Speak & Spell

***Speak & Spell*** is the debut studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released on October 5, 1981, or possibly October 29, 1981, by Mute Records. It was the band's only album to feature Vince Clarke, and is much lighter in tone than their subsequent releases.

The album peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, and was ranked number 991 in the 2000 book *All Time Top 1000 Albums.*

## Background

This was the only Depeche Mode album with Vince Clarke as a member. Clarke wrote most of the songs for the band, before departing to form Yazoo and later Erasure.

The album is significantly lighter in tone and melody than their later work, a direction which can largely be attributed to Clarke's writing. After he left, Martin Gore took over songwriting duties, writing almost all of the band's material. Later albums written by him would explore darker subjects and melodies.

When interviewed by Simon Amstell for Channel 4's *Popworld* programme in 2005, Gore and Fletcher both stated that the track "What's Your Name?" was their least favourite Depeche Mode song of all time.

According to Songfacts, in a 2008 interview for *Q Magazine*, Dave Gahan explained how the band shaped itself to produce their first album:

*Vince (Clarke) was the leader at that point. By the time we got into the studio, Vince had got bored with it. He didn’t like the idea of having to deal with other personalities. He wanted to be in control. That’s the only album where the songs had already been performed for a year and a half beforehand, and we went into the studio and recorded them as we would live. I think Daniel saw us as a cross between the Ramones and the Beach Boys, in an electronic way – fast and short with really simple riffs. We were courted by major labels and were very suspicious of signing a deal that meant five albums. We’d come from that punk ethic: we just wanted to make a single. Daniel came along and that’s all he really had the money to do, so it kind of worked. We wanted to keep in control. We never thought much beyond the next single and playing some gigs. That time was brilliant.*

## Singles

1. *Dreaming Of Me,* released on February 20, 1981
2. *New Life,* released on June 13, 1981
3. *Just Can't Get Enough,* released on September 18, 1981

## Track Listing

### Standard tracklist

* The song "Dreaming of Me" (Fade Out Version) replaces "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" on the original German LP and CD releases.

**Bonus tracks on 1988 CD re-release**

* "Shout!" (from the B-side of the "New Life" single) is listed on the CD and all subsequent releases as "Shout", without the exclamation mark.
* The versions of "Dreaming of Me" and "Ice Machine" included on this CD have cold ends, similarly to the original 7" single (as opposed to the fading-out versions on the original US album and CD single reissue).

### 2006 Collectors Edition CD + DVD

* Disc one is a hybrid SACD/CD with a multi-channel SACD layer.
* Disc two is a DVD which includes *Speak & Spell* in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM Stereo plus bonus material.

**Disc One**

**Disc Two (DVD)**

**Additional tracks**

## Critical reception

Upon its release, ***Speak & Spell*** received generally positive reception from critics. *Record Mirror* praised Depeche Mode's smart simplicity and noted the album offers "much to admire and little to disappoint." Reviewer Sunie commented that the band's chief skill "lies in making their art sound artless; simple synthesiser melodies, Gahan's tuneful but undramatic singing and a matter-of-fact, gimmick-free production all help achieve this unforced effect." As a whole she describes it as "a charming, cheeky collection of compulsive dance tunes". Mike Stand of *Smash Hits* wrote: "Synthesisers and bubblegum go together like tinned peaches and Carnation, hence [Depeche Mode's] hit singles: melody, uncluttered electronics and nice voices in humanising harmony." Paul Morley of the *New Musical Express* described the album as "generous, silly, susceptible electro-tickled pop... that despite its relentless friskiness and unprincipled cheerfulness is encouraging not exasperating", noting the music's "diverting vitality", and concluding that "Depeche Mode, apparently, could quickly move... far up and away from constructing slightly sarcastic jingles."

Paul Colbert of *Melody Maker* felt that Depeche Mode speak with "a winning immediacy" and called the album "a wriggling giant of motivation, persuading each muscle to jump in time with the music", while at the same time criticising the presence of certain tracks such as "Nodisco" that "repeat earlier thoughts and feels without adding fresh views." Rob White, writing for the Christchurch *Press*, was less positive, calling the music on *Speak & Spell* "instant pop, instantly disposable, as precious as the gladwrapped swan on the... cover", remarking that the songs "would actually blow away in the wind... if it wasn't for their ability to chance upon melody hooks that drag you along without any real protest" and ultimately calling the album "tedious". *The Village Voice*'s Robert Christgau dismissed the bulk of the album as "tuneful pap" that "crosses Meco (without the humble functionalism), Gary Numan (without the devotion to surface), and Kraftwerk (without the humor—oh, definitely without the humor)."

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Ned Raggett described *Speak & Spell* as "at once both a conservative, functional pop record and a groundbreaking release", as well as "an undiluted joy." Nitsuh Abebe of *Pitchfork* said that the album endures "not as stylish futurism (not anymore) but as the happy noises of teenagers who believed it to be stylish futurism—and with a charming earnestness." In January 2005, *Speak & Spell* was included as an "essential" album in *Mojo* magazine's "Depeche Mode + the Story of Electro-Pop" special edition.

## Releases

In the UK, the album was released on vinyl in 1981. For the American release, the tracklisting was slightly altered, substituting "Dreaming Of Me", their first single, for "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead", and replacing "Just Can't Get Enough" with the 12" 'Schizo Mix' of the same track.

In 1988, some European CD releases added five bonus tracks to the album which incorporated some of the 1981 singles and B-sides.

In 2006, the album was remastered in 5.1 stereo and released in various CD+DVD formats around the world, incorporating bonus tracks and a short documentary about the album.

### 2006 re-release

The album was re-released on 3 April 2006 (along with *Music for the Masses* and *Violator*) as part of Mute's extensive Depeche Mode reissue schedule. This special edition release was a double disc set that included a Hybrid SACD/CD and a DVD. This format included the album in five formats—multi-channel SACD, stereo SACD, PCM stereo CD, DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1.

In the United States, the album was not re-released until 2 June 2006. The US version was only a CD rather than a SACD/CD Hybrid, though it still included the DVD which was identical to the European one (barring some different copyrights and logos).

The re-release somewhat preserves the album as it was originally intended. As such, while it is mostly the same as the UK version, North America got a completely new version with some songs that have never been released there. For example, "New Life" was the original version, not a remix, and "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" finally debuted (on a Depeche Mode release) in North America. However, "Dreaming of Me", the band's very first single which was not on the original album, was included at the end. The four bonus tracks on the original CD release in the UK, were omitted from the re-issued CD, but were on the DVD.

Also included was a 28-minute documentary about the making of the album entitled *Depeche Mode: 1980–1981 (Do We Really Have To Give Up Our Day Jobs?)* featuring interviews with the group (including Vince Clarke) and other relevant personnel such as Daniel Miller. There is various footage of the group's appearances on *Top of the Pops* including their very first appearance from 1981 performing "New Life". There is also vintage BBC footage of the *Speak & Spell Tour* from the same year.

The remastered album was released on "deluxe" vinyl in March 2007.

### Release date discrepancy

***Speak & Spell***'s release date is commonly misreported as October 5 or 6th, 1981 by numerous fan sites, forums, and social media channels, as well as the official Depeche Mode website. This long-standing discrepancy began as the result of a delay from the album's slated release date of October 5th to November 6th, 1981.

The album's release date was first thrown in question when Deb Danahay Mann, Vince Clarke's girlfriend at the time of the album's release, revealed a personal diary entry from October 28th, 1981 in which she wrote that Clarke had given her a copy of the album as a gift on that day. Notably, this was mere days prior to when Clarke was slated to embark on the UK dates with Depeche Mode to promote their inaugural album. Based on the date of her diary entry, it is logical to assume that Clarke would have provided Danahay Mann the gift in advance of the album's street release date.

Press reports from a variety of industry magazine issues cast further doubt on the October 5-6th release date. Several articles suggest a November release:

* *Sounds* magazine reported on October 3, 1981:

> "The band should also be releasing an album, as yet untitled, on Mute Records in November. The LP is already completed, but has been delayed by the shortage of pressing plants in the UK and the major record companies monopoly of them."
>
>

* *NME* reported on October 17, 1981:

> "Depeche Mode will have their album ‘Speak And Spell’ issued by Mute Records some time next month."
>
>

* *Record Mirror*, October 24th, 1981:

> "Next month sees the release of Depeche’s debut LP, duly coinciding with a tour."
>
>

* *Sounds* reported on Halloween, 1981 (notably, the November 7, 1981 date mentioned in this quote was a Saturday):

> "Depeche Mode, who release their first album called “Speak And Spell” on November 7, has lined up a tour to go with it."
>
>

* *Melody Maker* reported in a November 14, 1981 article covering the group's live dates in Manchester on November 3 and Birmingham on November 4:

> "Depeche Mode were wary about breaking ground with the northern attenders, especially as the album hadn’t yet appeared in the local shops."
>
>

* *Cash Box* magazine reported on February 27th, 1982:

> "[Depeche Mode's] first LP, "Speak & Spell," shipped last November, [...]"
>
>

This delay is further evidenced by the chronology of the album's press reviews, which did not begin circulating in print until late October, early November 1981. In order, *Melody Maker*'s review was featured in their October 31st issue; *NME*'s review was featured in their November 7th issue; *Record Mirror* reviewed the album in their November 7th edition; and *Smash Hits* reviewed the album in their November 12-25th issue. Relatedly, a full page advertisement promoting the then upcoming album and supporting UK tour was featured in the October 29 - November 11 issue of *Smash Hits* one issue prior to the November 12-25 issue's album review, further supporting the likelihood of an early November release date.

Online record store recordstore.co.uk (formerly Mute Bank, the official Mute Records store) lists November 6th, 1981 as the album's release date. Based on this listing and the journalistic evidence supporting an early November 1981 release, this is likely the most accurate date.

## Personnel

Credits for adapted from the liner notes of ***Speak & Spell***.

* Depeche Mode – synthetics, voices, production
	+ Vince Clarke
	+ Andy Fletcher
	+ Dave Gahan
	+ Martin Gore
* Daniel Miller – production
* Eric Radcliffe – engineering
* John Fryer – engineering
* Brian Griffin – photography

## Charts

 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)
 UK Albums (OCC)
 US *Billboard* 200

## Trivia

1. The total number of live song plays from *Speak & Spell* is 1894. Just Can't Get Enough was performed 614 times, making it the most played song from the album. The least performed songs are Nodisco and Any Second Now, having only 11 live performances.
2. The first album from Depeche Mode. The first CD release of the album featured five bonus tracks. In 2006, the album was completely remastered, and released in two different formats (SACD + DVD, and LP in Europe, CD + DVD, and LP in North America). The SACD + DVD version featured the album in a remastered 5.1 surround sound presentation, on the SACD disc. The CD + DVD version featured the album in a remastered 5.1 surround sound presentation on the DVD disc. The CD and LP were remastered stereo audio. The US edition of the remastered CD was not a SACD. Only the European release was in SACD format. The US DVD is a standard DVD, not a specific DVD-Audio disc.
3. The version of New Life on the first editions of the USA editions of the album are the "Remix", and not the standard "Album Version" that is found on the original UK Mute pressing. The version of Just Can't Get Enough on the first editions of the USA editions of album are the "Schizo Mix", and not the "Album Version" that is found on the original UK Mute pressing.
4. Early promotional copies of the first USA edition LP had two clear "promo stickers" on the front cover, instead of the later practice of putting a gold promo stamp on the front cover.
5. The very first presssings of the first USA edition of the album did not have a UPC bar code on the cover. The album was issued before UPC codes were a necessity.

## Bibliography

* https://dmlive.wiki/wiki/Speak\_%26\_Spell
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speak\_%26\_Spell\_(album)
* https://genius.com/albums/Depeche-mode/Speak-spell
* http://archives.depechemode.com/discography/albums/01\_speakandspell.html