audio, I’ll send you the patch WAV!
7:47 That’s it. Vaughn is going nuts. 😳
As I do !! VG :-) :-) :-)
i mean
that's just to be expected of depeche mode followers
This, Halo and NLMDA are my top 3 DM tunes. The vibe and groove of this track just grab you and don't let go. To this day I still get goosebumps hearing it. Of course, the newer live versions leave me cold with the OTT drumming that wreck the groove of the track the idling sample and pitched down hi-hats give the track.
Regarding the "doubled" part that both Alan and Martin play - I think that Martin plays the part during the second verse when Alan plays the other part on the woodblock/marimba sound (the closest "conventional" sound I can think of), as it does carry on underneath. This might explain why Martin's part is quieter in the mix as well.
I think that the bend in the sample is in all of the notes - remember these samples are sped up or slowed down to get the pitches in the scale, so it may be that the bend on the low D of that riff is still in the higher note as it would just be sped up to make the appropriate pitch. If you were to take the higher pitched sample and slow it down, I suspect the bend would appear in the note. Unfortunately, I don't have the banks to confirm it :(
The samples would be the shortest possible they could get away with as memory in samplers back then was scarce and expensive.
I think you are absolutely right in saying that Gary !! VG :-)
Halo is one of my favourites as well.
Way to start the vid, Vaughn!
cheers Maggie!! VG :-)
Bwahahaha !!! You Had me at the intro ( Just like the AHA-video), but Vaughn - You have to ad the Off-Topic-Chicken more freqently :D
Great video, thanks!
I'm a little behind the music, but I want to compliment you for this video. I always felt there was something missing in the after AW concerts, but I now know what it is/was 🙏🙏🙏
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!! VG :-)
I can listen to you play the keyboard for hours 😍😍😍😍😍😩
Cheers and thank you Fab!! VG :-)
Yes man. It's in my all time top 5
Best song ever - than you so much for this great video ❤️
To my knowledge the sustained Martin string part was first used in 101 where they START the song with this iconic part as opposed to ending with it. The "staccato" version was used before doing this however. Case in point Stripped - Live - Birmingham N.E.C (Spotify) Stripped is indeed a top5 song. I was 16 when Black Celebration came out. I thought the way the songs were arranged to flow into one another was genius. all of them. Genius album. Gotta be in the top 4 as an album along with Music for the Masses, Violator and SOFD.
Back to 101. It was a little disconcerting seeing Dave in full-on whites and Martin with a white Panama hat after knowing them since '81 in black leather mostly. I just watched 101 Stripped again and it's epic. Especially the hitting of the overhead panels for the metal pipe sounds.
This was the first Depeche song I ever heard. My aunt gave me the Singles 86-98 compilation when it came out and it was track 1 side 1. I fell in love with DM at age 14 and have had a love affair with them, with ups and downs, ever since.
Best Depeche mode song in my opinion,always thought the sounds on this track were japanese/oriental style in a synth way.
You are right !! The scales (and some sounds) that DM used on this song and many others does indeed often have an "oriental flavour". VG :-)
@@VaughnGeorge Thanks for confirming that for me.
@@VaughnGeorge Thanks for conferming that
Brilliant video. So, when Alan switched to live drums on "Stripped" half-way through the 1993-94 Devotional/Exotic Tour what happened to his keyboard parts? Did he allocate some to Martin and Fletch/Daryl or did he completely reprogram the track?
I got in to DM at 15, right before 101 came out. I got Music for the Masses and absolutely loved it! Rushed out to get 101 on double vinyl the day it came out and it changed my life! So good! And the 101 version of this song is just brilliant! So many hooks and layers of pure gold! They would make 5 songs just from the hooks on Stripped these days🙄
Another great video, brilliant insight into one of the DM classics, thanks.
Top DG/MG vocals, with a powerful, primal, filmic lyric.
The drums remind me of the tears for fears Shout type-(Bascombe engineer)
Sounds epic on the piano, thanks for the lesson.
(a bit more of the piano in the camera framing would be good, hands were obscured at points)
Thank you David !! VG :-)
sounds are perfect