Travelogue

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His mother bought him a synthesiser / Got the Human League in to advise her / Now he's making lots of noise / Playing along with the art school boys" [13]

After Hysteria, the group found themselves in creative stagnation, struggling to record material to follow up on their previous successes. Key songwriter Jo Callis departed, replaced by drummer Jim Russell. Bob Last quit as manager and was not replaced. In 1985, the band spent several months working on a new album with producer Colin Thurston (who had produced "I Don't Depend on You", Reproduction, and the first two Duran Duran albums), but yet more clashes in the recording studio ensued and the project was shelved in September 1985. [27] In 1992, Virgin abruptly cancelled their recording contract. Damaged by the failure of the album, their rejection by Virgin, harsh criticism in the media and facing financial ruin, the emotional well-being of Oakey and Sulley deteriorated badly. The next single from the album was the ballad " One Man in My Heart", which features Sulley on lead vocals. It reached No.13 in the UK and was unique in that it was the only single by the Human League to feature a female only lead vocal until "Never Let Me Go" in 2011. Along with its amazing cover art, the interesting side to "Travelogue" is in its "acoustic" approach and pleasant experimental/cinematic touches the group kept throughout the album; "Dreams Of Leaving" is a stunning example in reconciling experimental and pop tendencies within a song, and as such would have been the perfect opener to an album. "Toyota City" is a beautiful soothing piece of night music, ideal for wandering through the quiet city streets wrapped in neon glow.Although the group has been retrospectively identified with the New Romantic movement of this period, [21] according to Dave Rimmer, author of New Romantics: The Look, "at the time [they] were no such thing." [22] The band themselves have also consistently and strenuously rejected the label. The Sheffield scene in which the Human League formed predated New Romanticism and took more influence from Kraftwerk. Bands in the Sheffield scene were also referred to as Futurists, [23] although Oakey himself has said: "We thought we were the punkiest band in Sheffield." [24] Travelogue is the second full-length studio album released by British synthpop group The Human League, released in May 1980. It was the last album with founding members Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, as they would leave to form Heaven 17 later that year. In 1994, EastWest Records (a subsidiary of Time Warner) showed interest in the band's demos and the material rejected by Virgin. They signed the band and paired them with producer Ian Stanley (formerly of Tears for Fears). EastWest financed expensive music videos and heavily promoted their releases. The first release was on Boxing Day 1994 and was the single " Tell Me When", which gave the band their first Top 10 hit since 1986's "Human". It also topped the UK airplay charts for several weeks. The accompanying album, Octopus, returned the band to the UK Top 10 and later achieved a gold disc.

Reynolds, Philip (26 November 2012). "The Human League, The Dome, Brighton, review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 . Retrieved 29 December 2012.

In 1982, the band received the Best British Newcomer award at the annual Brit Music awards, and Rushent also took Best Producer for his work on Dare. a b c d e f g h i j k l Turner, Sean. "Complete guide to The Human League 1977–1980". Blindyouth.co.uk . Retrieved 30 January 2014. In 1987, Ian Burden also left the band. In November 1988, a greatest hits compilation album was released that reached No.3 in UK. This was preceded by the release of the single " Love Is All That Matters" from Crash. Lineup changes and rise in popularity [ edit ] The Human League in 1984. Members: Catherall, Callis, Wright, Oakey, Sulley, Burden