Human (song)
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| “Human” | |||||
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| Single by The Human League from the album Crash |
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| Released | August 1986 | ||||
| Format | 7" single, 12" single | ||||
| Recorded | 1985 | ||||
| Genre | Synthpop, Pop | ||||
| Label | Virgin Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis | ||||
| Producer | Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis | ||||
| The Human League singles chronology | |||||
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"Human" is a song recorded by British synthpop band The Human League. It was released as the first single from their 1986 album Crash. The track was written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, best-known for their work with Janet Jackson.
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[edit] Background
The recording sessions for the Human League's Crash album were not going well and the band did not like the results. After scrapping what they had recorded, they made the unusual choice of Jam and Lewis as new producers. Jam and Lewis had recently emerged as in-demand talent due to their success with Jackson and her Control album.
Of the 10 songs on Crash, Jam and Lewis wrote three, "Human" being one of them. It is a mid-tempo ballad which lyrically is an exchange between a man and a woman in a relationship who have reunited after a long separation. In the first two verses Philip Oakey is apologizing to his partner for being unfaithful during her absence, and in the song's breakdown Joanne Catherall's spoken-word confession reveals that she too was unfaithful. The song's title is derived from the chorus, in which both parties in the relationship explain that they are "only human" and "born to make mistakes".
"Human" became the second million-selling number-one single for The Human League on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (after "Don't You Want Me") and their second chart-topper on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart (after "(Keep Feeling) Fascination"). Jam and Lewis' R&B-based production was also popular on American urban radio, bringing the Human League into the top ten of the U.S. R&B chart for the first time. In their home country, "Human" peaked at number eight in the UK singles chart.
It was a welcome success for Human League, who were starting to suffer a slight decline in fortunes after a hugely successful start to the 1980s. By this stage, Human League and other similar groups were suffering a decline in popularity as the music market was being dominated by more recent acts such as Madonna, Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, Bananarama and The Bangles.
[edit] Music video
The music video for "Human" was filmed in London during June 1986, in a studio using Chroma key overlay. It is heavily stylized to give a 'water reflective' effect and blue hue throughout. In the first time that the band had been presented as a "Phil and the girls" trio, images of Oakey, Catherall and Sulley are constantly layered and blended. The video was conceived and directed by Andy Morahan.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
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| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 3 |
| U.S. Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart | 8 |
| Germany Singles Chart | 5 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 26 |
[edit] External links
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| Preceded by "Amanda" by Boston |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single November 22, 1986 |
Succeeded by "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi |
| Preceded by "Gotta See You Tonight" by Barbara Roy |
Hot Dance Club Play number one single October 25, 1986 |
Succeeded by "Word Up!" by Cameo |
