Recoil was born in 1986 as a two-track experimental EP. Simply entitled ‘1 + 2’, this collection of primitive demos caught the attention of Mute Records label boss Daniel Miller and was inconspicuously released as a mini-album on 12" vinyl. An album, Hydrology, soon followed in 1988 and both were eventually re-issued by Mute on CD as Hydrology plus 1+2. These early Recoil recordings revealed Alan’s position as a pioneer in the newly emerging world of sampling technology and demonstrated how he could turn the Depeche sound around to create something entirely new. Wilder described the project at the time as “... an antidote to Depeche Mode; a way to alleviate the frustrations of always working within a pop format”.
Almost immediately, Wilder found himself back in the studio to record what would become the most successful Depeche Mode album to date,‘Violator’. It wasn’t until the band finally allowed themselves an extended break after the enormously successful 'World Violation' tour that Alan could return to Recoil - not, however, before agreeing to produce Ebbhead, an album for label-mates Nitzer Ebb. It was during this time that he cemented a working relationship with lead singer Douglas McCarthy who would return the favour by singing on Recoil’s next album,‘Bloodline’.
Released in 1992, Wilder recruited guest vocalists for the first time with further contributions from Curve's Toni Halliday and Moby, helping to produce an album that demonstrated his ability to concoct slow-burning soundscapes drenched in drowsy paranoia. Bloodline also marked the first Recoil single, a cover of Alex Harvey’s song ‘Faith Healer' as well as the innovative 'Electro Blues For Bukka White', featuring the posthumously sampled voice of Blues-man Bukka White set into a post-modern context - an influential idea later popularised by others.
Between 1992-93 Wilder resumed his Depeche duties as the band recorded the album ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’. Released to universal acclaim, it topped the charts in the UK, USA, Germany and a host of other countries. Enjoying hits with ‘I Feel You’, ‘Walking In My Shoes’, ‘In Your Room’ and ‘Condemnation’, the Mode embarked on their most adventurous tour to date, enduring a gruelling 15 months on the road. Although the group had reached the pinnacle of success, aspects of the lifestyle had taken their toll on everyone and things eventually came to a head. In June 1995, having spent 14 years as an integral part of one of the most popular and influential bands the UK has ever produced, Alan Wilder made the difficult but inevitable decision to leave Depeche Mode.
Free from his group commitments, Wilder could now focus solely on Recoil. In September 1996, he began work in his own studio, ‘The Thin Line’, gradually piecing together the unnerving scores that would eventually reveal Recoil's next album ‘Unsound Methods’. The final results were more impressive than ever. What emerged appeared to take up where ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’ had left off. Guest vocalists featured Maggie Estep, Siobhan Lynch, the reappearance of Douglas McCarthy, and Hildia Cambell. The styles of each could not be more removed from one another helping to create a startlingly original and diverse collection. The more organic style of Unsound Methods incorporated every imaginable musical genre from trip-hop to gospel whilst dealing with the subject of obsession in all its manifestations, taking the listener to the edge of unease, through dark, dub-infected landscapes, reverberating with shivering piano, seductive strings and a deep electronic pulse.
In the Spring of 2000, Recoil gave us Liquid which this time utilised the unique qualities of internationally acclaimed fellow Mute artist Diamanda Galás, 1940's Gospel crooners The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, along with New York spoken-word performers Nicole Blackman and Samantha Coerbell. The worldwide music press received the Liquid album with a host of glowing reviews and Wilder was awarded the Charles Cros Grand Prix 2000. Strangely enthralling and genuinely unhinging, Liquid masquerades as the aural equivalent of a disturbing movie. Wilder's intoxicating soundscapes kick up clouds of the same dark dust that falls on David Lynch or Nine Inch Nails, but where others may hammer out their message with histrionic force, his touch is lighter and characteristically more subtle.
Now, following a 5 year break from recording, Alan Wilder returns with Recoil's 5th studio album, entitled subHuman released in July 2007.
Collaborating this time is Blues-man Joe Richardson with his band Joe Richardson Express, whose evocative vocal style is complimented by accomplished guitar and harmonica performances. Born in Southern Louisiana, Richardson spent years immersed in the murkier side of New Orleans life and offers a unique commentary on conflict, religion, incarceration and personal struggle. English singer Carla Trevaskis, a songwriter in her own right, brings an expressive range and control to subHuman and has worked with artists as diverse as Fred de Faye (Eurythmics), Cliff Hewitt (Apollo 440) and Dave McDonald (Portishead).
Says Wilder: “We seem to have learnt nothing from past experiences and our so called ‘civilised’ world is still awash with personal and global atrocities. From suicide bombings in the Middle East, to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans; from the homophobic rhetoric of the Christian fundamentalist preacher, to the activities of Western governments engaged in their ‘war on terror’".
subHuman asks us to reach within ourselves and extract the very essence of what makes us human - and more importantly what allows us to subordinate others, sometimes with the most brutal consequences. "We are all 'subhuman' in somebody's eyes."
Official site: http://www.recoil.co.uk
Faith Healer
Recoil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's the only one you have
You want to take away the pain
Go out walking in the rain
Watch the flowers go to bed
Ask the man inside your head
Your spirit never has to grieve
All you've got to do's believe
The faith healer, the faith healer
All you've got to do is feel
Your body's going to start to heal
Fingertips of holy fire
Everlasting sweet desire
It don't matter what the doctors say
Healer man, sail away
Immortality for two
Miracles will come to you
The faith healer, the faith healer
Can I put my hands on you
Faith and hope and charity
Simple relativity
He can make you understand
Calm enough to take his hand
Remember when somebody said
Ask the man inside your head
Fingertips and holy fire
Everlasting sweet desire
The faith healer, the faith healer
Can I put my hands on you
The faith healer, the faith healer
The song "Faith Healer" by Recoil is a contemplative and reflective piece about the power of faith healing. It starts with the opening lines, "If your body's feeling bad, and it's the only one you have, you want to take away the pain, go out walking in the rain." This sets the tone for the song, suggesting that sometimes, all we need to do is change our environment and perspective to find relief.
As the song progresses, it introduces the idea of a faith healer, someone who can heal you with just their touch. The lyrics seem to suggest that even if the doctors have failed, the faith healer can still work miracles. The lines, "All you've got to do is feel, Your body's going to start to heal, Fingertips of holy fire, Everlasting sweet desire" paint the picture of the faith healer as a powerful, almost divine figure.
The chorus repeats the phrase "the faith healer" several times, as if to emphasize just how important this person is. The song closes with the lines, "Can I put my hands on you, The faith healer, the faith healer" which suggest a willingness to seek out the faith healer's help for the body and the soul. Overall, "Faith Healer" is a song about the power of belief and the miracles that can happen when we put our trust in something greater than ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
If your body's feeling bad
When your body is feeling unwell
And it's the only one you have
And it's the only body you have
You want to take away the pain
You seek to alleviate the discomfort
Go out walking in the rain
Take a stroll during a rainfall
Watch the flowers go to bed
Observe the flowers close for the night
Ask the man inside your head
Consult your inner self
Your spirit never has to grieve
Your soul does not have to suffer
All you've got to do's believe
Just have faith
The faith healer, the faith healer
The individual who can heal through faith
All you've got to do is feel
All you have to do is sense
Your body's going to start to heal
Your body will begin to recover
Fingertips of holy fire
Sacred flames at the tips of the fingers
Everlasting sweet desire
Eternal pleasant aspirations
It don't matter what the doctors say
It does not matter what the physicians state
Healer man, sail away
Healer man, depart
Immortality for two
Two people receive eternal life
Miracles will come to you
You will encounter wonders
Faith and hope and charity
Belief, aspiration, and benevolence
Simple relativity
Easy-to-understand correlation
He can make you understand
He can cause you to comprehend
Calm enough to take his hand
Finally relaxed to accept his assistance
Remember when somebody said
Recall when someone stated
Can I put my hands on you
May I touch you
The faith healer, the faith healer
The individual who can heal through faith
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVEN LINDSAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
HappyForever♾
Alan Wilder ...always a Master!!
Bert Vennemann
I had the chance to meet him and the rest of DM, first Time in December 1984 ... and serveral times more
Irchie Irchie
@Bert Vennemann could you please tell us about those moments? What was your impression from each of them? And from Alan personally, of course?
Bobby Shaftoe
Still a "secret" after all the years,this is one of the best songs I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. WOW.... Alan Wilder is a genius!!
tomasz-jerzy Tumidajewicz
+Bobby - have you ever heard original version?
El Huracan
+tomasz-jerzy Tumidajewicz is better the original
TheFelissapiens
I have the vinyl.
breath888
I know! I had this on cassette and wore it out! I was just getting into Nitzer Ebb a few years before this was released. I love Wilder and Gore as songwriters, each having their own vibe. Genius is right.
Etienne Beneke
Totally agree! Can hear the Violator influence clearly as well.
Shar Lee RV Music
I can’t imagine how Depeche Mode sounds nowadays if Alan never leave. Miss you Alan. One more disc togheter please.