Synopsis

Depeche Mode perform the song amid stark industrial surroundings in London's Docklands and Hounslow. The video alternates between intimate close-ups of the band members and wider shots of cranes, corrugated structures, fences, and empty urban spaces. Its defining visual effect makes Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher, and Alan Wilder appear to tip or fall sideways while the world seems to rotate around them. The unsettling illusion gives the performance a disorienting quality that matches the song's themes of emotional strain and difficulty communicating.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed on April 18, 1985, in London's Docklands and Hounslow, at a time when the Docklands still contained many working cranes and undeveloped industrial areas.

• The apparent sideways falls were created with a motorized rig attached behind the performer's jacket. The camera moved in coordination with the rig, making the subject appear stationary while the background shifted dramatically.

• Another effect used a rigid harness that connected the camera to the performer. This made the camera seem fixed to the person even as the surrounding space moved.

• "Shake the Disease" was released on April 29, 1985, as a standalone single rather than as part of a new studio album. It was subsequently included on The Singles 81-85 and the US compilation Catching Up with Depeche Mode.

• The single reached No. 18 on the UK chart.

• The video was later collected on Some Great Videos, The Best of Depeche Mode Volume 1, and the 2016 Video Singles Collection.