Quoting:
Ah! The Human League! My dad had their 'Dare' Album and played it all the time.


End Quote

Well you know how to makes us feel old don't you  :D

Best thing to come out of Sheffield I reckon

I've also got some of their earlier stuff which is a bit weirder.

Quoting:


Well you know how to makes us feel old don't you  :D

Best thing to come out of Sheffield I reckon

I've also got some of their earlier stuff which is a bit weirder.
End Quote

Ha! Ha! Not deliberate I can assure you Karen.  ;)

I heard that The Human League were in competition with OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark) at the time, as they were releasing similar stuff.

Quoting:
Don't You Want Me
Keep feeling(Fascination)
Human
End Quote

My faves mentioned...along with "Mirror Man".  :D

Quoting:



My faves mentioned...along with "Mirror Man".  :D
End Quote

ah...Mirror Man...take's me back. I played that 'Fascination' 6 song LP over & over again (still have it!).  :)

Quoting:
As far as 80's groups go, they're one of the greats.  :)


End Quote

I agree!  :D

Quoting:
But, as so often happens, once successful here, the critics are then out to get you - and no matter what the League released thereafter, it was "never going to match 'Dare'"...

Someone once asked Phil if he ever got fed-up of hearing "DYWM" (which incidentally, is still one of the UK's top selling singles) - "To be honest", he said, "how could I when it's enabled me to do the job I love for the last twenty years?"
End Quote

The critics in Britain love to mercilessly 'pick up and drop' celebrities and pop bands. I never understood that.

As for 'Don't you want me?' that song got another lift recently in an advert featuring a guy singing in a brummie (Birmingham, England) accent - what a combination! Everybody takes the mick out of me because of that now! That will add to the 'Come to Dudley, we've got a canal,' wisecracks  :).

I think Phil Oakey has a superb attitude to fame. Does anybody remember 'Together in Electric Dreams' back in 1984? That was awe inspiring!

Quoting:
I always wondered why the band never harmonizes the vocals.  (Like, is there a reason?)  The backing vocals are always just sung an octave higher.  Anyone else ever note this?
End Quote

Please, speak "English", will ya'.  ;D

Quoting:
I always wondered why the band never harmonizes the vocals.  (Like, is there a reason?)  The backing vocals are always just sung an octave higher.  Anyone else ever note this?
End Quote

I never noticed. Maybe it's just their style.

Quoting:
Never mind.
End Quote

I'm sorry. My reply to you was an unsuccessful attempt at being funny while asking you to make me understand what you meant. I feel like a "tool" now.

Quoting:
I'm sorry. My reply to you was an unsuccessful attempt at being funny while asking you to make me understand what you meant. I feel like a "tool" now.
End Quote

You're not a tool, Hairspray!  :D

Has anybody heard a more deeper voice than Phil Oakey's?

Quoting:


You're not a tool, Hairspray!  :D

Has anybody heard a more deeper voice than Phil Oakey's?

End Quote

Thanks, Bobby.  :)  

And you're right about Phil Oakey's voice, with the exception of American-born Barry White who recently passed away.

Quoting:
My dad loves the New Romantic movement. I think he was in his early twenties at the time so could still appreciate the music that was going around - He still listens to it with pride.
He loves ABC, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Adam and The Ants and would never stop talking about the Brummie band UB40!
End Quote

Bobby how old are you?
you've had great influence growing up!
I want your daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quoting:
I had to laugh when my mother first saw them - whilst watching TOTP one evening she piped up, "Why's that bloke singing got his hair cut crooked?"
End Quote

OH MY GOD! I'm laughing so hard that you can't imagine! few months ago while browsing for an specifical haircut (the disco wedge i guess), I found a website that will give you such memories! show your mom too! ROFL!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/ugotthelook/human_league.shtml

Quoting:
Bobby how old are you?
you've had great influence growing up!
I want your daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!
End Quote

I am 24, Digitales. My dad is now about 47 and has been listening to The New Romantics since he was in his early/mid twenties. He never tires of listening to this type of music and I got into listening to it when I was ten or eleven.

I can't think of a better musical influence than what my dad gave me. I will credit my dad for giving me an eclectic music taste.

As for wanting my daddy, LOL, that reminds me of Kid Creole and The Coconuts song 'Annie I'm not . . . your' - Oh it doesn't work. Never mind.  :D

Quoting:
lol sorry! You're lucky to have a nice daddy where you got good influences! my daddy divorced my mom when i was 2 years old.. so i have never had the chance to talk to him about what kind of music he liked. :-/

Bring your dad to the 80s boards online, he will be thrilled!
take care! :-*End Quote

I do remember reading a post of yours on another thread about your difficult circumstances when you were a child. Divorce is an awful thing for a child to bear (me knowing what I'm talking about from the child's perspective). I haven't seen my dad for three years and only heard from him last weekend after six months.

However, i understand that pales in comparison to your situation. Have you tried to contact your father?

As for getting my dad on the boards. I will do the best I can, Digitales! His computer is a bit worse for wear at the moment so he can't get internet. I'm sure if I give him the right encouragement, we will get another member on the boards - The thing is, he has the same name as I have LOL. I hope he doesn't call himself 'Bob'.  ;D

Quoting:
I wouldn't say The Human League were New Romantic at all.They owed much more to electro and pop than New Romanticism.End Quote

Fair enough.  :)

Quoting:
I wouldn't say The Human League were New Romantic at all.They owed much more to electro and pop than New Romanticism.I think they were a great 80s pop group just like ABBA were that 70s one.End Quote

I'm sorry to disagree. In most sources with Human League biographies, explains that they influenced _many_ bands of different styles. This is a sum up of what i've read: Human league's root comes from kraftwerk and the heads of HL were actually data experts trying music. That's one of the reasons that their first albums were so experimental. They simply didn't have found the pop formula from Dare. They didn't have the girls in the band yet, which gave a new edge to their approach. Besides ABBA was real musicians and singers, it was a whole different era and different circunstances. Yes they are both pop, but I don't think they are a household name just like ABBA still nowadays. Not everywhere in the world.

The most important event that linked Human League to the new romantics movement: Steve Strange together with a friend (I guess it was Rusty Egan) started 'futuristic nights', at Billy's in Soho.  This in the late 70s early 80s. The playlist in those nights ranged from early HUMAN LEAGUE, BOWIE, ULTRAVOX, KRAFTWERK, ROXY MUSIC, GARY NUMAN.

After a while, Steve strange and his friend formed Visage, while adding members from Ultravox to the line-up. That's when Steve moves to another club (Blitz in Convent Garden), creating nights where everyone could listen to those electro cult bands, dress up in a glamorous way and so on. Boy George hang around there. Spandau Ballet played there, Ultravox and so on. Then it was opened the Candem Palace and the movement became huge, it was the most popular place to go, amongst Wag Club, Le Beat Route, Cha-Cha's (in Heaven) and the gothic one called Batcave.

The only sad thing about the new romantic movement was that lived a very short period (less than 3 years as far as i recall) but those new romantics bands (Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran the biggest one, OMD, A flock of seagulls, ABC and the others aforementioned)

So in my opinion, Human league played an important role in the new romantic movement. As well the synthpop, electro and general pop music. That's why you may listen to HL clones even today. It's almost unevitable their influence in electronic music, and yes new romantic too!

I understood that through the years, that in the late 70s people were basically sick of the complicated and long songs of progressive rock, punk brought some do it yourself attitude and gave incentive to non musicians to try to play anyway. Also punks were pretty much revolted about disco music.
But then it came punk's decadence.

I think that Human League just found the greatest formula of bringing back the pop roots (simple melodies, catchy chorus) at the right moment, while applying of the do it yourself attitude. They werent musicians, the were data geeks. Phil worked at a hospital. Both girls were still at school, they even said that getting into the band was a good way of skipping school and doing something else outside it. It was a miserable economy in england in the early 80s so the youth just wanted to escape from that, the answer was creating such glamorous looks, suits, songs about distant places, well something totally the contrary of the rebellion and straightforward attitude of the punks.

I always thought that the most creative times were those were people have unstable economy, something going on that make them dream away about the reality. It seems like a pattern. Also people masks how hard those times were, when you ask about it. I've noticed that when the economy boom exists, people just use their time spending their money. While when there is a crisis they find other ways to fill up the void of unstability.

It's like... well, when people had less musical resources (simpler synths, less computer help like nowadays), they actually tried to find all ways to take advantage of their poor resources. But nowadays they have got so many resources, and high technology available, that the music doesn't sounds 'real', it feels more like a mess of tons of effects.
But I'm talking of pop music here, the charts of nowadays.

Anyway... i disgress. Just wanted to share my opinions. My only quotes where the name of those night clubs. Otherwise it's just a mess of thoughts and sorry for any spelling mistakes.

Quoting:
So in my opinion, Human league played an important role in the new romantic movement. As well the synthpop, electro and general pop music. That's why you may listen to HL clones even today. It's almost unevitable their influence in electronic music, and yes new romantic too!End Quote

I appreciate your support, Digitales. I said 'Fair enough' in my previous post because everybody has the right to interpret music how they wish.

My dad and uncle associate Human League with New Romantics but I think to call them 'Electronic' is not far from the mark.

Quoting:
yeah I wanted to reply you about your support (it was the 'what you were scared in the 80s' thread, i guess) it was very kind of you. But them I just had to leave the cyberspace for a while due a mental breakdown. It's a depression now, not mania and the meds aren't working properly, my shrink is away for vacation so it's a big mess. And this is totally Off-topic.. I just said that I wanted your daddy, because I was jealous! LOL but it sounded sooooo very wrong  :-*End Quote

I am so sorry to hear this, Digitales. Depression is an up-hill battle but I would have no idea how I would cope with bipolar disorder (manic depression). As for your last comment, think nothing of it.  :)

Quoting: Try to meet him and have a good time. I learned that there are two things very important in life, that unfortunately we just give value when we don't have anymore. One is health and the other is family/friends. End Quote

Very insightful, Digitales.

Quoting: OT stuff: I tried to contact my daddy when i was 17 and had got a place at the university. I was so thrilled and wanted him to be proud of me, since he never cared to get in touch to me. Well, he got very very disappointed because back then I've came in the psychology university and he expected me after all these years of absence that i've chosen medicine! He said that he would have given me a car if I had done what he expected! OMGosh what a nut case. :'(End Quote

Unfortunately, I am willing to agree with you. Just because one variable is out of place in your father's designs for you, he would rather discard you than encourage you - what a sorry shame!

Quoting: ... oh well, sometimes I feel a bit sad that I never had a real dad, but I try to think that he didn't deserve to have me as a daughter anyway. I was a nice kid and he is just a mean egoistic person. End Quote

That is the right perspective to have. Well done for keeping such a spirit under such intense conditions.

Quoting: Please do!!!! I will remind you all the time, LOL
He can be Bob_dad or something heheh!!!!!!!!

take care and sorry for the boring stuff!
End Quote

LOL. Imagine him being called 'Dad'! That would be very funny! I'm not sure whether he would appreciate it.  ;D

To cap this little chapter of the thread up. If you wish to talk about this further (you may feel that you have said enough) then you can give me an 'instant message'. Then you can guarantee a certain level of privacy.

As for everyone else who enters the thread, let the Human League chat continue freely!  :D

Quoting:
I appreciate your support, Digitales. I said 'Fair enough' in my previous post because everybody has the right to interpret music how they wish.
My dad and uncle associate Human League with New Romantics but I think to call them 'Electronic' is not far from the mark.
End Quote

Yeah that's why I said "I'm sorry to disagree" LOL
It's a bit of when people try to define "what is goth"? everyone have their own definition.
But so far, nearly in all the books I have with 80s bands or online websites that I checked, always mention Human league being a big influence to different styles, including new romantics.

www.allthemusic.com
www.cd.now    

Human League is usually under the category of New Romantic in most music sites or online stores.

http://www.pure80spop.co.uk/romantics.htm

"The movement's early fulcrum was Stevo (Steven Pearse), whose Some Bizzare Album compilation in 1980 introduced such artists as Classix Nouveaux, Blancmange, Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. Centred on London clubs such as Blitz, this new gaggle of groups was at first termed 'futuristic'. The Human League had been active for some time in Sheffield but in a new incarnation perfectly amalgamated simple song ideas with basic keyboard skifis to define the essen­tial new romantic blueprint"

So I'm I would say your dad and uncle were right  :-*

Quoting:

Yeah that's what I thought! In case you wonder about anything... i'll msg you. But i guess I said pretty much what is up. I miss being manic, i'm a pain the ass for everyone but I'm so much more creative. At the same time i can't foccuse in anything and have huge ideas (like being as famous as Madonna, ROFL). Being depressed is no fun :(
Tell your dad to come here talk about Human League  :-*
take care!