People Are People

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For the compilation album, see People Are People (album).
"People Are People"
DepecheModePeopleArePeople.jpg
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Some Great Reward
B-side "In Your Memory"
Released 12 March 1984
Studio Hansa Mischraum (Berlin)
Genre
Length
  • 3:43 (7″/single version)
  • 3:52 (album version)
  • 7:11 (12″ version)
Label Mute
Songwriter(s) Martin L. Gore
Producer(s)
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. 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 English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 12 March 1984 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Some Great Reward (1984).[3] Recorded at Hansa Mischraum in West Berlin,[4] it was the band's first top-20 single in the United States, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Background

As with many Depeche Mode songs, the band members see different meanings in "People Are People". According to Martin Gore, the song is about racism. Alan Wilder adds that it could also be about war.[5]

"People Are People" was written by Gore, but the dancy, pop feel of the song may be credited to Alan Wilder. Wilder wrote the B-side, "In Your Memory". Each song has an extended remix, the "Different Mix" and the "Slik Mix" respectively (although the "In Your Memory" mix is often incorrectly called the "Slick Mix" or "Silk Mix"). It was one of the first songs recorded for the album when sessions began at the Hansa Mischraum studio in January 1984.

"This was the first song of ours that made a dent, really, into popular radio", said Dave Gahan in 2017. "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, 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."[6]

Despite the song's success, Gore considers it one of his least favourite songs. He prefers his songs to have subtle metaphors to allow people to find their own meanings to his songs, and feels "People Are People" does not fit that description.[citation needed] In 1990, he listed the song among some of the music he "regrets", calling "People Are People" "too nice, too commercial."[7] It has not been played live since 1988.[8] Though Gore has distastes to the song he also recognises that "without it, we might not have been around as a band right now."[9]

Music Video

The Clive Richardson-directed "People Are People" video was released in two versions. The original video was made for the single version, but an alternate video was made with the "Different Mix". The music video featured footage of various military scenes from the Cold War, mixed with footage of the band aboard HMS Belfast and of a record press. The "Different Mix" video appears on Some Great Videos and Video Singles Collection.

Album release

A compilation album titled People Are People was released in the United States, featuring several songs not previously available. The single itself was released in the US on 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. In the UK, the single reached number four, which was at the time the band's highest singles chart position in their home country. Since then, "Barrel of a Gun" (1997) and "Precious" (2005) have also reached number four in the UK.

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. It was also used as the theme song of the 1990s BBC children's factual TV series It'll Never Work?.

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".[10]

Track listings

  • 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

Certifications

Certifications for "People Are People"
Region Certification Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Silver 250,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

RuPaul version

"People Are People"
File:Rupaulpeoplearepeople.jpg
Single by RuPaul
from the album ReWorked
Released 26 January 2006
Recorded 2004
Genre Dance
Label RuCo
Songwriter(s) Martin L. Gore
Producer(s)
  • RuPaul
  • Tom Trujillo
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. 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

  • 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

Chart performance for "People Are People"
Chart (2006) Peak
position
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[36] 10

See also

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Depeche Mode – People Are People" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Depeche Mode – People Are People" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  14. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0576." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – People Are People". Irish Singles Chart.
  17. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 20, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  18. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Depeche Mode – People Are People" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  19. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Depeche Mode – People Are People". VG-lista.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Depeche Mode – People Are People". Singles Top 100.
  22. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Depeche Mode – People Are People". Swiss Singles Chart.
  23. ↑ "Archive Chart: 19840408" UK Singles Chart.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Depeche Mode.
  26. ↑ "Depeche Mode – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Depeche Mode.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Depeche Mode – People Are People" (in French). Les classement single.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter People Are People in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  36. ↑ "RuPaul – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for RuPaul.
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