Like many fans of the band, I fell under Depeche Mode’s spell the moment I heard the song “Somebody.” I was so enamored with the lyrics that I typed them out and kept them hidden in my room like a love letter.

In the early 00s, file sharing service Napster was massively popular, allowing anyone to download virtually any song for free. Several leaked tracks from Depeche Mode’s upcoming Exciter album spread like wildfire. Some were clearly fake, but others sounded like the real deal. That was obviously Martin Gore singing “Ponytail Girl.”

Or so I was told by multiple users when I tried to set the record straight. The song was in fact one of my own, leaked from my album Life’s Fairytale. Even though depechemode.com clearly stated that “Ponytail Girl” was not a Depeche Mode song, it appeared on countless fan sites and bootleg CDs.

Turning lemons into lemonade, I set out to create what you see before you: a set of songs and interludes that flow together like a proper Depeche Mode album.

Rather than cover “Personal Jesus” or “Enjoy the Silence” for the thousandth time, I focused on what I considered unappreciated gems. The inclusion of “Ponytail Girl” served to connect the album with the rest of my catalog, in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way.

The 2003 release of Color Theory presents Depeche Mode was the biggest success of my career up to that point. I sold every last copy. Demand was high for a second pressing, or better yet, a second volume.

But I had my own stories to tell, and the last thing I wanted was to become known as a cover artist. Seventeen years and five albums later, I don’t think there’s much risk of that!

The remastered CD comes in a 6-panel Digipak with all new artwork and three new exclusive tracks. Includes immediate download in high-quality 320 kbps mp3 format.

It’s of course fully licensed, which means $2 of every $15 purchase goes to our beloved songwriter, Martin Gore.

Brian Hazard, Color Theory