DEPECHE MODE SPEAK+SPELL INSANELY RARE ORIG'81 WARNER TEST PRESSING w/DATA SHEET

$

305

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  MORE THAN 1,000  LISTED ITEMS

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·       DEPECHE MODE – SPEAK AND SPELL (THE GROUP'S FIRST ALBUM) – ORIGINAL 1981 SIRE RECORDS STEREO LP SRK-3642

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       *** ULTRA-RARE ORIGINAL TEST PRESSING ***

·       PLAIN, GENERIC WHITE WARNER BROTHERS TEST PRESSING LABELS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER DETAILS EXCEPT FOR TECHNICAL DETAILS, LEGAL DISCLAIMER  AND A/B SIDE DESIGNATION

·       THIS TEST PRESSING COMES IN ITS GENERIC, PLAIN, WHITE COVER WITH A TYPEWRITTEN DATA SHEET, WITH A TENTATIVE TRACK LISTING,  PROPOSED TITLE, ARTIST AND TIMINGS; LIST OF REVISIONS AND OTHER DETAILS

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       PLAIN WHITE, GENERIC TEST PRESSING COVER

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

·       PLEASE NOTE: THE MATRIX NUMBER IN THE TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) OF THE RECORD IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ORIGINAL, FIRST, 1981 PRESSING OF THIS ALBUM; THIS IS NOT, REPEAT: NOT A TEST PRESSING OF ONE OF THE SUBSEQUENT REISSUES OR REMASTERS.

 (►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you’ll get.  GUARANTEED!)

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Amazing !!! An unbelievable piece: What we have here is an unheard-of TEST PRESSING of the Depeche Mode's major-league debut!.  While many test pressings often have alternate or demo- versions of known, later released songs, and while it is possible that this particular test pressing contains demo or alternate versions of some of the tracks, please don’t take our word that it does:

The album comes with the neatly typewritten album data sheet  which contains all the details of the test pressing, including artist name, song titles, timings,. However the generic test pressing label is mostly blank.

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Though probably nobody fully appreciated it at the time -- perhaps least of all the band! -- Depeche Mode's debut is at once both a conservative, functional pop record and a groundbreaking release. While various synth pioneers had come before -- Gary Numan, early Human League, late-'70s Euro-disco, and above all Kraftwerk all had clear influence on Speak & Spell -- Depeche became the undisputed founder of straight-up synth pop with the album's 11 songs, light, hooky, and danceable numbers about love, life, and clubs. For all the claims about "dated" '80s sounds from rock purists, it should be noted that the basic guitar/bass/drums lineup of rock is almost 25 years older than the catchy keyboard lines and electronic drums making the music here. That such a sound would eventually become ubiquitous during the Reagan years, spawning lots of crud along the way, means the band should no more be held to blame for that than Motown and the Beatles for inspiring lots of bad stuff in the '60s. Credit for the album's success has to go to main songwriter Vince Clarke, who would extend and arguably perfect the synth pop formula with Yazoo and Erasure; the classic early singles "New Life," "Dreaming of Me," and "Just Can't Get Enough," along with numbers ranging from the slyly homoerotic "Pretty Boy" to the moody thumper "Photographic," keep everything moving throughout. David Gahan undersings about half the album, and Martin Gore's two numbers lack the distinctiveness of his later work, but Speak & Spell remains an undiluted joy.

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY NED RAGGETT, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ITEMS BY THIS GROUP OR ARTIST ►  CLICK HERE

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·                               CONDITION:

·                               RECORD

 (IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)          WE GRADE THE VINYL AS EXCELLENT. This is one of those albums that are somewhat difficult to grade. It is somewhere between VG++ and NEAR MINT, just a notch below NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions ARE visible, but they are extremely shallow, superficial  and only moderately visually distracting (nothing significant).For the most part, the vinyl looks impeccable without any MAJOR visual flaws or imperfections. Much of the original luster is intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(b)          The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

(c)           The album comes with its original typewritten data and revision sheet

(d)          Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

COVER : This reference pressing comes without any custom jacket, and will be shipped in its original plain, generic, white cardboard cover with a typewritten data sheet attached (NOT GRADED SEPARATELY, BUT IN A NICE CONDITION OVERALL)

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POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

We offer THREE postage rates for both Domestic and International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail for domestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and Express International Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND that you pay for USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment in order to obtain tracking information, which is NOT available for First Class International shipments.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from country to country. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that ►our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is always possible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discuss this potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thru eBay BEFORE placing a bid.

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