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The Human League

Human League, The

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The League Unlimited Orchestra: Love And Dance (Virgin)

Review by Paul Morley, New Musical Express, 3 July 1982

LOVE'S THEME, YOUR MAGIC SPELL IS EVERYWHERE ...

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The Human League/Vice Versa: The Now Society, Sheffield University, Sheffield

Live Review by Andy Gill, New Musical Express, 29 July 1978

THE NOW Society, a university-based organisation, has been putting on gigs featuring local, predominantly experimental bands (such are the local mores) for some time now; ...

The Rezillos, The Human League: Music Machine, Camden, London

Live Review by Charles Shaar Murray, New Musical Express, 29 August 1978

REZILLOS CAN'T STAND THE AUDIENCE And that goes for all you liggers in the bar, too ...

The Human League, The Mekons, Gang Of Four: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by Paul Rambali, New Musical Express, 11 November 1978

AN EVENING of Fast Product at which Saturday night anticipation could be discerned in the expectant chattering of the throng outside — no slowcoaches amongst ...

The Human League: Factory, Manchester

Live Review by Mick Middles, Sounds, 17 February 1979

Discovering silliness in League with severity ...

The Human League: The Cyclic And Random Lyric Organisation System

Profile and Interview by Ian Birch, Melody Maker, 24 February 1979

CARLOS for short. IAN BIRCH talks to the Human League, Sheffield Novorockers with a weakness for torch ballads. ...

The Mekons/The Fall/Human League/Gang Of Four/Stiff Little Fingers: The Lyceum, London

Live Review by Charles Shaar Murray, New Musical Express, 31 March 1979

AND THE STARS look very different today... For all practical rock purposes, we may as well own up that we are now living in the ...

The Human League: Reproduction (Virgin V2133)

Review by Garry Bushell, Sounds, 6 October 1979

DON'T BE a dummy... Zarki looked at the cover: naked babies trampled on by adults. A cheap shock shot masquerading as message? There’s a baby ...

The Human League: Reproduction (Virgin)

Review by Andy Gill, New Musical Express, 6 October 1979

EVERY TV appearance Gary Numan makes must be like a dagger to the heart of The Human League, every radio-play a bit more salt in ...

Human League, Teardrop Explodes, The Beat, Flowers: Lyceum, London

Live Review by Garry Bushell, Sounds, 17 November 1979

HAIRCUTS, HAIRCUTS everywhere and 70p a drink. ...

Human League: The Humour League Have Not Broken Up

Interview by Giovanni Dadomo, Sounds, 8 December 1979

Nor The Human League either. GIOVANNI DADOMO finds big laughs, upended bears and assorted cigars in Sheffield. ...

The Concise NME Guide To Electronic Music & Synthesised Sound PART TWO — Synthesisers

Overview by Andy Gill, New Musical Express, 12 January 1980

POMP THE trouble with synthesisers is actually playing them, accepting their status as sound-generators and starting from scratch. Mechanical keyboards were included in early synth ...

Human League: The Kids Are Alright

Interview by Ronnie Gurr, Record Mirror, 24 May 1980

IT'S A BRAVE new world for young moderns and, current events considered, The Human League, look like suitable candidates for the apocalyptical Titanic dance band. ...

The Human League: Travelogue (Virgin V2160) ***

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 24 May 1980

Paradoxes in industry chic ...

The Human League: Very Ordinary People With Very Odd Tastes

Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 10 July 1980

THE HUMAN League are different. Yes, I know that's the fanfare that's trotted out to greet the arrival of every other new act these days ...

LADIES, GENTS, ANDROIDS, MUTANTS & BIOTRONS A BIG HAND For The Human League

Report and Interview by Charles Shaar Murray, New Musical Express, 12 July 1980

THE HUMAN LEAGUE ADVENTURE IS JUST BEGINNING. The first slide appears on the top left-hand screen. It is rapidly flanked by another: A LONG TIME AGO IN ...

Human League: Half A League Onward

Interview by Betty Page, Sounds, 7 March 1981

NEVER BEFORE in the annals of male/female relations, in the ongoing man/woman battleground, has there been such a spicy love/hate scenario as in the new ...

The Human League: In the Battle for Gallactic Supremacy — Humans Beleaguered

Interview by Charles Shaar Murray, New Musical Express, 2 May 1981

Life in the League with only one haircut between them ...

The Human League: Beautiful Dreamers

Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, 8 August 1981

Start with pop with a capital P, add a touch of glamour, stir with a generous helping of amateur enthusiasm and you've got the new ...

The Human League: The Big League

Interview by Ian Birch, Smash Hits, 14 October 1981

1977 ― progressive, poverty-stricken, "hip". 1981 ― accepted, bankable... (and still "hip"!). Ian Birch charts the past and plots the present with The Human League. ...

The Human League: Dare (Virgin)

Review by Paul Morley, New Musical Express, 17 October 1981

SURPRISE! ...the love of human MOR-als ...

The Human League: A Soap Opera

Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, 17 October 1981

An everyday story of human life starring the HUMAN LEAGUE. Script MARK COOPER ...

The Human League: Human Nature

Interview by Dave Rimmer, Smash Hits, 10 December 1981

"YOU'D BETTER watch out," Philip Oakey warns in a voice to make even the hardiest soul tremble at the knees. "We've decided we like that ...

Videos

Report and Interview by Johnny Black, Smash Hits, 21 January 1982

The rise and rise of the pop video has brought mini-movies into every living room; Adam in panto, The Human League in detective thrillers, Barry ...

The Human League: Dare (Virgin V2192)

Review by Jon Young, Trouser Press, February 1982

LAST YEAR'S fracturing of the Human League into two camps held more promise than the usual band breakup. For two albums the original League displayed ...

Martin Rushent: The Genetic Method

Interview by Adam Sweeting, Melody Maker, 6 February 1982

Studio Svengali MARTIN RUSHENT earbashes hungry hack Adam Sweeting. ...

The Human League: Dare (A&M)

Review by Betsy Sherman, Boston Rock, 18 March 1982

AFTER SEVERAL weeks at the top of the British album charts, and buoyed by the club success of soap-operetta 'Don't You Want Me', Dare has ...

In League With The Human League: Dare

Essay by Van Gosse, The Village Voice, 13 April 1982

By the charts, the Human League are the most popular band in the U.K., as well as the most successful of the electropoppers: Depeche Mode, ...

The Human League

Report and Interview by Charles Shaar Murray, Vogue, May 1982

The Human League are widely acknowledged as this minute's perfect pop group. The following is an account of their perfectly romantic rise in the charts. ...

The Human League Wants You

Profile and Interview by Betsy Sherman, Boston Rock, 20 May 1982

ONCE UPON a time in Sheffield, England, there were four men who called themselves the Human League. They made expressive synthesizer music with intriguing lyrics ...

Human League: Palladium, New York NY

Live Review by Hugh Fielder, Sounds, 22 May 1982

Haughty culture ...

Human League: Dare (A&M); Japan: Japan (Virgin/Epic)

Review by J.D. Considine, Musician, June 1982

CONTRARY TO popular belief, all synthesizer bands are not unlistenable. True, many do sound rather like the result of an infinite number of silicon chips ...

The Human League: Dare

Review by Mitchell Cohen, Creem, June 1982

IF THE GUY who built a pinochle-playing computer for his Science Techniques Lab in high school married the gal who wrote poems called "alien/nation" for ...

A Life In The Day Of Martin Rushent

Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, 5 June 1982

MARTIN RUSHENT, producer of the Human League and Altered Images, talks to MARK COOPER. ...

Human League et al: Synth-Pop

Report and Interview by J.D. Considine, Musician, August 1982

Music Without Musicians...But Not Without Craftsmanship and Great Songs ...

The Face Interview: Phil Oakey

Interview by Lesley White, The Face, December 1982

I MET UP with Phil Oakey one wet Sheffield Wednesday afternoon over coffee and a Tupperware box of assorted chocolate biscuits, in the Formica-finished kitchen ...

The Human League: Phil Oakey's Five Minute Plan

Interview by Paul Morley, New Musical Express, 8 January 1983

WHEN PHIL Oakey was a hospital porter, people used to be dying all around him, and he somehow became immune. It didn't upset him more ...

The Human League: Fascination! (A&M)

Review by Richard Riegel, Creem, September 1983

BACK IN THEIR serious-artiste days, before they shed the future Heaven 17 to go POP! with capital P's, the Human League used to attempt to ...

The Human League: Hysteria (Virgin)

Review by Biba Kopf, New Musical Express, 12 May 1984

THIS IS what you've got when you haven't got style: no more masks to hide behind. ...

The Human League: Six Go Completely Bonkers

Interview by Tom Hibbert, Smash Hits, 17 July 1985

Three years ago, The Human League were the biggest pop group in the whole world. Their classic single 'Don't You Want Me' had been number ...

Jam & Lewis: Double Funk

Interview by Paolo Hewitt, New Musical Express, 2 August 1986

"Sorry Lionel, but right now, we're busy with The Human League..." To turn down a job with Mr Richie these days you'd have to be ...

Jimmy "Jam" Harris & Terry Lewis

Interview by Mark Rowland, Musician, September 1986

FROM 'TENDER LOVE' TO 'NASTY', THEY'RE ALWAYS IN CONTROL ...

The Human League: Flesh And Blood

Interview by John McCready, New Musical Express, 20 September 1986

Born to make mistakes? THE HUMAN LEAGUE, CLASS of '81 veterans, saved Phil Oakey from a life on the bins. Jon McCready talks to the ...

The Human League: Crash

Review by Charles Shaar Murray, Q, October 1986

THE CAREER OF The Human League – from Sheffield art-school beginnings to their current miraculous return from the dumper – has been a comedy of ...

Human League: Crash

Review by Ira Robbins, Creem, January 1987

I HAVE GRAVE trouble imagining what sort of people would describe themselves as real fans of certain swill that's on the market today. Casual or ...

Human League: Dynasty!

Interview by Tom Hibbert, Q, February 1987

They bickered their way through six different line-ups. They were consumed by power and ego. They made a fortune and lost it. Tom Hibbert charts ...

Give Human League A Chance

Interview by Sylvie Simmons, Creem, March 1987

THEY LIVE IN Sheffield. Because they like it there. Because it's ordinary but sort of esoteric at the same time, straightforward but not stupid, arty ...

Jam And Lewis Take Control

Profile and Interview by Michael Goldberg, Rolling Stone, 23 April 1987

The Grammy Award-winning producers who made Janet Jackson a 'Nasty' superstar have been turning out lots of hits lately ...

The Human League: Leisure Centre, Crawley

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 6 December 1987

A VAGUELY remembered pop song once listed the things that dreams are made of: "London, New York, Paris, Munich, good times." ...

The Human League: Romantic Antics

Interview by David Stubbs, Melody Maker, 15 September 1990

THE HUMAN LEAGUE are back among us, more serious than ever, not for a last gasp, but completely reinvigorated and rewired – after what ...

Jam & Lewis: Flyte of Fantasy Part II

Interview by Jeff Lorez, Blues & Soul, 19 January 1993

Jeff Lorez continues his in-depth report on the tenth anniversary of Jam & Lewis's Flyte Tyme Productions. ...

Top Of The Pops and The '80s Brit Pop Boom

Overview by Stuart Maconie, Q, November 1994

YOU CAN tell if they're boys or girls these days, that's the trouble. Just look at them, these so-called modern pop phenomena. ...

The Human League: Didn't We Used To Be The Human League?

Interview by Stuart Maconie, Q, February 1995

WITH SOME groups, it is records on the Stax and Okeh record labels; with others it is fine wines or the tailoring of Messrs Miyake ...

Mistletoe and Whine

Report by Susan Corrigan, The Observer, 17 December 1995

Schmaltz, schlock: and Slade. It's Christmas at Top Of The Pops and there's no need to be afraid ...

The Human League: Human remains

Report by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 20 December 2000

What are the Human League doing playing a bank's Christmas do? Dave Simpson reports ...

Human Remains: The Human League

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 13 July 2001

Two decades after their synthpop assault on the charts, the Human League are back. ...

The Human League: Don't you want them? Maybe

Profile and Interview by Simon Price, Independent on Sunday, 15 July 2001

Sheffield synth-pop trio the Human League haven't always had it easy, but they've never given up. Simon Price met them as they prepare to stage ...

The Human League: Are Friends Electro?

Interview by David Stubbs, Uncut, September 2001

JOANNE CATHERALL (the brunette one) has been relatively quiet throughout the interview, content to pick through her lunch while Susanne Sulley (the blonde one) and ...

Bill Board: Recreating the '80s

Column by Bill Brewster, Jockey Slut, April 2002

Loving the '80s is one thing, says Bill Brewster. Recreating it quite another... ...

Human League/Kim Wilde/Altered Images et al: Cardiff Arena

Live Review by Lisa Verrico, The Times, 20 December 2002

YOU CAN LOOK back as fondly on the '80s as you like, but the truth is the music back then was as hit-and-miss as it ...

The Here And Now Tour: Many Happy Returns

Report and Interview by Pete Paphides, The Guardian, 8 March 2003

To some, the Here And Now Tour is a has-beens cabaret, to others it's a harmless trip down memory lane. Peter Paphides reports from the ...

Phil Oakey

Interview by Gavin Martin, Daily Mirror, 28 November 2003

IT IS 22 YEARS since the number one single 'Don't You Want Me' turned The Human League from underground Sheffield electro boffins into champions of ...

Martin Lilleker: Beats Working For A Living – Sheffield Popular Music 1973-1984 (Juma)

Book Review by Rob Young, The Wire, July 2005

PRACTICALLY EVERY city in Britain has a roster of musical hod carriers with appalling names. This exhaustive history of Sheffield's music scene is crammed with ...

ABC/Human League/Heaven 17: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 10 December 2008

THERE ARE QUEUES around the building for the Sheffield groups who brought electro-funk (Heaven 17), orchestral disco (ABC) and synth pop (the Human League) to ...

The Steel City Tour: Human League, ABC and Heaven 17 at the Hammersmith Apollo

Live Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, February 2009

THE STEEL CITY TOUR is a thrilling glimpse of the once- future through the lens of the past. What these groups attempted in Sheffield at ...

Make A Date: Phil Oakey and the Human League

Interview by John Lewis, Metro, November 2010

NEARLY THIRTY years ago, as the Human League were about to become the biggest band on earth, we had a recession, a Tory government enacting ...

Forgive Us Our Synths – How 80s Pop Found Favour Again

Overview by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 18 November 2010

Ostentatiously intellectual and scornful of rock'n'roll cliche, the likes of OMD and Heaven 17 briefly set 80s pop alight – and now they're back in favour. ...

The Human League: Credo/Blancmange: Blanc Burn

Review by John McCready, The Word, April 2011

Shiny new albums by Blancmange and the Human League show they'll stop at nothing in the service of "electronic ideals". ...

The Things That Dreams Are Made Of

Retrospective and Interview by Neil Mason, electronic, July 2012

Studios with leaking roofs, trips to new romantic clubs in a little Hillman Imp, and a heavy metal single recorded between sessions. They're all part ...

see also British Electric Foundation

see also Heaven 17

see also League Unlimited Orchestra, The

see also Rezillos, The

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