All That Money Wants

Album: All Of This And Nothing (1988)
Charted: 75
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This screed against the evils of materialism and the lure of the almighty dollar came at a time when the band had reached a breaking point. In 1987, they released their fifth album, Midnight To Midnight, but felt they made some musical compromises to appease their record company. When they went on tour that year, lead singer Richard Butler felt like a puppet, part of a stage show that wasn't authentic. He developed a heart condition from the stress and put an end to the cycle of album releases and touring.

    To get new product out, the band released a compilation album in 1988 called All Of This And Nothing. "All That Money Wants" was the only new song included on the set. Released as a single, it became The Psychedelic Furs' first #1 on the Modern Rock chart.

    Butler almost called an end to the band at this point, but his bandmates convinced him to record another album so Midnight To Midnight wouldn't be their legacy. They ended up doing two more albums before calling it quits in 1991. The band re-formed in 2000, but didn't put out another album until Made Of Rain in 2020.
  • The band was down to trio when they recorded this song. Every member - guitarist John Ashton, bass player Tim Butler, and singer Richard Butler - is credited as a writer.
  • Directed by Walter Pitt, the black-and-white video is free from bling, showing the band members enjoying some time in nature.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-Nighters

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-NightersSong Writing

These Three famous songs actually describe how they were written - late into the evening.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.