DEPECHE MODE - EVERYTHING COUNTS

Released : July 11, 1983

Charted:  UK: #6 

"Everything Counts" is a song from their 1983 third studio album “Construction Time Again” A live version of the song was released in 1989 to support the band's live album “101”. The original single reached #6 on the UK Singles Charts, whereas the live version reached #22. It’s the first song to have both Martin Gore and Dave Gahan sing prominently at different times and was quick to become one of the fan favourites when they toured. 

The studio version of “Everything Counts” is a standout and one of Depeche Mode’s biggest early hits. However, this 1989 live version reigns supreme. Made by a more mature band the finale of “101” benefits hugely from stronger vocals from Martin Gore. During the chorus of the original 1983 take, his falsetto was still coming into its own, but six years later it’s fully realized—not to mention more powerfully contrasted against Dave Gahan’s low-pitched lamentations.

Martin Gore to NME in 1983: "I think 'Everything Counts' was partly inspired by going to Thailand as well that's where the oriental flavour comes in, like Korea 'n' all that. But you go over there and all the hotels are full of, like, businessmen and basically they tend to treat people as though they're nothing. All they're interested in is their business — that's what I really hate about big business, people just don't seem to matter. Just money. You see all the women over there 'n' they're all prostitutes — that's the only way they can make any money. 'Course, the businessmen love it. Work [will "remove the stains"]. It's no good just sitting back and hoping things'll change, you've got to actually work together. The material's there; it's like, there's enough food in the world to feed everybody and then half the world's eating three quarters of it and the rest of the world's starving. But the food is there. There is a solution. The thing is, the people in power don't care about someone with a low wage, they only care about their own power. But I think people should care about other people, y'know, cos from the moment we're born we're put into competition with everybody else. I really don't understand why people go into politics — what makes someone at 16 or 17 decide to go into parliament? It's got to be people themselves. People's attitudes have got to be changed. For instance, when I wrote "All we need's universal revolution", I didn't mean, like, everyone to take up arms, but more a total change of attitude. That's what's needed. People's attitudes have got to be changed. You've got to look at the world to change things. Attitudes in the world, poverty in the world.