Speak & Spell is the debut studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released on 5 October 1981,[6] or possibly 29 October 1981,[7] by Mute Records. It was the band's only album to feature Vince Clarke, and is much lighter in tone than their subsequent releases.
Depeche Mode in 1981; Speak & Spell was the band's only album with original songwriter Vince Clarke, pictured in the bottom-left.
Depeche Mode had toured their songs in 1980 before going into the studio to record their first album.[1] According to Daniel Miller, who co-produced Speak & Spell with the band, it was a collection of songs the band had been playing live over the past year, plus a few new songs, although some songs from their live act did not make it on the record.[1]Vince Clarke wrote most of the songs, with Martin Gore contributing two tracks.[1] Though they started as a band with a guitar and bass, they switched over to being an all-synthesizer band due to the cheap cost and convenience of the devices.[9] Singer David Gahan recalled that, despite being all-synth, they used them traditionally in their songs, with a lead line, a bass line and a rhythm line.[9] Recorded in early 1981 and signed by Mute Records,[9] by the time the album was released in October 1981, Clarke wanted to leave the band.[1] As the band was negotiating with American label Sire Records for a contract, news of Vince's impending departure was kept confidential until after the contract was signed.[1]Seymour Stein, CEO of Sire records, caught one of Depeche Mode's early shows and was enthused by their live presence, saying "Depeche Mode were the first of those [early synth] bands that were so fucking great live, that it was just amazing."[9]Speak & Spell was released in October 1981, the band finished their UK tour and played their last live show with their original lineup in November, and Clarke left shortly after.[1][9] After quitting, Clarke responded to a classified ad from Alison Moyet and the two collaborated to start the band Yazoo.[10][11][12]
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".[13] 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."[16]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."[21]
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."[22] 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".[23]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)."[20]
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."[3] 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."[2] In January 2005, Speak & Spell was included as an "essential" album in Mojo magazine's "Depeche Mode + the Story of Electro-Pop" special edition.[24]
2006 re-release
Promotional poster for the album's release, including tour dates
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 limited-edition vinyl in March 2007.
Track listing
Original UK and European LP and CD releases (1984)
All tracks are written by Vince Clarke, except where noted. All lead vocals by Dave Gahan, except where noted
The song "Dreaming of Me" (fade out version) replaces "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" on the original German LP and CD releases. The same list had other european releases (France, Spain, Portugal, Scandinavia, etc.).
CD re-releases with bonus tracks have different front sleeve design.
"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-inch single (as opposed to the fading-out versions on the original US album and CD single reissue).
Original US LP and CD releases
No.
Title
Length
1.
"New Life" (remix)
3:56
2.
"Puppets"
3:57
3.
"Dreaming of Me" (fade out version)
3:42
4.
"Boys Say Go!"
3:04
5.
"Nodisco"
4:13
6.
"What's Your Name?"
2:41
7.
"Photographic"
4:58
8.
"Tora! Tora! Tora!"
4:24
9.
"Big Muff"
4:21
10.
"Any Second Now (Voices)"
2:33
11.
"Just Can't Get Enough" (Schizo mix)
6:41
Total length:
44:30
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 (CD)
No.
Title
Length
1.
"New Life"
3:46
2.
"I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead"
2:18
3.
"Puppets"
3:56
4.
"Boys Say Go!"
3:08
5.
"Nodisco"
4:15
6.
"What's Your Name?"
2:45
7.
"Photographic"
4:43
8.
"Tora! Tora! Tora!"
4:38
9.
"Big Muff"
4:24
10.
"Any Second Now (Voices)"
2:35
11.
"Just Can't Get Enough"
3:44
12.
"Dreaming of Me" (cold end version)
4:03
Disc two (DVD)
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Depeche Mode: 1980–81 (Do We Really Have to Give Up Our Day Jobs?)" (a short film)
28:24
2.
"New Life"
3:46
3.
"I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead"
2:18
4.
"Puppets"
3:56
5.
"Boys Say Go!"
3:08
6.
"Nodisco"
4:15
7.
"What's Your Name?"
2:45
8.
"Photographic"
4:43
9.
"Tora! Tora! Tora!"
4:38
10.
"Big Muff"
4:24
11.
"Any Second Now (Voices)"
2:35
12.
"Just Can't Get Enough"
3:44
13.
"Dreaming of Me" (cold end version)
4:03
Additional tracks
No.
Title
Length
14.
"Ice Machine" (cold end version)
4:05
15.
"Shout!"
3:46
16.
"Any Second Now"
3:08
17.
"Just Can't Get Enough" (Schizo mix)
6:44
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Speak & Spell.[25]
^"Dreaming of Me" is the first of six Depeche Mode singles not to be included on an album release, although it did appear on the original US release of Speak & Spell, in place of "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead". It was included on later editions of the album (as a bonus track) and on The Singles 81→85, along with the "Some Bizzare" version of "Photographic".
