Everything Counts

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"Everything Counts"
Depeche Mode Everything Counts.jpg
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Construction Time Again
B-side "Work Hard"
Released11 July 1983 [1]
RecordedMay 1983
Studio The Garden (London)
Genre
Length
  • 3:58 (7″/single version)
  • 4:19 (album version)
  • 7:18 (12″ version)
Label Mute
Songwriter(s) Martin L. Gore
Producer(s)
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Get the Balance Right!"
(1983)		"Everything Counts"
(1983)		"Love, in Itself"
(1983)
Music video
"Everything Counts" on YouTube

"Everything Counts" is a song by the English electronic band Depeche Mode, and served as the first single from their third studio album, Construction Time Again (1983). The track reached No. 6 on the UK singles chart.

Contents

A live version of the song was released as a single in 1989 to support the band's live album 101 ; this version reached No. 22 in the UK.

Background and recording

Depeche Mode had released their previous album, A Broken Frame in late 1982 and supported it with a world tour that lasted through April 1983, not counting a one-off live show in late May. [7] During those last few months of the tour, in early 1983, the band started planning their follow-up album, and agreed to record their material at The Garden studios in East London, marking the first time they didn't record their music at Blackwing Studios. [8] They entered the studio to record the new album in May/June of 1983, and "Everything Counts" was the first song released from those sessions, preceding the album Construction Time Again by one month. [9] The song represented the first release of their new sound, a "more serious" sound that they wanted to achieve as they moved away from the tone of their earlier recordings. [10] As the mixing desk at The Garden was deemed unsuitable, [a] the band chose to do final mixing for the album in West Berlin at Hansa Studios. [12] They chose to go to Hansa for final mixing for a variety of reasons: it had the only 56-track mixing desk in the world at the time, which they felt they needed for their album; it was cheaper to work and live in West Berlin than in London; Hansa studios had a "cult" reputation among bands since David Bowie had recorded there in the late 1970's, [b] and; the band wanted a change of environment, with Alan Wilder later saying "I think we were very excited because of the exotic atmosphere and Berlin's reputation - mostly artists and bohemian types. Apart from that, I'd heard that clubs and bars were open all night." [12]

Release and promotion

"Everything Counts" was the first single released from their album Construction Time Again, released in July 1983, a month before the album. [11] In the UK, the single was released by Mute Records on 7" and 12" vinyl (catalogue numbers 7BONG3 and 12BONG3, respectively). [13] A limited-edition release of the single designated L12BONG3, was released in the UK and Germany, and contained live tracks recorded in 1982 as the b-side. [14] In Germany, Intercord records released the single on vinyl and as a cassingle (catalogue number INT 426.813), Sire Records released the single promotionally on 7" vinyl in Japan (catalogue P-1799), and RCA Records released the 7" promotionally in Spain (catalogue number SPBO-7439). [13]

The b-side to the single, "Work Hard", called one of the more "experimental" Depeche Mode songs produced to date, was co-written by Martin Gore and Wilder. [15]

"Everything Counts" reached number 6 on the UK charts upon its release as a single in July 1983. [11]

Music videos

The music video for "Everything Counts" was directed by Clive Richardson in West Berlin. [11] The band returned to Richardson after not being satisfied with the work of Julien Temple for the A Broken Frame singles; according to Wilder, "It was felt that after the Julien Temple years, we needed to harden up not only our sound but also our image. Clive had lots of new ideas which didn't involve stupid storyboards where we were required to act." [16] Singer Dave Gahan later said "'Everything Counts' was the first of our videos with which we were truly happy. The early ones were not representative of us at all. When any of the early films show up on TV, as they do occasionally, we get a bit embarrassed." [11]

The video was made available on later video compilations, including Some Great Videos (1985) and Video Singles Collection (2016).

Critical reception

Ned Raggett of AllMusic said that "Depeche's proto-industrial/dance/breakbeat anthem still cuts right to the quick, a note-perfect combination of electronic innovation," and complimented Gahan's "increasing abilities with a fuller singing voice." [17]

Jason Heller of The A.V. Club described the song as "a clouded pop gem that dissolves from crystalline, sophisticated synthesizer patterns into lullaby-level singsong." He also praised the vocals, calling them "a hard/soft vocal dynamic that plays up the strengths of each and underscores the sensitive-cyborg vibe that pulses through the song." [18]

In 2017, Billboard magazine included "Everything Counts" on their list of Top 20 Depeche Mode songs, coming in at number 5. [19]

Other appearances

The studio version or remixes of "Everything Counts" were included on several later Depeche Mode compilation albums, including People Are People (1984), The Singles 81→85 (1985), Greatest Hits (1986), Remixes 81–04 (2004), The Best of Depeche Mode Volume 1 (2006), and Remixes 2: 81–11 (2011).

"Everything Counts" as a live concert track appeared on The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg (1984), 101 (1988), Devotional (1993), and Touring the Angel: Live in Milan (2006). The 101 version of the song was released as a single in 1989. (see below)

Track listing

1983 release

Notes and personnel

1989 live release

"Everything Counts" (live)
Depeche Mode Everything Counts Live.jpg
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album 101
B-side "Nothing" (live)
Released13 February 1989 (1989-02-13) [20]
Recorded18 June 1988 (1988-06-18) [20]
Venue Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) [20]
Genre
Length
  • 6:45 (7″ full version)
  • 5:46 (single version)
Label Mute
Songwriter(s) Martin L. Gore
Producer(s) Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Little 15"
(1988)		"Everything Counts" (live)
(1989)		"Personal Jesus"
(1989)
Music video
"Everything Counts" (live) on YouTube

A live version of "Everything Counts" from Depeche Mode's "Music for the Masses Tour" was released as a single in March 1989 to promote the live album 101 . [21] It was reeleased by Mute Records in the UK, Intercord Records in Germany and Virgin Records as a promo in France. [20]

1989 live single

Notes and personnel

Charts

Notes

  1. ↑ Singer Dave Gahan stated later that The Garden's desk supported "only" 24 tracks and the band wanted more flexibility for their final mix. [11]
  2. ↑ Bowie and Iggy Pop had recorded several albums at Hansa in 1976 and 1977, including Pop's Lust for Life and Bowie's Low and "Heroes"

References

  1. ↑ "Everything Counts (1983)". archives.depechemode.com. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  2. ↑ Raggett, Ned (12 March 2012). "Martin Gore On Techno, EDM, New Depeche Mode Music, & Soccer In Cali". Live 105 . Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  3. ↑ Rolland, David (4 October 2023). "10 Songs That Show Depeche Mode Are Synth-Pop Masters". Miami New Times . Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "The 25 Best Synthpop Tracks Ever". Synthtopia. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  5. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Everything Counts – Song Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 28 March 2014. Aggressive and beautiful at once, it can arguably be called the first English-language industrial pop hit.
  6. ↑ Sendra, Tim. "Pop & Wave, Vol. 1". AllMusic . Retrieved 22 August 2014. ...the collection has some of the biggest hits of the new wave era. Songs like "Cars" by Gary Numan ..... "Everything Counts" by Depeche Mode..... are the type of tunes that define the era.
  7. ↑ Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 421.
  8. ↑ Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 69.
  9. ↑ Burmeister & Lange 2017, pp. 72–79.
  10. ↑ Burmeister & Lange 2017, pp. 64–69.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Thomas, Dave (1986). Depeche Mode. Bobcat Books. ISBN   0-7119-0804-4.
  12. 1 2 Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 70.
  13. 1 2 Burmeister & Lange 2017, pp. 74–75.
  14. ↑ Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 82.
  15. ↑ Burmeister & Lange 2017, pp. 73–74.
  16. ↑ "Shunt - the official Recoil website - EDITORIALS - The Singles 8185 Report by Alan Wilder". Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  17. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Everything Counts – Depeche Mode". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  18. ↑ Heller, Jason (27 September 2011). "Depeche Mode, "Everything Counts"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  19. ↑ Bein, Kat (20 September 2017). "The 20 Best Depeche Mode Songs: Critic's Picks".
  20. 1 2 3 4 Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 178.
  21. ↑ "Depeche Mode Discography: Everything Counts (Live)" . Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  22. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Everything Counts". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  23. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2022.Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Depeche Mode" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  24. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Everything Counts" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  25. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Everything Counts" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  26. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Everything Counts". Singles Top 100.
  27. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Everything Counts". Swiss Singles Chart.
  28. 1 2 "Depeche Mode: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  29. 1 2 "Depeche Mode Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  30. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – Everything Counts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  31. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Everything Counts" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  32. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 6, no. 12. 25 March 1989. p. 25. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  33. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Everything Counts (Live)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  34. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Everything Counts". Top 40 Singles.
  35. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  36. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Everything Counts (Live)". Swiss Singles Chart.
  37. ↑ "Distribution Top Indie – Top 40 Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 11 March 1989. p. 32. ISSN   0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  38. ↑ "Depeche Mode Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  39. ↑ "Depeche Mode Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  40. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – Everything Counts (Live)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  41. ↑ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1989" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 3 May 2022.

Bibliography

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