Album
Speak & Spell
1981 · Electronic
39 collectors on Gatefold own this
Speak & Spell is an Electronic album by Depeche Mode, originally released in 1981. On Gatefold: 375 pressings tracked, owned by 39 collectors.
About
Largely written by a soon-to-exit Vince Clarke, the Basildon synth band’s debut is strikingly upbeat, by their later standards. “New Life” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” remain two of the great pop singles of the early ’80s, setting percolating melodies to disco momentum. However, there are hints of a band preparing to explore a darker sound within the sinister pulse of “Puppets” and the unhinged synths of the Martin Gore-penned “Tora! Tora! Tora!”
via Apple Music
The Clerk says
The Clerk knows this whole record — the pressing quirks, the credits, the take.
Tracklist
- 1New Life3:44
- 2I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead2:16
- 3Puppets3:56
- 4Boys Say Go!3:05
- 5Nodisco4:12
- 6What's Your Name?2:42
- 7Photographic4:43
- 8Tora! Tora! Tora!4:31
- 9Big Muff4:21
- 10Any Second Now (Voices)2:34
- 11Just Can't Get Enough3:40
- 12Dreaming of Me4:01
Sound DNA
- Electronic
- Synth-Pop / New Wave
- synthetic
- playful
- club
Debut studio album released October 1981.
Includes the singles: "New Life", "Just Can't Get Enough" and in some areas outside the UK also "Dreaming Of Me".
Most releases outside the UK include this song instead of "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead".
The original USA/Canada/Japan editions also contain the 12" versions of "New Life (Remix)" and "Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)" instead of the UK album versions, however these remix titles are not mentioned.
First charted in the UK album charts on 14 November 1981, peaking at position 10 for 2 weeks. Stayed for 33 weeks in the UK Top 100 charts.
Certified Silver (min. 60.000 copies sold) and Gold (min. 100'000 copies sold) by the BPI on 01 December 1981.
UK vinyl (STUMM 5) releases:
- WEA West Drayton pressing, 'JA' and 'EG' in matrix (opens in a new tab).
- Linguaphone Institute Ltd. pressing & plated at Musitech, 'DB' in matrix (opens in a new tab).
- Orlake Records pressing & plated at Gedmal Galvanic Ltd., 'JA' in matrix (opens in a new tab).
- Orlake Records pressing & plated at Gedmal Galvanic Ltd., 'JA' and 'EG' in matrix (repress) (opens in a new tab).
- Linguaphone Institute Ltd. pressing & plated at Gedmal Galvanic Ltd., A1/B3 cut, 'JA' in matrix (repress) (opens in a new tab).
- Linguaphone Institute Ltd. pressing & plated at Gedmal Galvanic Ltd., A2/B2 cut, 'JA' in matrix (repress) (opens in a new tab).
- MVS (Record Pressing) Ltd. pressing & plated at Gedmal Galvanic Ltd., 'JA' in matrix (repress) (opens in a new tab).
- MPO pressing & plated at Musitech, 'DB' in matrix (repress) (opens in a new tab).
- CBS Pressing Plant, Aston Clinton pressing & plated at Gedmal Galvanic Ltd., 'JA' and 'EG' in matrix (repress) (opens in a new tab).
- MPO pressing, 'JA' in matrix (reissue) (opens in a new tab).
- Damont pressing & plated at Musitech, 'DB' in matrix (reissue with a barcode) (opens in a new tab).
UK cassette (C STUMM 5) releases:
- white shell with plain texture, 100-50-0 scale [version 1], blue print on shell (opens in a new tab).
- white shell with plain texture, 100-50-0 scale [version 2], blue print on shell (opens in a new tab).
- white shell with plain texture, 100-50-0 scale with eleven short vertical hatchmarks, black print on shell (opens in a new tab).
- white shell with plain texture, 100-50-0 scale with twenty-one short vertical hatchmarks, black print on shell (opens in a new tab).
- white shell with grid texture, 100-50-0 scale, black print on shell, with barcode - reissue (opens in a new tab).
- white shell with brick texture, 100-50-0 scale, black print on shell, 'MADE IN E.E.C.' embossed at top center (opens in a new tab).
- white shell with brick texture, 100-50-0 scale, blue print on shell, 'MADE IN E.E.C.' embossed at top center (opens in a new tab).
- white shell with grid texture, without scale, black print on shell, 'MADE IN E.E.C.' embossed at top left (opens in a new tab).
- white shell with plain texture, 100-50-0 scale, blue print on shell, 'MADE IN ENGLAND' embossed at top right on both sides (opens in a new tab).
- white shell with plain texture, 100-50-0 scale, cream paper labels (opens in a new tab).
- cream shell with grid texture, without scale, diagonal lines around the timing window, black print on shell (opens in a new tab).
- cream shell with plain texture, without scale, diagonal lines around the timing window, black print on shell (opens in a new tab).
- transparent shell with white paper labels, without scale (opens in a new tab).
- transparent shell, without scale, duplicated by ICM, with barcode - reissue (opens in a new tab).
- transparent shell, without scale, with barcode - reissue (opens in a new tab).
- transparent shell, 100-50-0 scale, with barcode - reissue (opens in a new tab).
- transparent shell, seven vertical lines in scale window, with barcode - reissue (opens in a new tab).
- transparent shell, nine vertical lines in scale window, with barcode - reissue (opens in a new tab).
UK CD (CD STUMM 5) releases:
- MPO pressing (opens in a new tab).
- Mayking pressing (opens in a new tab).
- Nimbus pressing with 'MASTERED BY NIMBUS' in matrix (opens in a new tab).
- Nimbus pressing with [Nimbus logo] in matrix - repress (opens in a new tab).
German vinyl (INT 146.801) releases:
- 1981, Limited Edition, Mute logo 1 ("Walking Man") (opens in a new tab).
- 1981, Mute logo 1 ("Walking Man") (opens in a new tab).
- 1984, Mute logo 1 ("Walking Man"), without "Hiring, Lending" in the copyright perimeter text (opens in a new tab).
- 1984, Mute logo 1 ("Walking Man"), with "Hiring, Lending" in the copyright perimeter text (opens in a new tab).
- 1990, with Mute logo 3 ("M") (opens in a new tab).
German CD releases:
INT 846.801:
- 05/1984 First edition, metallic blue stripe, Polygram, Hanover pressing (opens in a new tab).
- 1985 Blue stripe, Sonopress pressing, LC 5834 and Mute logo at back sleeve (opens in a new tab).
- 1986 Blue stripe, Sonopress pressing, without LC 5834 and Mute logo at back sleeve (opens in a new tab).
INT 846.844:
- 06/1988 Blue stripe, Sonopress pressing, barcode: 4 006758 468440 (opens in a new tab).
INT 836.805:
- 1991 Sonopress pressing, clear CD center, barcode: 4 006758 368054 (opens in a new tab).
- 1994 Sonopress pressing, mirror CD center, barcode: 4 006758 368054 (opens in a new tab).
- 1995 EMI Uden pressing, barcode: 4 006758 368054 / 7243 4 84011 2 0 (opens in a new tab).
- 1997 EMI Uden pressing, clear CD center, barcode: 7 24348 40112 0 (opens in a new tab).
- 1998 EMI Uden pressing, black CD center, barcode: 7 24348 40112 0 (opens in a new tab).
First charted in the German album charts on 22 February 1982, peaking at position 49 in March. Stayed for 8 weeks in the Top 75 charts.
French Vogue vinyl (540016) releases:
- with credit for A. Giacomoni on rear of sleeve, pressed by MPPV (opens in a new tab).
- no credit for A. Giacomoni on rear of sleeve, pressed by MPPV (opens in a new tab).
- with credit for A. Giacomoni on rear of sleeve, pressed by Disco France (opens in a new tab).
- post 1985, pressed by Disco France (opens in a new tab).
Album first charted in France in 2017 at position 192.
Canadian vinyl Sire (XSR 3642) releases:
- 'SIRE' to the upper right of purple SIRE logo.
- 'SIRE ®' to the upper right of purple SIRE logo, with 'Q' on labels.
- 'SIRE ®' to the upper right of purple SIRE logo, without 'Q' on labels (opens in a new tab).
- 'SIRE ®' below blue SIRE logo.
Credits
The people behind it.
Performers
- Andrew Fletcher
- Dave GahanVOCALS
- Depeche ModeKEYBOARDS, VOCALS SYNTH SYNTH , VOCALS
- Martin L. GoreVOCALS
- Vince Clarke
39 collectors on Gatefold own this · 375 pressings tracked on Gatefold
Start your shelf.
Track your pressings of Speak & Spell, get the Clerk's take, and see what the record is worth — free.
Start your shelf →Free forever. Works with 10 records or 10,000.