A Secret Wish

A Secret Wish
Studio album by Propaganda
Released	July 1985
Genre	Synthpop, new wave
Length	52:01
Label	ZTT
Producer	Trevor Horn, Stephen Lipson
Propaganda chronology
A Secret Wish (1985) Wishful Thinking (1985)
Singles from 'A Secret Wish'
"Dr. Mabuse" Released: 1984 "Duel" Released: 1985 "p:Machinery" Released: 1985

A Secret Wish is the debut album of German synthpop band Propaganda. Released by ZTT Records in 1985, it was produced by Stephen Lipson under the supervision of label boss Trevor Horn. The singles "Duel" and "Dr. Mabuse" were both Top 30 UK chart hits. The track "p:Machinery" (a line from which gives the album its title) was also released as a single and was featured in an episode of the '80s TV show Miami Vice and also on the video "Drum" by Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon for his Whitbread Round the World Race in 1985.

The album was followed up quickly in November 1985 by the Wishful Thinking companion remix album.

A Secret Wish has been reissued a number of times through the years – including as a deluxe 20th anniversary edition and as a multi-channel SACD. The most recent re-release is the 2010 double CD deluxe edition which marks the album's 25th anniversary.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Track listing

Original 1985 vinyl album release

A – WITHIN

1. "Dream Within A Dream" – 8:04
2. "The Murder Of Love" – 5:12
3. "Jewel" – 3:10
4. "Duel" – 4:43

B – WITHOUT

1. "p:Machinery" – 3:50
2. "Sorry for Laughing" – 3:25
3. "Dr. Mabuse (First life)" – 5:00
4. "The Chase" – 4:03
5. "The Last Word/Strength To Dream" – 3:01

"Dream Within A Dream" has the lyrics of the poem "A Dream Within A Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe. "Sorry for Laughing" is a Josef K cover. "The Last Word" is an instrumental based on "Dr. Mabuse". "Strength To Dream" is the opening line from "Dream Within A Dream". On the sleeve and label, "Jewel" and "Duel" were listed as a single track, whereas "The Last Word" and "Strength to Dream" were separate.

Original 1985 CD release

1. "Dream Within A Dream" [extended] – 09:09
2. "The Murder Of Love" – 5:12
3. "Jewel" – 6:22
4. "Duel" [CD remix] – 4:42
5. "Frozen Faces" – 4:25
6. "p:Machinery" [single mix] – 3:51
7. "Sorry for Laughing" – 3:27
8. "The Chase" – 4:04
9. "Dr Mabuse" [CD remix] – 10:41

"Jewel" is the 'cut rough' 12-inch (vocal) mix, with the opening seconds replaced by the album intro. "Duel" has minor changes within the mix, as does "p:Machinery", appearing here as the single mix. The version of "Dr Mabuse" here is the first 12-inch mix ('Das Testaments des Mabuse'), with the final minute replaced by the end of "The Last Word/Strength to Dream" from the original LP.

The three-month delay between the vinyl and CD releases gave producer Steve Lipson the opportunity to remix the album to his satisfaction, and he said that he considered the CD to be the definitive version.^[2]

The original US release contained the UK CD in a longbox. Several years later, a US printing was done that had the vinyl tracks but mislabeled with the original UK CD artwork. Most subsequent reissues featured a hybrid track listing, following the vinyl for the most part, but with the addition of the longer vocal "Jewel" and "Frozen Faces".

Japanese CD reissue

1. "Dream Within A Dream" – 8:04
2. "The Murder Of Love" – 5:18
3. "Jewel" – 3:11
4. "Duel" – 4:48
5. "Frozen Faces" – 4:25
6. "p:Machinery" – 3:50
7. "Sorry for Laughing" – 3:27
8. "Dr. Mabuse (first life)" – 5:04
9. "The Chase" – 4:05
10. "The Last Word/Strength To Dream" – 3:02
11. "Femme Fatale (The Woman With The Orchid)" – 3:21
12. "Dr. Mabuse (13th Life)" – 6:36
13. "Duel (bitter-sweet)" – 7:36
14. "(the beta wraparound of) p:Machinery" – 10:47

20th Anniversary reissue

CD

1. "Dream Within A Dream" – 9:08
2. "The Murder Of Love" – 5:12
3. "Jewel" – 6:22
4. "Duel" – 4:42
5. "Frozen Faces" – 4:25
6. "p:Machinery" – 3:51
7. "Sorry for Laughing" – 3:27
8. "The Chase" – 4:04
9. "Dr. Mabuse" – 10:41

DVD

1. "Duel (Version 1)" – 4:52
2. "p:Machinery" – 3:48
3. "Dr. Mabuse (Version 1)" – 4:50
4. "Dr. Mabuse (Version 2)" – 4:30

SACD release

1. "Dream Within A Dream" – 8:06
2. "The Murder Of Love" – 5:17
3. "Jewel" – 6:23
4. "Duel" – 4:48
5. "Frozen Faces" – 4:22
6. "p:Machinery" – 3:50
7. "Sorry for Laughing" – 3:27
8. "Dr. Mabuse" – 5:04
9. "The Chase" – 4:05
10. "Strength To Dream" – 3:00

2010 2CD Deluxe "Element Series" Edition

Do Well is the cassette single version of Duel. Die Tausend Augen Des Mabuse is an extended version of the 6'31" twelve-inch mix (aka "13th Life"), without the early fade out. Thought (parts one and two) appeared together on Wishful Thinking (part two is the p:Machinery reprise). The Goodnight 32 mix of p:Machinery was released in 1985 on a 7-inch single as "p:Machinery (reactivated)".

References