The Human League – A Very British Synthesizer Group Anthology

The Human League have encompassed three very distinct line-ups, all of which have their merits. When attempting to describe The Human League their one-time manager, Bob Last, puts it best –

“Pop music is a kind of lightning conductor for what’s going on, when it’s at its most exciting it beats everything else; it beats film, beats books and beats TV. These magical moments when it pulls something out of the ether, out of what’s going on in everyone’s head and everyone’s lives and focuses it. That’s what pop does at its best and that’s what The Human League did”.

A Very British Synthesizer Group is an anthology featuring all the hits. The 2CD Deluxe Edition and the Deluxe 3LP box set versions cover the entire history of the group in 30 songs including 7 previously unreleased DJ edits from the earliest incarnation to the phenomenon that was Dare and all that happened in its wake. The left turn of working with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the return to being a live act and the robotic pop of 2011’s Credo album. Both packages include a 20-page booklet featuring a new essay by David Buckley plus rare memorabilia and photographs. The 3LP box set includes special vinyl discs that were mastered at half-speed at Abbey Road Studios.

The last word on The Human League goes to Susan Ann Sulley from the group –

‘People think pop music is X Factor and we’re still hankering after a Roxy-Bowie-Donna Summer-Chic version of pop. We don’t fit in. There are three of us, two of whom have never written a song and are pretty average singers, plus we’ve got a lead singer who doesn’t consider himself a singer at all and can’t play any instruments very well. And yet we still think of ourselves as a pop group. If a market research group got hold of us, they’d change absolutely everything. We shouldn’t have gone on as long as we have – we should have “gone rock” by now, like Depeche Mode, Simple Minds and U2 did. But we’re still a pop group.’

Buy now/more info | More Human League music

Track listing:

(*denotes previously unreleased)

2CD Deluxe

Disc One

1.    Being Boiled : A-Side Single

2.    The Dignity of Labour [Part 3 ]** – Dignity of Labour 12” single

3.    Empire State Human : A-Side Single

4.    Only After Dark (Single Edit) – Travelogue Free 7”

5.    Nightclubbing** – Holiday ’80 EP

6.    Boys and Girls**  : A-Side Single

7.    The Sound of The Crowd (Instrumental Version)**

8.    Hard Times : B-Side Single

9.    Love Action (I Believe In Love) : A-Side Single

10.  Open Your Heart : A-Side Single

11.  Don’t You Want Me : A-Side Single

12.  Mirror Man : A-Side Single

13.  You Remind Me Of Gold**

14.  (Keep Feeling) Fascination (Extended Version)**

15.  The Lebanon (Single Version)**  : A-Side Single

16.  Louise (DJ Edit)  : A-Side Single

Disc Two

1.    Life On Your Own : A-Side Single  First Commercial Release

2.    Human – Extended Version

3.    I Need Your Loving (DJ Edit)  : A-Side Single First Commercial Release

4.    Love Is All That Matters ( DJ Edit) : A-Side Single First Commercial Release

5.    Heart Like A Wheel (William Orbit Remix) : A-Side Single

6.    Soundtrack To A Generation (Edit) : First Commercial Release

7.    Tell Me When (Radio Edit) :  First Commercial Release

8.    One Man In My Heart : A-Side Single

9.    Filling Up With Heaven : A-Side Single

10.  Stay With Me Tonight (Single Version) : A-Side Single

11.  All I Ever Wanted (Radio Edit) : First Commercial Release

12.  Night People (Radio Edit)  : A-Side Single First Commercial Release

13.  Never Let Me Go (Album Version)**

14.  Sky (Radio Edit) : A-Side Single

____________________________________________________________________

Buy now/more info | More Human League music

3LP BOX SET

SIDE A

A1: Being Boiled – Fast Product Version

A2: The Dignity of Labour – Part 3

A3: Empire State Human

A4: Only After Dark

A5: Nightclubbing

A6: Boys and Girls

SIDE B

B1: The Sound Of The Crowd – Instrumental

B2: Hard Times

B3: Love Action ( I Believe In Love ) – Edit

B4: Open Your Heart

B5: Don’t You Want Me

SIDE C

C1: Mirror Man

C2: You remind Me Of Gold

C3: (Keep Feeling ) Fascination – Extended Version

C4: The Lebanon

C5: Louise – DJ Edit

SIDE D

D1: Love On Your Own

D2: Human – Extended Version

D3: I Need Your Loving – DJ Edit

D4: Love Is All That Matters – DJ Edit

D5: Heart Like A Wheel – William Orbit Remix

SIDE E

E1: Soundtrack To A Generation – Edit

E2: Tell Me When – Edit

E3: One Man In My Heart

E4: Filling Up With Heaven

SIDE F

F1: Stay With Me Tonight

F2: All I Ever Wanted – Radio Edit

F3: Night People – Radio Edit

F4: Never Let Me Go

F5: Sky – Radio Edit

Buy now/more info | More Human League music

OWM Amazon | OWM eBay | OWM Facebook | OWM Twitter