Speak & Spell (album)

Speak & Spell is the first album from the British electronic group Depeche Mode, recorded and released in 1981. The album peaked at #10 in the UK Albums Chart.

Overview

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.

The album title alludes to the then-popular "Speak & Spell" electronic toy.

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

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 5 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 June 2, 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 British 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 put 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.

Track listing

For all versions, all songs were written by Vince Clarke, except for "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and "Big Muff" written by Martin Gore. Dave Gahan performs lead vocals on all songs except "Any Second Now [Voices]" which is sung by Martin Gore. "Big Muff" and the original version of "Any Second Now" are instrumentals.

• "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 like the original 7" single (as opposed to the fading-out versions on the original US album and CD single reissue).

US LP/CD

1. "New Life" [Remix] – 3:56
2. "Puppets" – 3:57
3. "Dreaming of Me" – 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

2006 re-release

Mute: DM CD 1 (CD/SACD + DVD) / CDX STUMM 5 (CD/SACD)

• Disc 1 is a hybrid SACD/CD with a multi-channel SACD layer.
• Disc 2 is a DVD which includes Speak & Spell in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM Stereo plus bonus material.

1. "New Life" – 3:46
2. "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" – 2:18
3. "Puppets" – 3:58
4. "Boys Say Go!" – 3:07
5. "Nodisco" – 4:15
6. "What's Your Name?" – 2:45
7. "Photographic" – 4:44
8. "Tora! Tora! Tora!" – 4:37
9. "Big Muff" – 4:24
10. "Any Second Now (Voices)" – 2:35
11. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 3:44
12. "Dreaming of Me" – 4:03

Bonus tracks

In DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, PCM Stereo:

1. "Ice Machine"
2. "Shout!"
3. "Any Second Now"
4. "Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)"

Additional material

1. "Depeche Mode 80-81 (Do We Really Have To Give Up Our Day Jobs?)" (28 Minute documentary video)

Charts and certifications

Personnel

• Dave Gahan - lead vocals
• Martin Gore - keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals ("Any Second Now (Voices)"), songwriting
• Vince Clarke - keyboards, programming, backing vocals, songwriting
• Andrew Fletcher - keyboards, backing vocals

• Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller – producers
• John Fryer, Eric Radcliffe – engineers
• Brian Griffin – album photography

• CDD Pre-Mastering: WCI Record Group
• Publisher: Mute Records
• Label: Mute Records
• Recorded at Blackwing Studios, London

References

External links

• Official remaster info