Human League

The Human League are an English electronic new wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They had an early hit with "Being Boiled", then achieved greater fame after a membership change in 1980. Dare (1981), the band's most popular album, yielded the single "Don't You Want Me", a No. 1 hit single in the singles charts of the UK, USA and many other countries. The song is seen as the beginning of the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US. Other international hits include: "Love Action", "Open Your Heart", "Mirror Man", "Fascination", "The Lebanon", "Human" (a US No. 1) and "Tell Me When". The only constant band member since 1977 is vocalist and songwriter Philip Oakey. Originally an avant-garde all-male synthesizer-based group, The Human League evolved into a commercially successful synthpop band under Oakey's leadership. Since 1987, the band has essentially been a trio of Oakey and long-serving female vocalists Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley (both of whom joined the ensemble in 1980), with various sidemen. Since 1978, The Human League have released nine studio albums, four EPs, 30 singles and several compilation albums. They have had five albums and eight singles in the UK Top 10 including a number one single ("Don't You Want Me") and have sold more than 20 million records.

Links To Peel
Peel discovered the band when the Human League's first label, Fast Product, sent him a copy of their first single "Being Boiled" in 1978. So impressed with the song, that he invited the band to do a session for his show, this was the band's only Peel session. After the group changed members and signed to Virgin, Peel started slowly losing interest in the group as their music output started to go into a pop synth direction rather than their avant-garde sound which they originally started as. Nonetheless when the band released "Louise" in 1984, Peel on Top Of The Pops from 22 November 1984 (TOTP) called it "one of their best songs I think".

Sessions
1. Recorded: 1978-08-08. Broadcast: 16 August 1978. Repeated: 15 September 1978
 * Being Boiled / No Time / You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling / Blind Youth

Other Shows Played
The list below was researched only from the database of this site, Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and Ken Garner's Peel Sessions (pg218, 220). It is almost certainly incomplete. Please add further information if known.

1978 1979 1980 1981 1984 1993 2001 Top Of The Pops Others
 * 31 July 1978: 'Being Boiled (7 inch)' (Fast Product)
 * 30 April 1979: The Dignity Of Labour Pt. 2 (12” EP – Dignity Of Labour Pts. 1-4) Fast Product
 * 11 October 1979: Empire State Human (LP – Reproduction) Virgin
 * 22 October 1979: Almost Medieval (LP – Reproduction) Virgin
 * 16 January 1980: Being Boiled (v/a album - Fast Product - The First Year Plan) Fast Product
 * 09 April 1980: Rock And Roll / Nightclubbing (double single - Holiday ‘80 EP) Virgin
 * 14 April 1980: Rock 'N' Roll / Nightclubbing ('Holiday 80' EP) Virgin
 * 22 April 1980: Marianne ('Holiday 80' EP) Virgin
 * 20 May 1980: The Black Hit Of Space (LP – Travelogue) Virgin
 * 26 May 1980: Dreams Of Leaving (LP – Travelogue) Virgin
 * 29 May 1980: WXJL Tonight (LP – Travelogue) Virgin
 * 09 June 1980: The Black Hit Of Space (LP - Travelogue) Virgin
 * 23 June 1980: The Black Hit Of Space (LP - Travelogue) Virgin
 * 26 June 1980: Being Boiled (7") Fast Product
 * 02 July 1980: Life Kills (LP - Travalogue) Virgin
 * 16 February 1981: Boys And Girls (7") Virgin
 * 30 April 1981: The Sound Of The Crowd
 * 23 July 1981: Love Action (I Believe In Love) (7") Virgin
 * 19 July 1984: Being Boiled (7") Fast Product
 * 05 April 1993 (John Peel Is Jakki Brambles): Don't You Want Me (JP: 'This was a number 1 in 1981 when I was about, ooh, about that high and as pretty as a picture.')
 * 20 December 2001: All I Ever Wanted -Alter Ego Remix (Klang Elektronik)
 * 25 December 1981 (TOTP): Love Action (I Believe In Love)
 * 18 November 1982 (TOTP): Mirror Man #09
 * 25 December 1982 (TOTP): Don’t You Want Me (video clip)
 * 05 May 1983 (TOTP): (Keep Feeling) Fascination #03
 * 22 November 1984 (TOTP): Louise #26 (JP:'That’s The Human League and “Louise”... one of their best songs I think. I mean I know you don’t care what I think, but I thought I’d tell you anyway')
 * 28 August 1986 (TOTP): Human #10
 * Made In Sheffield: The Birth Of Electronic Pop