TS: Human League v. Heaven 17

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Which one, then? This TS is inspired by a week of trying to track down the Human League management for a short blurb I'm writing - only to get dissed, pretty much.

― mike a (mike a), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

human league roxx heaven 17 r a footnote

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

you should've tried the secrets message board - the manager lurks there occasionally.
human league up to and including dare!
heaven 17 upto and including the luxury gap.

british electric foundation but not music of quality and distinction vol.2

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

secrets roxx u r all 80s throwbacks

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I did. Long story that I won't get into here.

― mike a (mike a), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

heaven 17 r a footnote

everythingz xplained in z footnote

thats y its dull

― nestmanso (nestmanso), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

That's a tough one. Penthouse and Pavement marginally tips it to Heaven 17. But actually why choose? I choose both! No, wait, I choose life, as was the fashion of the times.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 21:10 (twenty-two years ago)

British Electric Foundation's "Music For Listening to.." EP pounces on both League and 17.

Frenchbloke OTM

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

don't make me choose ... yay! both are good for their respective things.

― Tad (llamasfur), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 22:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Human League, obv: they bring years of groove history. Plus, I heart any band that can emerge from the smudged eyeliner/high hairspray era, and still rock.

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I choose BOTH, dammit.

Human League are so cool... but Heaven 17 are cool too. Human League released some really amazing songs... but Heaven 17 released some really amazing songs too. Each produced a massive, fantastic hit that is totally evocative of the '80s. Both are slightly different sides of the same coin.

I NEED to declare a tie here.

― Just Deanna (Dee the Lurker), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 04:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I like how the split mirrors the 10cc/Godley & Creme split: the smart guys walk out, the dumb guys are left to their resources and have to pick up the loose ends. But history doesn't repeat, and while in general Heaven 17 > Human League, "Dare" >> everything else either fraction did.

― nestmanso (nestmanso), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 05:42 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm completely of the same opinion as dee, here.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

it's a close one, but Heaven 17's album covers put them in first place by a couple of lengths. For example:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000070TC.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, Heaven 17 had some amazing 12" sleeve art.. "The Height Of The Fighting" single is this really elaborate comic book style drawing of one of the band members inside a space capsule sweating at pressing "the button". Also the "Penthouse and Pavement" album art is really nice.

Overall though, Human League's "Reproduction" and "Dare" beat any of the above.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm completely of the same opinion as dee, here.

This is fantastic. Great minds think alike... 'tis a cliche, but an appropriate one in this case. :)

― Just Deanna (Dee the Lurker), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 23:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Heaven 17 are okay and all, but "The Black Hit of Space"? "Don't You Want Me"? "Being Boiled"? "The Sound of the Crowd"? No contest in my mind.

― Clarke B., Thursday, 31 July 2003 05:05 (twenty-two years ago)

phil oakley never had a mullet ... unlike his one-time band member. so i'm going with human league after all!

― Tad (llamasfur), Thursday, 31 July 2003 05:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, don't forget that two of the three above songs were, in effect, written by Heaven 17 with Phil Oakey writing the lyrics and singing. And the third was an agreeable cheesefest of a pop song.

Perhaps this question boils (ha!) down to two songs:

The Sound of the Crowd (Human League)

Penthouse and Pavement (the song rather than the album - Heaven 17)

ooooh, that's a toughie.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Thursday, 31 July 2003 05:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry Clarke, didn't notice you'd mentioned The Sound of the Crowd too.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Thursday, 31 July 2003 05:29 (twenty-two years ago)

five years pass...

http://www.multinet.no/~jonarne/Hjemmesia/Favorittartister/the_human_league/singler/i_dont_depend_on_you.jpg

TEH MISSING LEENK

Seriously though, I think this is the best thing ever concocted by Marsh, Ware, and Oakey together. It was released after Reproduction to appease Virgin by proving the group could make disposable, disco-ey stuff -- hence why Marsh and Ware dicated it get a different moniker called The Men. It eerily predates Dare by not only being poppy but featuring two female backing singers (although not the same singers as later.). Also, when Marsh and Ware left Oakey to form B.E.F., while it can't be proven, Oakey MUST have remembered this single when considering his choice for redefining the group.

I don't know if all the stories about Oakey being an unstable freak are true, but nonetheless Marsh and Ware exit apparently because they weren't allowed to be "cold and synthetic" anymore, allegedly in contrast to Oakey's wanting to be more "pop" -- ironically to form a new band that was just as poppy and far less synthetic than what turned out to be Dare. Maybe Marsh and Ware were that obsequious to Gregory. I dunno. This is one of those really strange musician falling outs and strokes of luck that created double the pleasure. (I love both early Human League and Heaven 17.)

― 909090909 Rivethed Brikkchin Reverk now DANZ (Mackro Mackro), Tuesday, 6 January 2009 18:15 (seventeen years ago)

Also, that 7" cover art is amazing and in many ways ahead of its time.

― 909090909 Rivethed Brikkchin Reverk now DANZ (Mackro Mackro), Tuesday, 6 January 2009 18:16 (seventeen years ago)

yeah it's amazing. vocal & instrumental versions are on the Travelogue CD reissue.

― dugong.jpg (jabba hands), Tuesday, 6 January 2009 23:05 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edgjl5zPW6g

― rethuglican (Spinspin Sugah), Friday, 18 June 2010 21:00 (sixteen years ago)

For "Dare" alone, I'd say Human League. I also feel they had a couple other singles that were way better than anything by Heaven 17. Plus when both lost their momentum around the mid 80s, Heaven 17 fell much deeper and never managed to recover, whereas Human League had some single moments of greatness both on "Hysteria" and "Crash", and then went on to release three surprisingly good albums in the 90s and 00s.

The first two Heaven 17 albums were still very great though.

― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 19 June 2010 00:34 (sixteen years ago)

four years pass...

The Human League.

I never really got into Heaven 17, even though I love pretty much everything the early Human League ever did. Dare is considered the classic, but how the fuck did Reproduction become so underrated?

― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 12 March 2015 20:35 (eleven years ago)

The Luxury Gap >>> Penthouse and Pavement

― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 12 March 2015 21:08 (eleven years ago)

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