"Just Can't Get Enough" is a song by English

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

band

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

. It was their third single, released on 7 September 1981, a month before the release of their debut studio album, '' Speak & Spell''. It was recorded during the summer of that year at

Blackwing Studios Blackwing Studios was an English recording studio, most notable for early Depeche Mode and Yazoo recordings in the early 1980s. Background The Blackwing Studios complex was housed inside a deconsecrated church in south-east London. All Hallows ...

, and was the band's first single to be released in the United States, on 18 February 1982. A

riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...

-driven

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

song, "Just Can't Get Enough" was the final single to be written by founding member

Vince Clarke Vincent John Martin (born 3 July 1960), known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously ...

, 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 ''The Singles 81→85'' is a greatest hits album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 14 October 1985 by Mute Records. The compilation was not originally released in North America, where it was replaced by its counterpar ...

'' and ''

Remixes 81–04 ''Remixes 81–04'' is a remix album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 25 October 2004. It was the band's first release since Daniel Miller's independent label Mute Records was acquired by industry major EMI in 2002. I ...

''. In addition, the single's

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

, "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 Martin Lee Gore (born 23 July 1961) is an English songwriter, musician, singer, record producer and DJ. He is one of the founding members of the electronic rock band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist an ...

) 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 The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and number 26 on the US

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

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 Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, 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

. The exterior scenes in the video are filmed at The

Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nat ...

that is, the undercroft and a now demolished stairway at the eastern corner of the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I l ...

Track listings

7": Mute / 7Mute16 (UK) # "Just Can't Get Enough"– 3:45 # "Any Second Now"– 3:08 12": Mute / 12Mute16 (UK) # "Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)" – 6:46 # "Any Second Now (Altered)" – 5:43 CD: Mute / CDMute16 (D)¹ # "Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)" – 6:46 # "Any Second Now (Altered)" – 5:43 # "Just Can't Get Enough (7" Version)" – 3:45 CD: Mute / CDMute16 (UK)² # "Just Can't Get Enough"– 3:45 # "Any Second Now"– 3:08 # "Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)" – 6:46 # "Any Second Now (Altered)"– 5:43 7": Sire / 50029-7 (US) # "Just Can't Get Enough" – 3:45 # "Tora! Tora! Tora! (Single Version)" – 4:17 CD: Sire / 40291-2 (US)² # "Just Can't Get Enough"– 3:45 # "Any Second Now"– 3:08 # "Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)" – 6:46 # "Any Second Now (Altered)"– 5:43 Notes *¹: CD released in 1988 *²: CD released in 1991 *All songs written by

except for "Tora! Tora! Tora! (Single Version)", written by

Live versions

The song was played live on almost every Depeche Mode tour and various live versions have been released on live albums and concert videos or as B-sides over the years. The schizo mix live version recorded at the London

Hammersmith Odeon The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ha ...

on October 25 in 1982 that is featured on the 1983 '' Love in Itself 2 and Live Tracks'' 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 Radio Veronica was an offshore radio station that began broadcasting in 1960, and broadcast offshore for over fourteen years. It was set up by independent radio, TV and household electrical retailers in the Netherlands to stimulate the sales ...

by various DJs and entered the Dutch and Belgian charts, making the Top 10 (even though the '' Love in Itself 2 and live tracks'' 12" officially did not qualify for the singles chart, as it was labelled a

mini-album A mini-LP or mini-album is a short vinyl record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

The Saturdays version

"Just Can't Get Enough" was covered by English-Irish

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...

the Saturdays The Saturdays were a British-Irish girl group based in London, England. The group formed during the summer of 2007 and have been on hiatus since 2014. The lineup consists of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa Wh ...

. It was one of the official

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...

singles for 2009.

Chart performance

On 8 March 2009, the song entered the

at number two, where it peaked, being beaten by

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...

's "

Right Round "Right Round" is a single performed by American rapper Flo Rida featuring guest vocals from American singer Kesha. It was released as the lead Single (music), single from his second studio album, ''R.O.O.T.S.'' (2009). It was released to radio ...

" 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 "Forever Is Over" is a song by English-Irish girl group The Saturdays, from their second studio album, ''Wordshaker''. The song was released by digital download on 5 October 2009 as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Louis ...

" and beaten by "

What About Us What About Us may refer to: * ''What About Us'' (Livin Out Loud album), or the title song * ''What About Us?'' (Ruth-Ann Boyle album), or the title song * "What About Us?" (Brandy song), 2002 * "What About Us" (Jodeci song), 1994 * "What About ...

". 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 MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95. The Microsoft Net ...

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

CD single
(Released 2 March 2009) # "Just Can't Get Enough" (Radio Mix) – 3:08 # "Golden Rules" – 3:50 Digital single
(Released 1 March 2009) # "Just Can't Get Enough" (Radio Mix) – 3:08 # "Just Can't Get Enough" (Video Mix) – 3:19 # "Just Can't Get Enough" (

Wideboys The Wideboys are an English electronic music duo known for club remixes and for their own song "Sambuca", featuring Dennis G on vocals, which reached number 15 in the UK in October 2001. Another top 40 single, "Daddy-O" featuring Shaznay Lewis, ...

Club Mix) – 5:08 # "Just Can't Get Enough" video – 3:32 iTunes Edition Only Revamped Version # "Just Can't Get Enough" (Radio Mix) – 3:08 # "Golden Rules" – 3:50 # "Just Can't Get Enough" (Video Mix) – 3:19 # "Just Can't Get Enough" (Wideboys Club Mix) – 5:08

Usage in media

* 1995, Ovalteenies commercial * 1999, GAP commercial * 2003, Hyundai commercial * 2006, H&M Commercial * 2011, promotional commercials for the film ''

Crazy, Stupid, Love ''Crazy, Stupid, Love'' is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, written by Dan Fogelman and starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon. It follows a re ...

''.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Usage in association football

In 2009, the song was adapted as a football chant by fans of

Celtic F.C. The Celtic Football Club, commonly known as Celtic (), is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigran ...

, specifically the

Green Brigade The Green Brigade are a Celtic F.C. supporter ultra group formed in 2006. They are situated in the North Curve corner section of Celtic Park. Controversy At a match against Dundee United in November 2010, there was serious disorder in the s ...

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 Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual dis ...

. 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 Blantyre () is Malawi's centre of finance and commerce, and its second largest city, with an enumerated 800,264 inhabitants . It is sometimes referred to as the commercial and industrial capital of Malawi as opposed to the political capital, L ...

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. 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

and number two on the

Scottish Singles Chart The Scottish Albums Chart is a chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) which is based on how physical and digital sales towards the UK Albums Chart fare in Scotland. The official singles chart for Scotland, the Scottish Singles Chart, ...

. As it grew in popularity, the song was adapted by fans of other football teams including English Championship side

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...

in January 2011. In February 2011, starting with the 3–2 home win over

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...

, then Premier League club

Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...

used the song when they scored a goal at the

Reebok Stadium The University of Bolton Stadium is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C. in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England. Opening in 1997, it was named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors Reebok. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming righ ...

. Also in February 2011,

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

supporters adopted the song as a tribute and encouragement for the club's new Uruguayan attacker

Luis Suárez Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Uruguayan Primera División club Nacional and the Uruguay national team. Nicknamed ''El Pistolero'' ('The Gunman'), he is ...

. Depeche Mode's Andrew Fletcher, in spite of being a supporter of rival club

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

, praised the creativeness of the Liverpool fans who adopted the song. Fletcher said that bandmate

David Gahan David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

also followed Chelsea, while

Martin L. Gore Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austra ...

is a fan of

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

Usage in politics

A play on the title of the song, "I Just Khan't Get Enough", has been used by the Labour Party to promote

Sadiq Khan Sadiq Aman Khan (; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting from 2005 until 2016. A member of the Labour Party, Khan is on the party's sof ...

Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the 1998 Greater London Authority referendum, Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first Directly elected may ...

since

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

References

Bibliography

External links

Single information from the official Depeche Mode web site

AllMusic review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode Song) 1981 songs 1981 singles 2009 singles Celtic F.C. songs Comic Relief singles Depeche Mode songs Mute Records singles Number-one singles in Scotland Polydor Records singles The Saturdays songs Song recordings produced by Daniel Miller Songs written by Vince Clarke UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles