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Pat Macdonald
strangelove - PM does DM

Actually, Pat MacDonald could have easily turned into a worldwide superstar. It took only six months from his garage in Austin to a worldwide top-ten-hit. With his band "TIMBUK3" and the unforgotten "The Future´s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" Pat MacDonald became a pioneer of "Roots-Techno" sounds, being one of the first to blend drum machines with acoustic guitars.

With the divorce from his wife Barbara, Timbuk3 became history too, and Pat MacDonald started his solo-career. His 1998-debut "Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar" was acclaimed worldwide (in Germany it was awarded both album-of-the-month and No. 3 in the year-end polls of the prestigious "Audio"-magazine, and won the National Critics Prize) and Pat MacDonald embarked on many tours throughout Europe. The following album "Begging Her Graces" began a long-standing creative joint-venture with producer and multi-instrumentalist John Parish (eels, Sparklehorse, PJ Harvey, 16Horsepower...), which gave birth to the next year's album "Degrees Of Gone" as well.

By beginning to play one or two DEPECHE MODE songs in concert, backed only by his electrified acoustic guitar, MacDonald was overwhelmed by the audiences reactions. "It was unbelieveable: people came to me after the show and wanted to buy recordings of these songs the way I played them." Parish was along for one of these shows and was convinced Pat should record a complete album of DEPECHE MODE cover versions, or interpretations, rather, since Pat plays these songs in an incomparable way which adds detail and intimacy one would not expect by experiencing what most people consider "covering a song". Recorded in Bristol, Barcelona, Los Angeles and Wisconsin with a touch of drums, subtle strings and some vocal harmonies, this CD is a must-have for every serious music lover and shows Martin Gore's songs in yet another light.

Pat´s most frequently asked interview question is: When, and why, did you decide to do a whole album of Depeche Mode covers? The wording of the press release/bio seems to contradict Pat´s answer. To set the record straight: John Parish did not "convince" (meaning "persuade") pat to do the DM tribute. Pat persuaded John to produce it, not the other way around, though John needed very little persuading, having enjoyed playing a couple of Pat´s DM covers with him a few years ago in an impromptu live show during the Begging Her Graces sessions in Barcelona. John´s willingness to take part in the production ENCOURAGED Pat, and perhaps "convinced" him that it was a good idea and a worthy project, but the idea and the motivation was all Pat´s. Sorry for any confusion this little error might have caused.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Stripped
2. Strangelove (MP3)
3. Policy Of Truth
4. It’s No Good
5. Never Let Me Down Again
6. Master And Servant (Video.avi)
7. Personal Jesus
8. A Question Of Time
9. Enjoy The Silence
10. Feel You
11. Fly On The Windscreen
12. Death’s Door

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