Depeche Mode 1997 album ‘Ultra’ sells for $2,400 on Discogs

While the tragic passing of founding member Andy Fletcher in early 2022 certainly rocked the foundation of the legendary group, Depeche Mode, the spirit, passion, and devotion to the band has not waned at all.  While the remaining members, Martin Gore and Dave Gahan, are pushing forward on a global tour in celebration of their new album, Memento Mori, fans everywhere are still searching for rare items from the group’s past.

Their 1997 album, Ultra, may not have achieved the success of prior releases like Violator and Music For The Masses, but it continued the group’s steady output well into their second decade as a band and inspired the name of one of the world’s premier dance music festivals.  While the music world has vastly changed in the way products are packaged and released in the years since Ultra received a variety of exclusive and promo presses upon its release and one particular edition just sold for a whopping sum on Discogs.

The edition in question was originally a UK-only promo release that included a t-shirt, CD, and EPK VHS and was housed in a soap-powder custom box.  While the VHS format is certainly a relic of the past, unique items like this still interest hardcore collectors as they represent a different era of music and can often provide memories of a different era of fandom that anxiously awaited a behind-the-scenes look that a tape may offer as opposed to today’s constant access to content via the internet.

This particular edition of Ultra is certainly becoming a rare find as the most recent sale fetched $2,391.30 on Discogs, and there is only one listed for sale now with an even higher price tag of $3,260.87.  As Depeche Mode continues to look forward, both on the road and in the studio, it is clear that their devoted fanbase still treasures their storied past.

Image Credit: MediaDishNET Greg S via Flickr | License: Public Domain Mark 1.0