"Everything Counts" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode from their third studio album Construction Time Again (1983).[5] A live version of the song was released in 1989 to support the band's live album 101. The original single reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart, whereas the live version reached No. 22.
Background and themes
The single introduced a transition in lyrical content for the group. "Everything Counts" specifically addresses the issue of corporate greed and corruption in Britain, as the chorus sings of "grabbing hands" that "grab all they can". Perhaps surprisingly, the single was released at a time when the band itself was not under a formal contract with Mute Records (Gore publishes his songs under the name "Grabbing Hands Music"). In addition to "found" sounds used as samples, the single also samples a variety of musical instruments, such as the xylophone and a melodica (which main songwriter Martin Gore has been known to play on stage for the song).
It was also the first song in the band's catalogue that includes both of the band's singers prominently (at different times). Lead vocalist Dave Gahan sings the lead vocals on the verses, while Gore sings the lead vocals on the chorus with backing from Alan Wilder. When the song has been performed live, the chorus has been sung by all of the band's members except Gahan, as it appeared in the video for the single. Many live versions of the song also feature Wilder singing countermelody to Gahan during the second verse (repeating "the graph" after each line).
The song would quickly catch on as a fan favourite at the band's concerts and was used as the opening song for the Construction Time Again tour.[6] The first live version of the song to appear on a commercial release came from the Some Great Reward tour in 1984, when a recording from a show in Liverpool appeared on the double A-sided "Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody" single. During the Music for the Masses tour, the band used "Everything Counts" as the final encore and, in 1989, the song was re-released as a single in live form, to promote the live album 101. The video for this version intercut footage of the live performance with footage from the tour itself, related to the lyrics (for example, the lyric "The holiday was fun packed" being followed by a shot of Gahan eating breakfast poolside in Speedos).
All live tracks from the release were recorded on 18 June 1988 at the PasadenaRose Bowl during the final performance of the aforementioned Music for the Masses tour. This version of the song is famous for the recording of the crowd continuing to sing the chorus long after the music had stopped.
"Everything Counts" was also remixed and re-released in 2006. The "Oliver Huntemann & Stephan Bodzin dub" is featured on the limited edition release of the single "Martyr".
Music videos
The music video for "Everything Counts" was directed by Clive Richardson in West Berlin. The band returned to Richardson after not being satisfied with the work of Julien Temple for the A Broken Frame singles. Richardson had previously directed the video for "Just Can't Get Enough" two years earlier. 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."[7]
In the original music video, the marimba, the melodica, and the shawm are played by Wilder, Gore, and Andy Fletcher, respectively. The shawm, however, is produced by a synthesizer on the studio recording, but the band used the real shawm in the music video and television performances, for show. In this video, frontman Gahan for the first time appeared with blonde hair, losing his natural black hair colour.
The live video was directed by D. A. Pennebaker. The video not only includes portions of the live performance but also various references to the money made from merchandise and ticket sales at the concert, humorously connected to the song's theme of corruption and greed.
B-side
The original release's B-side, "Work Hard", is notable in that it is the first Depeche Mode song (excluding instrumentals) that is credited to both Gore and Wilder (the only other case of this is 1986's "Black Day", an alternate version of "Black Celebration", credited to Gore, Wilder, and Daniel Miller).
The B-side of the live re-release is a live recording of "Nothing", a track from Music for the Masses. The 12″ release also includes live recordings of "Sacred" and "A Question of Lust".
Song versions
Remixes
On the original release, there was only one remix available. The 12″ version of the single is called "Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts)", although sometimes (such as on the US release of Construction Time Again) it is referred to simply as the "long version".
The live re-release of the single, however, contains a plethora of mixes, from a variety of remixers, despite the fact that the standard 7″ and 12″ versions contained no remixes. This release is first Depeche Mode single to be released in a 10″ vinyl format; the A-side of the 10″ version is the "Absolut mix", remixed by Alan Moulder (certain versions refer to this mix as the "Alan Moulder mix"). The B-side included the original release's 12″ version as well as the "reprise", a 55-second reprisal of the song's chorus originally placed following the final track ("And Then...") on the Construction Time Again album. Specifically, it is the ending of "Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts)" with the beat removed.
The limited edition 12″ version is the "Bomb the Bass mix", remixed by Tim Simenon and Mark Saunders. Simenon would eventually be used by the band as a producer, for their ninth studio album Ultra (1997).
B-side remixes
A variety of mixes of other songs would appear on these single releases as well. On the 1983 release, the 12″ B-side contains an extended version of "Work Hard" titled the "East End remix".
Two remixes of "Nothing" appear on the 1989 release as well, including the "remix edit" (sometimes referred to as the "US 7″ mix" as it was the 7″ B-side to the US-only single "Strangelove '88") and the "Zip Hop mix" by Justin Strauss.
A remix of "Strangelove" also appeared on the B-side of the limited edition 12″ vinyl, referred to as the "Highjack mix" by Tim Simenon and Mark Saunders, who also mixed the A-side.
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."[5]
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."[8]
Track listing
1983 release
7″: Mute / 7Bong3 (UK) & Sire / 7-29482 (US)
"Everything Counts" – 3:58
"Work Hard" – 4:21
12″: Mute / 12Bong3 (UK) & Sire / 0-20165 (US)
"Everything Counts" (In Larger Amounts) – 7:18
"Work Hard" (East End remix) – 6:57
12″: Mute / L12Bong3 (UK)
"Everything Counts" (7″ version) – 3:58
"New Life" (live) – 4:12
"Boys Say Go!" (live) – 2:36
"Nothing to Fear" (live) – 4:28
"The Meaning of Love" (live) – 3:14
CD (1991): Mute / CDBong3 (UK)
"Everything Counts" – 3:58
"Work Hard" – 4:21
"Everything Counts" (In Larger Amounts) – 7:18
"Work Hard" (East End remix) – 6:57
Notes and personnel
Depeche Mode in 1983 was: Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher, and Alan Wilder.
"Everything Counts", "Nothing to Fear", and "The Meaning of Love" written by Martin Gore.
"Work Hard" written by Martin Gore and Alan Wilder.
"New Life" and "Boys Say Go!" written by Vince Clarke.
In 2011, the song was covered by DMK, a band featuring Colombian artist Dicken Schrader and his children Milah and Korben, playing toys and common utensils as musical instruments. The YouTube video went viral in 2012 and it currently has more hits than Depeche Mode's original remastered video.[29][30][31]
^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.
^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.
^"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".
