The Human League
The Human League in 2007. From left: Philip Oakey, Joanne Catherall, Susan Ann Sulley
Background information
Also known as	The Future, The Men, League Unlimited Orchestra
Origin	Sheffield, UK
Genre(s)	Electropop Synthpop New Wave
Years active	1977 – Present
Label(s)	Fast Product, EMI, Virgin, A&M, EastWest, Papillion
Associated acts	Giorgio Moroder Heaven 17
Members
Philip Oakey Joanne Catherall Susan Ann Sulley
Former members
Ian Craig Marsh Martyn Ware Philip Adrian Wright Ian Burden Jo Callis

The Human League are a British synthpop band. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Synthpop is a subgenre of New Wave and Pop music in which the Synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Fast Product was an Independent record label, established in Edinburgh Scotland by Bob Last in December 1977. The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in Virgin Records is a British Record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell A&M Records is an American Record label owned by Universal Music Group which operates through the Interscope-Geffen-A&M division East West Records is an American Record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group. Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter Heaven 17 are a British Synthpop band originating from the city of Sheffield in the early 1980s Philip Oakey (born on 2 October, 1955, in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England) is a Composer, Singer, Joanne Catherall (born 18 September 1962 in Sheffield, UK) is a British singer best known as one of the two female vocalists of the veteran Susan Ann Sulley (formerly known as Susanne Sulley and Susan Ann Gayle) (born 22 March 1963) is a British singer best known as one of the Ian Craig Marsh (born 11 November 1956) is an English musician Martyn Ware (born May 19 1956 in Sheffield, England) is a British musician Philip Adrian Wright (born 30 June, 1956 in Sheffield) is an English musician also known as Adrian Wright. Ian Burden (born 24 December 1957 in Sheffield) was a keyboard player with the English Synthpop band, The Jo Callis (born 2 May 1951, Rotherham) is an English Musician who played Guitar with the Edinburgh based The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Synthpop is a subgenre of New Wave and Pop music in which the Synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. Formed in Sheffield, Yorkshire in 1977, they achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain. They have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s and '90s and up to the present day.

Originally an avant-garde all male synthesizer-based group from Sheffield, the only constant band member since 1977 is vocalist and songwriter Philip Oakey. Philip Oakey (born on 2 October, 1955, in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England) is a Composer, Singer, Since 1987, The Human League has essentially been a trio of Oakey and long-serving female vocalists Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley (who joined the band in 1980), with various studio musicians. Joanne Catherall (born 18 September 1962 in Sheffield, UK) is a British singer best known as one of the two female vocalists of the veteran Susan Ann Sulley (formerly known as Susanne Sulley and Susan Ann Gayle) (born 22 March 1963) is a British singer best known as one of the The Human League has influenced many electro-pop and mainstream acts including Madonna and Moby. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Richard Melville Hall, also known as Moby (born September 11, 1965 in Harlem, New York) is an American DJ They have been sampled and covered by various artists including YMO, Ministry of Sound, George Michael and Robbie Williams. Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO is an influential Japanese Electropop band formed in 1978 Ministry of Sound ( MoS) is a global dance music brand and a Nightclub in Elephant and Castle, Southwark, South London, officially Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου (born 25 June 1963 best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning Robert Peter Maximilian Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer ^[1]

Since 1979, they have released nine studio albums, eighteen singles (including 8 UK top 10 singles and 2 number one singles in the US) and played over 350 live concerts. The Human League have sold an estimated 20 million records worldwide. ^[2]

Contents 1 Band history 1.1 1977: "The Dead Daughters" and "The Future" 1.2 1978 – 1980: The original Human League lineup 1.3 October 1980: The formation of The Human League 'Mk2' 1.4 1981: The build up to Dare 1.5 The remaining 1980s 1.6 The 1990s 1.7 The 2000s 1.8 Today 2 Discography 3 Band personnel 3.1 Present members 3.2 Past members 4 Awards 4.1 Nominations 5 Further reading 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Band history

1977: "The Dead Daughters" and "The Future"

Before adopting the name The Human League, the band briefly had two previous incarnations. ^[3] In early 1977, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh were both working as computer operators, and combined a love of pop music (such as glam rock and Tamla Motown) with avant-garde electronic music acts such as German group Kraftwerk. Martyn Ware (born May 19 1956 in Sheffield, England) is a British musician Ian Craig Marsh (born 11 November 1956) is an English musician Glam rock (also known as glitter rock) is a sub-genre of Rock music that developed in the UK in the post- Hippie early 1970s which was "performed by "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production Kraftwerk (ˈkʁaftvɛɐk German for " power plant " or " Power station " is an influential Electronic music band from With the price of electronic components dropping in the mid 1970s, previously unaffordable equipment was now in the range of the average consumer. Ware and Marsh saved up and bought a Korg 770S synthesizer between them and set about learning how to play it. is a Japanese Multinational corporation that manufactures electronic Musical instruments and Electronic tuners The company is one of the Their musical reputation spread and they were invited to play at a friend's 21st birthday party. For the party, Ware and Marsh formed themselves into an informal band called The Dead Daughters. Their live highlight was a rendition of the theme of the British TV series Doctor Who. Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. ^[3]

After a few further low-key, private performances, Ware and Marsh decided to form a proper band. Joined by their friend Adi Newton and another Synthesizer (a Roland System 100), they formed The Future and began to create music in their own ad-hoc rehearsal facility. is a Japanese manufacturer of Electronic musical instruments electronic equipment and Software. Although The Future were never signed and released no material commercially at the time, a collection of demos from this period was released retrospectively on CD in 2002 titled The Golden Hour of the Future, mixed by Richard X. The Golden Hour of the Future is a compilation album of recordings made by the electronic band The Future and early recordings by the original line-up of The Human League Richard Philips is a Record producer, best known by his Stage name Richard X. ^[3] The association with Adi Newton was short; Newton left the Future and went on to form Clock DVA. Clock DVA is an Industrial music / Post-Punk group from Sheffield, England. Ware at this point decided that he needed a singer rather than another keyboard player. The reason for this was twofold: record companies had been reluctant to sign the Future, as they couldn’t offer any "marketable" songs, and therefore a decent singer was required for any chance of commercial success; also the group only owned two synthesizers and could not afford a third. ^[3]

Ware and Marsh searched for a vocalist, but their first choice, Glenn Gregory, was unavailable (Gregory eventually became the lead singer of their later band Heaven 17). Heaven 17 are a British Synthpop band originating from the city of Sheffield in the early 1980s Heaven 17 are a British Synthpop band originating from the city of Sheffield in the early 1980s Ware then decided to invite an old school friend, Philip Oakey, to join the band. Philip Oakey (born on 2 October, 1955, in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England) is a Composer, Singer, Oakey was working as a hospital porter at the time and was known on the Sheffield social scene for his eclectic dress sense. Although he had no musical experience, Ware thought he would be ideal as lead singer for The Future as "he already looked like a pop star". When Ware called on Oakey he found he was out, so asked him to join The Future by leaving a note struck to his front door. ^[3] He accepted the invitation, but early sessions were awkward. Oakey had never sung in front of an audience before, could not play keyboards and only owned a saxophone (which he could not play). Listening to one of Ware and Marsh's demos, Oakey was inspired to write some lyrics which later became the single "Being Boiled". " Being Boiled " is a Song written by Sheffield musicians Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, with lyrics by Philip Oakey, and

With a new line-up, sound and vocalist, Ware decided that the band needed a new name. It would also allow them to approach record companies again from a different angle. Ware suggested a quote derived from the game Starforce: Alpha Centauri, a science fiction wargame which both Marsh and Ware enjoyed playing. Starforce was a Board game published in 1974 by Simulations Publications Inc In the game, 'The Human League' arose in 2415 A. D, and were a frontier-oriented society that desired more independence from Earth. Ware suggested that The Future rename themselves after the game and in early 1978 The Future became The Human League. ^[3]

1978 – 1980: The original Human League lineup

Using Future material, The Human League put out a demo tape to record companies under their new name. The tape contained versions of "Being Boiled", "Toyota City" and "Circus of Death". One label, Bob Last’s Edinburgh based independent Fast Records responded and the band were signed. Fast Product was an Independent record label, established in Edinburgh Scotland by Bob Last in December 1977.

The band released their first single "Being Boiled" in June 1978, under Fast Records. Although a limited release, because it was so unique and at odds with everything else on the market it was picked up on by NME who championed the band, although one guest reviewer, Johnny Rotten of Punk band Sex Pistols condemned the band as "trendy hippies". The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been John Joseph Lydon (born 31 January 1956 in London England also known as Johnny Rotten, is a British Rock musician best known as lead vocalist for the Punk The Sex Pistols are an English Punk rock band that formed in London in 1975 ^[3]

Boosted by critical praise, on June 12, 1978 the band played their first live gig together at Bar 2 in Sheffield's Psalter Lane Art College (now Sheffield Hallam University; a plaque now commemorates the spot in what is now a computer suite). Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Sheffield Hallam University ( SHU) is a Higher Education institution based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield, England

With their reliance on technology and tape machines, the band had been nervous about playing live. After the Psalter Lane performance, they worried that they had appeared static and uninspiring. A friend of Oakey’s had been in the audience, Philip Adrian Wright, who had an art and photography background was invited to become the band’s ‘Director of Visuals’ with a remit to "liven up" the stage performance with slides, film clips and lighting. Philip Adrian Wright (born 30 June, 1956 in Sheffield) is an English musician also known as Adrian Wright. He was credited as a full band member on record sleeves, despite his contribution mainly being non musical.

The band's live performances began to gain momentum and acclaim and they were asked to support first The Rezillos (featuring future band member Jo Callis), then Siouxsie & the Banshees in December 1978 . The Rezillos are a punk / new wave band, who formed in Edinburgh in 1976 and are still playing gigs around the world in a reformed Jo Callis (born 2 May 1951, Rotherham) is an English Musician who played Guitar with the Edinburgh based Siouxsie & the Banshees were a British rock band which formed in 1976 At this gig, David Bowie appeared in the audience and later declared to NME that he "had seen the future of pop music" ^[3]. David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. Later, the hit song by The Undertones, “My Perfect Cousin”, contained a dig at the perceived "arty" Human League in the lyric:

“

His mother bought him a synthesizer. The Undertones are a Northern Irish Punk rock / Power pop band formed in Derry in 1975 Got the Human League in to advise her. Now he's making lots of noise. Playing along with the art school boys[4]

”

In April 1979, The Human League released their first EP under Fast Record entitled The Dignity of Labour which contained four experimental instrumentals. The Dignity Of Labour is an 12" vinyl record released in 1979. Although the EP only barely charted, major record labels began approaching the band in an attempt to lure them away from Fast. Eventually, in May 1979, the band accepted an offer by Richard Branson's Virgin Records. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies Virgin Records is a British Record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell Because of his label's early support, the band offered Bob Last the position as band manager. ^[3]

In June 1979, The Human League supported Iggy Pop on his European tour before settling into recording their first single for Virgin. James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter Despite being promised creative freedom, Virgin instead insisted on some sweeping changes to the band's style for their first single in order to make it more commercial. They insisted on conventional instruments and vocals as well as synthesizers. Because the band had accepted a large financial signing advance, Ware was in no position to refuse but insisted that any releases in this style be credited to a pseudonym. ^[3]

The band's first single under Virgin Records was the disco influenced "I Don't Depend on You", released in July 1979 under the pseudonym "The Men". Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define "I Don't Depend on You" is a disco-influenced song by the British Synthpop group The Human League released under the pseudonym The Men. The single did not chart and had very little in common with the previous work of the Human League. It did, however, feature prophetic female vocals by guest vocalists Lisa Strike and Katie Kissoon sounding like the yet-to-be-formed future Human League of 1981. ^[5]

Because the imposed style had not worked, Virgin permitted the band to return to their original style and the band recorded and released their first full studio album Reproduction in August 1979. Reproduction is the debut album released by British Synthpop band The Human League. The album and the single "Empire State Human" failed to make any impact on the charts. "Empire State Human" is an Electronica song by the British Synthesizer group The Human League. After these flops, Virgin cancelled the band's December 1979 tour. By this time, The Human League's role as UK electronic pioneers was usurped by Gary Numan when his single "Are 'Friends' Electric?" became a huge hit in the UK in mid-1979 ^[3]. Gary Numan (born Gary Anthony James Webb on 8 March 1958 is an English singer composer and musician " Are 'Friends' Electric? " is a 1979 song by Gary Numan, released under the name Tubeway Army as a single and on the album Replicas

In April 1980, the band were able to release an EP entitled Holiday '80, containing the principal track "Marianne" and a cover of "Nightclubbing" (written by Bowie and Iggy Pop). Holiday '80 is an EP released by the original lineup of the British Synthpop band The Human League. The 7-inch version of "Holiday '80" did well enough to get the band their first TV appearance on BBC TV Top of the Pops on 8th May 1980, opening a Peter Powell presented show with Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll Part 2"!!. Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast Peter Powell may refer to Peter Powell (disc jockey (born 1951 a British DJ Peter Powell (kite, the inventor of a dual-line steerable Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944 is an English Glam rock Singer and Songwriter, and is better known by his Stage name Gary This was to be the only high profile TV appearance by the Oakey/Marsh/Ware trio on UK Television, with the sole exception of BBC2's 'Mainstream' programme in late 1979, where an performance in the studio, complete with slideshow etcetera, was broadcast of the tracks 'The Path Of Least Resistance' and the current minor hit "Empire State Human". "Empire State Human" is an Electronica song by the British Synthesizer group The Human League.

In May the band toured the UK. Adrian Wright was now playing incidental keyboards in addition to his visuals role. It was the last time all four members performed together live. Also in May, the band released their second studio album Travelogue. Travelogue is the second full-length studio album released by British Synthpop band The Human League. More commercial sounding that Reproduction, it peaked at no. 16 in the UK giving the band their first real success. As a result, "Empire State Human" was re-released and the band made their second appearance on Top of the Pops even though it only reached no. 62 in the singles chart.

Because of their lack of commercial success, Virgin refused to release further singles from Travelogue. The Human League were booked to conduct a tour of the UK and Europe in October - November 1980, but the lack of success after two years of hard work and perceived lack of faith by Virgin set about severe internal conflict within the band. ^[3]

October 1980: The formation of The Human League 'Mk2'

The relationship between Oakey and Ware had always been turbulent, and the pair often quarrelled over creative and personal matters. Oakey had once allegedly been observed chasing Ware up a Sheffield Street throwing bottles of milk at him. ^[1]

The lack of success compared with the success of Gary Numan's work at that time had brought matters to a head. Ware insisted the band maintain their pure electronic sound while Oakey wanted to emulate more successful pop groups. The pair clashed continually, with Ware eventually walking out. Taking Ware's side, Ian Craig Marsh joined him. Manager Bob Last tried to reconcile both parties, and when that proved impossible various options were suggested including two new bands under a Human League sub-label. Eventually it was agreed that Oakey would continue with the Human League name while Ware and Marsh would form a completely new band (which became Heaven 17). Heaven 17 are a British Synthpop band originating from the city of Sheffield in the early 1980s Two weeks before a tour of the UK/Europe the band split. ^[3]

Retaining the Human League name came at a heavy price for Oakey; he was responsible for all Human League debts and commitments. Also, The Human League would have to pay Ware and Marsh 1% of all future royalties under the Virgin contract.

With the tour only 10 days away and the music media reporting that The Human League was finished now "the talented people had left"; promoters started threatening to sue Oakey if the tour was not completed as contracted. To complete the tour, Oakey had to recruit new people in a matter of days.

In an event that is now firmly embedded in popular folklore and regularly repeated by the media,^[1] Oakey and his then girlfriend went into Sheffield city centre on a Wednesday night with the intention of recruiting a single female backing vocalist. After looking in various venues, they visited the Crazy Daisy Nightclub on High Street where Oakey spotted two teenage girls dancing together on the dance floor. The Crazy Daisy Nightclub was a discotheque/dance club in Sheffield, UK in the late 1970s to late 1980s Susan Ann Sulley (17) and Joanne Catherall (18) were just two schoolgirls on a night out together. Neither had any experience of singing or dancing professionally. With no preamble, Oakey asked both girls to join the tour as dancers and incidental vocalists. He states that when he found out their age and that they were best friends, he revised his plan for a single female and decided that the two girls could look after each other on the tour. Originally just wanting a single female singer to replace the high backing vocals originally provided by Martyn Ware, he says that he thought having two female vocalists/dancers would also add potential glamour to the band. Because of the girls' ages, Oakey and Wright later had to visit Sulley and Catherall’s respective parents to obtain permission for the girls to go the tour.

In addition to Sulley and Catherall, Oakey employed professional musician Ian Burden as a session keyboard player for the tour to cover for the keyboards of the now departed Ware and Marsh

The tour was completed as advertised but was less than successful. Ian Burden (born 24 December 1957 in Sheffield) was a keyboard player with the English Synthpop band, The The music press was scornful of "Oakey and his dancing girls" and treated the new band line-up with derision. Many of the audiences who had paid to see the original all male line up, were not happy with the new band; Sulley and Catherall were often heckled and, on occasion, bottled.

On completion of the tour, Burden went on to his next commitment playing keyboards in West Berlin. West Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990 Because of the professionalism they had shown and because he planned to use them further vocally, Oakey and manager Bob Last made Sulley and Catherall full members of the band, to be paid on a salary basis.

1981: The build up to Dare

1981 became the band's most successful period and culminated in the release of the influential, multi-million selling album Dare and the multi-million selling single "Don't You Want Me"^[6]

In January 1981, although they had survived the tour, the band was still in trouble. Dare (or Dare! in the US is the third studio album from British Synthpop band The Human League. " Don't You Want Me " is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League, from their 1981 album Dare!. Heavily in debt to Virgin Records, Oakey and Wright were under pressure to produce results quickly. By February 1981, the band recorded and rushed out "Boys and Girls". "Boys and Girls" is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. Sulley and Catherall (who had returned to school full-time) were not used. The single reached no. 47 in the UK charts, the most commercially successful Human League single to that point. Oakey acknowledged that he needed to bring in professional musicians and so Ian Burden was tracked down and invited to join the band as a trial member.

Virgin's faith had been restored by "Boys and Girls" but they believed the band lacked professional production. In March, Oakey was introduced to veteran producer Martin Rushent. Martin Rushent born 1948 is an English musician and Record producer. Rushent's first move was to decamp the entire band to Genetic Studios in Reading away from the "unhealthy atmosphere" of Monumental Studios, Sheffield which they shared with Ware and Marsh's Heaven 17. The first result of the Genetic sessions was the single "The Sound of the Crowd". "The Sound Of The Crowd" is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. The single was an instant success reaching no. 12 in the UK.

Bob Last believed that the band could be improved further by the addition of one more professional musician, so in April 1981 his associate Jo Callis (formerly of The Rezillos, a band Last had previously managed) was invited to become the final permanent member of the band. Jo Callis (born 2 May 1951, Rotherham) is an English Musician who played Guitar with the Edinburgh based The Rezillos are a punk / new wave band, who formed in Edinburgh in 1976 and are still playing gigs around the world in a reformed The next single, "Love Action (I Believe in Love)", went to no. "Love Action (I Believe in Love" is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League, released as a single in the UK in July 1981 3 in the UK in August 1981.

The band's commercial success and higher public profile prompted Virgin to authorise the release of a full album. The band set about arranging their existing material and demos into a viable album. Sulley and Catherall who had just left school immediately postponed their plans to attend university to work on the album. By October 1981, the album was ready and entitled Dare. Just prior to its release, Virgin released a single from the album, "Open Your Heart", which equalled the success of the previous two singles. "Open Your Heart" is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. Dare was released in October 1981 and went to no. 1 in the UK. It spent a total of 4 weeks at the top spot over the 1981/82 period, remaining in the chart for 77 weeks and eventually going triple platinum.

Because of Dare's enormous success, Virgin executive Simon Draper instructed that a fourth single be released from the album before the end of 1981. His choice was to be "Don't You Want Me", a track Oakey considered to be a filler and the weakest track on the album. Oakey fought the decision believing it would damage the band, but was overruled by Draper and "Don't You Want Me" was released in December 1981. Aided by an expensive music video (a rarity at the time) directed by film maker Steve Barron, the single went immediately to number one and stayed there over Christmas 1981. Steve Barron (born May 4, 1956) is a director and producer, best known for directing the films Coneheads (1993 The single became the band's biggest hit, sell over two million copies worldwide ^[6]. Dare has since been labelled as one of pop music's most influential albums ^[7]. Philip Oakey often plays down such claims, but at other times acknowledges its influence on modern music. In 2001, paraphrasing an NME headline from 1980, Oakey once famously quipped:

“

The Human League, one day all music will be made like this!. . . and it is![8]

”

The remaining 1980s

Capitalizing on the success of the album and their recent no. 1 hit single, "Being Boiled" was re-released and became a top 10 hit in early 1982. The band toured for the first time (together) internationally. Concurrently, Dare (later renamed Dare!) was released in the U. S. by A&M Records and "Don't You Want Me" also reached number one there in mid-1982. A&M Records is an American Record label owned by Universal Music Group which operates through the Interscope-Geffen-A&M division A remix album of Dare entitled Love and Dancing was released under the group name "League Unlimited Orchestra" (a tribute to Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra), reaching number three on the UK album chart. A remix is an alternative version of a song different from the original version Love and Dancing is a remix album released by the British Synthpop band The Human League in 1982 Barry Eugene White (born Barrence Eugene Carter, &ndash) was an American Record producer, Songwriter and Singer. Barry Eugene White (born Barrence Eugene Carter, &ndash) was an American Record producer, Songwriter and Singer. During their Dare phase, The Human League were often associated with the New Romantic movement, although they stated both then and now that they were never truly New Romantics. New Romantic was a short- lived Fashion and music movement that occurred primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the very early 1980s

In 1982, the band received the Best British Newcomer award at the annual Brit Music awards, and Rushent also took Best Producer for his work on "Dare". The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry 's annual pop music awards By the end of the awards party, a tipsy Sulley and Catherall had lost the band’s valuable trophy and it was never seen again. ^[1]

In November 1982, the Motown influenced electro pop single "Mirror Man" reached no. "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. "Mirror Man" is a Motown -inspired song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. 2 in the UK chart, just missing another Christmas number one which was taken by a novelty record by Renée and Renato^[6]

The Human League's work was now recognised on both sides of the Atlantic. In February 1983, the band was nominated for the Best New Artist award at the 25th annual Grammy Awards (though the award eventually went to Men at Work. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences For the 1990 movie "Men at Work" see Men at Work (film. ^[9]).

The follow-up single, "(Keep Feeling) Fascination", was released in April 1983 and peaked at no. 2 in the UK. The following months proved to be difficult ones for the band as they struggled to record a follow-up album to Dare under immense pressure from Virgin. A six song EP called Fascination! comprising of the singles "Mirror Man" and "Fascination" together with the new track "I Love You Too Much" was released from the original recording sessions for their new album, later to be named Hysteria. An extended play ( EP) is a Vinyl record, CD, or Music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify Fascination! is an EP released by British Synthpop band The Human League in 1983 Hysteria is the fourth album by the British Synthpop band The Human League. The EP was released in America as a stop-gap and also became a strong seller as an import in the UK. ^[6]

In August 1983 the band released "the UK's first Video Single" to capitalise on the growing market created by the increasing popularity of domestic home video tape recorders,^[10] called " The Human League Video Single". A VHS single or videotape single is a music single in the form of a Videotape. "The Human League Video Single" is a compilation of music videos by the British Synthpop group The Human League released on VHS This was a short (12 mins) video tape cassette in either VHS or Betamax format, containing the music videos for "Mirror Man", "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" and "Don’t You Want Me". Although innovative, it was not a commercial success; as it retailed for £10. 99 it was extremely expensive compared to vinyl singles averaging £1. 99 in 1983. It did set the scene for further video and DVD releases by the band in the future.

The band spent many months agonising as they tried to make a successor to Dare, and as things became ever more stressful, producer Martin Rushent left the project. At this point, the band ditched much of the material recorded so far and started over again with new producers Hugh Padgham and Chris Thomas (though some of Rushent's contributions to certain tracks from the earlier sessions were included on the released album). Nick Heyward of Haircut 100 mocked the band saying that "he recorded his entire album in the time it took the Human League to program one drum machine!" ^[1]

Finally, in May 1984, the band released the politically charged single "The Lebanon". Haircut 100 was a Pop rock -influenced band, formed in 1980 by Nick Heyward, whose most successful single was " Love Plus " The Lebanon " is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. The single peaked at no. 11 in the UK. This was followed shortly after by the album Hysteria, so called because of the difficult and tense recording process. It entered the UK album chart at no. 3, however it climbed no further and critics and fans were divided by the new direction the band had taken. The second single was "Life on Your Own" in mid-1984. " Life on Your Own " is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. The single missed the UK top ten, peaking at no. 16. With the parent album Hysteria failing to live up to expected sales, thoughts of a third single were put on hold. ^[1]

Later that year, success outside of The Human League came for Oakey in the shape of the huge hit single "Together In Electric Dreams", a collaboration with one of his idols, synth pioneer Giorgio Moroder. " Together in Electric Dreams " is a song by the British singer and composer Philip Oakey and producer Giorgio Moroder. Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter The track was taken from the film soundtrack to Electric Dreams and became a massive hit. Often now erroneously credited as a Human League single, due to its success and enduring popularity, the band have since adopted it for their live performances and it appears on their greatest hits compilations. Oakey and Moroder then recorded an album together for Virgin, Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder, but this met with rather less success and the following two singles failed to make the UK Top 40. Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder was a collaborative album released in 1984 by Philip Oakey, lead singer of the electronic band The Human League and However, the success of the original Oakey and Moroder track encouraged Virgin to release one final single from Hysteria in November 1984, the ballad "Louise" was released and reached no. "Louise" is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. 13 in the UK.

After Hysteria, the group found themselves in creative stagnation, struggling to record material to follow up on their previous successes. Key songwriter Jo Callis departed, replaced by drummer Jim Russell. Bob Last quit as manager and was not replaced.

Worried by the lack of progress with their most profitable act, Virgin paired the Human League up with American R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who had a proven track record with Janet Jackson and Prince. James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born on June 6, 1959, in Minneapolis Minnesota) and Terry Steven Lewis (born Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16 1966 is an American recording artist and entertainer Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician Jam and Lewis had expressed an interest in working with the band after hearing their U. S. releases. Virgin flew the entire band to Minneapolis. The four-month-long recording sessions were beset with creative disputes, with Jam and Lewis having preconceived ideas on how they wanted the album to sound, rejecting most of the band's material (which would cost the band considerable loss of royalty income). The band eventually quit the sessions early amidst creative acrimony, although the personal relationships had actually been good. ^[1]

The final result of the sessions was the Crash album. Crash is the fifth full-length studio album released by the British Synthpop band The Human League in 1986 The album featured much material written by the Jam and Lewis' team, and showcased their DX7-led sound. The Yamaha DX7 was a Synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1986, based on FM synthesis developed by It provided a US no. 1 single, "Human" (no. " Human " is a song recorded by British Synthpop band The Human League. 8 in the UK), but other singles made smaller chart impact. The album, while making the top 10 in the UK, was not as popular as previous releases. Disheartened by being sidelined in Minneapolis and with the direction the band had taken, Adrian Wright left the band to work in film. Crash was generally more popular in the U. S. and internationally than in the UK. The band toured in the UK and internationally in 1986 and 1987 to capitalise on their high profile at this time.

In 1987 Ian Burden also left the band.

In November 1988, a greatest hits compilation album was released which reached no. Human League Greatest Hits is a Compilation album released by British Synthpop band The Human League. 3 in UK. This was preceded by the release of the single "Love Is All That Matters" from Crash. "Love Is All That Matters" is the third single taken from the British Synthpop group The Human League's 1986 album Crash

In 1989, the band built their own studio in Sheffield, jointly funded by Oakey and a business development loan from Sheffield City Council. Sheffield City Council is the City council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. Oakey believed if the band owned their own facilities it would cut down on the production costs of previous albums and the band could become more productive. ^[1]

The 1990s

In 1990, the band released their last album for Virgin Records, Romantic?. Romantic? is an album recorded by English Synthpop band The Human League. By now, longstanding members Adrian Wright and Ian Burden, together with newer recruit Jim Russell, had all left the band, although Jo Callis did return to play on some of the sessions and co-wrote two songs, including the minor hit single "Heart Like a Wheel". "Heart Like a Wheel" is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. New to the line-up were keyboardist Neil Sutton who had worked with the band on the Crash tour of 1986, and guitarist/keyboardist Russell Dennett. Neil Sutton is a long term associate member of the veteran British synthpop group The Human League. At odds with the prevailing trend of U. S. grunge and the Manchester scene the Romantic? album did not re-capture the group's huge commercial success of the 1980s with its second single "Soundtrack to a Generation" barely charting. Manchester had an impressive music scene before 1976 with groups like The Hollies, The Bee Gees, Herman's Hermits, Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders “Soundtrack to a Generation” is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. In 1992, Virgin abruptly cancelled their recording contract. Damaged by the failure of the album, their rejection by Virgin, harsh criticism in the media and facing financial ruin, the emotional well-being of Oakey and Sulley deteriorated badly. Catherall remained positive and she is cited as the principal reason why the band did not fold at this, their lowest point. ^[1]

After a couple of years the band had recovered enough confidence to put out demos to other record labels. In 1994, EastWest Records (a subsidiary of Time Warner) showed interest in the demos and the material rejected by Virgin, and signed up the band and paired them with producer Ian Stanley (formerly of Tears for Fears). East West Records is an American Record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group. Time Warner Inc ( is the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerate, headquartered in New York City. Ian Stanley (born Ian Christopher Stanley, Tears for Fears (sometimes informally abbreviated to TFF are EastWest financed expensive music videos and heavily promoted their releases. The first release was on Boxing Day 1994 and was the single "Tell Me When" which gave the band their first top 10 hit since 1986's "Human". For the Soul Asylum song of the same name see Let Your Dim Light Shine. It also topped the UK airplay charts for several weeks. The accompanying album, Octopus, returned the band to the UK top 10 and later achieved a gold disc. Octopus is the seventh full-length studio album recorded by British Synthpop band The Human League.

On the album cover artwork and in videos, the group was now presented simply as a trio of Oakey/Catherall/Sulley. In reality however, other musicians had input to the record, including producer Ian Stanley, continued playing and songwriting contributions from Neil Sutton and Russell Dennett; and Oakey co-writing one track with Jo Callis.

The next single from the album was the ballad "One Man in My Heart" which featured Sulley on lead vocals. " One Man in My Heart " is a song recorded by British Synthpop band The Human League. It reached no. 13 in the UK and is unique in that it is the only of the band's singles to feature a female lead vocal.

Their renewed success prompted the band to tour again for the first time since 1987 and they conducted a tour of the U. S. and UK in 1995. Subsequent singles "Filling up with Heaven" and the non-album single "Stay with Me Tonight" also reached the UK top 40, and a new remix of "Don't You Want Me" was released to capitalise on the band's profile. “Filling up with Heaven” is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. " Stay With Me Tonight " is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. This was in the run up to a new "greatest hits" compilation in 1996, but which proved less successful than their first "Greatest Hits" album from 1988.

A change in management at EastWest in 1998 saw the cancellation of the band's contract. The band appeared on the 1980s nostalgia tour "Big Rewind" and made other concert and PA appearances throughout 1997-2000.

The 2000s

In 2000 the band signed to Papillion Records a subsidiary of the Chrysalis Group. Chrysalis Records was a British Record label that was created in 1969

The band released their next album, Secrets, in 2001. Secrets is an album recorded by British Synthpop band The Human League. The band was still presented as the "Phil & the Girls" trio, although Neil Sutton was credited with keyboards, and co-wrote most of the material with Oakey. Despite being well-received by critics as their best album since Dare (the music climate at the time seeing a new interest in electronic pop music with the electroclash movement), the band's new record label, Papillion developed financial problems, and was closed by the parent company shortly after the album's release, leading to poor promotion and sales. Electroclash is a style of Music that fuses BBC Radio 1 also refused to playlist the single "All I Ever Wanted" because, now in their 40s, the band did not match the radio station's demographic target audience. All I Ever Wanted is the title of four different songs " All I Ever Wanted (The Human League song " a 2001 single by synthpop group The Human

Secrets entered the UK album chart at number 44, but fell out of the chart the following week.

Susan Sulley is on record as saying that the rejection of Secrets was "the lowest the band had been since 1992 and after putting in so much time and effort in to an album that then failed, nearly causing them to call it a day. " ^[11]

To accompany the (then stalled) album, the band conducted the 2001 'Secrets Tour'.

Along with Sulley and Catherall, the band had Neil Sutton on keyboards. Studio engineer since 1990 David Beevers had become part of the on-stage line-up controlling the sequencers from behind his deck of twin Apple Macintoshes. David Beevers (formerly Dave Dodd) is a long term associate member of the veteran British Synthpop group The Human League. Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc Oakey further recruited multi-instrumentalist Nic Burke, then aged 21, who he had seen playing in Sheffield, to play electric guitar and keytar. Nick Burke is an associate member of the veteran British synthpop group The Human League. To round off the line up in 2002 percussionist Errol Rollins was added to play the electronic drum kit. Rollins was replaced by Rob Barton in 2004. Rob Barton is an associate member of the veteran British synthpop group The Human League.

As a point of honour the band refuses to use playback, they always play live and rehearse before every appearance, ensuring that no two performances are the same. This was clearly demonstrated in 2002 when the band were booked to appear on UK national TV channel GMTV, where they were to play "Don't You Want Me" before being interviewed. GMTV ( Good Morning Television) is the national ITV Breakfast television contractor broadcasting in the United Kingdom. The producer was astounded when the band turned up at 5 A. M. (three hours early) expecting to set up and rehearse; it had been assumed they would just mime to playback. Joanne Catherall explained why on air during the interview "We simply don’t sound like we did 20 years ago. . . it would be wrong if we used tapes. . . so we do everything live"^[12]

In 2003 a second single from Secrets entitled "Love Me Madly?" was released independently as a private venture by Nukove Records. " Love Me Madly? " is a song by the British Synthpop group The Human League. Nukove was a small independent label especially set up to release Human League material, but it did not have funds for promotion and the single did not chart ^[13].

Throughout the following years, the band have continued to tour frequently, enjoying enduring success and popularity as a live act. In 2004, they released The Human League Live At The Dome, a DVD of a live show in filmed at the Brighton Dome complete with a compilation CD called Live at the Dome. The Human League Live at the Dome is a DVD by veteran British Synthpop group The Human League, containing a recording of a complete concert The Brighton Dome is a building complex in Brighton, England that contains the Concert Hall Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre "The Human League Live at the Dome" is a compilation album by British Synthpop band The Human League recorded during a live concert at the Prior to this, in 2003, Virgin records had released The Very Best of the Human League, a DVD of most of their previously recorded music videos. The Very Best of the Human League is a DVD by veteran British Synthpop group The Human League, containing most of the band’s The DVD sold well in the UK and USA, and was accompanied by a compilation album of the same name.

At the end of 2005 the band together with EMI released a compilation album of remixes called "The Human League Original Remixes and Rarities" aimed at the DJ/Dance market in the US and UK. The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in "The Human League Original Remixes and Rarities" is a compilation album by British Synthpop band The Human League constructed of unused remixes

As well as dedicated Human League tours, the band have since appeared at many independent concerts and festivals worldwide. The have played at such prestigious events as the V Festival in 2004, Homelands in 2005, Nokia Trends - Brazil 2005, and Festival Internacional de Benicàssim in 2007^[14]

On September 22, 2006, the band performed on the U. The V Festival is an annual music festival in England, the first to be held simultaneously at two sites - currently Hylands Park in Chelmsford and For the Magic The Gathering expansion set see Homelands (Magic The Gathering. Nokiatrends is an Argentine Music festival, held annually since 2004 Overview The FIB or Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (Benicàssim International Festival is a music festival held in Benicàssim ( Spain Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. S. network television show, Jimmy Kimmel Live. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night Talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC. This was immediately before the highlight of 2006, which was the band playing to an audience of 18,000 at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles on October 24, 2006, one of their largest concerts to date. The Hollywood Bowl is a famous modern Amphitheatre in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles California, USA, that is used primarily for music Performances Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This was followed up by an 11 venue tour of Europe in November and December 2006.

The band have been the subject of, and appeared in, various TV documentaries and features such as Channel 4's Made in Sheffield and the BBC's Young Guns: The Bands of the Early 1980s. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began In June 2007, Susan Sulley and Joanne Catherall presented a documentary on Sheffield’s pop music history entitled The Nations Music Cities for VH1. VH1 (known as VH-1 Video Hits One from 1985 to 1994 and VH1 Music First until 2003) is an American Cable television

In November and December 2007, to mark their 30th anniversary (1977-2007) the band conducted their highest profile tour since the 'Secrets tour' of 2001. The 'Dare! 2007' tour encompassed 20 European venues from London to Stockholm, most of which were sold out. Their set list included (for the first time ever) a performance of the 1981 album Dare played chronologically and in its entirety. Dare (or Dare! in the US is the third studio album from British Synthpop band The Human League. This included Philip Oakey playing the Human League's instrumental arrangement of the theme from "Get Carter" on an original Casio VL-Tone from 1981. Get Carter is a 1971 crime Film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter a mobster who sets out to The VL-1 was the first Synthesizer of Casio 's VL-Tone product line and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. The remainder of the concert was dedicated to songs from the band's other albums and also included the Oakey/Moroder song "Together In Electric Dreams". The band invested heavily in the stage set and lighting for the tour, including elaborate high definition video backgrounds provided by set designer Rob Sinclair. ^[15]

A 12" single remix of "Things That Dreams Are Made Of" (originally from the Dare! album) was released in the UK in January 2008 by Hooj Choons. Hooj Choons is a house Record label formed by Red Jerry (real name Jeremy Dickens in 1990. It peaked at #2 on the UK Dance charts.

The Human League are to conduct a 17 date tour of the USA in August 2008 with fellow Sheffield band ABC and Belinda Carlisle, which will be their largest US tour for nearly 20 years. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England ABC are an English pop band that charted ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990 Belinda Carlisle (born on August 17, 1958 in Hollywood California) is an American Singer-songwriter, as well as the lead vocalist ^[16]

Today

The Human League are currently unsigned to a record label and is run as a self-contained business with its own studio in Sheffield. ^[17] Since late 1994 they have been managed by Simon Watson of Sidewinder Management.

The band continue playing live, with continuing appearances at music festivals worldwide at many of which they are among the headliners. In the summer of 2008, the band is scheduled to tour the U. S. as part of the Regeneration Tour 2008, which also features other bands and singers popular in the 1980s. They plan a 'Steel City' Tour in Winter 2008, with fellow Sheffield acts ABC, and perhaps ironically, Heaven 17. ABC are an English pop band that charted ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990 Heaven 17 are a British Synthpop band originating from the city of Sheffield in the early 1980s

Although the subject of retirement is often brought up in interviews, Oakey, Sulley and Catherall have all stated that they still enjoy performing and intend to carry on for "as long as they are filling concerts and people want to see them". Sulley often jokes that she "has to carry on because she doesn’t know how to do anything else. "^[18]

Oakey, Catherall, and Sulley have all stated separately that it is the intention for the band to release a tenth studio album "in the near future". However, no details or timescale have been given. On possible collaborations, Oakey stated on BBC TV News and to NME that "we have a lot of people that want to make records with us. "^[19][20][21]

Discography

Main article: The Human League discography

Band personnel

Present members

Joanne Catherall	Philip Oakey	Susan Ann Sulley		Associate Members
Catherall in 2007	Oakey in 2007	Sulley in 2008		Rob Barton 2003-Present Electronic percussion David Beevers 1990-Present On stage engineering Nic Burke 2001-Present Multi Instrumentalist Neil Sutton- 1990-Present Co-songwriter and keyboards
1980 - Present	1977 - Present	1980 - Present
Vocals	Songwriting and composition Vocals Keyboards	Vocals

^{<note 1> Susan Ann Sulley has changed her name twice since the band was formed and is listed by her current preferred name
<note 2> Engineer David Beevers appears on stage as part of the band}

Past members

Martyn Ware	Ian Craig Marsh	Philip Adrian Wright	Ian Burden	Jo Callis		Former additional musicians
Ware in 2006				Callis in 2008		Jim Russell 1987-1990 Keyboards Russell Dennett 1990-1994 Keyboards Errol Rollins 2001-2004 Electronic Percussion
1977 - 1980	1977 - 1980	1978 - 1986	1981 - 1987	1981 - 1985
Composition Keyboards	Composition Keyboards	Visuals Co-songwriting Keyboards	Co-songwriting Keyboards Electric Bass Guitar	Co-songwriting Keyboards Electric Guitar

Awards

• 1982 BRIT Award - Best British breakthrough act
• 2004 Q Award - Innovation in sound

Nominations

• 1982 Grammy Awards - Nominated for Best international act

Further reading

• Story of a Band Called "The Human League" by Alaska Ross (Proteus July 1982) ISBN 978-0862761035
• Human League(Perfect pop) by Peter Nash (Star 21 October 1982) ISBN 978-0352311511
• Beats Working for a Living: Sheffield Popular Music 1973-1984 by Martin Lilleker (Juma March 2005) ISBN 978-1872204260

See also

• The Human League on Wikimedia Commons
• The Human League on Wikiquote

References

External links

The Human League does not have an official website as a matter of band policy, (Philip Oakey does not believe that the band is 'important' enough to require one). There are a small number of unofficial websites with detailed knowledge of the band:

• "Blind Youth" - A website dedicated to the history of the original Human League (pre 1981).
• "The Black Hit of Space" - A very detailed Human League history and statistics website.
• " Susanne-Sulley.net" - Unofficial personal website, (includes Biography).
• "www.humanleague.dk" - A site run by the band’s graphic designer, features previous band artwork.

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