It’s Called a Heart: four sides and a rubber stamp
A double-pack experiment and a purpose-made promo reveal the machinery behind the single.
More than the record in the shop
The official archive describes this as the first Depeche Mode single with a dedicated UK promotional pressing, rather than the stickered commercial copies previously supplied to promoters. The promo twelve-inch used white labels with a rubber-stamped cover graphic. The limited UK twelve-inch was also the band’s first double pack: two records sharing a thick sleeve. [1]
Four sides to a divided mood
That double pack paired extended versions of It’s Called a Heart and Fly on the Windscreen with the Slow Mix and Death Mix. Our listening invitation is to approach the set as four separate sides, rather than a playlist running invisibly in the background. Stop between them. What sort of expectation does each mix name create, and does the recording satisfy it?
The object has a working life
A promotional copy and a shop copy can tell different stories about the same campaign. One asks for attention from a broadcaster or club; the other asks for a place in a listener’s collection. The rubber stamp makes that working life visible. It is a reminder that a release was once a new thing somebody had to place in another person’s hands.
Source and listening notes
Original MODE UNKNOWN writing. Release details follow the official archive; listening suggestions and interpretations are ours.
- Depeche Mode official archive, curated by Daniel Barassi: It’s Called a Heart, release listings and editorial notes. Checked 14 September 2026.