human league, 'i'm only human'

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― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 06:46 (twenty-one years ago)

It's Human.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 06:55 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.unionstreetshop.com/images/stores/Hunan/hunan-02.jpg

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 07:10 (twenty-one years ago)

classic!

― moley, Wednesday, 11 May 2005 07:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Thats only Hunan.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 07:26 (twenty-one years ago)

THE CROWD SAY BO SELECTA

― etc, Wednesday, 11 May 2005 08:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the clattery Jam & Lewis signature percussion, and the Jam & Lewis signature keyboard swooshes (technical term- I don't expect everyone to understand), but you can get all that with the SOS Band. Minus the flat vocals.

Don't get me wrong, I heart Phil.

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 08:47 (twenty-one years ago)

The flat vocals MAKE it a great record you ignoramus.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 08:48 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry, i think it blows goats. horrible over-produced saccharine jism. although the talky bit is quite nice.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 08:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Well EXCUSE ME. I prefer my flat vocals with Martin Rushent production.

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 08:52 (twenty-one years ago)

"Human" was my 35th favourite single of 1986. Slightly better than "Chain Reaction" by Diana Ross, but slightly worse than "Bang Zoom (Let's Go Go)" by The Real Roxanne featuring Hitman Howie Tee.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 08:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Go on then...what was top?/what number was "Kiss"? (if the two questions don't share an answer)

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 08:59 (twenty-one years ago)

"Some Candy Talking" would be my number 35, that year...

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:01 (twenty-one years ago)

What number would "Holiday Rap" by MC Mikey G and Deejay Sven have been?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:05 (twenty-one years ago)

-i

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Would it have come above, or below, Nick Berry's poignant, melodic ballad, "Every Loser Wins"?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Above. In a Momus sense.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:15 (twenty-one years ago)

But how would it have stood up against the leather-clad power rock ballad "The Final Countdown" as belted out by Sweden's finest, Europe?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:18 (twenty-one years ago)

It would have worn chunky cardigans in attempt to remain contemporary...

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Ooh but that Joey Tempest was a sexy hunk o' man, wasn't he?

And would "Burn," Doctor and the Medics' chartbusting #29 follow-up to their chart-topping "Spirit In The Sky," have "burned" its way up your list?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

That was the one they actually wrote, wasn't it?

Ach, a band from Reading. Has the town got over it? Oh it has.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:33 (twenty-one years ago)

And then, along came Slowdive.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:33 (twenty-one years ago)

In a way, that song is kind of a classic. The "Crash" album is generally dud though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:40 (twenty-one years ago)

xposts:

"Some Candy Talking" was my 22nd favourite single of 1986. Slightly better than "Don't Leave Me This Way" by The Communards, but slightly worse than "Good To Go" by Trouble Funk.

"Kiss" was, indeed, top.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, mine too. Boring answer, I know. (yeah, like my other answers were interesting I know again)

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:46 (twenty-one years ago)

As long as it's the Prince version and not the Age of Chance one.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

this human league was more jam/lewis than phil oakey so i wasn't into it , i t could have been "let's wait awhile" part 2 ,it's good but should have been given to janet or alexandero'neal.

― phil oakey doakey, Wednesday, 11 May 2005 10:16 (twenty-one years ago)

My understanding is that the song was first offered to Our Alex, but he turned it down.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 10:17 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost: The Age Of Chance version of "Kiss" was my 31st favourite single of 1986. Slightly better than "Goldrush" by Yello, but slightly worse than "Love Can't Turn Around" by Farley Jackmaster Funk.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 10:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I listened to it not 2 days ago, and it still elicits fandom from me. I still marvel that it works, because Phil isn't exactly a George Micheal (or a Jordan Knight), but the flat vocals are a large part of the magik.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 10:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Love Can't Turn Around would have been right up there in my top ten, alongside Nasty, Word Up, PSK (What Does It Mean?), Somewhere In China and whatever else there would have been.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 10:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Word Up of course is the pinnacle of 80's music. Line up all the 80's songs from start to finish and Word Up is the greatest of them all.

― moley, Wednesday, 11 May 2005 10:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Very classic. If it was better sung it wouldn't have worked. I especialy love when Phil strains to hit the high notes on the words, "No one else could ever take your place."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

This song is outstanding and one of the few instances where I agree that a stronger vocal performance would detract from the song.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic,, for the spoken "When you were away, i was human too" bit.

― Lyra Jane (Lyra Jane), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

It's also a well-written song: lovely melody, simple lyrics, great harmonies singing the chorus. Janet Jackson's "Come Back To Me" always struck me as an inferior remake.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, I wouldn't go that far. "Come Back To Me" is also ridiculously awesome for many of the same reasons.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, I still love "Come Back To Me," Dan! Great harmonies too!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:47 (twenty-one years ago)

What? This song is a dud.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

What?

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Good but kinda somnolent. Not as bouncily good as "Keep Feeling Fascination," "Don't You Want Me," or "Tainted Love."

So: a minor classic. Hemiclassic. Semiclassic.

― The Mad Puffin, Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:58 (twenty-one years ago)

(And yes I know that "Tainted Love" is not theirs; I just shelve a lot of those proto-new wave synthypop ditties in the same mental category.)

― The Mad Puffin, Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:01 (twenty-one years ago)

"being boiled" v "human" ... it's like a sick semiotic joke in which the signifier "the human league" loses all connection to, well, everything.

that said, i've had this song stuck in my head since 11am.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Well I've had it in my head since I was 11, and that's not a good thing!

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:06 (twenty-one years ago)

When were Human League ever human?

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:09 (twenty-one years ago)

HUMAN AFTER ALL

― etc, Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:11 (twenty-one years ago)

"I forgive you and I ask the same of you
While we were apart, I was human too."
BEEOOUUUWWWW! (Sliding bass synths)

Classic!

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Wonderful song, I know the band look at it and their Jam/Lewis alliance askance now but I think it all really came together for them on this. It isn't all that far removed from the apologetic dynamics on "Don't You Want Me" and could almost be a sequel.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:17 (twenty-one years ago)

"louise" was the official sequel to "don't you want me", wasn't it? can't remember where i found this nugget of information, but ... it's always good if you want to bore the tits off someone at a party.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks for boring me, I'm going back to the party. (I kid.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

That's what I'd always thought, yes. I must have heard/found it somewhere too and I can't remember where either.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:45 (twenty-one years ago)

...

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 16:21 (twenty-one years ago)

my ears aren't so good i guess, because i didn't realize until this thread that this was a jam/lewis record

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 16:22 (twenty-one years ago)

... is the Human League in the distance.

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 16:25 (twenty-one years ago)

This was during the period when every other record on the radio was Jam/Lewis. They were awesome.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 16:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, I admit it. I'm a sucker for this one. Production is a bit silly, sure, but the melody gets me every time.

BEEOOUUUWWWW! (Sliding bass synths)

Ha ha! Yeah that's the ridiculously dated noise I was hearing in my head just now.

― The Silent Disco of Glastonbury (Bimble...), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 16:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah; now that I think about it, it does sound a lot like Ralph Tresvant's Sensitivity...

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I honestly can't remember the last time I heard it ("Human"), but I remember liking Phil's vocals on the chorus. It's a bit syruppy, though, as I recall. Not bad, but light years from their finest hour (that being "Love Action", obviously).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 17:21 (twenty-one years ago)

... is the Human League in the distance.

genius!

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

listened to it for the first time in ages the other day, and even compared to the rest of their catalogue, Classic Classic Classic

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the clattery Jam & Lewis signature percussion, and the Jam & Lewis signature keyboard swooshes

Funny, I've never liked it and before reading this I didn't know what it was exactly that I don't like.

I like the cover by 6th's though.

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I like it, but it's only the second best single from that album.

― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic, of course.

> I especially love when Phil strains to hit the high notes

Me too. It's a beautiful moment.

― Palomino (Palomino), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

CLASSIC.

― Bimble, Sunday, 24 June 2007 17:22 (eighteen years ago)

Bimble, no one else could ever take your place.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 24 June 2007 18:47 (eighteen years ago)

I'm flattered. Really...

I had a good friend in high school who was gay and his family never knew and he died in his early 20's by falling off a horse, and he really loved the Human League, and every time I see Philip Oakey in the video I think of my friend. He was even a Libra like Oakey.

― Bimble, Sunday, 24 June 2007 19:45 (eighteen years ago)

eight months pass...

Still can't get over this song, sorry, and it's 50 times better with the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhAueqlBosQ

Still I've got the 12" mix so um...well I don't wanna say I rule, but you know what I mean!

I like that brunette girl in this band. I don't even know what her name is, but I like her.

― Bimble, Sunday, 23 March 2008 16:55 (eighteen years ago)

Don't ask me how, but I guessed this would be a Bimble revive.

The man has good taste, apparently...

― dell, Sunday, 23 March 2008 21:36 (eighteen years ago)

I think the same guy who wrote/produced Janet's "Come Back To Me" did this song, because they are way similar sounding.

― billstevejim, Sunday, 23 March 2008 23:27 (eighteen years ago)

Erm, you might want to read upthread...

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 23 March 2008 23:29 (eighteen years ago)

Erm, yes, it's Jam-Lewis.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 23 March 2008 23:29 (eighteen years ago)

Also see: Alexander O'Neal's "Sunshine."

(xxpost)

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 23 March 2008 23:29 (eighteen years ago)

Erm, you might want to read upthread...

yeah I suck at that

― billstevejim, Sunday, 23 March 2008 23:30 (eighteen years ago)

"erm" was not amied at Ned, btw.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 23 March 2008 23:31 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

I think I've posted it 7 million times already on other threads, but I have to hear this song every 6 months or so or my life just doesn't run smoothly at all.

― Music Is Sex For Your Ears (Bimble), Saturday, 28 March 2009 20:19 (seventeen years ago)

Hey is this that one that sounds like Janet Jackson huh??

― billstevejim, Saturday, 28 March 2009 23:13 (seventeen years ago)

What a tremendous video. The GAZES. The EARRINGS omg. And I like how a commentator on YouTube says Oakey looks like Clive Owen in Sin City.

― Lie Bot, Sunday, 29 March 2009 05:24 (seventeen years ago)

a quick question

What kind of drum machine was used in this. I know for a fact that Jummy Jam and Terry Lewis was using the Linn-9000 about this time. Was this song one that used one?

― The Startrekman, Monday, 30 March 2009 01:42 (seventeen years ago)

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human league, 'i'm only human' - classic or dud?