The Human Side Of The Human League

As the weeks dragged into months dragged into years, the Human League laboured in agonising fashion over material for their next album. Producer Martin Rushent found himself in constant disputes with the band, particularly Oakey, and eventually took leave of the project prior to its completion. Following Rushent rushing off, the Human League essentially wiped the recording slate clean and brought in producers Hugh Padgham and Chris Thomas, to help them finally get the album in the can. In April of ‘84, the first sign of life arose from the long winded process, in the form of the single ‘The Lebanon’. Philip Oakey had previously infused some of his lyrics with political and social comment, but with ‘The Lebanon’, he shifted the political comment clearly to the foreground. The song was essentially a comment on the ongoing Lebanese civil war, told through the story of a man who has joined a local militia and become embroiled in the conflict. Oakey and the Human League took some sting over, what some charged, was a misguided attempt to be a serious issues group. Musically, ‘The Lebanon’ gave a hint of a much edgier sound, with gutsier guitar and thumping bass components, courtesy of Jo Callis and Ian Burden. The band held open auditions at London’s Royal Theatre to choose extras to take part in the ‘live’ performance promo video, and thousands of hopefuls rolled up. ‘The Lebanon’ peaked at #11 in Britain (US#64/OZ#23), which given the Human League’s recent chart feats, would have been a disappointment for both group and record label.

Shortly after, the Human League’s fourth album proper, ‘Hysteria’, finally hit stores. But though the album’s title may have taken inspiration from the fraught atmosphere of the recording sessions, it didn’t reflect the general reception offered up by fans and critics alike. It had been well over two years since the real hysteria of the ‘Dare’ album, and the Human League just didn’t have the same drawing power. They weren’t the first, or last, artist to have a monster hit album, then let the iron grow cold whilst taking an eternity over the follow up - fellow Sheffield act Def Leppard did likewise following their own ‘Hysteria’ album. That said, the Human League’s ‘Hysteria’ did move rapidly to a peak of #3 on the U.K. charts (OZ#18/US#62), proof that the group still retained some commercial cache. Points to the Human League for attempting to engage with new rock territory, but on balance the quality of songs, and the band’s performance, struggled to find a solid footing. ‘Hysteria’ realised two more solid U.K. hits, in the moody ‘Life On Your Own’ (#16) and the ballad ‘Louise’ (#13), but the top ten had, quite remarkably, remained out of reach.

During the second half of 1984, Philip Oakey took his first extended excursion beyond the musical boundaries of the Human League. A long time admirer of Giorgio Moroder, Oakey teamed up with the famed writer/producer on the hit single ‘Together In Electric Dreams’ (UK#3/OZ#5), lifted from the motion picture soundtrack ‘Electric Dreams’. No doubt the hit would have restored Oakey’s dented confidence, and he followed it up by collaborating with Moroder on a full album of material, released in 1985 as ‘Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder’ (UK#52/OZ#52), and featuring another hit in ‘Good-bye Bad Times’ (UK#44/OZ#26). Oakey’s solo success, combined with the lacklustre performance of the Human League’s recent offerings, doubtless prompted some to question if it was good-bye Human League. Certainly as far as guitarist/writer Jo Callis, and long time manager Bob Last were concerned, it was good-bye, with both departing the scene during the group’s hiatus. Drummer/synth player Jim Russell joined the fray, but he must have wondered if he was climbing aboard a sinking ship.

With several key players from ‘Dare’ now departed - including producer Martin Rushent and guitarist/writer Jo Callis - the Human League were in danger of facing the same creative stagnation that confronted them post Ware/Marsh. After a problematic period in the studio with producer Colin Thurston, the band’s momentum had seemingly ground to a halt. At the suggestion of their U.S. label A&M, the band agreed to recruit the production duo of Jimmy ‘Jam’ Harris and Terry Lewis, hoping to inject some new energy into proceedings. The pair had come up through the ranks of Prince’s band The Time, and their first major break into producing came via an association with the S.O.S. Band (see previous post) in 1983. They had since gained a strong reputation for slickly produced modern-funk/R&B with artists such as Cherelle, Alexander O’Neal, and Klymaxx. They’d also come fresh from working with Janet Jackson on her breakthrough ‘Control’ album. The band and producers butted heads frequently, although figuratively, over the four month period it took to record the Human League’s next album, but the Jam and Lewis methodology helped the Human League finally focus on getting the job done. Both parties had strong ideas on how they wanted the album to sound, and much of the band’s original written material was actually rejected by Jam and Lewis. As a result, the album’s lead out single, and the Human League’s biggest hit in over three years, was actually written by the production team of Jam and Lewis. ‘Human’ was a plaintive ballad, that lyrically, dealt with the raw emotional dynamics of relationships. Though not penned by any of the band, Jam and Lewis came up with a song that, stylistically, sat comfortably in the Human League songbook. ‘Human’ returned the Human League to the top ten in Britain (#8/OZ#26), and delivered their second U.S. chart topper. ‘Human’ supplanted Boston’s ‘Amanda’ at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, in late November ‘86. It was the second chart topper for Jam and Lewis within the space of five weeks, following on from Janet Jackson’s ‘When I Think Of You’.

The single was lifted from the 1986 album ‘Crash’, which had a bit more of a dance oriented feel to it, and shifted the band’s long term instrumental ally, the synthesizer, to more of a support role. In fact long time associate and synth player, Philip Adrian Wright, barely got a look in on the sessions, and disillusioned with his demotion (and the band’s change in direction), left the band to pursue a career in film work. It was clear from the album’s cover, that the Human League had essentially trimmed down to the trio of Oakey, Catherall and Sulley. Bassist Ian Burden had been involved in the ’Crash’ sessions, though his role had greatly reduced also, and he too left the scene shortly after the album’s release. ‘Crash’ (UK#7/OZ#32/US#35) yielded only one further hit, and a minor one at that, with ‘I Need Your Loving’ (UK#72/US#44). Over the course of late 86/early 87, the Human League toured in support of the album, but rather than building on the momentum generated by ‘Human’, the Human League then all but disappeared once more from the public view.

In October of ‘88, Virgin released the single ‘Love Is All That Matters’ (UK#41), but the song had been dredged up from the wreckage of the ‘Crash’ album, recorded two years previous. It was a sure sign that Oakey and company had nothing better to offer by way of new material, to supplement the release of a ‘Greatest Hits’ package for the Human League, released shortly after (UK#3/OZ#62). In 1989, Oakey co-funded the construction of the Human League’s own recording facility, based in Sheffield. Guitarist Jo Callis offered some support in the guitar playing stakes, but essentially the Human League were now the trio of Philip Oakey, Jo Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley. Keyboardist Neil Sutton, who had worked with them on the ‘Crash’ tour, and session player Russell Dennett came in to provide logistical support - ie. play most of the instruments. In August of 1990, the single ‘Heart Like A Wheel’ (written by Jo Callis) rolled gently into the British charts, before peaking at #29 (US#32/OZ#47). It was lifted from the Human League’s new album, ‘Romantic?’ (UK#24), which saw the return of producer Martin Rushent (all had been forgiven). But the follow up single, ‘Soundtrack To A Generation’, failed to ignite any interest, and it was evident that the Human League’s sound wasn’t one that struck a chord with the latest generation of music buyers.

A decade earlier, the Human League had been Virgin Records biggest selling artist, and were firmly planted at the pinnacle of the British pop scene. Fast forward to 1992, and the band were unceremoniously dumped by Virgin, ridiculed by the media, rejected as old school by a fickle public, and on the brink of financial ruin. These were dark days for the Human League, but slowly and surely, the trio began to find their feet again. In 1993, they were invited to collaborate with the legendary Japanese electro-pop outfit, Yellow Magic Orchestra, who at one time had featured one time ABC drummer David Palmer in their ranks (see recent post). The sessions resulted in the EP ‘YMO Versus The Human League’, and though its release was limited principally to Japan, it sparked life back into the Human League collective.

Having been relegated to the minor leagues, the Human League received a lifeline via the East West Records label, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The label backed them to record a new album, and teamed them up with former Tears For Fears associate Ian Stanley. Where Virgin had largely turned their back on the band, East West backed the Human League’s new endeavour to the hilt, with a big budget promo video, and appropriate promotional support. The single ‘Tell Me When’ returned the Human League to the top ten in early 1995 (UK#6/US#31), their first foray into the upper reaches of the singles charts in almost a decade. The Human League would have savoured the sweet taste of success for a song that had been rejected by their old label Virgin. In January ‘95, the album ‘Octopus’ hit stores, and extended all eight of its tentacles to grab a peak position at #6 on the British album charts. The album was essentially credited to the Human League, in the guise of vocalists Philip Oakey, Jo Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley, though their in studio efforts were supplemented by producer Ian Stanley, and one time members Jo Callis and Neil Sutton both contributed to the writing. ‘Octopus’ spawned two more hit singles, in ‘One Man In My Heart’ (UK#13) which featured Sulley on lead vocals, and ‘Filling Up With Heaven’ (UK#36). With a revival of interest in their work, the Human League hit the road again for the first time since 1987, touring both the U.K. and U.S. during 1995. East West released the non-album track ‘Stay With Me Tonight’ in early 1996, but that would prove the Human League’s last venture into the British top 40 to date (#40). Just a few months earlier, Virgin had spied the opportunity to cash in on the resurgence of interest in the Human League, and released a Red Jerry remix of ‘Don’t You Want Me’ (UK#16), along with another ‘best of’ package.

Before the Human League had the chance to capitalise on their success with East West, the label promptly dropped them as part of a reshuffle of the playing roster brought on by a change of management. Over the late 90s, the Human League laid low, aside from a few appearances on the burgeoning nostalgia tour circuit. In 1999, Philip Oakey provided some vocals for Sheffield outfit All Seeing I, on the single ‘The First Man In Space’. The period of the early 00s saw a resurgence of interest in the synth-pop sound, sparked in part by the ‘electroclash’ movement. The Human League were once more fashionable in some quarters, if only for the music they had recorded two decades earlier. Small time label Papillon signed the band up to record their first album of new material in six years. 2001’s ‘Secrets’ (UK#44) met with favourable reviews, and the band’s long term fan base welcomed some echoes that harked back to the Human League’s glory days. Oakey and co. revisited some familiar ground, augmented with the use of the latest cutting edge technology. The album even re-introduced some instrumental pieces as bridges between album tracks. However, fate conspired to undermine any chance of a major comeback, when Papillon went belly up, and the BBC of all places refused to back the single ‘All I Ever Wanted’, because the Human League were deemed as past it. Despite the obvious disappointment, the Human League hit the road once more and have continued to tour regularly over the ensuing years, the core trio supplemented by a fluid roster of support players. In 2004, ‘Live At The Dome’ was released on both CD and DVD, and though it didn’t show Oakey at his best, offered long time fans the chance to revel in some of the band’s best known material. The 2003 DVD release, ‘The Very Best Of The Human League’, offered the same opportunity with regards to the band’s oft innovative music videos, and featured an insightful extended interview with the core trio of Oakey, Catherall, and Sulley. In late 2007, the Human League marked their 30th anniversary as a going concern, with a sell out tour of Britain and Europe. A year later they hooked up with fellow synth-pop legends ABC (see recent post), on the Steel City Tour. The 2008 tour also saw Philip Oakey’s Human League share the bill with his former band mate Martyn Ware, touring once more under the Heaven 17 banner.

Though their recordings over the last decade have been infrequent, the Human League have maintained a regular touring/appearance schedule, and remain as popular as ever with fans of the 80s synth-pop era. Considering that Philip Oakey, Jo Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley, all embarked on the Human League odyssey with zero professional experience, it is a testament to their tenacity and endurance, that they stand strong to this day as the driving force behind one of the true icons of 80s era music.

Here are a couple of first class web sites worth checking out, for a more detailed and comprehensive look into the world of the Human League:
http://www.blindyouth.co.uk/
http://www.thehumanleague.net/

Oakey Dares To Reinvent The Human League

In October of 1980, Philip Oakey found himself with the naming rights for a band that had essentially just gone up in smoke. He retained the services of Philip Adrian Wright, the band’s ‘Director of Visuals’, but Wright had never really spent much time working at his other role in the band, as synth player. Oakey was faced with a fully booked tour, backed by promoters, and had approximately ten days to arrange a new line-up with which to meet contracted commitments. Time to hit the night clubs! Oakey liked the idea of the previously male bastion of the Human League benefiting from a couple of female dancers, even occasional vocalists, to add a bit of glamour to the band (well that is very ABBA after all). One night he was scouting for potential talent at the Sheffield club venue, the Crazy Daisy Nightclub. In the stuff of pop legend, Oakey spied two teenage girls, Joanne Catherell (then 18), and Susan Ann Sulley (then 17), shaking their respective booties on the dance floor. Neither had any professional performance experience, and were still attending school at the time, but Oakey offered them the chance to be overnight pop stars, and who could say no to that. So after getting the ok from the girl’s parents, Catherell and Sulley officially became Human Leaguers. To round out the new line-up, Oakey recruited keyboard/bass player Ian Burden (ex-Graph), initially just to cover the roles vacated by Marsh and Ware, for the imminent tour. The Human League did indeed fulfil their tour commitments in late 1980, but Oakey’s new model was the target of much scorn and derision, from both critics and audiences alike, who had bought tickets in the expectation of seeing the original Human League line-up. The Human League began 1981, arguably, on their last legs, both commercially and artistically, but the ensuing twelve months would witness a remarkable turn around in their fortunes.

The band had incurred some massive debts due to the flop of their makeshift tour, and in early ‘81 Virgin Records was piling on the pressure to recoup some of their lost dollars. Oakey and Wright pieced together the single ‘Boys And Girls’ (UK#48), which staved off the wolves, at least for now. The single’s cover featured both Catherall and Sulley, but neither contributed to the song’s recording. It was at this point that the astute Oakey realised he needed some professional help, both in the production and musician stakes. Ian Burden was called back as a fulltime member, and Oakey approached veteran producer Martin Rushent (Stranglers, Buzzcocks, XTC) to help him realise the next chapter in the Human League’s evolution. Rushent recognised that Oakey and his new crew needed to distance themselves from the previous Human League environment, so he shifted them from their Sheffield studio base, and set up operations at Genetic Studios in Reading. The first result engineered at Genetic, was the May ‘81 single, ‘The Sound Of The Crowd’. The song proved to be pivotal in raising the group’s profile across Britain, and became their biggest hit to date (#12). Co-written by Oakey and Burden, ‘The Sound Of The Crowd’ was the first Human League single to feature new vocal recruits Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Dulley, and the public took to the balance between female vocals and Oakey’s rich baritone rumblings. But there was still one piece of the pop puzzle missing, and it was found via a suggestion of long term manager Bob Last (the man who’d originally signed the Human League to Fast Records). One time Rezillos guitarist Jo Callis was the man to complete the all new, pop savvy line-up of the Human League.

Callis’ first involvement with the band came via their next single, ‘Love Action (I Believe In Love)’, released in July of ‘81. As had been the case with ‘The Sound Of The Crowd’, this latest offering was, in a technical sense, credited to The Human League Red, which was essentially a short lived gimmick by the band, used to differentiate dance tracks (red) from pop tracks (blue), though the stylistic lines were definitely blurred. Regardless, the Oakey/Burden penned song opened the floodgates for the Human League in Britain, and bolted to #3 soon after its August ‘81 chart debut. It also became the Human League’s first foray into Australian chart territory later in the year (#12). Though production on their proposed album seemed to be taking an eternity, the mammoth success of ‘Love Action’ gained the Human League much needed breathing space, and also served to heighten expectations for the album’s impending release. Initially, a promo video wasn’t produced for ‘Love Action’ (the group weren’t officially big yet), but when sights were later set on the U.S. market, the Human League produced a clever little video, which took partial inspiration in its storyline from the 1968 film, ‘The Graduate’.

The Human League had been bunkered down in the recording studio for several months, working with producer Martin Rushent, to fashion their material into what would hopefully be a career defining album. Sulley and Catherall even put on hold plans to attend university, to commit fulltime to the project. The band offered up one more appetizer in early October ‘81, with the single ‘Open Your Heart’, obviously seen by the band as more pop oriented, due to the associated ‘blue’ tag. The single hit the British charts, and soon delivered the Human League their second top ten hit (#6), later hitting #33 on the Australian charts. The song also marked guitarist Jo Callis’ first major song writing credit with the band, in partnership with Oakey. This time around, Virgin were prepared to outlay the expense of a promotional video up front, and ‘Open Your Heart’ was the band’s first attempt at the promo video medium, and was concurrently employed as a promotional tool for the imminent release of the new Human League album.

‘Dare’ hit stores as ‘Open Your Heart’ was hitting the top ten, and the eagerly anticipated set made an immediate impact on the British charts. Over the first six weeks or so post release, ‘Dare’ made steady but not remarkable strides up the charts, but it would be the next single, originally intended by Oakey as an album filler, that would launch both album, and the Human League, into the pop stratosphere, and establish the album as a defining moment in 80s pop culture. It was actually at the behest of Virgin Records executive Simon Draper, that the album track ‘Don’t You Want Me’ was released as a single in late November ‘81. For once the label suit had better judgment than the song’s artist, as ‘Don’t You Want Me’ was a walk up chart topper. Such was Virgin’s belief in the song, that they forked out for motion picture director Steve Barron (who went on to helm promo videos for ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Money For Nothing’) to oversee an elaborate, and very cinematic, promotion video for ‘Don’t You Want Me’. The song, co-written by Callis, Oakey and Wright, was a sumptuous piece of hook laden synth-pop, warmed by the emotional resonance of relatable lyrics. Inspired by the film, ‘A Star Is Born’, Oakey’s lyrics chronicled the tale of a conflicted romance, in which his male vocal role was countered by Susan Ann Sulley’s first lead vocal assignment. Though neither were (or are) the world’s best singers, Oakey and Sulley managed to create a pop classic, aided by the infectious synth hooks laid down by Callis and Wright. ‘Don’t You Want Me’ entered the British charts in the first week of December ‘81, and second week in dared to go to #1. The Human League spent the next five weeks reigning supreme on the British singles chart, and the phenomenal success of ‘Don’t You Want Me’ led to a surge in sales for the album ‘Dare’, which likewise topped the British charts (for three weeks in February ‘82). ‘Don’t You Want Me’ was the biggest selling single in Britain for 1981; the first platinum certified single there in four years (since Wings’ ‘Mull Of Kintyre’) - eventually going on to achieve triple platinum; the first chart topper for Virgin Records; and the only single of the year to surpass one million in sales (eventually going on to sell 1.4 million). The song also reached #4 in Australia, though not until mid ‘82. I recall Molly Meldrum raving about the Human League on Australia’s ‘Countdown’, but he did hand out a rare serve of criticism for an apparently diabolical live performance the band gave during that period - from memory Molly wasn’t overly impressed by either Oakey’s or the girl’s vocals.

In February 1983, Virgin Records released the ‘Dare’ album on the brand new compact disc (CD) format. The Human League had ascended to being one of the leading acts in the synth-pop faction of Britain’s ‘New Romantic’ movement. Gone was the cold, industrialised synth-pop sound of their previous incarnation, as the ‘Dare’ album took the raw synth-pop template, and layered it with finely crafted pop fare, to produce a rich blend of technological precision and engaging human emotion. Well, maybe the earlier Human League machine still had some life left in its commercial batteries. On the mammoth wave of success generated by the ‘Dare’ album and ‘Don’t You Want Me’, Virgin Records re-issued the single ‘Being Boiled’ (UK#6) in early ‘82, quickly followed by the ‘Holiday ‘80’ EP (UK#46). It’s probably just as well, as it seemed that the Human League weren’t about to bless the public with anything in the way of new material, at least not for a time. Besides, the group were focussed on breaking into the U.S. market, and with ‘Don’t You Want Me’, they had just the track.

Virgin licensed the Human League’s material to A&M Records, for U.S. release, and in March of ‘82 ‘Don’t You Want Me’ debuted on the Billboard Hot 100. It took almost four months, but by July, the Human League had scored their first U.S. #1, aided in no small part by the huge popularity of the promo video on the fast growing MTV network, and the band undertaking an extensive tour Stateside. ‘Don’t You Want Me’ spent three weeks at the summit of the U.S. charts, and the Human League are widely credited with opening the doors to America somewhat for British based ‘New Romantic’ and synth-pop acts, such as Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Culture Club, Eurythmics, Wham!, and Adam Ant - who in part formed a new ‘British invasion’ of the U.S. charts during the second quarter of the 80s. The ‘Dare’ album received an exclamation point (‘Dare!’) for its U.S. release, for some reason felt necessary by the label to differentiate it from its British counterpart, and climbed steadily to a peak of #3 on the U.S. album charts. The Human League could arguably have laid claim to being the synth-pop movements first bona fide global superstars, with an album that has endured well beyond the lifetime of the very genre it became a signature of. Suffice to say, they took out the ‘Best British Newcomer’ gong at the 1982 Brits, and were nominated for ‘Best New Artist’ at the 1983 Grammy Awards (beaten out by Men At Work) - though the definition of ‘new’ was arguable in both cases.

But prolific and prodigious are two words you won’t find being readily associated with the Human League, at least not during the mid 80s. With an apparent dearth of new material in the can, Virgin released a mini-album titled ‘Love And Dancing’, in July of ‘82. It comprised seven tracks reprised from the ‘Dare’ set, and a former B-side ‘Harsh Times’, remixed into extended dance form. ‘Love And Dancing’ was actually credited to the League Unlimited Orchestra, a tipping of the hat to Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra. The British appetite for the Human League hadn’t waned, and ‘Love And Dancing’ peaked at #3 shortly after its release (US#135). The set was mostly the work of producer Martin Rushent, and in many respects was a pioneering effort in the soon to be popular practice of releasing remix albums. At any rate, it proved enough to tide the band over until they could come up with their next single.

Whilst it took an age to surface, the November ‘82 release of the single ‘Mirror Man’ was warmly received in both Britain and Australia. The song was only stopped from hitting #1 in the U.K. by the abominable ‘Save Your Love’ by Renee and Renato - the pop charts really do yield some travesties. I actually rate ‘Mirror Man’ as one of my favourite Human League songs. It was a clear attempt by the group to infuse a healthy dollop of Motown into their sound, and was categorised by some as fitting within the whole ‘northern soul’ sound that had enjoyed a bit of a resurgence of late. Oakey later revealed in a 1988 interview, that lyrically, ‘Mirror Man’ was about Adam Ant (see previous post), who Oakey believed at the time to have been in danger of disappearing inside his own public persona. ‘Mirror Man’ certainly didn’t disappear on the charts, also peaking at #5 in Australia, and #30 (upon its eventually September ‘83 release) Stateside. A few months later, the brilliant single ‘(Keep Feeling) Fascination’ hit stores, and like its predecessor, peaked at #2 on the British charts, shortly after its April ‘83 release (US#8/OZ#8). In keep with the Human League’s self imposed labelling system, ‘(Keep Feeling) Fascination’ was designated with a ‘red’ tag, aligning it with a dance style track, though seriously it’s more straight up-tempo synth-pop to me. Accordingly, the ‘red’ theme played a strong part in the very clever promotional video (again directed by Steve Barron) - red marks the spot on the map where the Human League just happen to be playing the song. The song’s vocal arrangement style also took some inspiration from that used commonly by Sly and the Family Stone.

Both ‘Mirror Man’ and ‘(Keep Feeling) Fascination’ were included on a six track EP titled ‘Fascination!’ (US#22) and released in the U.S. as a stop-gap measure, designed to keep the punters (and label) happy until the next album. The EP soon found its way back into the British market via import, as an increasingly impatient public wondered if and when the Human League would finally release the follow up to ‘Dare’.

Anyone Here Like The Human League?

If you’re a fan of the madcap 80s British comedy series ‘The Young Ones’, you might remember the line ‘Anyone Here Like The Human League?’, spoken by Rik Mayall’s character. In the series one episode ‘Interesting’, the lads from Scumbag College decide to throw a party, and self proclaimed anarchist Rik tries to get the party moving by popping the Human League’s album ‘Dare’ onto the turntable. A few seconds later, a member of the local constabulary bursts through the door and smashes both album and turntable, on the premise that the neighbours have complained that the music is too loud. It’s likely that the Young Ones’ house party wasn’t the only gathering during 1982 to feature the music of synth-pop outfit Human League, though it’s doubtful that their music regularly incited excessive police violence. What the Human League did incite during 1982 was a considerable level of hysteria on the pop charts, fruits born of a labour harking back several years to the band’s origins in Sheffield.

During the mid to late 70s, the Sheffield music scene was thriving, with the likes of Cabaret Voltaire, and Vice Versa (an early incarnation of ABC - see recent post), waving the Sheffield banner as local representatives of the burgeoning British synth-pop movement. In 1977, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh both had day jobs as computer operators, but had a keen interest and love for pop music, and a fascination for the work of avant-garde electro-pop exponents like Kraftwerk. As with the likes of electro-wiz kids like Daniel Miller (The Normal), and Thomas Dolby (see previous posts), Ware and Marsh decided to combine their love of music. with their technical know how. By the mid 70s, synthesizers were within the fiscal reach of budding musicians, and the pair pooled their financial resources to purchase a pair of Korg 770S synthesizers. After learning to play the things, Ware and Marsh set about impressing friends and acquaintances with their new found electro-pop skills. They initially adopted the moniker of The Dead Daughters, and an early party piece was performing the theme from the TV series ‘Doctor Who’. Within a few months, the duo became a trio with the addition of Adi Newton and another synthesizer. Now dubbed The Future, the trio began exploring the possibilities of electronic music, writing and recording a series of demo tapes in their own home studio setup. After a brief period Newton left (along with his synthesizer) to form his own band, Clock DVA, and rather than look for another synth player to replace him, Ware and Marsh decided to look for a vocalist, in part because they couldn’t afford a third synthesizer, but mostly because they realised that without a singer, their commercial prospects were mightily restricted.

The duos first choice was Glenn Gregory, but he was, at the time, unavailable. Gregory would eventually team up with Ware and Marsh, but that comes a little bit further into the Human League story, well, a related chapter at any rate. Enter former school friend turned hospital porter Philip Oakey. Away from hospital corridors, Oakey had a reputation on the Sheffield scene for being somewhat of a barometer for cutting edge fashion trends, and though his experience in music didn’t extend past hanging out at local clubs, he had something every bit as important at that time - he looked like a pop star. After an informal audition during August of ‘77 at The Workshop, in Sheffield, got him the gig, Oakey initially listened to Ware and Marsh playing what instrumental material they had, and started to write some accompanying lyrics. He then thought he’d try and sing some of them, which took a little time to hone, but by early 1978 the trio had found some chemistry together, and had wisely dropped the theme from ‘Doctor Who’ from their repertoire. Ware made the decision to rename the band at that point, and took inspiration from the arcade computer game ‘Starforce: Alpha Centauri’. The game was based around a futuristic interstellar society called ‘The Human League’, and thus The Future became the Human League - kind of in line with the whole futurist image of synth-pop. Under Oakey’s influence, the Human League would soon prove a seminal player in the evolution of British synth-pop.

During the first half of ‘78, the Human League issued a demo tape to several record labels, and it was Bob Last’s Edinburgh based Fast Records that proved the quickest to respond to what the trio was offering. In June of ‘78, the Human League released their debut single ‘Being Boiled’, which harnessed the raw, alien-esque synth-pop textures Ware and Marsh had been refining, layered with Oakey’s richly resonating vocals. It was at odds with almost everything else on offer, and the track’s stand alone quality led it to being picked up by the influential N.M.E. magazine, who quickly labelled it their single of the week. The Human League wanted to avoid being consigned to a studio based operation, so they recruited Philip Adrian Wright as an additional synth player, but mostly as the band’s ‘Director of Visuals’, which essentially meant he was charged with the responsibility of augmenting the band’s music with slides, film clips, and lighting - very much in the fashion that Steven Griffiths would take on for Soft Cell (see recent post) - though Wright would remain a key component of the Human League beyond the band's formative years. Starting with their debut show at Sheffield’s Bar 2, on June 12th, the band’s ‘live’ gigs did rely to a degree on pre-recorded material, tape machines, and electronic percussion, but with Wright’s engaging visuals, and Oakey’s brooding presence out front, the Human League soon began building a strong reputation as a live act. They were soon supporting a punk band with glam rock overtones, called The Rezillos, who originally hailed from Edinburgh. The Rezillos, at that time, featured a young guitarist by the name of Jo Callis, who would in time be drawn into the Human League universe. During September of ‘78, the Human League scored a support slot on tour with Siouxsie & the Banshees, who provided a number of up and coming groups from that era with their first major exposure on the live tour scene. By year’s end, the Human League were being noticed in all the right circles, even attracting praise from David Bowie, who identified the ‘future’ in the Human League.

In April ‘79, the Human League released the EP, ‘The Dignity Of Labour’, which for some reason featured all instrumental fare (maybe Oakey had laryngitis that day). Although an odd choice to build on their growing commercial appeal, the EP certainly didn’t damage the Human League’s chances of being signed to a major label, and sign to a major label they did, when Virgin Records came a calling in May of ‘79. Following a stint supporting Iggy Pop on his European tour, the Human League released their debut single for Virgin Records, ‘I Don’t Depend On You’, in July of ‘79. The single was a classic case of record label interference, as Virgin insisted on a more conventional ‘pop music’ approach, dispensing with some of the experimental, avant-garde tendencies that had defined the Human League to that point. The band didn’t have much bargaining power at that stage, but Martyn Ware did insist that the single not be released under the Human League moniker. As a result, the single was initially credited to the pseudonymous ‘The Men’. Needless to say, the dance styled ‘I Don’t Depend On You’ sank without a trace, but it was the earliest example of a Human League song featuring female backing vocals, a prelude of things to come for the group.

The whole commercial dance pop angle just didn’t fit with the Human League approach, and sensibly Virgin relented and allowed the lads to have their creative head in recording their debut album. Ware, Marsh and Oakey revelled in the chance to create an album as cold, and as stark, as any synth-pop album to have evolved out of that era. If Kraftwerk pioneered the concept of a musicians as high tech automatons, then the Human League’s name proved a misnomer for all the warmth and human emotion conveyed via the album ‘Reproduction’. Though recognised by some critics for its innovative brilliance, initially the album’s darkly detached, even sterile, approach failed to warm the hearts of record buyers, and the single ‘Empire State Human’ also missed the mark. The Colin Thurston produced album didn’t include the band’s first single ‘Being Boiled’, at least on initial pressings, but did include a bizarre version of the Righteous Brothers’ ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’, as one of its nine tracks. Poor returns on both album, and single, led Virgin Records to withdraw their backing for a proposed national tour late in ‘79 (The ‘Reproduction’ album did eventually chart in August of ‘81 (UK#34), re-released as a mid price album, and benefiting from a surge in the Human League’s popularity at that time).

The trio of Ware, Marsh, and Oakey returned to the studio in early 1980, and by April the EP ‘Holiday ‘80’ was released. It was essentially a double pack single, featuring the new track ‘Marianne’, and also featured ‘Being Boiled’ as part of the package. The EP signalled the Human League’s first foray into the mainstream charts (UK#56), during May of ‘80 (and their first appearance on Top of the Pops), and soon after the single ‘Empire State Human’ received a new lease on life (UK#62), though as a free 7” single included with the new single release, the old Mick Ronson song, ‘Only After Dark’ (well the first 15000 copies anyway). In May of 1980, the Human League released their sophomore album, ‘Travelogue’, which immediately undertook a tour of the British charts, the highlight being a week spent sunning itself at #16, during June of 1980. The album , co-produced by the group with Richard Manwaring, retained some of the harsher stylistic aesthetics of its predecessor, but was mildly more accessible, and even dared to offer up some melodic pop fringes to the band’s synth-based textures. But part of the reason for the conflicting stylistic tendencies on the album, no doubt lay in a widening chasm between vocalist Oakey, and his synthesizer cohorts Ware and Marsh. Oakey and Ware, in particular, had always had, an at times, tempestuous relationship, and by October of 1980 things came to a head. Some of the internal tensions had been brought about by a perceived lack of support from the band’s label Virgin, and resultant frustrations at a relative lack of commercial success, particularly by way of comparison to other contemporary synth-pop acts - most notably at the time Gary Numan. Ware and Marsh were committed to maintaining the Human League’s ties to the purer strains of synth-pop, whilst Oakey was hell bent on mainstream pop success (this is the man who once named ABBA as his chief musical influence). Just prior to a proposed U.K./European tour, slated for late 1980, the situation became untenable. Philip Oakey took the Human League name with him, but in return Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh were absolved of any existing debts associated with the band, and retained a residual 1% interest in all future royalties gained under the Human League banner (at least whilst they remained attached to Virgin Records).

Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh went on to form the British Electronic Foundation (B.E.F.), a front for their creative vision, and birthplace of their next band, Heaven 17, which would unite them at last with vocalist Glenn Gregory (see previous Heaven 17 post). Ironically, Heaven 17 would adopt a more commercial element within their own music. Meanwhile, Philip Oakey now had complete creative autonomy over the Human League name, and it was his to make, or break.