Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell (Vinyl LP | DE Original | 1981)

Depeche Mode – Speak & Spell is the band’s debut album, released by Mute in October 1981 (in Germany as INT 146.801). It was recorded at Blackwing Studios in London and produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode. It is the only album with Vince Clarke, who wrote most of the songs and left the band shortly after its release; Martin L. Gore contributed “Tora! Tora! Tora!” and the instrumental “Big Muff”. “New Life” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” were UK top 20 hits. This copy is a 1981 German original pressing, which has the single “Dreaming Of Me” in place of “I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead”.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Mute INT 146.801
• Format: Vinyl LP, album
• Pressing: DE original
• Country: Germany
• Year: 1981
• Genre: Synth-Pop, Electronic

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: VG+
• Cover: VG+

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale (SKU SS SH1).

Tracklist

Side A

1. New Life (Vince Clarke)
2. Puppets (Vince Clarke)
3. Dreaming Of Me (Vince Clarke)
4. Boys Say Go! (Vince Clarke)
5. Nodisco (Vince Clarke)
6. What’s Your Name? (Vince Clarke)

Side B

1. Photographic (Vince Clarke)
2. Tora! Tora! Tora! (Martin L. Gore)
3. Big Muff (Martin L. Gore)
4. Any Second Now (Voices) (Vince Clarke)
5. Just Can’t Get Enough (Vince Clarke)

Personnel

Depeche Mode: Dave Gahan (vocals), Martin L. Gore (synthesizers, vocals), Andrew Fletcher (synthesizers), Vince Clarke (synthesizers). Produced by Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode; engineers: Eric Radcliffe, John Fryer.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
Yes. This is a German pressing from the release year 1981 with catalogue number INT 146.801.

Why is the tracklist different from the UK LP?
The UK edition includes “I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead”. The German pressing has the debut single “Dreaming Of Me” instead, with a slightly different running order on side A.

What does Media VG+ / Cover VG+ mean?
For the record: VG+ (Very Good Plus) means light signs of use that hardly affect playback. For the sleeve, VG+ stands for light wear such as some edge wear. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more Depeche Mode records?
Yes, for example the 12" Just Can’t Get Enough, the follow-up A Broken Frame (DE 1982) and the reissue Speak & Spell (EU reissue 2016). More in our Synth-Pop collection.