One of my favourite songs of all time would have to be Depeche Mode’s Just Can’t Get Enough written by my mate Vince Clarke. That clanging you heard just then was a namedrop, apologies. It’s a fantastic piece of songwriting; the sort of direct, catchy song you can only write when you only know four chords and haven’t worked out what the black notes on the keyboard are for. The lyrics are daft but universal and the arrangement is simply heart-racing.
I just can’t get enough of Just Can’t Get Enough. Here’s a top ten of the different versions – when I was at Mute, a new ‘Eurodisco’ cover version would materialise in the office on roughly a weekly basis.
1. Depeche Mode’s version from Speak And Spell. Definitive.
2. Erasure’s version, from An Evening With Erasure. Maybe not the greatest recording ever – it’s direct off a front-of-house – but some lovely memories.
3. Depeche Mode’s 12” Schizo Mix. Like the classic Denton and Cook theme to Tomorrow’s World.
4. The Saturdays’ version. A faux Xenomania update of the original with Hill’s Angels dance routines in the video. A guilty pleasure? No. I have no shame.
5. The Wannadies, off Might Be Stars EP. Muppet grunge version. Hilarious.
6. Depeche Mode’s live version. The classic, but rockier, more industrial, with Dave’s voice improved by thirty-odd years of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.
7. Nouvelle Vague, off Nouvelle Vague. The kooky one from the adverts.
8. Sam Walker’s version. I suspect there may be a gay subtext to this video.
9. Balanescu Quartet, unreleased. These guys did a great album of Kraftwerk covers. And the theme to University Challenge.
10. Suede’s version, off Head Music. They completely ignore the lyrics and tune; they might as well have written an entirely different song altogether.
