Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode song)
"Just Can't Get Enough" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was their third single, released in September 1981, a month before the release of their debut album, Speak and Spell. It was recorded during the summer of that year at Blackwing Studios, and was the band's first single to be released in the United States, on 18 February 1982. A riff-driven synthpop song, "Just Can't Get Enough" was the final single to be written by founding member Vince Clarke, who left the band in November 1981.
The single version of "Just Can't Get Enough" is the same version that appears on the UK version of Speak and Spell. The 12" single featured a "Schizo Mix", which is an extended version with additional synth parts adding a sinister feel to the track. This version appears on the US version of Speak and Spell, the UK re-release of Speak and Spell, the re-release of The Singles 81→85 and Remixes 81–04.
In addition, the single's B-side, "Any Second Now", was the first commercially available Depeche Mode instrumental. It shows up on the UK rerelease of Speak and Spell. A version including vocals appeared on the album as "Any Second Now ". There is also an extended version, the "Altered" Mix. In the United States, the B-side is "Tora! Tora! Tora!". On the album, "Tora! Tora! Tora!" is crossfaded with the previous track, "Photographic", but on the single, the introduction is clean.
The single reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart and number 26 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, making it their highest-charting single at the time on both counts. It also became the band's first hit in Australia, reaching number 4.
Music video
The "Just Can't Get Enough" video, directed by Clive Richardson, was the band's first, and is the only video by the band which includes Vince Clarke.The exterior scenes in the video are filmed at The Southbank Centre that is, the undercroft and a now demolished stairway at the eastern corner of the Royal Festival Hall.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Just Can't Get Enough":7": Mute / 7Mute16
- "Just Can't Get Enough"– 3:45
- "Any Second Now"– 3:08
- "Just Can't Get Enough " – 6:46
- "Any Second Now " – 5:43
- "Just Can't Get Enough " – 6:46
- "Any Second Now " – 5:43
- "Just Can't Get Enough " – 3:45
- "Just Can't Get Enough"– 3:45
- "Any Second Now"– 3:08
- "Just Can't Get Enough " – 6:46
- "Any Second Now "– 5:43
- "Just Can't Get Enough" – 3:45
- "Tora! Tora! Tora! " – 4:17
- "Just Can't Get Enough"– 3:45
- "Any Second Now"– 3:08
- "Just Can't Get Enough " – 6:46
- "Any Second Now "– 5:43
- 1: CD released in 1988
- 2: CD released in 1991
- All songs written by Vince Clarke except for "Tora! Tora! Tora! ", written by Martin Gore.
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Chart | Peak position |
Chart | Peak position |
Scotland | 26 |
UK | 74 |
Certifications
The Saturdays version
"Just Can't Get Enough" was covered by English-Irish girl group The Saturdays. It was one of the official Comic Relief singles for 2009.Chart performance
On 8 March 2009, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number two, where it peaked, being beaten by Flo Rida's "Right Round" after being at number one in the midweek count, thus being the first Comic Relief single not to chart at number one in 14 years. However, it gave The Saturdays their highest chart placing at the time, outpeaking and outselling the original track, plus it marked their fourth consecutive top ten hit in the UK. The success of this single was later matched by "Forever Is Over" and beaten by "What About Us". In Scotland, the song reached number one for a week, becoming their highest-charting single on that chart alongside "What About Us". In 2010, it received a Silver certification from the BPI for sales exceeding 200,000 copies.Music video
The music video premiered on MSN on 9 February 2009. The video shows each girl singing in a mock-'50s pin-up calendar and uses a different edit of the song, known as the "Video Mix", than the single version. It was directed by Harvey B-Brown. U2's drummer Larry Mullen Jr. also appears in the video.Track listing
CD single- "Just Can't Get Enough" — 3:08
- "Golden Rules" — 3:50
- "Just Can't Get Enough" — 3:08
- "Just Can't Get Enough" — 3:19
- "Just Can't Get Enough" — 5:08
- "Just Can't Get Enough" video — 3:32 iTunes Edition Only
- "Just Can't Get Enough" — 3:08
- "Golden Rules" — 3:50
- "Just Can't Get Enough" — 3:19
- "Just Can't Get Enough" — 5:08
Usage in media
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
In popular culture
Football chant for Celtic F.C.In 2009 the song was adapted as a football chant by fans of Celtic F.C., specifically the Green Brigade fans.
In an interview with football website Goal.com, Depeche Mode keyboardist Andrew Fletcher commented on the use of the song by Celtic fans: "We feel honoured that the Celtic faithful are chanting our songs and are touched by it. The best thing is that they know the entire lyrics."
The football chant was also sung by Thai children from the Good Child Foundation also known as the Thai Tims, made up of children with Down syndrome. The song had been taught to them by Reamonn Gormley, a young Celtic youth team player and avid Celtic fan from Blantyre who had gone to Thailand as a volunteer English language teacher for Good Child Foundation and would use English songs to teach English to them, including, amongst others, Celtic chants. Gormley was stabbed to death upon his return to Blantyre on 1 February 2011. He was just 19. The Thai Tims' videotaped tribute version of "Just Can't Get Enough" citing "Reamonn , Jinky Johnstone and Tommy Burns will be smiling down from heaven on all of us" went viral. In memory of Reamonn Gormley, Celtic FC and Celtic Charity Fund released it as a charity single on 8 May 2011 with proceeds going to the Good Child Foundation in Thailand and Crime Stoppers in Scotland. It reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart and number two on the Scottish Singles Chart.
Adaptations for other football clubs
As it grew in popularity, the song was adapted by fans of other football teams. The first team to adapt it was English Championship side Burnley in January 2011. In February 2011, starting with the 3–2 home win over Aston Villa, then Premier League club Bolton Wanderers used the song when they scored a goal at the Reebok Stadium. Also in February 2011, Liverpool supporters adopted the song as a tribute and encouragement for the club's new Uruguayan attacker Luis Suárez. Asked about the Liverpool supporters' adoption of the song, Depeche Mode's Andrew Fletcher, in spite of being a supporter of rival club Chelsea, acknowledged their creativeness: "It's breathtaking to see the enthusiasm in the stands when they're chanting the song." Finally, he explained that bandmate David Gahan also followed Chelsea, while Martin L. Gore is a fan of Arsenal.
Following Craig Mackail-Smith's transfer from Peterborough, Brighton & Hove Albion fans started singing the chant.
In rugby league
Many fans of Super League clubs sing the song on matchdays. Most notably, the Wigan Warriors Brigantes.
Usage in Politics
A play on the title of the song, "I Just Khan't get enough", is often used by the Labour Party to promote Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London since 2016 and Labour candidate in the upcoming 2021 London mayoral election.