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People Are People

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For the compilation album, see People Are People (album).

"People Are People"
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Some Great Reward
B-side"In Your Memory"
Released12 March 1984
StudioHansa Mischraum (Berlin)[1]
Genre
Length
  • 3:43 (7″/single version)
  • 3:52 (album version)
  • 7:11 (12″ version)
LabelMute
Songwriter(s)Martin L. Gore
Producer(s)
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Love, in Itself"
(1983) 		"People Are People"
(1984) 		"Master and Servant"
(1984)
Music video
"People Are People" on YouTube

"People Are People" is a song by British electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 12 March 1984 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Some Great Reward (1984). Recorded at Hansa Mischraum in West Berlin, it was the band's biggest hit to date: it hit number 1 in West Germany, was the first Top 20 single in the United States, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was their highest charting single in the UK to date, hitting number 4.

RuPaul recorded a cover of the song for their 2004 album Red Hot; a subsequent single release of that version in 2006 was a top 10 hit on the US dance charts.

Background and recording

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Depeche Mode had released their previous studio album, Construction Time Again in August 1983 and had followed up with a tour that ran from September through December that year, although the band played a variety of one-off shows through June 1984.[7] Starting in December 1983,[8] as their tour wrapped up, they started their recording sessions at Music Works Studios in North London.[9] Their initial plan had been record the album in London before going back to West Berlin to Hansa Studios to mix and master the album, as they had done for Construction Time Again, but due to recording taking longer than planned (they had rented a room at Music Works only for a short time), most of the recording for the album actually took place at Hansa.[9] The band wanted to shed the "teenybopper" image they'd acquired with the first album and early singles,[10] and felt that the "big" sound produced at Hansa combined with their improved songwriting and image, they were starting to be taken more seriously as musicians.[11] "People Are People" continued with the socially- and politically-conscious themes of their songs,[12] as they had started on Construction Time Begins.[13] According to songwriter Martin Gore, the song is about racism; Alan Wilder suggested that it could also be about war.[14]

The song included heavy use of sampled sounds: samples included running water, doors creaking, and the sound of hitting an anvil, plus "everything from acoustic bass drums through to an airline hostess going through pre take-off drill".[12][15] In 2017 Gahan elaborated: "We were using all these tape loops to create rhythms and the technology was quite advanced, but it wasn't anything like it is today [35 years later], the things that you can do. We used to go into studios, and the first thing we'd do, we'd ask where the kitchen was – literally for pots and pans and things that we could throw down the stairs, and record the rhythms they would make crashing around, and then make it into loops."[16]

The single's b-side, "In Your Memory", was written by Wilder.[17]

Release and reception

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"People Are People" was released on 12 March 1984,[18] a full 6 months before the album it appeared on, Some Great Reward.[19] UK released the single on 7", 12" and Limited 12" vinyl with catalogue numbers 7BONG5, 12BONG5 and L12BONG5, respectively.[20] Label Intercord released the single in Germany, with catalogue numbers INT 111.818, INT 126.820, and INT 126.821, respectively, and all on colored vinyl.[21] The limited 12" release was notable for having the first remix by an outside remixer: Adrian Sherwood.[22] Sherwood's mix was a "radical" step away from the structure and sound of the original song, and was one of the earliest examples of the growing importance of remixes in the music industry.[22]

In the US, the song was not released until 11 July 1984, though it did not reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart until May 1985, and was initially played only on modern rock and college radio. The single would eventually peak at number 13, and was at that time, the best-performing Depeche Mode track in the US.[17] In the UK, the single reached number four, which was at the time the band's highest singles chart position in their home country.[17]

In West Germany, the song reached number one and was used as the theme to West German TV's coverage of the 1984 Summer Olympics, alluding to East Germany's participation in the Soviet-led boycott of the games.[22]

In 1990, Dave Gahan listed the song among some of the music he "regrets", calling "People Are People" "too nice, too commercial".[23] It has not been played live since 1988.[24] Although Gore dislikes the song he also recognises that "without it, we might not have been around as a band right now",[25] and Gahan conceded that "People Are People" "was the first song of ours that made a dent, really, into popular radio".[16]

In 2011, the song was included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".[26]

"People Are People" in its original or in remixed form appeared in later compilation releases, including People Are People (1984), The Singles 81→85 (1985), Greatest Hits (1987), Remixes 81–04 (2004), and The Best of Depeche Mode Volume 1 (2006).

"People Are People" appeared in its live form on The World We Live In and Live in Hamburg (1985) and 101 (1989).

Music video

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Clive Richardson directed the "People Are People" video.[27] It featured footage of various military scenes from the Cold War, mixed with footage of the band aboard the British warship HMS Belfast.[17][28] The video appears on the video collections Some Great Videos (1985) and Video Singles Collection (2016).

Track listings

[edit]
  • 7-inch single
A. "People Are People" – 3:43
B. "In Your Memory" – 4:01
  • 12-inch single
A. "People Are People" (Different Mix) – 7:11
B. "In Your Memory" (Slik Mix) – 8:12
  • UK and German limited-edition 12-inch single
A. "People Are People" (On-USound Mix by Adrian Sherwood) – 7:30
B1. "People Are People" – 3:43
B2. "In Your Memory" – 4:01
  • US 12-inch single
A. "People Are People" (Different Mix) – 7:11
B1. "People Are People" (On-USound Mix) – 7:30
B2. "In Your Memory" – 4:01

"In Your Memory" is falsely labeled as the "Slik Mix Edit"

  • French and German CD single (1988)
  1. "People Are People" (Different Mix) – 7:11
  2. "In Your Memory" (Slik Mix) – 8:12
  3. "People Are People" (7″ Version) – 3:50
  • UK CD single (1991)
  1. "People Are People" – 3:43
  2. "In Your Memory" – 4:01
  3. "People Are People" (Different Mix) – 7:11
  4. "In Your Memory" (Slik Mix) – 8:12

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "People Are People"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[55] Silver 250,000^
United States (RIAA)[56] Gold 500,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

RuPaul version

[edit]
"People Are People"
Single by RuPaul
from the album ReWorked
Released26 January 2006
Recorded2004
GenreDance
LabelRuCo
Songwriter(s)Martin L. Gore
Producer(s)
  • RuPaul
  • Tom Trujillo
RuPaul singles chronology
"Workout"
(2005) 		"People Are People"
(2006) 		"Call Me Starrbooty"
(2007)

American drag queen RuPaul covered "People Are People" in 2004 for his fourth studio album, Red Hot. His version, which features Tom Trujillo, was released as a retail single on 26 January 2006 to promote the remix album ReWorked. It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Track listing

[edit]
  • CD single
  1. "People Are People" (Craig C. Radio) – 4:42
  2. "People Are People" (Giuseppe D's Rutroactive Club) – 8:20
  3. "The Price of One" (Craig C. Ru Edit) – 6:43
  4. "People Are People" (Craig C. Main Vocal) – 8:01
  5. "The Price of One" (Craig C.'s Mo' Trippin' Dub) – 10:02
  6. "People Are People" (Goodandevil) – 3:42
  7. "People Are People" (DJ Record Player's SSSnakin' Breakin') – 7:11
  8. "The Price of One" (Craig C.'s Mo' Trippin' Beats) – 2:41
  9. "People Are People" (Craig C. Dub) – 8:01
  10. "I Just Can't Wait" (Till Christmas) – 2:42

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "People Are People"
Chart (2006) Peak
position
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[57] 10

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Record News". NME. London. 10 March 1984. p. 40. ISSN 0028-6362.
  2. ^ "In a Relaxed Mode For 'Exciter'". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 20. 19 May 2001. p. 11. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books. the searing synth-pop sound that sparked a string of hits ("Just Can't Get Enough," "People Are People," ...
  3. ^ Rolland, David (4 October 2023). "10 Songs That Show Depeche Mode Are Synth-Pop Masters". Miami New Times. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  4. ^ Norton, Justin M. (7 November 2012). "The 10 Best Depeche Mode Songs". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  5. ^ Bein, Kat (20 September 2017). "The 20 Best Depeche Mode Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  6. ^ Mason, Stewart. "People Are People – Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 June 2013. "People Are People" was the single that introduced Depeche Mode's next-level sound as the group that made industrial music (à la Einsturzende Neubauten or Test Dept.)
  7. ^ Burmeister & Lange 2017, pp. 421–422.
  8. ^ Thomas 1986.
  9. ^ a b Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 98.
  10. ^ Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 108.
  11. ^ Burmeister & Lange 2017, pp. 98–108.
  12. ^ a b Thomas 1986, p. 42.
  13. ^ Burmeister & Lange 2017, pp. 79–100.
  14. ^ Reid, Jim (10 March 1984). "Clunk Clunk Every Trip" (PDF). Record Mirror. p. 12. ISSN 0144-5804 – via World Radio History.
  15. ^ Burmeister & Lange 2017, pp. 93–98.
  16. ^ a b Greenblatt, Leah (23 March 2017). "David Gahan reveals stories behind Depeche Mode's biggest hits". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  17. ^ a b c d Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 93.
  18. ^ "The games people play" (PDF). Record Mirror. 10 March 1984. p. 6. ISSN 0144-5804 – via World Radio History. Their new song is called 'People Are People' and comes out on March 12.
  19. ^ Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 104.
  20. ^ Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 95.
  21. ^ Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 97.
  22. ^ a b c Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 94.
  23. ^ Maconie, Stuart (17 February 1990). "Sin Machine". NME. pp. 34–35. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived from the original on 4 January 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  24. ^ "People Are People by Depeche Mode". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  25. ^ "People Are People - Depeche Mode Live Wiki". dmlive.wiki. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  26. ^ "Experience The Music: One Hit Wonders and The Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  27. ^ Burmeister & Lange 2017, p. 129.
  28. ^ Wilder, Alan. "Q+A / Depeche Mode / Some Great Reward". Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ "Depeche Mode – People Are People" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  31. ^ "Depeche Mode – People Are People" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  32. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0576." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  33. ^ "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 1, no. 3. 16 April 1984. p. 8. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  34. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – People Are People". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  35. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 20, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  36. ^ "Depeche Mode – People Are People" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  37. ^ "Depeche Mode – People Are People". VG-lista. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  38. ^ "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts D". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  39. ^ "Depeche Mode – People Are People". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  40. ^ "Depeche Mode – People Are People". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  41. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  42. ^ 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 February 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  43. ^ "Depeche Mode Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  44. ^ "Depeche Mode Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  45. ^ "Depeche Mode Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  46. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending August 17, 1985". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012.
  47. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Depeche Mode – People Are People" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  48. ^ "Depeche Mode – People Are People" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  49. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  50. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1984 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  51. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  52. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  53. ^ "Top 100 Singles (January 3–December 29, 1984)" (PDF). Music Week. 26 January 1985. p. 37. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  54. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1984" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  55. ^ "British single certifications – Depeche Mode – People Are People". British Phonographic Industry. 1 May 1984. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  56. ^ "American single certifications – Depeche Mode – People Are People". Recording Industry Association of America. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  57. ^ "RuPaul Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 January 2011.

Bibliography

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