It's No Good

"It's No Good" a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 31 March 1997 as the second single from their ninth studio album, Ultra (1997). It was commercially successful, reaching number one in Denmark, Spain, Sweden and on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. It entered the top 10 in Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number five.

On 15 May 1997, the band went on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and performed the song, a recording made available at the official Depeche Mode website. The B-side is an instrumental, called "Slowblow".

Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard stated that the song is "considerably more low-key" than their "more caustic" previous hit, "Barrel of a Gun". He added, "In fact, this is the single that diehard Depeche Mode disciples have been starved for, in that it somewhat revisits the stylistic days of "Master and Servant". The music cruises at a funky, electro-pop pace with minimal sound-effect clutter. Rather, the focus is on Dave Gahan's forlorn performance and Martin Gore's sensitive lyrics." Dominic Pride from Music & Media noted that the band "return with a sound which programmers and audiences can instantly recognise and identify with", adding that Gahan's voice "soars above the minimal electronics, which are interspersed with some spartan synth interludes, in a song that glides along smoothly to its conclusion."

Alan Jones from Music Week described it as "a superbly retro track which harks back to their old style. Powerful and synth-based, it is a sublime and slightly disturbing piece that totally contradicts its title." Later, he also declared it "a brooding and menacing monster of a track." A reviewer from Sunday Mirror wrote, "Although the first verse sounds scarily like Jimmy Nail to me, by the time the chorus sets in you recognise that proper Mode sound right away. Not as noisy as the last single but there's a stackful of harder remixes to please the mental, mental crowd".

Track listings
All songs were written by Martin L. Gore.


 * UK CD single
 * 1) "It's No Good"
 * 2) "Slowblow" (Darren Price mix)
 * 3) "It's No Good" (Bass Bounce mix)
 * 4) "It's No Good" (Speedy J mix)


 * UK 12-inch single
 * A1. "It's No Good" (Hardfloor mix) – 6:43
 * A2. "It's No Good" (Speedy J mix) – 5:04
 * AA1. "It's No Good" (Motor Bass mix) – 3:48
 * AA2. "It's No Good" (Andrea Parker mix) – 6:14
 * AA3. "It's No Good" (Bass Bounce mix) – 7:16


 * UK cassette single and US 7-inch single
 * 1) "It's No Good" – 5:59
 * 2) "Slowblow" – 5:25


 * European CD single
 * 1) "It's No Good" (Hardfloor mix)
 * 2) "Slowblow"
 * 3) "It's No Good" (Andrea Parker mix)
 * 4) "It's No Good" (Motor Bass mix)


 * US CD single
 * 1) "It's No Good" – 6:00
 * 2) "Slowblow" (Darren Price mix) – 6:27
 * 3) "It's No Good" (Bass Bounce mix) – 7:15


 * US and Canadian maxi-CD single
 * 1) "It's No Good"
 * 2) "It's No Good" (Hardfloor mix)
 * 3) "Slowblow"
 * 4) "It's No Good" (Speedy J mix)
 * 5) "It's No Good" (Bass Bounce mix)


 * US 12-inch maxi-single
 * A1. "It's No Good" (Hardfloor mix) – 6:41
 * A2. "It's No Good" (Bass Bounce mix) – 7:15
 * B1. "It's No Good" (Speedy J mix) – 5:00
 * B2. "Slowblow" (Darren Price mix) – 6:27


 * Japanese CD single'''
 * 1) "It's No Good" (original mix)
 * 2) "Slowblow" (Darren Price mix)
 * 3) "It's No Good" (Dom T Bass Bounce mix)
 * 4) "It's No Good" (Speedy J mix)
 * 5) "It's No Good" (Hardfloor mix)
 * 6) "Slowblow" (original mix)
 * 7) "It's No Good" (Andrea Parker mix)
 * 8) "It's No Good" (Motor Bass mix)

Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from the Ultra album booklet.

Studios
 * Recorded at Abbey Road, Eastcote, Westside, Strongroom, RAK (London), Electric Lady (New York City), and Larrabee West (Los Angeles)
 * Mastered at The Exchange (London)

Personnel
 * Martin Gore – writing (as Martin L. Gore)
 * Dave Clayton – keyboards, keyboard programming
 * Victor Indrizzo – percussion
 * Tim Simenon – production, mixing
 * Q. – mixing, engineering
 * Kerry Hopwood – programming
 * Mike Marsh – mastering