HUMAN LEAGUE

[octopus]

This is sort of a question really ,The Human League may release a new album some time soon(in League time that could be in the next 5 years!)
Do you think anyone will care?
Their last album Secrets was one of their best but pretty much ignored.The world of pop has changed but alot of the most interesting music at the moment is electronic inspired pop so it could be a good time.
Is there still a place for one of the most influencial pop bands the u.k has produced.
I look forward to your views.

[anfunny2003]

I welcome more from Human league. Not sure if it's likely. I'd love to have an official HL megamix - they've never done one before! They should've released one with one of the Greatest Hits packages! Looking back over there work, they've ticked all the boxes... Studio albums, Greatest Hits, DVD, New Remixes, B-sides/Rarities Collection, Live album/DVD... where is there left to go? Bring me a Megamix and I'm happy. Perhaps they need to do a big 'guest artists' album - a track with someone different for each track on a full length album? But who? Human League are the Rita Sullivan of Pop. Still going strong, but you never see their legs anymore...

[manlove]

i didnt get to hear the rest of 'secrets' but i loved 'all i ever wanted' and thought it was much maligned that it wasn't a massive hit ... they have confirmed haven't they that they're working on a new album? i hated them until the last 5-6 years, and yes, they do just seem to be a synth pop status quo (ie 2million years old and still churning em out!)

Mx

[octopus]

Philip has said that they will record an album this year,how or when it will be released is anyones guess.
I know they still have it in them,but as the gaps get bigger between albums as the years go buy,i am never sure who the audience will be.
I still dream of a collaboration with RX,even if it was an album of covers(they alway had a knack of picking unlikley songs to do even when playing live)
Oh,they still have legs,well they did when they toured last year, they're not quite the davros of pop yet!!

[jsd]

This is sort of a question really ,The Human League may release a new album some time soon(in League time that could be in the next 5 years!)
Do you think anyone will care?

Much as I adore The Human League, I think their moment in the pop spotlight is well past. Secrets tanked because they banked on getting played on Radio 1, and had no backup plan. They forgot that they were older than most of their intended audience's parents already!

It's a damn shame because Secrets is an absolutely stonking great album.

I know I'll be first in line to buy whatever they put out in the future, but I certainly don't expect it to set the charts on fire.

[moorje]

On their 'Greatest Hits' DVD there's an interview with them (Phil, Jo and Suzanne) and they graciously say that after the flop of "Secrets" they realised that chart positions don't matter as much anymore. Their live shows are what they are known for now. Their live fanbase seems to be ever increasing. Their constant touring at more and bigger venues proves they still have an audience.
Whilst it's easy to say it's thirtysomethings wanting to hear the 'hits', the reception they got from their performance at V Festival shows that people are still interested.
Loads of names (Richard X, Felix Da Housecat, even Madonna) have championed The Human League over the past 5 years and Phil has spoken about working with 'names' on the next album.
It may seem a cop-out to work with current, 'trendy' people, but these people are emulating the League sound anyway. I don't know who has been confirmed to work with them, but I reckon this is the best way for them to get the exposure and campaign the new album would deserve.
Now that more people are seeing them live, hopefully this will encourage the League to release new material.

[Nirejhenge]

I greatly look forward to new HL music. I see them live every year and it''s always fantastic. It''s great that the audience doesn''t necessarily get older. There''s young people coming to them and dancing at the front all the time as well as a few originals I expect. It would be nice for them to get airplay but they obviously won''t.

[Ray]

Didn''t Secrets flop because Papillon went out of business approx. a week after the release? (which suggests their promotional budget might not have been too huge)

As for HL... I am always frustrated when there are acts capable of greatness but focused on mediocre. With more or less every post-Dare album HL felt like "oooh, we''ve got two great singles and two quite nice tracks, let''s fill the rest of the album with crap, we''re the GREAT HUMAN LEAGUE and we don''t have to care". Also, perhaps making 5-year breaks between albums isn''t a good way of keeping your fanbase interested. (Didn''t Virgin drop HL because they kept on promising the follow-up to Octopus but missed all the deadlines?) I wish they''d stop playing "Don''t You Want Me" on Old People Revival Tour or whatever these are called and would instead concentrate on producing a proper follow-up to Dare. Phil, dear, you ARE a genius. We know you are. Now PROVE US RIGHT.

[voodoogregor]

Ladytron''s cover of ''Open Your Heart'' is fantastic.
I find it a little cruel that they are in here, being legends and all.

[Manny]

Secrets was probably the League''s finest album.

They are recording new material and I would imagine producers would be queuing up to work with them.

I just hope that their producer doesn''t want to take them in the direction of an ironic novelty 80s retro sound (like the Calvin Harris record). I suspect that they are far too clever to allow that though.

[Nirejhenge]

I couldn''t see Phil ever returning to a fake 80s sound, despite being one of the originators of said sound. He always wants to push forward and discover new stuff.

[Mirror Man]

Travelogue fans might like The Audacity’s cover of WXJL Tonight (3-ish articles down - depending on time of viewing - click on picture).

http://www.league-online.com/

Imagine a sexy C3-PO. This is him singing to you.

[Nirejhenge]

I don''t usually like covers of the Human League as they usually remove the Human element that was there originally. Also I can''t find the bloody download due to bad web design.

This one is just crap.

Gosh I''m a misery guts today. Probably because it''s one of my favourite old school League tracks.

[jsd]

I don''''t usually like covers of the Human League as they usually remove the Human element that was there originally. Also I can''''t find the bloody download due to bad web design.

This one is just crap.

Gosh I''''m a misery guts today. Probably because it''''s one of my favourite old school League tracks.

I did a cover of Marianne... let me know what you think!
http://ep.cluttered.com/covered/marianne.mp3

(yes it''s me singing)

[Electronic Dave]

Ladytron''''s cover of ''''Open Your Heart'''' is fantastic.

Being a huge Ladytron fan I decided to check out the original...I was aware of The Human League well before but didn''t own any CDs so I purchased Reproductions (an album of covers) and eventually their back catalogue. I''m looking forward to a new album....if it materialises

I have a friend who''s much older than me and is a huge fan and I even saw The Human League live 2 years ago with him and they where pretty good...

[Nirejhenge]

I don''''''''''''''''t usually like covers of the Human League as they usually remove the Human element that was there originally. Also I can''''''''''''''''t find the bloody download due to bad web design.

This one is just crap.

Gosh I''''''''''''''''m a misery guts today. Probably because it''''''''''''''''s one of my favourite old school League tracks.

I did a cover of Marianne... let me know what you think!
http://ep.cluttered.com/covered/marianne.mp3

(yes it''''''''s me singing)

Okay. Right. Sorry but I didn''''t like that at all really. It wouldn''''t be so bad if it was an original composition and I quite like it on its own merits but as a cover of the wonderful Marianne I''''m not keen. The manipulated vocals are again a removal of the human element. I always loved the original pounding beat of Marianne as well as the multiple vocal lines. The original is clean and sharp, yours is, to my mind, to cluttered.

I''''m not saying I''''m any better though. I once covered Circus of Death and it was dreadful. I also made a mess of Empire State Human (which Marsheaux have made a mess of as well and I love them). I don''''t like Ladytron''''s cover of Open Your Heart either. Again too emotionless and robotic. I''''d hoped that my track Play Pretend captures some of the Human-ness of the League but I think even my efforts are probably too robotic. The main problem is I can sing so I had to effect the vocals to make it less obvious.

I don''''t think it''''s really possible to recreate the glories of the Human League without doing a note for note cover.

On the other hand I''m quite enjoying some of your other covers such as Our Lips Are Sealed. Though the Simple Mix isn''t quite so good as the other one.

[undisco_me]

I was going to buy a single of theirs (dated 1995) that had a song called John Clease; but is it any good?

[Nirejhenge]

John Cleese is ''John Cleese, is he funny?'' which is an instrumental from octopus. It''s ok but nothing special.

[moorje]

Octopus is very special though. Housefull Of Nothing is awesome!

[Nirejhenge]

While I like Octopus, as a whole it seems a tad cold. I''d say I prefer the earlier part of the album. Secrets is better as a whole but without as many single stand out tracks. One Man In My Heart and Tell Me When are better than anything from Secrets but pretty much everything on Secrets beats everything else from Octopus.

[Mirror Man]

jsd - I LOVE your Marianne. I don’t think covers should be carbon copies. It’s so crisp and clean. Straight to my ipod…thanks!


“running round the garden in your mother’s shoes”…forgot about that...brilliant.

[octopus]

I love octopus it was their return to form after romantic?.
These are the days,filling up,one man,tell me when,cruel young lover,housefull of nothing are all wonderfully produced.

Romantic? had a few great tracks(kiss the future,the stars are going out,rebound),but was spoiled by the production,if it had been released in its whole produced by william orbit version i think it would have done better.Oh and had they not released ''Generation'' as a single as it is horrible.

[moorje]

I''d say ''Octopus'' was their best album since ''Dare''. ''Romantic?'' sounded dated even at the time. A few ok songs on there but definitely their lowest point musically.

[Nirejhenge]

Oh and had they not released ''''Generation'''' as a single as it is horrible.

Get away you! How can you speak of one of my favourite League songs that way? You might notice there''s a lyric from it in my Sig.. :) I''ve always loved that track. It''s fun and has some great lyrics in it.

Most of Romantic? is terrible though apart from Heart Like a Wheel, Stars Are Going Out and Rebound. Their worst album though for me would be Crash!. Hysteria isn''t much better.

[octopus]

holy cow..need i say more.....which is why they never sing it live.

I like crash probably more than hysteria,it was just so different than what i expected from the League.