Shake the Disease

"Shake the Disease" is Depeche Mode's thirteenth UK single recorded at Hansa Mischraum in Berlin (released on 29 April 1985), and was one of two new songs released on the compilation The Singles (81-85) the same year, along with "It's Called a Heart". It reached number 18 in the UK singles chart. The American version of The Singles 81-85, Catching Up with Depeche Mode, also includes "Shake the Disease"'s B-side, "Flexible". Band member Alan Wilder felt this song captured the essence of the band, stating "there's a certain edge to what we do that can make people think twice about things. If we've got a choice between calling a song "Understand Me" or "Shake the Disease", we'll call it "Shake the Disease". There's a lot of perversity and innuendo in our lyrics, but nothing direct."