Human League Archive

Aluminum Group – Love Action (I Believe In Love)

Yesterday was the legendary decision declaring California’s Prop 8 ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. People here in Los Angeles are celebrating it in different ways. Some are going to parades, some are eating vegetables longer than 2″. I decided to celebrate by doing the most gay thing I could think of, listen to the entire Aluminum Group discography. While going through all the their songs I had (and supplementing them with a few on the Hype Machine), I had forgotten that they were on the “Reproductions: Songs of The Human League” compilation. Check out this fantastic cover of one of my favorite Human League songs and if you’re still in the mood for more Aluminum Group covers, look back in the archive for their take on Sweet Child O’ Mine.

Download: Aluminum Group – Love Action (I Believe In Love) (Human League Cover)

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The Human League – Love Action (I Believe In Love) (Live Video)

The Human League – Love Action (I Believe In Love)
Multi-Coloured Swap Shop
BBC1
1981

Yesterday I came across a band called “Care Bears on Fire” and immediately thought “What the fuck is that?” Apparently they are teen band that has gotten quite a bit exposure through appearances on Nickelodeon. That’s precisely what’s wrong with kids these days. Take this Human League appearance on the BBC children’s program “Multi-Coloured Swap Shop” back in ’81. Here is Philip Oakey singing about being a husband and a lover and how he likes watching your “love action.” Now that’s the music kids really need to be listening to. That’s the era that I grew up in and I turned out nearly perfect. It’s time to stop filling kids minds with absolute crap like Care Bears on Fire and start them on a serious dose of synthpop Philip Oakey style.

Download: The Human League – Love Action (I Believe In Love) (Live Video)

The 6ths/Lloyd Cole – Human (Human League Cover)

I got a bunch of e-mails about how the I Am The World Trade Center’s cover of The Jam was horrible. Then I see a ton of traffic coming from a Human League message board linking to the IATWTC’s cover of “Don’t You Want Me” that I posted and complaining about how that cover was an embarrassment. It seems IATWTC can’t catch a break. But hopefully this song will at least appease those finicky Human League fans. The song comes from the cd “Reproductions: Songs of the Human League” which has great songs by other artists that I’ve posted about before (Aluminum Group, Future Bible Heroes) plus other great bands that you may see here in the future like Ladytron, Barcelona and HollAnd.

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Download: The 6ths/Lloyd Cole – Human (Human League Cover)

I Am The World Trade Center – Don’t You Want Me (Live Human League Cover)

You seriously can’t go wrong with a band where a white boy break dances! The first time I saw IATWTC they played some small club in Santa Monica and there were about 20 other people there, none of whom were there to see IATWTC. By the end of their set they had the whole room dancing. This song was recorded in 2003 at The Knitting Factory, New York. I originally wanted to post a great cover of “Boys Don’t Cry” that they played when I saw them during CMJ the same year, but that recording has my friend begging me to “goth walk” through the entire track. This Human League cover will have to do.

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Download: I Am The World Trade Center – Don’t You Want Me (Live Human League Cover)