Human League

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Originally a post punk synthesiser group from Sheffield, the Human League (previously known as the Future) released their first single, "Being Boiled" c/w "Circus Of Death" on Bob Last's Fast Product record label in 1978. Shortly afterwards, they signed up with Virgin Records, and by the early 1980s had become a successful British electropop band. When Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware left to form Heaven 17 it seemed that Phil Oakey and Adrian Wright, the sole remaining group members, would be unable to sustain the band, which, just before the split, was beginning to achieve wider popularity.

However, they recruited bass player Ian Burden and, famously, fronted the band with two singers, Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall, whom they had met in a club. Apparently re-energized by the split, the band went on to record their breakthrough album Dare, and have many chart successes.

The band achieved a brief spell of success in the early 1980s with their style of Synth pop music. Their first single to chart was 'Empire State Human', which peaked at number 62 in the charts. Their most famous single "Don't You Want Me" reached number one in the UK charts during the Christmas of 1981 and was one of the biggest selling singles of that year.

The band also had a number of other hits but their success faded towards the mid-1980s. Four CDs attribute songs by The Human League under different names: on 'The Golden Hour Of The Future' there are songs credited to The Human League when they were still The Future, on the single 'I Don't Depend On You' where they call themselves The Men, on the 'Dance Like A Star' Ep, there are also songs attributed to The Future and on 'Love And Dancing', they pay homage to Barry White 's Love Unlimited Orchestra by calling themselves League Unlimited Orchestra

Human League's catalogue

• 'Being Boiled' (single)
• 'Human League Cassette' (not a commercial release)
• 'The Dignity Of Labour Pts 1-4' (EP)
• 'Taverner Tape' (not a commercial release)
• 'I Don't Depend On You' (single, released under the name of The Men)
• 'Reproduction' (rereleased with the 'The Dignity Of Labour Pts 1-4' Ep, the B-side of the 'Empire State Human' single (called 'Introducing'), the Fast Product label 'Being Boiled' single and a conversation with a short piece of music at the end entitled 'Flexi Disc')
• 'Empire State Human' (single)
• 'Holiday '80' (Ep)
• 'Holiday '80' (Ep, not a double, but a single and has an edited track)
• 'Travelogue' (reissued with the 'Only After Dark' single, 'Holiday '80' Ep, 'I Don't Depend On You')
• 'Only After Dark' (single)
• 'In Darkness' (a bootleg demo album)
• 'The Future Tapes' (unreleased)
• 'Dance Like A Star' (Ep)
• 'The Golden Hour Of The Future'
• 'Dare'
• 'Love And Dancing'
• 'Hysteria'
• 'Crash'
• 'Romatic?'
• 'Octopus'
• 'Secrets' (The Japanese version has three bonus tracks')
• 'Fascination!'(Ep)
• 'Mirror Man' (Ep))
• 'Heart Like A Wheel #1' (single)
• 'Heart Like A Wheel #2' (single)
• 'Don't You Want Me Baby' (single)
• 'Tell Me When #1' (single)
• 'Tell Me When #2' (single)
• 'One Man In My Heart' (single)
• 'Tell Me When' (Ep)
• 'All I Ever Wanted #1' (single)
• 'All I Ever Wanted #2' (single)
• 'All I Ever Wanted #3' (single)
• 'All I Ever Wanted [Alter Ego Remixes]' (Ep)
• 'The Very Best Of' (EMI, 2 CDs, CD2 is all remixes)
• 'Greatest Hits' (video)
• 'The Very Best Of' (DVD)
• 'League Live' (DVD)
• 'The Human League Promo Mix CD' (not available)
• 'Dare/Love And Dancing'
• 'Greatest Hits'
• 'The Human Leahue Interview\'
• 'Greatest Hits' (a different one)
• 'Soundtrack To A Generation'
• 'The Very Best Of' (by Ark21, not EMI)

• "Together In Electric Dreams" was a solo single for Oakey rather than the whole League, but has been included on Human League albums as if it were by the whole band.

The band still exists though it is now mainly seen in 80s revival shows.

External link:

A Human League fan site