Heaven 17 - 80s Synthpop Masters
Heaven 17 consisted of Glenn Gregory, Martyn Ware & Ian Marsh.
Ware & Marsh originally formed a group called the Future, but were not picked up for a record contract as they needed a singer. They tried to get Gregory to join them then, but he was unavailable. They then asked Phil Oakley if he wanted to join as their singer. He did and they eventually changed their name to the Human League. After an artistic difference of opinion Oakley continued with the Human League as Ware & Marsh left.
Finally the three friends were all available to work together and Heaven 17 was formed.
Temptation
Heaven 17
Taking their name from a fictional pop group mentioned in Anthony Burgess's novel A Clockwork Orange (where 'The Heaven Seventeen' are at number 4 in the charts with 'Inside' [1]), Heaven 17 formed when Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware split from their earlier group The Human League and formed production company British Electric Foundation (BEF).
Penthouse and Pavement
Heaven 17
The first single, (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, best demonstrates the left-wing outlook of the lyrics, criticising Britain at the beginning of the 1980s under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the rise of the Yuppie
Penthouse & Pavement
Amazon Price: $5.57 (as of 06/01/2012)
Track Listings
1. (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
2. Penthouse and Pavement
3. Play to Win
4. Soul Warfare
5. Geisha Boys and Temple Girls
6. Let's All Make a Bomb
7. Height of the Fighting
8. Song with No Name
9. We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time
10. Groove Thang [B.E.F.]
11. Are Everything [12" Version]
12. I'm Your Money [12" Version]
13. Decline of the West [B.E.F.]
14. Honeymoon in New York [B.E.F.]
The Luxury Gap
Heaven 17
Luxury Gap
Amazon Price: $6.26 (as of 06/01/2012)
Track listing
All songs written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh, Martyn Ware.
1. "Crushed By the Wheels of Industry" - 5:54
2. "Who'll Stop the Rain" - 3:04
3. "Let Me Go" - 4:23
4. "Key to the World" - 3:42
5. "Temptation" - 3:34
6. "Come Live With Me" - 4:18
7. "Lady Ice and Mr Hex" - 3:46
8. "We Live So Fast" - 3:49
9. "The Best Kept Secret" - 5:09
Even the reviewers at Amazon agree that Heaven 17's second album was great -
"The Luxury Gap' is a must-have album for '80s music fans. Included from this classic new wave effort are a handful of hit singles, including "Let Me Go" (U.K. #41, U.S. #74), "Temptation" (U.K. #2), "Come Live With Me" (U.K. #5), "Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry" (U.K. #17), and "We Live So Fast" (U.S. #102). The album, their most successful, peaked at #4 in the U.K...."
How Men Are
Heaven 17
A wonderful album, definitely of it's time, that has aged gracefully.........If you are interested in Heaven 17, this is a real high point in their career, and a good basis for getting to know them better.
Somewhere in between their long career they mastered the art of smooth, cool sophisticated pop. Think Spandau Ballet's Parade or True but with a bit more of an "edge".
Amazon Reviews
How Men Are
Amazon Price: $6.39 (as of 06/01/2012)
Track listing
1. "Five Minutes to Midnight" (3:46)
2. "Sunset Now" (3:35)
3. "This is Mine" (3:51)
4. "The Fuse" (3:05)
5. "Shame is on the Rocks" (3:59)
6. "The Skin I'm In" (3:46)
7. "Flamedown" (2:59)
8. "Reputation" (3:03)
9. "And That's No Lie" (10:02)
10. "This is Mine (Cinemix)" (8:43) +
11. "...(And That's No Lie) (Re-mixed to Enhance Danceability)" (6:17) +
12. "Counterforce II" (3:08) +
13. "Sunset Now (Extended Version)" (5:21)
How Men Are is the third album by the English synthpop group Heaven 17, released in September 1984 by Virgin Records.
Three singles were released from this album: "Sunset Now", the album's most successful single with a #24 placing in the UK, and "This is Mine" in 1984, and an edited remix of "And That's No Lie" in early 1985, which was the first Heaven 17 single to fail to reach the UK's Top 40 since "Let Me Go" at the end of 1982.
Before After
Heaven 17
Before / After
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 06/01/2012)
Track listing
All tracks written by Gregory/Marsh/Ware except where stated.
1. "I'm Gonna Make You Fall In Love With Me" - 3:23
2. "Hands Up To Heaven" (Keith Lowndes/Gregory/Marsh/Ware) - 4:43
3. "The Way It Is" - 4:11
4. "Freedom From Love" - 4:12
5. "Don't Fear The Reaper" (Donald Roeser) - 4:39
6. "Into The Blue" - 4:10
7. "Deeper And Deeper" - 3:54
8. "What Would It Take" - 4:55
9. "Someone For Real" - 4:25
10. "Are You Ready?"* (Billie Godfrey/Gregory/Marsh/Ware) - 4:36
Amazon reviews
If you liked the ground breaking Penthouse & Pavement album of the early 1980's... this is ground breaking for the current decade. The true roots of H17 synth-pop style music are not cast aside. This album feels very modern and will not leave any listener disappointed. Glenn Gregory's vocals are still as stunning today as they were 20 years ago.....
The new release from synth pioneers Gregory/Marsh/Ware is a lesson in synthpop evolution. Without alienating their most staunch supporters, H17 have updated their sound by adding dance floor beats and female vocals that blow away some R&B contemporaries. The production is top notch and Glenn Gregory's voice perfectly guides the new grooves.
Heaven 17 Links
- Heaven 17
- The official Heaven 17 website.
by lou16
I am a real 80s chick, I love the song 1985 - although I'm a little concerned that it was written about me :) I love 80s pop, new wave, new romantics,... more »
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