"Speak & Spell" is the debut album from the British electronic group Depeche Mode, recorded and released in 1981. This was the only Depeche Mode album with Vince Clarke as a member of the band. Clarke wrote most of the songs for the band, before departing to form the synthpop duo Yazoo with Alison Moyet and, later, the duo Erasure with Andy Bell. 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. While various synth pioneers had come before, Gary Numan, early Human League, late-'70s Euro-disco, and above all Kraftwerk all had clear influence on "Speak & Spell", Depeche Mode became the undisputed founder of straight-up synth pop with the album's 11 songs, light, hooky, and danceable numbers about love, life, and clubs. Credit for the album's success has to go to main songwriter Vince Clarke, who would extend and arguably perfect the synth pop formula; the singles "New Life," "Dreaming of Me," and "Just Can't Get Enough," along with numbers ranging from the slyly homoerotic "Pretty Boy" to the moody thumper "Photographic," keep everything moving throughout. David Gahan undersings about half the album, and Martin Gore's two numbers lack the distinctiveness of his later work, but Speak & Spell remains an undiluted joy.
The album title alludes to the then-popular "Speak & Spell" electronic toy.
Track listing
01. "New Life" - 3:43
02. "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" - 2:14
03. "Puppets" - 3:55
04. "Boys Say Go!" - 3:03
05. "Nodisco" - 4:11
06. "What's Your Name?" - 2:41
07. "Photographic" - 4:44
08. "Tora! Tora! Tora!" - 4:34
09. "Big Muff" - 4:20
10. "Any Second Now (Voices)" - 2:35
11. "Just Can't Get Enough" - 3:40
Released: 6 November 1981
Recorded at: Blackwing Studios, London
Genre: Synthpop
Length: 44:58
Label: Mute
Producer: Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller
Personnel
Dave Gahan - lead vocals
Martin Gore - keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Any Second Now (Voices)"
Vince Clarke - keyboards, programming, backing vocals, songwriting
Andy Fletcher - keyboards, backing vocals
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