Everything Counts


"Everything Counts" is a 1983 song by the electronic band Depeche Mode from the album Construction Time Again. The single was re-released on 13 February 1989 to support the live album 101.

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. In addition to "found" sounds used as samples, the single also samples a variety of musical instruments, such as the xylophone and a melodica.
It was also the first song in the band's catalogue which includes both of the band's singers prominently. Lead singer Dave Gahan sings the lead vocals on the verses, while main songwriter Martin 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.

Live performances and re-release

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. 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 would be re-released as a single in live form, to promote the live album 101. All live tracks from the release were recorded on 18 June 1988 at the Pasadena Rose 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.
It also appears in Devotional as the closer. It was played during the first two legs of Touring the Angel in the first encore, and also appears on the -DVD.
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. An unreleased Oliver Huntemann & Stephan Bodzin remix contains more vocal parts from the original version.

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 Alan 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." In the original music video, the xylophone, the melodica, and the shawm are played by Alan Wilder, Martin 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 Dave Gahan for the first time appeared blonde-haired, losing his natural black colour of hair.
The "Everything Counts " video was directed by D.A. Pennebaker. The video not only includes portions of the live performance, but also contains 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 that is credited to both Martin Gore and Alan Wilder.
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 ", although sometimes 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" inch version is the "Absolut Mix", remixed by Alan Moulder. 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 on the Construction Time Again album. Specifically, it is the ending of "Everything Counts " 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 the 1997 album Ultra.

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" 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.

Track listing

1983 release

7": Mute / 7Bong3 & Sire / 7-29482
  1. "Everything Counts"
  2. "Work Hard"
12": Mute / 12Bong3 & Sire / 0-20165
  1. "Everything Counts "
  2. "Work Hard "
12": Mute / L12Bong3
  1. "Everything Counts"
  2. "New Life "
  3. "Boys Say Go! "
  4. "Nothing to Fear "
  5. "The Meaning of Love "
CD : Mute / CDBong3
  1. "Everything Counts"
  2. "Work Hard"
  3. "Everything Counts "
  4. "Work Hard "
Notes and personnel
7": Mute / Bong16
  1. "Everything Counts"
  2. "Nothing"
12"/CD: Mute / 12Bong16 / CDBong16
  1. "Everything Counts"
  2. "Nothing"
  3. "Sacred"
  4. "A Question of Lust"
10": Mute / 10Bong16
  1. "Everything Counts "
  2. "Everything Counts "
  3. "Nothing"
  4. "Everything Counts "
Limited 12"/CD: Mute / L12Bong16 / LCDBong16
  1. "Everything Counts "
  2. "Nothing "
  3. "Strangelove "
as "Bomb the Bass Mix", "Zip Hop Mix" and "Highjack Mix", respectively.
CD : Mute / CDBong16X
  1. "Everything Counts "
  2. "Nothing "
  3. "Sacred "
  4. "A Question of Lust "
  5. "Everything Counts "
  6. "Nothing "
  7. "Strangelove "
  8. "Everything Counts "
  9. "Everything Counts
  10. "Nothing"
  11. "Everything Counts "
7": Sire / 7-22993
  1. "Everything Counts "
  2. "Nothing "
12": Sire / 0-21183
  1. "Everything Counts "
  2. "Everything Counts "
  3. "Nothing "
  4. "Everything Counts "
  5. "Sacred "
  6. "A Question of Lust "
Cassette: Sire / 4-22993
  1. "Everything Counts "
  2. "Nothing "
Notes and personnel

1983 release

1989 live release

Appearances

The 2007 single Escape to the Stars by German glam-rock band Cinema Bizarre sampled "Everything Counts".
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.
The song is featured on the ' soundtrack. It is played on the video game's radio '.