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Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode song)

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B-side
  
"Any Second Now"

Genre
  
Synthpop, new wave

Released
  
7 September 1981

Length
  
3:41

Format
  
7" single, 12" single, CD single

Recorded
  
July 1981 Blackwing Studios, London

"Just Can't Get Enough" is a song by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released in September 1981 as the second single from their debut album, Speak and Spell (1981). 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.

Contents

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 (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, the song 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.

Content

Due to Vince Clarke's songwriting, the song has a bubbly, upbeat feel that stands in contrast to the darker, brooding feel of most later Depeche Mode songs.

Music video

"Just Can't Get Enough" was the first Depeche Mode song to get a music video. It is the only Depeche Mode video with Vince Clarke. The director was Clive Richardson.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Just Can't Get Enough":

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
CD: Mute/CDMute16 (D)1
  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)2
  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/SRE50029 (US)
  1. "Just Can't Get Enough"– 3:45
  2. "Tora! Tora! Tora!"– 4:17

Notes

  • 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.

    • Cover versions

  • Australian alternative rock band Tlot Tlot have covered the song twice, first on their live album The Live Set - Volume 1 in 1993, then on their 1995 studio album Fashion Takes a Holiday.
  • In 1997, happy hardcore DJ duo Charly Lownoise and Mental Theo covered the song as a single.
  • On 12 September 1999, Gap premiered an advertising spot directed by Pedro Romhanyi, titled "Everybody in Leather", in which "Just Can't Get Enough" was sung by a group of young adults, among whom were then-unknowns Alex Greenwald, Monet Mazur and Jason Thompson and one familiar face in the group, Aaron Lohr. The music mix being done by the Dust Brothers. On 7 October 1999, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno did a parody of the ad, which featured old men singing the song for a fictional Viagra ad.
  • In 2004, French band Nouvelle Vague adapted the song in a jazzy/bossa-nova style on the album, Nouvelle Vague (as well as on the 2005 compilation album, Acoustic 05).
  • Japanese musician Anna Tsuchiya covered the song on her 2007 single "Kuroi Namida", rearranged as a downbeat rock piece.
  • In 2008, Mika performed a cover of the song for his Live Parc des Princes Paris concert.
  • In 2011, German rockabilly band Dick Brave & The Backbeats covered the song on the album Rock'n'Roll Therapy.
  • On 14 February 2013 the song was performed on Glee by Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss).
  • In 2013, the song was covered by DMK, a band featuring Colombian artist Dicken Schrader and his children Milah and Korben, playing an ukulele and several toy instruments.
  • Due to Vince Clarke's membership in both Depeche Mode and Erasure, the latter performed a cover version of the song live.

    • The Saturdays version

    "Just Can't Get Enough" was covered by British-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 2, where it peaked, being beaten by Flo Rida's "Right Round" after being at number 1 in the midweek count, thus being the first Comic Relief single not to chart at number 1 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".

    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 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

    (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

    Usage in media

    In 2011, the song was used for promotional commercials for the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love.

    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 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 [Gormley], 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.

    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.

    It became a chant even in "de Kuip" sung by the Feyenoord audiences.

    Following Craig Mackail-Smith's transfer from Peterborough, Brighton & Hove Albion fans started singing the chant. AFC Wimbledon fans have also adapted the song with references to FA betrayal, the controversial formation of Milton Keynes Dons and a desire to return to their home town, along with their love of the club.

    It has become a regular chant in most A-League supporters groups, after the Sydney FC supporters group The Cove began singing around 2009. It also become a regular chant for the Auckland City FC supporters club the '248 service crew' when they began singing it 2011. It has also become a regular chat for the Major League Soccer sides Chicago Fire Soccer Club and Philadelphia Union and North American Soccer League sides New York Cosmos and Tampa Bay Rowdies. Major League Soccer side Toronto FC used the song as their victory song in 2016.

    In rugby league

    Many fans of Super League clubs sing the song on matchdays. Most notably, the Wigan Warriors Brigantes.

    In darts

    In 2012 it became the walk-on music for Kevin Painter.

    References

    Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode song) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA