The Human League are a band that was revolutionary in the late 70s and early 80s. In the band's first line-up with Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, who later formed Heaven 17, they made electronic music, continental European in style, with dystopian themes, influenced by literature of J.G. Ballard and by films by Stanley Kubrick and John Carpenter. They even played drums with synthesizers. On their first albums "Reproduction" and "Travelogue" they didn't even use drum machines. David Bowie and Brian Eno considered the band the future of pop music. The first two albums are definitely worth listening to. And also the third album, which was the most commercially successful, "Dare". Phil Oakey went in a poppier direction without Ware and Marsh, but many of the songs on "Dare" still had the spirit of the early years. The album "Crash" is not a good example of the potential of this band (or more precisely Phil Oakey). This album was produced mainly for the US market. The producers Jam & Lewis imposed massive restrictions on the band. "Human" is a prime example of this. It was essentially already pre-produced when Phil Oakey entered the studio.
The album that “ Don’t You Want Me” is on was called Dare and it had a number of good songs. The Sound of the Crowd, The Things that Dreams are Made of, Seconds, I saw that tour in a medium size club. It was cool to see an all synth band.
This song was written and produced for them by the team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Alexander O’Neal, etc.) and earned them a number 1 in America.
Prince was the father of these two, literally. It shows on Janet's 'Control' album and on songs like 'Nasty', 'You Can Be Mine' or 'What Have You Done For Me Lately'. On the last one, which Prince used to do live parts of, he would wryly ask on the mic “who wrote that?” as the chorus part played.
One of their later tracks while not a lot wrong with it is a very generic pop song. Much more interesting stuff earlier on like their debut single Being Boiled. Even their most commercially successful album Dare has killer synth tracks on it like Open Your Heart and Seconds. But a real experimental tour de force is Dreaming of Leaving off their second album Travelogue.
I'm no expert on the HL, but my understanding is that they started as an experimental synth band, turned into a synth-pop band and by the time of this record were just a pop band. I'm sure fans of the group can suggest good early material.
Yep! Early Human League from 1978 to 1980 and later Human League material is night and day ! Their 1978 debut single "Being Boiled" (Fast Version) is a good introduction to the early sound of The Human League. (Fast Version, means this is the early version released on their Fast Product label).
Someone else suggested The Lebanon by Human League (great track), also Mirror Man, Keep Feeling Fascination, and especially Love Action (might be the best of their early hits).
about the rest of the world, but in Spain, in those days, discotheques used to stop the happy songs for 20 minutes or half an hour and move on to ballads and slow songs. We called it “los agarrados” (literally grabbed or clung), because that's how you danced with your girl, boy or stranger that you had nearby.
Phil Oakey always had a very distinct voice. Fabulous singer. Whilst this song isn't anything groundbreaking, it has Oakey delivering beautiful ballad vocals which elevates it to popstatic levels. From memory, his solo song Electric Dreams was also very huge in America around this time.
The Sound of the Crowd is my favorite of theirs but also like Love Action and Seconds. Saw them in concert the week ‘Don’t you want me’ went to number 1 in the UK. Good times. The Black Hit of Space is weirdly good and interesting too.
Like most comments say, not their best or anything close to representative of the band. I will say that I think Phil Oakey never sounded more professional as a singer - I think he might have well been surprised at the playback.
Anything from the first two albums; 'Travelogue' & 'Reproduction', that is before the split, would be well worth your time... It was both experimental and ahead of its time... Then came the split that saw HL MK2 & Heaven 17... 'Dare' was a very good pop album but for some including myself it was when HL stopped appealing to me... 'Being Boiled' & 'Empire State Human' would be great songs/singles to start with... 'Human' was decent in it's day but like much 80's music it does sound dated to my ears, the early stuff still sounds vibrant and relevent but I guess it is all down to taste...
I agree, the early days of The Human League are timeless. By that, I mean their 1978 debut single "Being boiled"/"Circus of Death" (Fast Product Versions), as well as their 1979 debut album Reproduction and their second one Travelogue from 1980. After that, it's just plain synth-pop without substance.
Everything I didn't like about that ugly mid-80s era, and about this band I'd enjoyed from 1978 to 1980. The rest, from Dare onwards, never appealed to me. Oh yes Justin, try listening to their debut single "Being Boiled" from 1978. Make sure it's the 3.54 minute Fast Product version, which was added as a bonus track on the CD version of their 1979 debut album Reproduction, as "Being Boiled" was re-recorded in 1980 for their Holiday ‘80 EP, also included on their 1980 Travelogue album! (this later version lasting 4.21 mins). The "Being Boiled" single B-side, "Circus of Death", was also re-recorded for their debut album Reproduction in 1979. In any case, listen to this debut single and then follow it up with their 1979 album Reproduction and their second Travelogue from 1980, when The Human League's electronic music was far more exciting and unpredictable!😉
@@ivanoleg054 Their 1978 single "Being Boiled" was the first thing I heard from The Human League, followed by "Empire State Human" and "Circus of Death" from Reproduction and finally Travelogue. I could only be disappointed by Dare and the rest... The only songs that are ok on Dare are "Darkness" then "I Am The Law" and "Seconds" (they're one of the few tracks where you don't hear the awful backing singers and overly unsightly synths).
I much prefer the 1980 version of Being Boiled. The Fast Records version sounds like a rough demo to me in comparison. Also the Reproduction er, reproduction of Circus Of Death is the better version. Whatever you do, avoid the version with Hot Gossip, produced by BEF.
@@mana3735 been there done that..... The subs were split 75% 25% I'd venture a hazarded guess... But Jordan has concept undertones which will offer him an opportunity to untie the knots I reckon! Re:recommendations I'm more of a hindrance possibly!!
I managed to catch The Human League live in Glasgow in 1979. That was before the split. If you want to hear them at their most experimental try the Dignity of Labour EP. If you want them at their most humourous try Empire State Human.
I think the earlier HL stuff was stronger, the whole Dare album, which was 5 years earlier, or a particular favourite try The Lebanon off Hysteria, which was released 2 years earlier.
Oh yeah That Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis sound is unmistakable (I actually didn't know that all these years til I read it on the comments). It sounds EXACTLY like Alexander O'Neal's album Hearsay - WHICH I LOVE! But on the whole this IS a big departure from the band's normal - core sound. I remember this song came out a little before I graduated high school. I remember wrapping Christmas presents to this.
It's a great song and Phil sings fantastically on it but it's not the Human League I love to be honest. The early stuff is amazing... Dare was a transition and even stuff like The Lebanon and Keep Feeling Fascination was pretty good but I don't see them as an RnB band in this way... I do like the song a lot though... really nice jazzy chords.
The melody is catchy, gets stuck in my head, and there is definitely an 80s air about it but the song as a whole is a little too wishy-washy for me to say I enjoy it.
For me this is as good as it got, a song depicting the complications in relationships, trying to remain faithful during a separation. Well sung too. There's another song 'Human' by The Pretenders I like as well, it was used as the theme music for a short lived TV show called "Cupid". One of the group's best.
This is a pleasant enough pop song but a world apart from their edgy weird beginnings! - I don't think Phil Oakey is a great vocalist (he could never sing as smoothly or as in tune normally) but he had an interesting voice which fitted particularly well with the early incarnation of the band. If you want to dive into the early Human League I recommend 'Empire State Human' or 'The Black Hit Of Space' - both songs are fun and nuts and totally original.
This is more Jam & Lewis than Human League like any other bands/artists they have produced. Producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are very dominant and unique in their production work, making each artist sound like a typical Jam & Lewis production. The good thing is that the producers have created their own sound and style, the bad thing is that the artists always lost their individuality. Very often you´ve heard a song and knew it was a Jam & Lewis song, but you didn´t recognized who actually the artist was. You could say that Human League in this song sound more like the S.O.S. Band than themselves.
Gotta do 'Dare', it's a proper classic early electro pop album. This was their later grand pop stuff, not quite as edgy or interesting. Phil Oakey's voice is class though
Human League are a great band, but this is not a track I would chose for showcasing them. It's OK, and it's one of a few ballads they've done, but if they hadn't already been famous, I doubt this track would have become greatly popular. As many have said, the "Dare" album would be a far better place to start, or really any of their many tracks from the early to mid 80s, some of which were not on their studio albums, e.g. "Mirror Man" and "(Keep Feeling) Fascination". Some of their B-side tracks are worth a listen too, e.g. "Hard Times" stands out (the original 1981 version, not the dance remix). Then there's their early and more experimental work, but note the band line-up was significantly different back then.
Give me Back all my Luv I've Had a Change of Heart - was that a Hit B4 this ?I had the LP by Change. I'd love to hear The System's You Are In Ma System now. I've bought Shalamar's 2 Hit LPs too which are colossal but now slightly dated and overfamiliar. Blackstreet's Another Level is a class LP too JP. Just Keepin it Real Bro! Peace!
You should listen to the entire album, DARE. It's their best work. By the time Human came along they had decided to do "safe", as you said, songs that would sell. Human is not awful but it's not their best work by far. The follow up to DARE, Fascination, is also a very good album.
They were extremely cheesey by this point. Check out their early experimental/underground stuff. "Being Boiled" is very early 1978 post punk experimental synth. "The sound of the crowd is a couple of years after that, and becoming slightly more pop but still has a fantastic experimental edge to it. Then there's The Lebanon, Open Your Heart.
Basically they both cheated, it's out, they'll move on and probably both do it again. Eventually, one will cheat when the other isn't and it'll end. That was my take, anyway.
The Sound of the Crowd is my favorite of theirs but also like Love Action and Seconds. Saw them in concert the week ‘Don’t you want me’ went to number 1 in the UK. Good times. The Black Hit of Space is weirdly good and interesting too.
"The Lebanon" is a great song.
One of the greatest voices of the 80s.
The Human League are a band that was revolutionary in the late 70s and early 80s. In the band's first line-up with Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, who later formed Heaven 17, they made electronic music, continental European in style, with dystopian themes, influenced by literature of J.G. Ballard and by films by Stanley Kubrick and John Carpenter. They even played drums with synthesizers. On their first albums "Reproduction" and "Travelogue" they didn't even use drum machines.
David Bowie and Brian Eno considered the band the future of pop music.
The first two albums are definitely worth listening to. And also the third album, which was the most commercially successful, "Dare".
Phil Oakey went in a poppier direction without Ware and Marsh, but many of the songs on "Dare" still had the spirit of the early years.
The album "Crash" is not a good example of the potential of this band (or more precisely Phil Oakey). This album was produced mainly for the US market. The producers Jam & Lewis imposed massive restrictions on the band. "Human" is a prime example of this. It was essentially already pre-produced when Phil Oakey entered the studio.
Excellent summation of the course of their career.
The "Crash" album is definitely not prime Human League. This is the only track I'd keep from it, and even then it's not up there with their best.
The album that “ Don’t You Want Me” is on was called Dare and it had a number of good songs. The Sound of the Crowd, The Things that Dreams are Made of, Seconds, I saw that tour in a medium size club. It was cool to see an all synth band.
This song was written and produced for them by the team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Alexander O’Neal, etc.) and earned them a number 1 in America.
Prince was the father of these two, literally. It shows on Janet's 'Control' album and on songs like 'Nasty', 'You Can Be Mine' or 'What Have You Done For Me Lately'.
On the last one, which Prince used to do live parts of, he would wryly ask on the mic “who wrote that?” as the chorus part played.
One of their later tracks while not a lot wrong with it is a very generic pop song. Much more interesting stuff earlier on like their debut single Being Boiled. Even their most commercially successful album Dare has killer synth tracks on it like Open Your Heart and Seconds. But a real experimental tour de force is Dreaming of Leaving off their second album Travelogue.
Their early experimental electronic music is really good!
👍Cold but inventive electronic music from the gut! 1978 to 1980, their best years.
Great song. The best part is when the ladies sing: "I am just a maaan". 😂
One of those songs that really makes me feel the 80's. Gets me nostalgic.
I'm no expert on the HL, but my understanding is that they started as an experimental synth band, turned into a synth-pop band and by the time of this record were just a pop band. I'm sure fans of the group can suggest good early material.
Yep! Early Human League from 1978 to 1980 and later Human League material is night and day ! Their 1978 debut single "Being Boiled" (Fast Version) is a good introduction to the early sound of The Human League. (Fast Version, means this is the early version released on their Fast Product label).
Someone else suggested The Lebanon by Human League (great track), also Mirror Man, Keep Feeling Fascination, and especially Love Action (might be the best of their early hits).
Night clubs back in the 80's played this song all the time, every club I went to played it every night
about the rest of the world, but in Spain, in those days, discotheques used to stop the happy songs for 20 minutes or half an hour and move on to ballads and slow songs. We called it “los agarrados” (literally grabbed or clung), because that's how you danced with your girl, boy or stranger that you had nearby.
Their great introduction to many of us was LOVE ACTION a must! But get up and dance! Human is purely a sensational feeling 80s classic.
Phil Oakey always had a very distinct voice. Fabulous singer. Whilst this song isn't anything groundbreaking, it has Oakey delivering beautiful ballad vocals which elevates it to popstatic levels. From memory, his solo song Electric Dreams was also very huge in America around this time.
Go for „Being Boiled“
If you want less safe you should check out their songs Almost medieval, Being boiled and Circus of death.
The Sound of the Crowd is my favorite of theirs but also like Love Action and Seconds. Saw them in concert the week ‘Don’t you want me’ went to number 1 in the UK. Good times. The Black Hit of Space is weirdly good and interesting too.
One of my favourite 80's ballads. I LOVE IT!
Had me thinking I was trapped in a waiting room.
Do Being Boiled and listen to the voice of Buddha.
'Saying stop your Sericulture'.
please do "being boiled" by human league. great synth sounds and great song overall
That synth bass is so smooth. Love this track.
Like most comments say, not their best or anything close to representative of the band.
I will say that I think Phil Oakey never sounded more professional as a singer - I think he might have well been surprised at the playback.
Anything from the first two albums; 'Travelogue' & 'Reproduction', that is before the split, would be well worth your time... It was both experimental and ahead of its time... Then came the split that saw HL MK2 & Heaven 17... 'Dare' was a very good pop album but for some including myself it was when HL stopped appealing to me... 'Being Boiled' & 'Empire State Human' would be great songs/singles to start with... 'Human' was decent in it's day but like much 80's music it does sound dated to my ears, the early stuff still sounds vibrant and relevent but I guess it is all down to taste...
I agree, the early days of The Human League are timeless. By that, I mean their 1978 debut single "Being boiled"/"Circus of Death" (Fast Product Versions), as well as their 1979 debut album Reproduction and their second one Travelogue from 1980. After that, it's just plain synth-pop without substance.
Legendary! One of the 80's best songs
Everything I didn't like about that ugly mid-80s era, and about this band I'd enjoyed from 1978 to 1980. The rest, from Dare onwards, never appealed to me.
Oh yes Justin, try listening to their debut single "Being Boiled" from 1978. Make sure it's the 3.54 minute Fast Product version, which was added as a bonus track on the CD version of their 1979 debut album Reproduction, as "Being Boiled" was re-recorded in 1980 for their Holiday ‘80 EP, also included on their 1980 Travelogue album! (this later version lasting 4.21 mins). The "Being Boiled" single B-side, "Circus of Death", was also re-recorded for their debut album Reproduction in 1979.
In any case, listen to this debut single and then follow it up with their 1979 album Reproduction and their second Travelogue from 1980, when The Human League's electronic music was far more exciting and unpredictable!😉
Is there an acapella Being Boiled?. I jest hof coarse
@@HippoYnYGlaw No, it's just being boiled in a different way two years later!🤣😉
Being boiled is their best and one of the best songs in the early 80‘s. This later stuff ist .. ok … but not really necessary.
@@ivanoleg054 Their 1978 single "Being Boiled" was the first thing I heard from The Human League, followed by "Empire State Human" and "Circus of Death" from Reproduction and finally Travelogue. I could only be disappointed by Dare and the rest... The only songs that are ok on Dare are "Darkness" then "I Am The Law" and "Seconds" (they're one of the few tracks where you don't hear the awful backing singers and overly unsightly synths).
I much prefer the 1980 version of Being Boiled. The Fast Records version sounds like a rough demo to me in comparison. Also the Reproduction er, reproduction of Circus Of Death is the better version. Whatever you do, avoid the version with Hot Gossip, produced by BEF.
Prefab Sprout - Jordan the comeback full album
let the healing commence
He'd love the Prefabs, in my opinion. Get him onto the Steve McQueen album.
@@mana3735 been there done that..... The subs were split 75% 25% I'd venture a hazarded guess... But Jordan has concept undertones which will offer him an opportunity to untie the knots I reckon! Re:recommendations
I'm more of a hindrance possibly!!
Justin, More Prefab Sprout and oh my lord LLOYD COLE and CHRIS REA are legends ahead of you!
@@ButtonPhonicsdefinitely agree on more Prefab Sprout and Chris Rea. I reckon Justin would love The Road To Hell album and probably Auberge as well.
I'm not sure about safe or not but I love The Human League's "Love Action" and "Love is all that Matters".
I managed to catch The Human League live in Glasgow in 1979. That was before the split. If you want to hear them at their most experimental try the Dignity of Labour EP. If you want them at their most humourous try Empire State Human.
I much prefer their earlier "Empire State Human". This is just forgettable background music.
Your Music Mirrors Your Mind
Song: suggestion: Seconds
Bans/Artist: Human League
Album: Dare
My fav.
I think the earlier HL stuff was stronger, the whole Dare album, which was 5 years earlier, or a particular favourite try The Lebanon off Hysteria, which was released 2 years earlier.
Oh yeah That Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis sound is unmistakable (I actually didn't know that all these years til I read it on the comments). It sounds EXACTLY like Alexander O'Neal's album Hearsay - WHICH I LOVE! But on the whole this IS a big departure from the band's normal - core sound. I remember this song came out a little before I graduated high school. I remember wrapping Christmas presents to this.
Lovely! Sheffield's finest - check out Being Boiled, The Lebanon, and Seconds
Never a huge fan of HL, but I liked their hits. And of those, this is my favorite by them. I love this song. Thanks Justin!
Big PH and VDGG fan here, but I love this song too. Just a great simple, melodic tune.
Excellent songchoice. I always loved this song. Indeed the atmospheric sound of rain together with good pleasant singing
It's a great song and Phil sings fantastically on it but it's not the Human League I love to be honest. The early stuff is amazing... Dare was a transition and even stuff like The Lebanon and Keep Feeling Fascination was pretty good but I don't see them as an RnB band in this way... I do like the song a lot though... really nice jazzy chords.
Some comments are somewhat interesting intellectually, bit sour sounding and bitter. Can’t argue with taste in music, in the end
The melody is catchy, gets stuck in my head, and there is definitely an 80s air about it but the song as a whole is a little too wishy-washy for me to say I enjoy it.
For me this is as good as it got, a song depicting the complications in relationships, trying to remain faithful during a separation. Well sung too. There's another song 'Human' by The Pretenders I like as well, it was used as the theme music for a short lived TV show called "Cupid". One of the group's best.
Yes it’s a heartfelt theme
Gosh, I didn’t realise this was a Human League song- I heard a version of it on the boyband 5ive’s first album.
Likewise, I didn't know 5ive had covered this track by the Human League. But that just makes me super cool.
Just a good ol' pop tune! I love it. It's not groundbreaking by any means, but there's nothing wrong with that.
You need to do my favorite HL song, Deep Feeling Fascination. Really fun track.
As in" keep? "😀
@@HippoYnYGlaw yeah! That too, LOL
This is a pleasant enough pop song but a world apart from their edgy weird beginnings! - I don't think Phil Oakey is a great vocalist (he could never sing as smoothly or as in tune normally) but he had an interesting voice which fitted particularly well with the early incarnation of the band. If you want to dive into the early Human League I recommend 'Empire State Human' or 'The Black Hit Of Space' - both songs are fun and nuts and totally original.
This is more Jam & Lewis than Human League like any other bands/artists they have produced. Producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are very dominant and unique in their production work, making each artist sound like a typical Jam & Lewis production. The good thing is that the producers have created their own sound and style, the bad thing is that the artists always lost their individuality. Very often you´ve heard a song and knew it was a Jam & Lewis song, but you didn´t recognized who actually the artist was. You could say that Human League in this song sound more like the S.O.S. Band than themselves.
Yeah this is a good example of how to buy yourself a hit. I always liked this one though, and the singer is still very recognizable.
Next up please....Drama by Erasure.
or Erasure by Erasure even ?
Gotta do 'Dare', it's a proper classic early electro pop album. This was their later grand pop stuff, not quite as edgy or interesting. Phil Oakey's voice is class though
Question: any idea where I can get that now playing / weather display?
Ooh very good choice JP! If you want to try another by them I recommend Love Action.
Check out The League Unlimited Orchestra album. Really good stuff.
Try «seconds» from their Dare album. The ultimate synthpop song for me😊
Human League are a great band, but this is not a track I would chose for showcasing them. It's OK, and it's one of a few ballads they've done, but if they hadn't already been famous, I doubt this track would have become greatly popular. As many have said, the "Dare" album would be a far better place to start, or really any of their many tracks from the early to mid 80s, some of which were not on their studio albums, e.g. "Mirror Man" and "(Keep Feeling) Fascination". Some of their B-side tracks are worth a listen too, e.g. "Hard Times" stands out (the original 1981 version, not the dance remix). Then there's their early and more experimental work, but note the band line-up was significantly different back then.
Give me Back all my Luv I've Had a Change of Heart - was that a Hit B4 this ?I had the LP by Change. I'd love to hear The System's You Are In Ma System now. I've bought Shalamar's 2 Hit LPs too which are colossal but now slightly dated and overfamiliar.
Blackstreet's Another Level is a class LP too JP. Just Keepin it Real Bro! Peace!
You should listen to the entire album, DARE. It's their best work. By the time Human came along they had decided to do "safe", as you said, songs that would sell. Human is not awful but it's not their best work by far. The follow up to DARE, Fascination, is also a very good album.
Dare is very far from being their best work. The earlier 2 albums were infinitely more interesting and ground- breaking.
@@group-music Hardly
Their first 3 albums are magnificent (Reproduction, Travelogue, Dare). Rest is rather bland.
They were extremely cheesey by this point. Check out their early experimental/underground stuff. "Being Boiled" is very early 1978 post punk experimental synth. "The sound of the crowd is a couple of years after that, and becoming slightly more pop but still has a fantastic experimental edge to it. Then there's The Lebanon, Open Your Heart.
Basically they both cheated, it's out, they'll move on and probably both do it again. Eventually, one will cheat when the other isn't and it'll end.
That was my take, anyway.
It’s not cheating if they aren’t together.
@johnnelson3665 If they weren't together, then the whole song is pointless. No confession needed about what you do when you're single.
The Sound of the Crowd is my favorite of theirs but also like Love Action and Seconds. Saw them in concert the week ‘Don’t you want me’ went to number 1 in the UK. Good times. The Black Hit of Space is weirdly good and interesting too.