Alan Wilder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Wilder
|
|
|---|---|
Wilder performing in 2010
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alan Charles Wilder |
| Born | 1 June 1959 Hammersmith, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels |
|
Alan Charles Wilder (born 1 June 1959) is an English musician, composer, and record producer. He was a member of the famous electronic band Depeche Mode from 1982 to 1995. After leaving Depeche Mode, he focused on his own music project called Recoil. He had started Recoil as a side project in 1986.
Wilder has also helped other bands by producing their music and creating remixes of their songs. In 2020, he was recognized for his work with Depeche Mode and was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Alan Wilder is a musician who learned to play music in a classical way.
Contents
Early Years and Musical Start
Alan Charles Wilder grew up in Acton, West London. He started playing the piano when he was eight years old. His parents encouraged him to learn music. Later, he learned to play the flute at his grammar school. He became a very important musician in his school bands.
After school, Alan worked as a studio assistant. This job led him to play with different bands. Some of these bands included The Dragons, Dafne & the Tenderspots, Real to Real, and the Hitmen. He even played on a popular song called "If I Had You" by the Korgis in 1979.
Joining Depeche Mode (1982–1995)
After one of Depeche Mode's original members, Vince Clarke, left the band, they put an advertisement in a music magazine. They were looking for a keyboard player. Alan Wilder was 22, but the ad asked for someone under 21. He told them he was younger to get the job, and it worked!
He joined Depeche Mode in January 1982. At first, he only played keyboards for their live shows. But soon, he became a full member of the band. His first time helping in the studio was for the song "Get the Balance Right!" in late 1982.
Wilder wrote some songs for Depeche Mode. These included "Two Minute Warning" and "The Landscape Is Changing" from the album Construction Time Again. He also wrote "If You Want" from Some Great Reward. He helped write "Black Day" for the album Black Celebration.
But Alan Wilder's biggest contributions were as a musician, arranger, and producer. He helped shape the band's sound. He played synthesizer on many songs. He also played piano on the band's famous song "Somebody".
In a film called 101, Wilder showed how he organized different synthesizer parts. He would split them across a special keyboard to play them live. This was just one way he helped Depeche Mode. For the album Songs of Faith and Devotion, he also played live drums.
For the hit song "Enjoy the Silence", Alan Wilder changed the original idea. The band's songwriter, Martin Gore, had a slow, sad demo. Wilder turned it into a lively, danceable track. This song became one of Depeche Mode's most successful songs ever.
Leaving the Band
In June 1995, Alan Wilder announced he was leaving Depeche Mode. He said he was unhappy with how the group worked together. After he left, Robert Smith from the band the Cure asked him to join their group. But Wilder politely said no. He wasn't looking to join another band at that time.
Wilder did play with Depeche Mode again briefly. This happened at a concert in London in 2010. He played piano on the song "Somebody" during the encore.
Recoil: His Solo Project (1986–Present)
Recoil started in 1986 as an experimental music project. His first release was a short album called 1 + 2. This collection of early songs caught the attention of Mute Records boss Daniel Miller. It was released as a mini-album.
Another album, Hydrology, followed in 1988. Both were later released together on CD. For Recoil's album Bloodline in 1992, Wilder invited other singers to join him. These included Douglas McCarthy and Toni Halliday. This album also had Recoil's first two singles.
Solo Work
After leaving Depeche Mode in 1995, Wilder began working in his own studio. He created Recoil's next album, Unsound Methods (1997). Other albums followed, including Liquid (2000), SubHuman (2007), and Selected (2010). In 2012, Recoil released a concert film called A Strange Hour in Budapest.
Personal Life
In 1991, Alan Wilder married his first wife, Jeri Young. He bought a large country home in Itchingfield, England. He later built his own recording studio there. In 2024, he put the property up for sale because he wanted to move to a smaller place. In May 2024, Wilder also bought a vacation home in Norway.
Discography
Early Work Highlights
- The Korgis – "If I Had You" (1979)
- Real to Real – Tightrope Walkers (1980)
- The Hitmen – "Ouija" (1981)
With Depeche Mode
Wilder was part of all Depeche Mode's releases from "Get the Balance Right!" (1983) to "In Your Room" (1994).
Studio Albums with Alan Wilder
- Construction Time Again (1983)
- Some Great Reward (1984)
- Black Celebration (1986)
- Music for the Masses (1987)
- Violator (1990)
- Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993)
Popular Singles with Alan Wilder
- "Everything Counts"
- "People Are People"
- "Master and Servant"
- "Shake the Disease"
- "Stripped"
- "Strangelove"
- "Never Let Me Down Again"
- "Personal Jesus"
- "Enjoy the Silence"
- "Policy of Truth"
- "I Feel You"
Depeche Mode Songs Alan Wilder Helped Write
- "The Great Outdoors!" (1983 – co-written)
- "Work Hard" (1983 – co-written)
- "Two Minute Warning" (1983)
- "The Landscape Is Changing" (1983)
- "Fools" (1983)
- "In Your Memory" (1984)
- "If You Want" (1984)
- "Black Day" (1986 – co-written)
As Recoil
Alan Wilder has released several albums as Recoil, including 1 + 2, Hydrology, Bloodline, Unsound Methods, Liquid, SubHuman, and Selected.
Other Music Work
- 1991: Mixed the Nitzer Ebb song "Come Alive".
- 1991: Produced the Nitzer Ebb album Ebbhead with Flood.
- 2001: Added strings and sounds to the song "Polaroid" by Curve.
- 2012: Covered two songs for a tribute album to the band Talk Talk. He also helped produce the music for the album.
- 2016: Provided music for "Calling the Clock" by Dede.
See also
In Spanish: Alan Wilder para niños
