Depeche Mode performed a rendition of Gordon Lightfoot’s classic track Sundown as part of their BBC Radio 2 Piano Room session this week.
The duo – starring Dave Gahan and Martin Gore – delivered a three song set as part of a series of performances on the station, including a new song (Ghosts Again), classic (Walking In My Shoes) and a cover version.
All three were backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Penned and released by the Canadian folk star in 1974, the track is believed to be about his stormy relationship with then-girlfriend Cathy Smith -who was later jailed for delivering a lethal dose of heroin to John Belushi.
Speaking to host Gary Davies in between songs, the duo discussed their track Never Let Me Down Again recently appearing in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, with Dave admitting they were first approached about the idea “years ago”.
“I was actually watching the show. I was in bed with my wife. I was falling asleep and the show came on and I was watching it a bit. And then I fell asleep. And then suddenly in my dream, I could hear the beginning of Never Let Me Down and I sat up and like a boxer, hearing the bell, like going to go in and fight or something. And I heard it,” he said of the moment he saw the episode.
“And so I watched that scene and I liked it as well because the song represents that particular time in music. It represents trouble, it means trouble was coming. That was the code and I thought, ‘This is perfect for that’.”
The singer added: But, yeah. I mean, we got such a reaction from that song. We kind of went back in the charts or whatever the charts are nowadays. All different countries all over the world.”
Depeche Mode returned to the charts last month with their 15th studio album ‘Memento Mori‘, featuring Ghosts Again and their latest single My Cosmos Is Mine.