People Are People

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"People Are People"
Single by Depeche Mode
from the album Some Great Reward
B-side	"In Your Memory"
Released	March 12, 1984
Format	Vinyl record (7" and 12"), CD (1991 box set)
Recorded	1984
Genre	New Wave, Synthpop
Length	7" - 3:43 12" - 7:11
Label	Mute Records
Writer(s)	Martin Gore
Producer	Depeche Mode, Daniel Miller, and Gareth Jones
Depeche Mode singles chronology
"Love, in Itself" (1983) "People Are People" (1984) "Master and Servant" (1984)

"People Are People" is Depeche Mode's tenth UK single (released on March 12 1984) it was their first hit single in the US and the first single for the Some Great Reward album.

"People Are People" was written by Martin Gore, but the dancy poppy feel of the song may actually be credited to Alan Wilder. Alan did write the B-Side, "In Your Memory". Each song has an extended remix, the "Different Mix" and the "Slik Mix" respectively (although sometimes the "In Your Memory" mix is incorrectly called the "Slick Mix" instead).

The Clive Richardson-directed "People Are People" video came in two versions. The original was made for the "Single version", but an alternate video was made with the "Different Mix". The music video featured footage of various war scenes, mixed with footage of the band aboard the HMS Belfast. The "Different Mix" video appears on Some Great Videos.

Despite "People Are People"'s success, Martin Gore considers it to be one of his least favourite songs. He prefers his songs to have subtle meanings so that people can find their own meanings to it, and feels "People Are People" does not fit that description . It was not played again live after 1988.

The US got a compilation called People Are People with various songs not available in the US prior to it. The single itself was released in the USA on July 11, 1984 (though it did not reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart until May 1985, and initially was played only on modern rock and college radio). The single would eventually peak at #13. In the UK, the single reached #4, which was at the time the band's highest singles chart position in their homeland. Since then, "Barrel of a Gun" (1997) and "Precious" (2005) have also reached #4 in the UK. In West Germany the song was a #1 hit and was used as the theme to West German TV's coverage of the 1984 Olympics, alluding to East Germany's participation in the Soviet-led boycott of the Games. It was also used as the theme tune of the 1990s BBC Children's factual TV series, It'll Never Work.

[edit] Charts

[edit] Cover versions

The song "People Are People" has been first covered by the german artist Götz Alsmann in 1985. Later then by A Perfect Circle on their anti-war album eMOTIVe, by Dope on their 2005 album, American Apathy and by RuPaul on his 2004 album, Red Hot. RuPaul's version features Tom Trujillo and was released as a retail single on 26 January, 2006. The single has so far peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Christian techno/alternative band Code of Ethics also remade the single in 2008 on their "Lost in Egypt" disc. German industrial gothic metal band Atrocity also recorded a cover version of the song for their 2008 covers album Werk 80 II, a collection of 80's tracks recorded in their own style.

[edit] Track listings

[edit] Depeche Mode version

[edit] 7": Mute / Bong5 (UK) & Sire / 7-29221 (US)

1. "People Are People" – 3:43
2. "In Your Memory" – 4:01

[edit] 12": Mute / 12Bong5 (UK)

1. "People Are People (Different Mix)" – 7:11
2. "In Your Memory (Slik Mix)" – 8:12

[edit] L12": Mute / L12Bong5 (UK)

1. "People Are People (On-USound Mix)" – 7:30 (remixed by Adrian Sherwood)
2. "People Are People" – 3:43
3. "In Your Memory" – 4:01

[edit] 12": Sire / 0-20214 (US)

1. "People Are People (Different Mix)" – 7:11
2. "People Are People (On-USound Mix)" – 7:30
3. "In Your Memory" – 4:01

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

[edit] CD: Mute / CDBong5 (UK)

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

The CD single was released in 1991 as part of the singles box set compilations

"People Are People" is written by Martin Gore and "In Your Memory" is written by Alan Wilder

[edit] Clan of Xymox version: "This World"

Clan of Xymox sampled "People Are People" on their single "This World" and the Band had also covered Heroes by David Bowie.

[edit] Tracklistings

1. This World (Clan of Xymox Remix)

1. Sing A Song Not for the money

1. This World (John-A-Rivers-Mix)

"People Are People (The RuMixes)"
Single by RuPaul
from the album ReWorked
Released	January 26, 2006
Format	CD
Recorded	2004
Genre	Dance
Label	RuCo
Producer	RuPaul and Tom Trujillo
RuPaul singles chronology
"Workout" (2005) "People Are People (The RuMixes)" (2006) "Call Me Starrbooty" (2007)
Music video "People Are People" at YouTube (requires Adobe Flash)

[edit] RuPaul version

[edit] CD: RuCo / 001-5 (US)

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

[edit] Chart performance

[edit] External links

• People are People information from the official Depeche Mode web site

[edit] References