Depeche Mode
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Depeche Mode
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Background information
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Depeche Mode are an English electronic rock band formed in Basildon, Essex. Through a constant evolution in their musical output and a consistent touring ethic that saw the band graduate from performing school gigs to playing the legendary concert for the masses at the Pasadena Rose Bowl to an audience in excess of 60,000 people within ten years of their formation, Depeche Mode have built a cult following of devoted fans and metamorphosed into one of the most influential and successful alternative musical acts of all time over the course of their four decade career.
History
Formation
Formed in 1980, the group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (primary songwriter after 1981, vocals, keyboards, guitar), Andrew "Fletch" Fletcher (keyboards), and Vince Clarke (keyboards, chief songwriter from 1980 until 1981).
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." In 1979, Clarke played guitar in an Ultravox-influenced band, The Plan, with friends Robert Marlow and Paul Langwith. In 1978–1979, Martin Gore played guitar in an acoustic duo, Norman and the Worms, with school friend Phil Burdett on vocals. 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 Martin Gore as a third instrumentalist.[citation needed] Dave Gahan joined the ensemble later in 1980 after Clarke heard him perform at a local Scout hut jam session, singing a rendition of David Bowie's "'Heroes'".
With the advent of affordable synthesizers and the increasing popularity of electronic music, the group began pursuing a synth-pop direction. The first live concert of Composition of Sound as a four-piece was on 14 June 1980 at Nicholas School, Basildon, England, UK. 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, Cabaret Voltaire, Talking Heads and Iggy Pop. Gahan's onstage persona was influenced by Dave Vanian, frontman of The Damned. Gahan has also credited David Bowie, James Brown, Elvis Presley and Prince as influences on his performance style.
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.When explaining the choice for the new name, which was taken from a mistranslation of the name of French fashion magazine Dépêche Mode, Gore said, "It means 'hurried fashion' or 'fashion dispatch'. I like the sound of that." However, the more accurate translation of the magazine's name (and therefore the band's name) is "Fashion News" or "Fashion Update".
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.
The band made a 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.
According to Gahan, prior to securing their record contract, they were receiving offers from all the major labels. Phonogram offered them "money you could never have imagined and all sorts of crazy things like clothes allowances".
While playing a live gig at the Bridge House in Canning Town, the band was approached by Daniel Miller, an electronic producer and founder of Mute Records, who was interested in their recording a single for his burgeoning label. 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", 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.
Speak & Spell (1981)
Vince Clarke departure (1981)
A Broken Frame (1982)
Alan Wilder joins (1982)
Construction Time Again (1983)
Some Great Reward (1984)
The Singles 81→85 (1985)
Black Celebration (1986)
Music For The Masses (1987)
Violator (1990)
Songs Of Faith And Devotion (1993)
Alan Wilder departure (1995)
Ultra (1997)
The Singles 86>98 (1998)
Exciter (2001)
Playing The Angel (2005)
Sounds Of The Universe (2009)
Delta Machine (2013)
Spirit (2017)
Andrew Fletcher's death (2022)
Memento Mori (2023)
Legacy
Discography
