Depeche Mode Interviews

1982-05-xx M.A.C. Magazin, Berlin, Germany

Interview With Andy About Vince

Interviewer: Well, I have a question: Vince Clarke left the group, I think he was the songwriter of your group and wrote the hits like New Life. What was the reason for his leaving?

Andy Fletcher: He didn't like what the band was becoming, he thought the band was becoming a kind of poppy teen band, and they don't care about what the music was or what the music was like, they just wanted to touch you and kiss you, and get your tie or mess with your hair or something. After a concert, they wouldn't come up and say, "Oh the concert, the music, was excellent, you really played well." We could have played a concert and have just made a noise and could have done that was well and they would have said we sounded perfectly.

Interviewer: But did you have any problems to replace him?

Andy Fletcher: No. We knew he was gonna leave before he said he was gonna leave. We hadn't had any songs planned, so when we left, we wasn't too bothered.