Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode song)

"Just Can't Get Enough"
12-inch single picture sleeve
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Speak & Spell
B-side"Any Second Now"
Released7 September 1981
RecordedJuly 1981
StudioBlackwing (London)
Genre
Length
  • 3:41 (7″ version)
  • 6:46 (12″ version)
LabelMute
Songwriter(s)Vince Clarke
Producer(s)
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"New Life"
(1981) 		"Just Can't Get Enough"
(1981) 		"See You"
(1982)
Music video
"Just Can't Get Enough" on YouTube
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

"Just Can't Get Enough" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was their third single, released on 7 September 1981,[4] a month before the release of their debut studio album, Speak & 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 synth-pop 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 & Spell. The 12-inch 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 & Spell, the UK re-release of Speak & 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 is included on the UK re-release of Speak & Spell. A version including vocals (the first Depeche Mode vocals to be handled by Martin Gore) appeared on the album as "Any Second Now (Voices)". 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 (and biggest) hit in Australia, reaching number 4. A live version became a top ten hit in the Netherlands and Belgium in 1985.

Critical reception

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Upon its release, Smash Hits reviewer Tim De Lisle found the song "A less memorable but sound enough follow-up to "New Life"; well executed and good for dancing."[5]

Record World said that "music box synthesizers toy with a catchy melody line and a chorus chants the title over and over again while a tape-recorded rhythm track provides the dance beat."[6]

Music video

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The "Just Can't Get Enough" video, directed by Clive Richardson, was the band's first, and is the only video by the band to feature 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.

Personnel

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Credits sourced from Classic Pop and Electronics & Music Maker[7][8]

Depeche Mode

Additional musicians

Track listing

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All tracks written by Vince Clarke, except "Tora! Tora! Tora!", written by Martin L. Gore

7″: Mute / 7Mute16 (UK)

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 3:45
  2. "Any Second Now" – 3:08

12″: Mute / 12Mute16 (UK)

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" (Schizo mix) – 6:46
  2. "Any Second Now" (altered) – 5:43
  • Re-released in 2018 as a part of the Speak & Spell: The 12″ Singles box set

CD: Mute / Intercord Ton GmbH / CDMute16 / INT 826.801 (West Germany) – released in 1988

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" (Schizo mix) – 6:46
  2. "Any Second Now" (altered) – 5:43
  3. "Just Can't Get Enough" (7″ version) – 3:45

CD: Mute / CDMute16 (UK) – released in 1991

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 3:45
  2. "Any Second Now" – 3:08
  3. "Just Can't Get Enough" (Schizo mix) – 6:46
  4. "Any Second Now" (altered) – 5:43

7″: Sire / 50029-7 (US)

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 3:45
  2. "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (single version) – 4:17

7″: Sire promo single / SRE50029 (US)

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" (edit) (stereo) – 3:42
  2. "Just Can't Get Enough" (edit) (mono) – 3:42

7″: Sire promo single / SRE50029 (US)

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 3:42
  2. "Tora! Tora! Tora!" – 4:23

12″: Sire promo maxi-single / PRO-A-999 (US)

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 6:41
  2. "New Life" – 3:56

CD: Sire / 40291-2 (US) – released in 1991

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" – 3:45
  2. "Any Second Now" – 3:08
  3. "Just Can't Get Enough" (Schizo mix) – 6:46
  4. "Any Second Now" (altered) – 5:43

Live versions

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The song was consistently played live on Depeche Mode tours during the 1980s, with various live versions having been released. By 1990's World Violation Tour, the song had been removed from the band's standard setlist. The band stopped playing the song for many years because Gore felt that it didn't fit in with anything else the band played live. The song has however regularly featured during encores since 2005's Touring the Angel run of shows.

The Schizo mix live version recorded at the London Hammersmith Odeon on October 25 in 1982 that is featured on the 1983 "Love, in Itself" 12″ single became a hit in the Netherlands and Belgium in its own right in 1985. It was never released as a single A-side, but was played extensively on Radio Veronica by various DJs and entered the Dutch and Belgian charts, making the Top 10 (even though the "Love, in Itself" 12″ officially did not qualify for the singles chart, as it was labelled a mini-album).[9]

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Just Can't Get Enough"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[30] Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[31] Gold 250,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[32] Platinum 100,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[33] Gold 20,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[34] Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

The Saturdays version

[edit]
"Just Can't Get Enough"
Single by the Saturdays
from the album Chasing Lights (reissue)
B-side"Golden Rules"
Released1 March 2009
Recorded2009
Genre
Length3:08 (radio mix)
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)Vince Clarke
Producer(s)
The Saturdays singles chronology
"Issues"
(2009) 		"Just Can't Get Enough"
(2009) 		"Work"
(2009)
Music video
"Just Can't Get Enough" on YouTube

"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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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.

Track listing

[edit]

CD single
(released 2 March 2009)

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" (radio mix) – 3:08
  2. "Golden Rules" – 3:50

Digital single
(released 1 March 2009)

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" (radio mix) – 3:08
  2. "Just Can't Get Enough" (video mix) – 3:19
  3. "Just Can't Get Enough" (Wideboys club mix) – 5:08
  4. "Just Can't Get Enough" video – 3:32 (iTunes edition only)

Revamped version

  1. "Just Can't Get Enough" (radio mix) – 3:08
  2. "Golden Rules" – 3:50
  3. "Just Can't Get Enough" (video mix) – 3:19
  4. "Just Can't Get Enough" (Wideboys club mix) – 5:08

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Just Can't Get Enough"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[43] Silver 284,472[42]

Usage in association football

[edit]
Charity single "Just Can't Get Enough" by the Good Child Foundation

In 2009, the song was adapted as a football chant by fans of Celtic F.C., specifically the Green Brigade fans.[44]

In an interview with football website Goal.com, Depeche Mode keyboardist Andy 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."[44]

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 the Scottish town of 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. In February 2011, after returning to Blantyre, Gormley was stabbed to death at the age of 19. The Thai Tims' videotaped tribute version of "Just Can't Get Enough" went viral.[45] In memory of Reamonn Gormley, Celtic FC and Celtic Charity Fund released it as a charity single on 8 May 2011[46] with proceeds going to the Good Child Foundation in Thailand and Crime Stoppers in Scotland.[citation needed] It reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart and number two on the Scottish Singles Chart.[47]

As it grew in popularity, the song was adapted by fans of other football teams including English Championship side Burnley in January 2011.[48][better source needed] Also, in February 2011, Liverpool supporters adopted the song as a tribute and encouragement for the club's new Uruguayan attacker Luis Suárez. Depeche Mode's Andy Fletcher, in spite of being a supporter of rival club Chelsea, praised the creativeness of the Liverpool fans who adopted the song. Fletcher said that bandmate Dave Gahan also followed Chelsea, while Martin Gore is a fan of Arsenal.[44]

The song was also played by Nottingham Forest for their former manager Steve Cooper after a home win at the City Ground.[49]

References

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  1. ^
    • Flick, Larry (19 May 2001). "In a Relaxed Mode For 'Exciter'". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 20. p. 11. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
    • Miller 2009, p. 6
    • Raggett, Ned. "Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
    • "Top 40 synth-pop songs". Classic Pop Magazine. 13 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Top 10 Depeche Mode Songs". About.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  3. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Just Can't Get Enough – Depeche Mode". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  4. ^ Miller 2009, p. 135.
  5. ^ De Lisle, Tim (17 September 1981). "Singles". Smash Hits. p. 28.
  6. ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. 6 March 1982. p. 8. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Making Depeche Mode: Speak And Spell". classicpopmag.com. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  8. ^ Howell, Steve (May 1982). "Depeche Mode (EMM May 1982)". Electronics & Music Maker (May 1982): 40–41.
  9. ^ "Classic Single: Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough (Live)" (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  10. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 88. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 17. 1 May 1982. p. 57. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  13. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Just Can't Get Enough". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  15. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  16. ^ "Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  17. ^ "Depeche Mode: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  18. ^ Lazell, Barry (1997). "Depeche Mode". Indie Hits 1980–1989: The Complete U.K. Independent Charts (Singles & Albums). Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-95172-069-4. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  19. ^ "Depeche Mode Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough (Live)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 14, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough (Live)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  23. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  24. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  26. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. No. 445. 3 January 1983 – via Imgur.
  27. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1985 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  28. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  29. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  30. ^ "Danish single certifications – Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  31. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Depeche Mode; 'Just Can't Get Enough')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  32. ^ "Italian single certifications – Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  33. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  35. ^ "British single certifications – Depeche Mode – Just Can't Get Enough". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  36. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 11. 21 March 2009. p. 54. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  37. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  38. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  39. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200919 into search. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  40. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  41. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2009". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  42. ^ Jones, Alan (25 March 2013). "Official Charts Analysis: Timberlake album tops 100k sales in one week". Music Week. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  43. ^ "British single certifications – Saturdays – Just Can't Get Enough". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  44. ^ a b c Duchateau, Francois (22 April 2011). "Depeche Mode keyboard player Andy Fletcher delighted with 'Just Can't Get Enough' chants at Celtic and Liverpool". Goal.com. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  45. ^ Videotaped version by the Thai Tims of "Just Can't Get Enough" on YouTube
  46. ^ "Out Promotion – National Radio & TV PR // Regional Radio". Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  47. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  48. ^ Tony Scholes. "Clarets' fans Just Can't Get Enough". Clarets-mad.co.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  49. ^ Carruthers, Ed (10 February 2022). "Nottingham Forest supporters sneak speaker into Ewood park and blast out 'Just Can't Get Enough'". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 15 May 2023.

Bibliography

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[edit]
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