Editing Depeche Mode (section)

===''Speak & Spell'' and Clarke's departure (1980–1981)===
{{See also|Speak & Spell (album)}}
[[File:Depeche Mode 1981.jpg|thumb|Depeche Mode in 1981]]

The band made their recording debut in late 1980 for the ''[[Some Bizzare Album]]'' (released in 1981) with the song "Photographic", later re-recorded for their debut album ''[[Speak & Spell (album)|Speak & Spell]]''.

The band made a [[Demo (music)|demo tape]] but, instead of mailing the tape to record labels, they would go in and personally deliver it. They would demand the labels play it; according to Dave Gahan, "most of them would tell us to fuck off. They'd say 'leave the tape with us' and we'd say 'it's our only one'. Then we'd say goodbye and go somewhere else."<ref name="Giles">{{cite magazine|first= Jeff |last= Giles |title= This band wants your respect – Depeche Mode may sell millions of albums and play to capacity crowds in huge football stadiums but these techno-pop idols still aren't happy |magazine= [[Rolling Stone]] |via= TipTopWebsite.com |pages= 84–87 |date= 26 July 1990 |access-date= 5 November 2014 |url= http://www.tiptopwebsite.com/websites/index2.php?username=depechemodefile&page=20}}</ref>

According to Gahan, prior to securing their record contract, they were receiving offers from all the major labels. [[Phonogram Inc.|Phonogram]] offered them "money you could never have imagined and all sorts of crazy things like clothes allowances".<ref name="Giles"/>

While playing a live gig at the Bridge House in [[Canning Town]],<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Paul |last= Tickell |title= A Year in the Life of Depeche Mode |magazine= [[The Face (magazine)|The Face]] |date= January 1982 |url= http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/fac010182/fac010182main.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110808174432/http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/fac010182/fac010182main.htm |archive-date= 8 August 2011}}</ref> the band was approached by Daniel Miller, an [[electronic music|electronic]] [[record producer|producer]] and founder of [[Mute Records]], who was interested in their recording a single for his burgeoning label.<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Betty |last= Paige |title= This Year's Mode(L) |magazine= [[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |date= 31 January 1981 |url= http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/sou310181/sou310181maina.htm |archive-date= 24 July 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110724052454/http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/sou310181/sou310181maina.htm}}</ref> The result of this verbal contract was their first single, "[[Dreaming of Me]]", recorded in December 1980 and released in February 1981. It reached number 57 in the UK charts. Encouraged by this, the band recorded their second single, "[[New Life (song)|New Life]]", which climbed to number 11 in the UK charts and got them an appearance on ''[[Top of the Pops]]''. The band went to London by train, carrying their synthesisers all the way to the [[BBC]] studios.

The band's next single was "[[Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode song)|Just Can't Get Enough]]". The [[synth-pop]] single became the band's first UK top ten hit. The video is the only one to feature Vince Clarke. Depeche Mode's debut album, ''[[Speak & Spell (album)|Speak & Spell]]'', was released in October 1981 and peaked at number ten on the UK album charts.<ref name="OCC"/> Critical reviews were mixed; ''[[Melody Maker]]'' described it as a "great album … one they had to make to conquer fresh audiences and please the fans who just can't get enough",<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Paul |last= Colbert |title= Talking Hook Lines |date= 31 October 1981 |magazine= [[Melody Maker]] |url= http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/mel311081/mel311081main.htm |archive-date= 24 July 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110724052535/http://www.sacreddm.net/1980s/mel311081/mel311081main.htm}}</ref> while ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' was more critical, calling the album "[[Motion picture content rating system|PG]]-rated fluff".<ref>{{cite magazine |first= David |last= Fricke |author-link= David Fricke |title= Speak & Spell – Depeche Mode |magazine= [[Rolling Stone]] |date= 13 May 1982 |access-date= 4 May 2011 |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/speak-spell-19820513 |archive-date= 13 October 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111013214138/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/speak-spell-19820513 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

Clarke began to voice his discomfort at the direction the band was taking, saying "there was never enough time to do anything. Not with all the interviews and photo sessions".<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Mark |last= Ellen |title= A Clean Break |date= February 1982 |magazine= [[Smash Hits]] |url= http://www.tuug.utu.fi/~jaakko/dm/smash4.txt |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140204023346/http://www.tuug.utu.fi/~jaakko/dm/smash4.txt |archive-date= 4 February 2014}}</ref> Clarke also said he was sick of touring, which Gahan said years later was "bullshit to be quite honest".<ref name="Giles"/> Gahan went on to say he "suddenly lost interest in it and he started getting letters from fans asking what kind of socks he wore."<ref name="Giles"/> In November 1981, Clarke publicly announced that he was leaving Depeche Mode.{{sfn|Miller|2004|p=103}}

Soon afterwards, Clarke joined up with blues singer [[Alison Moyet]] to form [[Yazoo (band)|Yazoo]] (or Yaz in the United States). Initial talk of Clarke's continuing to write material for Depeche Mode ultimately amounted to nothing. According to third-party sources, Clarke offered the remaining members of Depeche Mode the track "[[Only You (Yazoo song)|Only You]]", but they declined.{{sfn|Miller|2004|p=107}} Clarke, however, denied in an interview that such an offer ever took place saying, "I don't know where that came from. That's not true."<ref>{{cite magazine |first1= Stefan |last1= Reinke |first2= Kerstin |last2= Goh |title= Erasure im Soundcheck |newspaper= [[Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung]] |date= 16 November 2011 |access-date= 19 October 2013 |url= https://www.derwesten.de/kultur/musik/erasure-im-soundcheck-id6079325.html?doply=true |language= de |archive-date= 29 July 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200729230124/https://www.derwesten.de/kultur/musik/erasure-im-soundcheck-id6079325.html?doply=true |url-status= dead }}</ref> The song went on to become a UK Top 3 hit for Yazoo. Gore, who had written "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and the instrumental "Big Muff" for ''Speak & Spell'', became the band's main composer and lyricist.{{sfn|Miller|2004|p=125}}