
Vince Clarke
Actor · b. 1960 · South Woodford, Essex, England, UK
Vincent John Martin (born 3 July 1960), known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously the main songwriter for several groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and the Assembly. In Erasure, he is known for his deadpan and low-key onstage demeanour, often remaining motionless over his keyboard, in sharp contrast to lead vocalist Andy Bell's animated and hyperactive frontman antics. Erasure have recorded over 200 songs and have sold over 28 million albums worldwide. Clarke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of Depeche Mode. Vincent John Martin was born on 3 July 1960 in South Woodford, Essex; he later moved to Basildon, Essex. He initially studied the violin and then the piano. Clarke's early musical influences included Sparks, Paul Simon, and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), who inspired his interest in electronic music. Clarke also cites electronic influences such as the Human League, Daniel Miller and Fad Gadget. In December 2013, Clarke listed his "13 LPs that mean the most to him" for The Quietus: Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973): Kraftwerk – Computer World (1981); The Human League – Travelogue (1980); Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends (1968); T. Rex – Electric Warrior (1971); David Bowie – "Heroes" (1977); The Eagles – Hotel California (1976); OMD – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1980); Philip Glass – Glassworks (1982); Genesis – A Trick of the Tail (1976); Michael Jackson – Dangerous (1991); The Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977); Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (1971). In the late 1970s, Clarke and schoolmate Andy Fletcher formed a short-lived band called No Romance in China, with Clarke on vocals and guitar and Fletcher on bass guitar. In 1979, Clarke played guitar in the Plan, an Ultravox-influenced band, with friends Robert Marlow and Paul Langwith. In 1980, after the Plan dissolved, Clarke and Fletcher formed Composition of Sound, and were soon joined by Martin Gore. Clarke provided vocals until lead vocalist Dave Gahan joined the band, which was renamed Depeche Mode. At that time he adopted the stage name Vince Clarke, by which he is currently known. The band initially adopted a slick synthesised electropop sound, which produced the studio album Speak & Spell and the Clarke-penned singles "Dreaming of Me", "New Life", and "Just Can't Get Enough" in 1981. ... Source: Article "Vince Clarke" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Movies11
Movie7.4DocumentaryMusicTake a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers Ron & Russell Mael, celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favorite band’s favorite band.
The Sparks Brothers
2021 · 109 votes
Movie7.8DocumentaryMusicDocumentary following a generation of post-punk musicians who took the synthesiser from the experimental fringes to the centre of the pop stage.
Synth Britannia
2009 · 10 votes
Movie6.9DocumentaryMusicU2, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Blondie, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, The Clash, The Cure: Over half a billion records sold but you may never have heard of them if not for a small suburban radio station on Long Island, NY: WLIR. In August, 1982, a small group of radio visionaries knew they couldn't compete with the mega-stations in New York City. With one brave decision, they changed the sound of radio forever. Program Director Denis McNamara, the 'LIR crew and the biggest artists of the era tell the story of how they battled the FCC, the record labels, mega-radio and all the conventional rules to create a musical movement that brought the New Wave to America.
New Wave: Dare to be Different
2017 · 12 votes
Movie10.0MusicDocumentaryA ceremony for the Class of 2020 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The ceremony takes place on November 7, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio, and airs on HBO. The class of inductees includes The Notorious B.I.G., The Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, T. Rex and Depeche Mode as well as Irving Azoff and Jon Landau who both received the Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2020 Inductions
2020 · 1 votes
Movie6.5MusicDocumentaryAn independent documentary film about the phenomenal resurgence of the modular synthesizer — exploring the passions, obsessions and dreams of people who have dedicated part of their lives to this esoteric electronic music machine. Inventors, musicians, and enthusiasts are interviewed about their relationship with the modular synthesizer — for many, it's an all-consuming passion.
I Dream of Wires
2014 · 27 votes
Movie9.5DocumentaryMusic1. Siren Song 2. Ship Of Fools 3. Chorus 4. Breath Of Life 5. Chains Of Love 6. Love To Hate You 7. Joan 8. Voulez Vous 9. Take A Chance On Me 10. S.O.S. 11. Lay All Your Love On Me 12. Am I Right? 13. Oh L'Amour 14. Waiting For The Day 15. Heart Of Stone 16. Stop! 17. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly 18. Who Needs Love Like That 19. Stand By Your Man 20. The Soldier's Return 21. Turns The Love To Anger 22. Star 23. Blue Savannah 24. Over The Rainbow 25. Love Is A Loser 26. A Little Respect 27. Home 28. Perfect Stranger 29. Sometimes British synthpop legends Erasure perform live at the Manchester Apollo on 8 June 1992, as part of their Phantasmagorical Entertainment Tour.
Erasure: The Tank, the Swan, and the Balloon
2005 · 2 votes
Movie8.5The first music video compilation by Depeche Mode, featuring ten music videos.
Depeche Mode: Some Great Videos
1986 · 2 votes
Movie7.0DocumentaryMusic"The Beginning Of Their So-Called Dark Phase…" - A documentary about the making of the album A Broken Frame, featuring interviews with the group including former band member Vince Clarke, new live member Alan Wilder and other relevant personnel such as Daniel Miller of Mute Records. It also features vintage footage from UK television.
MovieMusicErasure performs an all acoustic show live at the historic Ryman Auditorium. The show features never before seen footage of their electronic hits realized as acoustic songs with the flavor of bluegrass and country (artfully arranged by Steve Walsh).
Movie8.5MusicDocumentary"Do We Really Have to Give Up Our Day Jobs?" - A documentary about the making of the album Speak & Spell, featuring interviews with the group including former band member Vince Clarke and other relevant personnel such as Daniel Miller. It features various vintage footage, such as appearances on Top of the Pops and BBC Speak & Spell Tour recordings.
MovieIn the series of Arte Concerts, Erasure played live at the Schwuz in Berlin on July 24, 2017. In light of their forthcoming album "World Be Gone", the british Synthpop-Duo will not only play new songs but classic hits like "Always" and "Sometimes" as well.
Series8
TV5.3Talk ShowComedyJimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003 · 218 votes
TV6.6RealityThe biggest stars, the most iconic performances, the most outrageous outfits – it’s Britain’s number one pop show.
Top of the Pops
1964 · 44 votes
TV5.7Talk ShowSacrée soirée
1987 · 5 votes
TV6.8Talk ShowChamps-Elysées
1982 · 9 votes
TV6.0RealityBands perform in Berlin's legendary club TRAFO, the concrete temple music.
Berlin Live
2011 · 1 votes
- TV
Riverside was a TV series broadcast on BBC2 in the United Kingdom featuring musicians, bands, actors, fashion designers, artists and comedians. It consisted of sketches, interviews and live performances. Guests included Alice Cooper, Steve Strange, Martin Rushent, Alan Adler, Clare Grogan, Paul Weller, Martin Fry, The Cure, The Smiths, New Order and Pauline Black.
Riverside
1982
- TVTalk Show
Big World Café was a music show on British television. Broadcast on Channel 4 in 1989, it was presented by Mariella Frostrup, Eagle Eye Cherry and Jazzie B. It was produced by Andrea Wonfor, who had previously worked on The Tube. During the programme's second series, Andy Kershaw was recruited to report on world music. Artists who appeared on the show included Les Négresses Vertes, New Order, Prefab Sprout and Wet Wet Wet.
Big World Cafe
1989
- TV
Track Stories
2015