The subject of today’s Focus is synthesizer maestro and songwriter Vince Clarke, who was involved with a range of significant 80s and 90s bands.
Vince Clarke (born Vincent John Martin) first came to prominence with Depeche Mode. Most of Depeche Mode’s output has had a darker, slightly industrial sound, but their early singles (written by Clarke) were a cheerier kind of synth-pop. Just Can’t Get Enough is, to me, the clearest example of how different Depeche Mode’s early work is to their later, but I’ve included 1981’s New Life here instead since it doesn’t get played quite as much.
After leaving Depeche Mode, Vince Clarke joined Alison Moyet to form the group Yazoo. Their 1983 hit Nobody’s Diary is one of my top songs of all time – the combination of Moyet’s angsty vocals and Clarke’s crisp synthesizer lines is perfect.
Yazoo were relatively short-lived, only releasing two albums. But Clarke’s next band, The Assembly, had an even shorter tenure: They just released one single, Never Never, with guest vocalist Feargal Sharkey of the Undertones. I’m not such a fan of this one, but I’ve included it for completeness.
Clarke’s most famous band, Erasure (formed with flamboyant singer Andy Bell in 1985) have had a substantial career, releasing 19 albums and still going today. Picking from so many excellent Erasure songs was a challenge, but I went with 1990’s Blue Savannah for its great melodies, and 1991’s Love to Hate You because it showcases a different side to Erasure – over-the-top, slightly camp, almost disco. For a song that’s somewhere in between the two, try Chorus.