Human League : Love and Dancing

Right, Dr Who yourselves back to the very early 80’s.

Kids today don’t realise just how tribal the music scene was in those days, being dressed in the wrong uniform at a gig would seriously damage your health back then.

Anyway, to my recollection, The Human League stormed it when Dare came out because everyone had been secretly listening to them.

The Soul/Jazz/Funk lads (a short lived Essex tribe centred around Romford/Ilford, key reference points being the RS2000 Ford Escort and Leval 42) liked them because half of them had just spilt off to become Heaven 17, the Stoners liked them because they were electronic, the Art School boys liked them because they dressed funny etc etc etc.

In short, Being Boiled and Travelogue had something for everyone.

Then Dare came out and you had never heard anything like it before. Four great singles off the album culminating with that song. (Don’t You Want Me and Blue Monday were the Euro-anthems during the summer of ’82).

Personally, I also liked Hysteria, Lebanon has a great guitar break, and Louise is one of those “songs that remind you of ex-lovers” tracks (ahem).

But today, I give you the remix album “Love And Dancing”.

Essentially a showcase for Dare producer Martin Rushent’s talent, this was released in the summer of ’82 and, as well as being the first remix album ever, was basically hand made from around 2500 spliced together bits of tape.

Footnote :

You can easily waste a lunchtime going through old Human League articles here . . .
The definitive guide to the late 70’s early 80’s music scene is Simon Reynolds “Rip It Up And Start Again”