Depeche Mode – Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts) (UK 12″) (1983)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Released in the UK on July 11, 1983, “Everything Counts” marked an important turning point for Depeche Mode. The single introduced a tougher, more experimental sound that would play a major role in the band’s evolution throughout the rest of the decade.

Written by Martin Gore, “Everything Counts” was the first single taken from the band’s third studio album, Construction Time Again. The album would also mark the first time Alan Wilder appeared as a full member on a Depeche Mode studio LP.

By this point the group had begun moving away from the cleaner synth-pop sound of their first two albums. Sampling became an important part of the recording process, with metallic noises, unusual percussion, and sounds gathered from everyday objects finding their way into the music.

“Everything Counts” was one of the first major examples of that new direction.

The lyrics were changing as well.

Instead of focusing on relationships, Martin Gore turned his attention toward greed, competition, and corporate culture. The song’s image of “grabbing hands” became one of the most recognizable lyrics in the Depeche Mode catalog.

The darker subject matter is paired with one of the band’s catchiest early melodies. Dave Gahan handles the verses while Martin Gore takes a more prominent role during the chorus. Add the distinctive melodic hook and all of those strange metallic sounds, and you have a record that sounded quite different from most of the synth-pop appearing on the charts in 1983.

And “Everything Counts” did very well on those charts.

In the UK, the single entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 41 and steadily climbed during the following weeks. It eventually reached No. 6 and spent eleven weeks on the chart, including three weeks inside the Top 10.

The record also found success across Europe and beyond. “Everything Counts” reached No. 8 in Switzerland, No. 15 in Ireland, No. 18 in Sweden, No. 23 in West Germany, and No. 27 in New Zealand. It also reached No. 20 in South Africa.

The original single did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, where Depeche Mode were still some distance away from becoming a major mainstream act. However, the record made an impression in American clubs, reaching No. 17 on Billboard’s dance chart.

For the UK 12-inch, Mute Records gave the extended version the wonderfully appropriate title “Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts).”

And larger amounts are exactly what you get.

Running more than seven minutes, the 12-inch version gives the percussion, samples, synthesizer lines, and instrumental sections much more room. Rather than simply extending the beginning and ending, “In Larger Amounts” pulls apart elements of the original recording and lets you hear just how much was going on underneath that instantly recognizable melody.

It is exactly the kind of extended mix that made the 12-inch format so interesting during the 1980s.

The B-side, “Work Hard (East End Remix),” is equally interesting. Written by Martin Gore and Alan Wilder, “Work Hard” was a non-album track recorded during the same period and fits perfectly with the mechanical sound Depeche Mode were exploring.

The extended East End Remix stretches the track to more than six minutes and makes an already unusual B-side even stranger.

“Everything Counts” became one of the defining singles from Depeche Mode’s early years. More importantly, it offered a glimpse of where the band was headed. The bright synthesizers were still there, but now they were surrounded by sampled machinery, harder rhythms, darker lyrics, and a growing willingness to experiment.

The transformation from the band that recorded “Just Can’t Get Enough” only two years earlier was well underway.

For me, the UK 12-inch is the version to hear. “In Larger Amounts” gives all of those rhythms, samples, and production details the space they deserve.

After all, when it comes to a great 12-inch…

Everything counts in large amounts.

SIDE A:
Everything Counts (In Larger Amounts) 7:21
Written-By – M.L.Gore*

SIDE B:
Work Hard (East End Remix) 7:00
Written-By – A. Wilder, M.L.Gore

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

1983 CHART PERFORMANCE
Chart	Peak Position
UK Singles Chart	#6
Switzerland	#8
Ireland	#15
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#17
Sweden	#18
South Africa	#20
West Germany	#23
Italy	#24
Austria	#26
New Zealand	#27
Netherlands	#50

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mute – 12 BONG 3
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo, Beige Labels With Grey Print, Not “MVS” Pressing
Country: UK
Released: Jul 11, 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Engineer [Tonmeister] – Gareth Jones
Producer [Produced By] – Daniel Miller, Depeche Mode

NOTES:
Recorded at the Garden Studio, London.

“Everything Counts” mixed in Hansa Mischraum, Berlin.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

September 23, 2026

Killing Joke – Eighties (UK 12″) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Released in 1984, “Eighties” arrived during a period when Killing Joke were beginning to bring a little more melody into their dark, aggressive post-punk sound without losing any of the intensity that made them so distinctive.

The single actually predates the band’s 1985 album Night Time, where “Eighties” would later appear as the closing track. Released as a single in the spring of 1984, “Eighties” reached No. 60 on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained for five weeks. Despite becoming one of Killing Joke’s best-known recordings, the single does not appear to have charted on the major national singles charts outside the UK.

At the center of the record is that unforgettable guitar riff from Geordie Walker. Cold, repetitive and almost hypnotic, it locks in with Paul Raven’s bass and Paul Ferguson’s pounding drums while Jaz Coleman delivers the vocal with his usual sense of urgency. The result sits somewhere between post-punk, rock and dance music. Killing Joke could be brutal, but they also understood rhythm.

And then there is the connection that almost everyone eventually notices.

Listen to the opening guitar figure of “Eighties,” then listen to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are.” The resemblance is hard to miss. It has become one of the most talked-about similarities in alternative rock history.

Of course, “Eighties” was already several years old before Nirvana arrived. Hearing it today is a reminder of just how much influence Killing Joke had on the alternative and industrial rock that followed.

For the 12-inch release, “Eighties” was given the full extended treatment with the 6:27 “Serious Dance Mix.” Rather than turning the song into something completely different, the longer version gives its relentless rhythm and guitar attack more room to breathe. The UK 12-inch also includes the original version and “The Coming Mix.”

The record was written by Jaz Coleman, Paul Ferguson, Paul Raven and Geordie Walker. “Eighties” would eventually become one of Killing Joke’s most recognizable recordings, even though it was never a major chart hit.

That seems fitting. Killing Joke were never really about fitting comfortably alongside whatever else was on the radio. “Eighties” sounds tense, mechanical and strangely danceable all at once.

More than forty years later, that guitar riff still jumps out of the speakers immediately.

And once you hear it, you probably won’t forget it.

SIDE A:
Eighties (Serious Dance Mix) 6:30

SIDE B:
Eighties 3:52
Eighties (The Coming Mix) 3:54

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EG – EGOX16, EG – 821 224-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: Apr 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Post-Punk, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Bass – Raven*
Design [Sleeve Design] – Mike Coles (2)
Drums, Other [Weapons] – Big Paul Ferguson*
Guitar [Six String Righteousness], Vocals [Verbals] – Geordie*
Keyboards, Vocals [Verbals] – Jaz Coleman
Lacquer Cut By – Nickz*
Other [Helmsmanship, Insubordination] – Captain Fil ‘Oh No’
Other [The Nailing In] – Alex Zander Rasher, Brad Sugar Dick Nelson
Producer – Chris Kimsey
Written by – Killing Joke

NOTES:
Made in the UK

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

September 22, 2026

The Cars – Hello Again (Germany 12″) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Hello again everyone!

It feels really good to finally be back at Burning The Ground.

What was originally supposed to be a short break for vacation turned into a much longer absence than I had planned. Shortly after we returned home, my partner’s father passed away unexpectedly. The past couple of weeks have been difficult for our family, and I simply needed some additional time away.

I want to thank everyone who continued to visit Burning The Ground while I was gone, and especially those of you who reached out and checked in. Your continued support of BTG means more to me than you probably realize.

When I started thinking about what record should be the first one back on the turntable, this one seemed almost too perfect.

“Hello Again.”

Sometimes the record chooses itself.

Longtime BTG readers may remember this 12″ from the early days of the site. I originally posted it on December 2, 2010, then returned to it with a new rip in June 2015. Eleven years later, I thought it was time to pull this record from the archive once again and give it a completely new transfer using my current setup.

“Hello Again” was released in 1984 as the fourth single from The Cars’ fifth studio album, “Heartbeat City.” Written and sung by Ric Ocasek, the track became the fourth Top 20 single from the album in the United States, reaching No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 8 on Billboard’s Dance Music/Club Play chart and No. 22 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

“Heartbeat City” was produced by The Cars along with Robert John “Mutt” Lange. For the 12″ release, “Hello Again” was handed over to legendary producer and remixer Arthur Baker. Andy Wallace and The Latin Rascals provided additional editing, while Chris Lord-Alge and Tom Lord-Alge handled remix engineering.

The result is a nearly six-minute Extended Remix Version that takes the electronic side of the original even further. The German 12″ also includes the Dub Version, giving Arthur Baker and company even more room to play with the track’s rhythms, vocals, and electronic effects.

The B-side contains the shorter Single Version.

More than anything, though, the title of this record just felt right for today.

After vacation, loss, and some unexpected time away, I’m ready to get back to sharing the records we all love. I have plenty of vinyl waiting in the stacks and quite a few things planned for Burning The Ground in the weeks ahead.

So…

Hello again.

Turn it up, enjoy the music, and welcome back to Burning The Ground!

SIDE A:
Hello Again (Extended Remix Version) 5:56
Hello Again (Dub Version) 6:12

SIDE B:
Hello Again (Single Version) 3:47

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1984)	Peak Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	20
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock	22
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	8

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Elektra – 966 929-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Germany
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave, Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Art Direction – Carol Friedman
Design [Cover Design] – Jodee Stringham
Edited By – Andy Wallace (tracks: A1, A2), The Latin Rascals (tracks: A1, A2)
Engineer [Remix] – Chris Lord-Alge (tracks: A1, A2), Tom Lord-Alge (tracks: A1, A2)
Photography By [Cover] – James Wojcik
Producer – Robert John “Mutt” Lange*, The Cars
Remix – Arthur Baker (tracks: A1, A2)
Written-By – Ric Ocasek

NOTES:
Special versions from the LP “HEARTBEAT CITY”

Vinyl Transfer & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

August 25, 2026

Dolly Parton 1946-2026

The world lost one of its brightest lights today.

Dolly Parton, the legendary singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian, has passed away at the age of 80.

It is difficult to imagine a world without Dolly in it.

For more than six decades, she was a constant presence in American music and culture. That unmistakable voice. The big hair. The rhinestones. The wonderful sense of humor. And behind all of it was one of the finest songwriters popular music has ever known.

Dolly could break your heart with just a few words.

“Coat of Many Colors” told a story of childhood poverty with pride and tenderness. “Jolene” turned jealousy and desperation into one of the most recognizable songs ever recorded. And “I Will Always Love You,” written as a farewell to Porter Wagoner, became something far greater than its original story. Dolly recorded it herself more than once before Whitney Houston carried it to another generation.

Then there was “9 to 5.”

When Dolly crossed over into movies in 1980, she did it the way she seemed to do everything. Completely on her own terms. She starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, wrote one of the biggest songs of her career for the film, and proved that the woman many people had dismissed as simply a country singer could seemingly do just about anything.

Country. Pop. Gospel. Bluegrass. Movies. Television. Broadway. Dollywood.

Somehow, through all of it, Dolly remained Dolly.

She also understood something that fame can sometimes make people forget. Success means very little if you cannot use some of it to help somebody else.

Her Imagination Library placed books into the hands of millions of children. She supported education, health care, disaster relief, and countless other causes, often without making herself the center of the story.

That generosity became as much a part of Dolly Parton as the music.

Perhaps that is why her passing feels different.

There are famous people. There are superstars. There are legends.

And then there are those rare people who somehow become part of our lives, even though most of us never met them.

Dolly was one of those people.

Her songs were played at weddings and funerals. They came through car radios, jukeboxes, record players, cassette decks, CD players, and streaming services. Parents introduced her music to their children, who eventually introduced it to theirs.

Generations grew up with Dolly.

She survived changing musical tastes, changing fashions, and an entertainment business that repeatedly tried to decide what women were supposed to look like, sound like, and become as they grew older.

Dolly simply kept going.

She never stopped writing.

She never stopped dreaming.

And thankfully for us, she left behind an enormous body of music that will continue speaking for her.

Today there will be plenty of Dolly Parton songs played around the world.

But one will probably mean a little more than all the others.

“I Will Always Love You.”

Today, those words belong to Dolly.

And millions of us are saying them back to her.

Rest in peace, Dolly Parton.

1946–2026

-DjPaulT