1981
Articles, reviews of concerts and releases, and band member interviews from magazines and newspapers.
Singles:
'Dreaming Of Me', 'New Life', 'Just Can't Get Enough'
Album: 'Speak And Spell'
Vince Clarke leaves the band in the autumn.
[Sounds, 31st January 1981. Words: Betty Page. Picture: Paul Slattery.]
The band come across understandably shy in their first ever interview in the nationwide music press. Consequently much of the talking is the author describing their style - plenty of comparisons to other bands and attempts to gauge their future placing in the music world, and a very encouraging "leg up" for this new band.
[1295 words]
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Stevo
[Sounds, 31st January 1981. Words: Betty Page.]
A thorough review of the "Some Bizzare Album", which was Depeche Mode's first ever appearance on vinyl. The author - an early DM champion - strives to give a fair idea of the style of every track, and consequently covers Depeche Mode only briefly, but she clearly considered them a highlight.
[1042 words]
"Women Are Not Just Mindless Bodies" Shock
[Sounds, 14th March 1981. Words: Karen Swayne.]
This review of several bands only spares a few unflattering words for Depeche Mode, but given their inexperience at the time is probably reasonable enough.
[519 words]
Basildon
A La Mode
[NME, 21st March 1981. Words: Chris Bohn. Picture: Peter Anderson.]
A
short but incisive early piece, with contributions from all band members.
The article treats the new band very much as an unknown quantity, picking
up on their innocence but without overdoing it. The author looks at the
contemporary music scene and tries to predict their placing within it.
Also featured are a brief news clipping and gig advert.
[984
words]
[Words: Ian Cranna. Picture: Paul Slattery.]
A longer-than-usual news item introducing Depeche Mode to the general public in one of their first appearances outside of higher-brow papers such as Sounds and NME. Admirable in that the writer has stuck to the factual and away from the fluff.
[407 words]
Mute
Speak
[NME, 2nd May 1981. Words: Vivien Goldman. Pictures: Jean Bernard
Sohiez.]
Daniel
Miller's CV in article format. The Mute founder and Depeche Mode godfather
is interviewed about his many musical activities (and disguises), taking
in The Normal, Silicon Teens and Depeche Mode, with incidental mentions of
other bands. Comparatively little is said about Depeche Mode, but while
other articles of the time explain what drew them to Miller, this explains
what drew Miller to them.
[2726
words]
The
Knee Drone Is Connected To The Thigh Drone
[NME, 2nd May 1981. Words: Paul Du Noyer. Picture: Anton Corbijn.]
A
review of a Mute "label night" showcasing Depeche Mode alongside
three other bands - Furious Pigs, Palais Schaumberg and Fad Gadget. The
Depeche Mode coverage is consequently small, but the author recognises
their possibilities and writes more enthusiastically about them than the
other bands.
[589
words]
Depeche
Mode: Hurried Fashion
[The Face,
June 1981. Words: Ian Cranna. Pictures: Sheila Rock.]
Brief-ish
interview of the entire band in the studio
during the recording of New Life. The 'meat' of the article
concentrates on Vince, his musical tastes and how he writes, but a lot
of banter between band members - and the writer's picking up on their
obvious youth and newness to the music world - keeps the tone of the
article reasonably light.
[1320 words]
Depeche
Guevara
[Sounds, 27th June 1981. Words: Betty Page. Pictures: Virgina
Turbett.]
Long
relaxed chat with the band - although Martin is quiet - shortly after the
release of New Life and introducing the band to the world as people for
the first time. Generally, Vince comes out with the intelligent answers,
while Dave and Andy banter. There's little real information, but the
strength of the piece is in what comes through of each band member's
personality. An early gem.
[1977 words]
Going
U.P.!
[Smash Hits, 9th-22nd July
1981. Words: Steve Taylor. Pictures: Jill Furmanovsky / Paul
Slattery.]
Often-quoted
article on the band shortly after the release of New Life. The band
are all in good spirits, coming across as new but not, as was soon to
be the case, painfully naive. Plenty of interesting historical details
on their very early history, although nothing you won't know if you've
read Stripped. Lyrics to New Life are also included.
[1236 words]
[The Daily Star, 13th July 1981. Words: Rick Sky. Picture: Joe Bangay.]
This apparently harmless tabloid introduction to Depeche Mode set the ball rolling towards Vince's eventual departure. Regarding the author to have twisted his words quite nastily, Vince spent a large part of 1981 in media purdah. When he left the band not long after, the reasons involved disaffection with the trappings and lifestyle of a successful chart act, and that included the attendant PR circus. For this reason alone, one of the most important articles on Sacred DM.
[246 words]
[Record Mirror, 25th July 1981. Picture: Uncredited.]
This short profile probably tells us more about Andy’s sense of humour than any of his likes and dislikes. Needless to say, most of it is complete fiction. But not all.
[110 words]
[New Sounds, New Styles, August 1981. Words: Pete Silverton. Pictures: Jill Furmanovsky.]
For their second ever issue, New Sounds hit on the ruse of taking an interview with Depeche Mode, and presenting it as a TV script. What they hoped to achieve has escaped me as there is no opportunity, in the middle of the listless attempts at conversation and banter, to learn anything about the band. A pointless exercise, only slightly lifted by a couple of snaps of the band posing in Basildon town centre.
[1460 words]
[Record Mirror, 1st August 1981. Words: Mike Nicholls. Picture: Uncredited.]
A fairly ordinary piece looking at Depeche Mode's beginnings, upbringing and hopes for the future, with some chatty involvement from the band members. It's marred somewhat by being framed by the usual cloying view of the band members as immaculate little cherubs, but for all that it's easy enough to read and there's nothing wrong with it.
[846 words]
Three
Modes In A Boat
[NME, 22nd August 1981. Words: Paul Morley. Pictures: Anton Corbijn.]
In
probably the first critical piece written about Depeche Mode, Paul Morley
spends a lazy afternoon interviewing the band (no Vince) and catching
their first dazed reactions to sudden fame. Morley is refreshed by their
simplicity and lack of self-consciousness, although at times perhaps reads
more into their music than is there. Heavy going in places, but
rewarding... and look who the photographer is!
[3390 words]
Basildon
Band!
[My Guy, 5th September 1981. Words: Uncredited. Picture: Uncredited.]
Brief,
extremely lightweight article, most of which is Dave giving the basics of
the band. Very cheesy, very starry-eyed, but a rare instance of a band
member being able to talk freely without being examined by the author.
[371 words]
[NME, 5th September 1981. Words: Leyla Sanai. Picture: David Corio.]
A "review" of a Depeche Mode performance along with a couple of other bands, as part of a bigger feature. While virtually none of the piece discusses the actual show, it manages to nail the early appeal of Depeche Mode very tersely and wittily.
[290 words]
Record
Mirror, 12th
September 1981
[Words: "Sunie". Picture: Uncredited.]
A brief, positive review of Just Can't Enough, and one of the two later quoted on the sleeve of Singles 81-85.
[84 words]
On
The Way
[Record Mirror, 26th September 1981. Words: Mike Nicholls. Picture:
Uncredited.]
A review of an early live show that is at once enthusiastic and playfully humorous. The author comments on their extreme youth but never loses sight of their capabilities and strengths. Recommended!
[387 words]
Astrologer Fixes Depeche Release
[NME, 17th October 1981. Words: Uncredited.]
The title says it all really. Incidentally, the real reason for the delay in releasing Speak And Spell was down to Vince's recent decision to leave the band, but you've got to laugh at the ruse.
[41 words]
We're
In The Mode!
[Oh Boy!, 24th October 1981. Words: Uncredited. Picture: Uncredited.]
A
corny but charming mini article with the band answering a few questions,
taken from a very lightweight girlie rag. Dave talks briefly about getting
booted from college and recording in a church. Ah, happy days... more
cheese, vicar?
[454 words]
Fresh
Depeche
[Record Mirror, 24th
October 1981. Words: Mike Nicholls. Picture: Antoine Giacomoni.]
Easy
reading chat with the band (except Vince who was in his quiet phase).
The only subject gone into in any detail here is the band's attitude
to money and business now their career has taken off, but the author
spends a lot of time painting a picture of the band members as people,
and their Basildon surroundings, which make the article a colourful
scene-setter.
[1575 words]
[Melody Maker, 31st October 1981. Words: Paul Colbert. Picture: Uncredited.]
Somehow the author of this ecstatic review of Speak And Spell managed to keep the album's weak points within sight while writing such a rhapsody of purple prose in its favour. An important addition to Sacred DM in that nowadays few of us would be able to understand his enthusiasm for the album. Look Ma, I'm Paul Morley.
[542 words]
[Sounds, 31st October 1981. Words: Uncredited. Picture: Uncredited.]
Short news item giving basic tour information for the upcoming UK dates.
[82 words]
[Record Mirror, 7th November 1981. Words: Sunie. Picture: Uncredited.]
Sparkling, upbeat review of Speak And Spell which makes an effort to review each track as well as stepping back and appraising Depeche Mode as a whole. A lot of stuff shoehorned into a small space, but it just about fits OK.
[444 words]
[Sounds, 7th November 1981. Words: Uncredited. Pictures: Uncredited.]
An impressive all-rounder interviewing the band about their musical preferences, studio work, history so far, reaction to the joys of touring, everything really. The author compensates for not being able to go into much depth by giving us worthwhile nuggets from each band member. A great starting point - it's just a shame we don't know who wrote it.
[2066 words]
Hero's Welcome For Four Boys In The Band
[Basildon Evening Echo, 12th November 1981. Words: Don Stewart. Picture: Robin Woosey.]
Unique and fascinating long piece from the band's local newspaper covering their triumphant return to old stomping ground Raquel's. The sense of euphoria and of the band as local kids grown up and made good virtually bursts out of this piece, which contains some endearing little snatches - look out for the rare photo of Martin and his mam.
[1038 words]
[Melody Maker, 14th November 1981. Words: Paul Colbert. Pictures: Tom Sheehan.]
Melody Maker follows Depeche Mode on the first UK tour and experience the trials and tribulations that come with an hysterical fan base. Look out for Andy's underpants and the maniac at the end. One of the best things I have for 1981.
[2966 words]
[Look In, 21st November 1981. Picture: Frazer Gray.]
Vince Clarke provides some basic personal details and likes in this questionnaire from a children's magazine.
[127 words]
Collect-A-Page:
Andrew
[Look In, 28th November 1981. Picture: Rex Features.]
Andy
Fletcher provides some basic personal details and likes in this
questionnaire from a children's magazine.
[122
words]
Collect-A-Page:
Dave
[Look In, 5th December 1981. Picture: Fraser Gray.]
Dave Gahan provides some basic personal details and likes in this questionnaire from a children's magazine.
[141 words]
Collect-A-Page:
Martin
[Look In, 12th December 1981. Picture: Frazer Gray.]
Martin Gore provides some basic
personal details and likes in this questionnaire from a children's
magazine.
[126
words]
Dog
Meat
[Flexipop, Issue 9, 1981. Words / Pictures: Simon Fowler.]
Depeche Mode star in a surreal and
hysterically funny comic strip as prisoners at the non-existent mercy of a
sadistic female commandant. Whenever the band say they regret their early
press appearances, they must be referring to this - and I can't help but
find something vaguely homoerotic there somewhere... hmm. Anyway, sit back
and enjoy.
[back
to top] [back to 1980]
[on to 1982]