Editing Depeche Mode (section)

===Formation (1977–1980)===
[[File:Depeche-mode-martin-gore2.jpg|alt=Martin Gore in 1986|thumb|Martin Gore in 1986]]
Depeche Mode's origins date to 1977, when schoolmates Vince Clarke and Andy Fletcher formed a band called No Romance in China with Clarke on vocals and guitar and Fletcher on bass. Fletcher would later recall, "Why am I in the band? It was accidental right from the beginning. I was actually forced to be in the band. I played the guitar and I had a bass; it was a question of them roping me in."<ref name="P93">{{cite magazine|first= Marc |last= Weidenbaum |title= Fashion Victims |magazine= Pulse! magazine |issue= 114 |date= May 1993 |pages= 48–53}}</ref> In 1979, Clarke played guitar in an [[Ultravox]]-influenced band, the Plan, with friends [[Robert Marlow]] and Paul Langwith.<ref>{{cite web|title= Interviews – "Robert Marlow Interview (1999)" |website= Erasureinfo.com |url= http://www.erasureinfo.com/features/interviews_03.html |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121023130210/http://www.erasureinfo.com/features/interviews_03.html |archive-date= 23 October 2012}}</ref> In 1978–1979, [[Martin Gore]] played guitar in an acoustic duo, Norman and the Worms, with school friend Phil Burdett on vocals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-01-11 |title=Phil Burdett – Biography |url=http://www.philburdett.com/fr_biography.cfm |access-date=2023-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111034422/http://www.philburdett.com/fr_biography.cfm |archive-date=11 January 2012 }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=January 2021}} In 1980, Clarke and Fletcher formed a band called Composition of Sound, with Clarke on vocals/guitar and Fletcher on bass; the pair were soon joined by Gore as a third instrumentalist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trimaximalist |date=2022-03-12 |title=Depeche Mode - |url=https://jazzrocksoul.com/artists/depeche-mode/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |language=en-US}}</ref> Dave Gahan joined the ensemble later in 1980 after Clarke heard him perform at a local [[Scout hall|Scout hut]] [[jam session]], singing a rendition of [[David Bowie]]'s "[["Heroes" (David Bowie song)|{{-'}}Heroes{{'-}}]]".<ref name="D93">{{cite magazine|first= William |last= Shaw |title= In The Mode |magazine= [[Details (magazine)|Details]] |date= April 1993 |pages= 90–95, 168}}</ref>

With the advent of affordable synthesisers and the increasing popularity of electronic music, the group began pursuing a [[synth-pop]] direction.<ref>{{cite news|first= Ed |last= Masley |title= 10/8: Depeche Mode interview: 'Delta Machine' |newspaper= [[The Arizona Republic]] |date= 4 October 2013 |access-date= 11 March 2021 |url= http://archive.azcentral.com/thingstodo/music/articles/20131006depeche-mode-interview-delta-machine-fletcher.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 28 July 2020 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20200728000215/http://archive.azcentral.com/thingstodo/music/articles/20131006depeche-mode-interview-delta-machine-fletcher.html}}</ref> The first live concert of Composition of Sound as a four-piece was on 14 June 1980 at Nicholas School, Basildon, England, UK.<ref>{{cite web|title= 1980-06-14 Nicholas School, Basildon, England, UK |access-date= 10 October 2022 |url= https://dmlive.wiki/wiki/1980-06-14_Nicholas_School,_Basildon,_England,_UK}}</ref> There is a plaque commemorating the gig at the [[James Hornsby School]] in Basildon, where Gore and Fletcher were pupils. Gahan's and Gore's favourite artists included [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], [[Sparks (band)|Sparks]],<ref>{{cite magazine|title= Collect-a-Page (Dave Gahan's questionnaire) |magazine= Look In |date= 5 December 1981 |url= http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/lkn051281/page1.htm |archive-date= 27 November 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081127211058/http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/lkn051281/page1.htm}}</ref> [[Cabaret Voltaire (band)|Cabaret Voltaire]], [[Talking Heads]] and [[Iggy Pop]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title= Collect-a-Page (Martin Gore's questionnaire) |magazine= Look In |date= 12 December 1981 |url= http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/lkn121281/page1.htm |archive-date= 27 November 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081127211401/http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/lkn121281/page1.htm}}</ref> Gahan's onstage persona was influenced by [[Dave Vanian]], frontman of [[The Damned (band)|The Damned]].<ref>{{cite web|first= Ryan |last= Painter |title= 'The Damned: Don't You Wish We Were Dead' |publisher= [[KUTV]] |date= 28 May 2016 |access-date= 29 July 2019 |url= https://kutv.com/news/entertainment/the-damned-dont-you-wish-we-were-dead}}</ref> Gahan has also later credited David Bowie, [[James Brown]], [[Elvis Presley]] and [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] as influences on his performance style.<ref>{{cite news|title= Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode: 'Regret is a weird word. I don't look back on my life like that' |newspaper= The Guardian |date= 21 October 2021 |access-date= 27 February 2022 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/oct/21/dave-gahan-regret-is-a-weird-word-i-dont-look-back-on-my-life-like-that}}</ref>

Composition of Sound would become embarrassed about their band name and started thinking of changing it. There were several potential variants, including the name "Musical Moments" that was suggested by Vince Clarke as both a band name and the name of their first album. Starting at their concert on 24 September 1980 at Bridge House, the band changed their name to Depeche Mode, chosen by Dave Gahan.<ref>{{cite web|title= 1980-09-24 Bridge House, London, England, UK |access-date= 10 October 2022 |url= https://dmlive.wiki/wiki/1980-09-24_Bridge_House,_London,_England,_UK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Desborough |first=Jenny |date=2021-03-26 |title=Depeche Mode name: What does Depeche Mode mean? |url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1414172/Depeche-Mode-name-what-does-Depeche-Mode-mean-how-evg |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> When explaining the choice for the new name, which was taken from a mistranslation of the name of French fashion magazine ''Dépêche Mode'',<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Excelsior Publications suspend Dépêche mode |magazine= Stratégies |date= 8 November 2001 |access-date= 1 May 2017 |url= http://www.strategies.fr/actualites/medias/r67272W/excelsior-suspend-la-parution-de-depeche-mode.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081210205852/http://www.strategies.fr/actualites/medias/r67272W/excelsior-suspend-la-parution-de-depeche-mode.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 10 December 2008 |language= fr }}</ref> Gore said, "It means 'hurried fashion' or 'fashion dispatch'. I like the sound of that."<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Max |last= Bell |title= Part 2 : Martin Gore – The Decadent Boy |magazine= No1 Magazine |date= 11 May 1985 |access-date= 29 October 2007 |url= http://www.tuug.org/~jaakko/dm/dmtekstit/privatemg.html |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070313232933/http://www.tuug.org/~jaakko/dm/dmtekstit/privatemg.html |archive-date= 13 March 2007}}</ref> However, the more accurate translation of the magazine's name (and therefore the band's name) is "Fashion News" or "Fashion Update".{{efn|''Dépêche'' meaning "dispatch" or "news report" from [[Old French]] ''despesche/despeche'', and ''mode'' meaning "fashion".<ref name="nametranslate"/>}}