People Are People (album)
| People Are People | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 2 July 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1981–1984 | |||
| Length | 43:00 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Depeche Mode chronology | ||||
| ||||
People Are People is a compilation album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released in North America by Sire Records on 2 July 1984.[1][2] Sire sensed it needed a new approach in its release policy since the band's 1983 effort Construction Time Again had failed to chart in the US.
Two of the nine tracks were new to the American audience: the latest single "People Are People" and "Now, This Is Fun", the B-side of the non-American 7" "See You". It was also the first time that the 7" versions of "Leave in Silence" and "Get the Balance Right!" were released in the United States. The album version of "Love, in Itself" was selected for this compilation, but with a "clean" ending, since on Construction Time Again the track fades into "More Than a Party".
The album was released in July 1984 to relatively little notice. It re-entered the charts and sold better, when the title track became a summer hit in 1985.[3] The album later was certified Gold by the RIAA for shipments of half a million copies.[4] Its success led to the release of yet another compilation album in late 1985: Catching Up with Depeche Mode.
The album, with photography by Brian Griffin,[5] was originally released on LP and CD with the band name and album name missing from the album cover. These names were then added to the covers for later re-releases.
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
AllMusic were mixed in their reception to the album, rating the album two-and-a-half stars out of five.[6]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Martin L. Gore, except "Work Hard", written by Gore and Alan Wilder. All vocals by Dave Gahan, except "Pipeline", sung by Gore
| No. | Title | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "People Are People" | Some Great Reward | 3:45 |
| 2. | "Now This Is Fun" | "See You" 7-inch single | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Love, in Itself" | Construction Time Again | 4:21 |
| 4. | "Work Hard" | "Everything Counts" 7-inch single | 4:21 |
| 5. | "Told You So" | Construction Time Again | 4:27 |
| 6. | "Get the Balance Right!" | Non-album single | 3:13 |
| 7. | "Leave in Silence" | A Broken Frame | 4:00 |
| 8. | "Pipeline" | Construction Time Again | 6:10 |
| 9. | "Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts)" | "Everything Counts" 12-inch single | 7:20 |
| Total length: | 43:00 | ||
Release history
[edit]| Country | Release date | Cat. no. |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2 July 1984 | LP: Sire 9 25124-1 |
| United States | Cas: Sire 9 25124-4 | |
| CD (US, Can) | 16 March 1987 | CD: Sire 9 25124-2 |
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ "People Are People". depechemode.com. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- ^ "DEPMOD · People Are People". Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 - August 3, 1985". Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "RIAA – Searchable Database". Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- ^ "Photography Album Covers: People Are People". Brian Griffin. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ^ a b Raggett, Ned. Depeche Mode – People Are People at AllMusic. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-8571-2595-8.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Depeche Mode". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 229–230. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ "American album certifications – Depeche Mode – People Are People". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
