Heaven 17
Heaven 17 is a British synthpop band originating in Sheffield, South Yorksh… Read Full Bio ↴Heaven 17 is a British synthpop band originating in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England that was formed in 1980, having much 80s success with their electronic sound. Taking their name from a fictional group mentioned in Anthony Burgess's novel A Clockwork Orange (where 'The Heaven Seventeen' are at number 4 in the charts with 'Inside'), Heaven 17 formed when Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware split from their earlier group, The Human League, and devised the production company British Electric Foundation (B.E.F.).
Shortly after, they recruited their good friend and photographer Glenn Gregory on vocals to complete their lineup for Heaven 17. Contrary to popular belief, they were not 'New Romantics' per se and had different visual characteristics than groups such as Spandau Ballet and the Culture Club. Like The Human League, Heaven 17 heavily used synthesizers and drum machines while taking influence from the minimalist electronica music of the 70s.
They had a few minor hits in their early days, including the song "Play To Win" that featured on the album 'Penthouse and Pavement'. Their debut single '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' from the same album attracted some attention, became a left-wing anthem for a while, and was banned by the BBC because of its overtly political lyrics, but it still reached number 45 in the UK singles chart.
Major chart success eluded them until the single 'Temptation' (in which they were augmented by the vocalist Carol Kenyon) reached number 2 in the UK charts in summer 1983. Other songs from the same album, The Luxury Gap, also charted though not as high - 'Come Live With Me' reached number 5 in the UK, 'Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry' reached number 17, and 'Let Me Go', reaching 41 in November 1982. The album itself charted at their best ever position, number four.
At the end of 1983, the band helped re-launch Tina Turner's solo career, producing and providing backing vocals on her debut hit 'Let's Stay Together'. 1984 featured the release of the moderately successful How Men Are, which reached number 12.
The band also worked on the Band Aid single at the end of 1984, with Gregory supplying vocals alongside Midge Ure and Sting. However, they did not perform at Live Aid the following year.
Pleasure One (featuring the single 'Trouble') appeared in 1986 and it was followed up in 1988 with Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho (featuring the single 'Train Of Love In Motion'). The early 90's were a quiet period for the band and they wouldn't work together as Heaven 17 until 1996's Bigger Than America. In the preceding years, Marsh and Ware produced a second B.E.F. album to 1981's original Music of Quality and Distinction and Gregory formed the band Ugly. Ware became an in-demand producer, working for the likes of Terence Trent D'Arby, Alison Moyet and Erasure. 2005 saw the release of the long-awaited Before After; the album having a much more contemporary dance sound compared to previous albums.
Shortly after, they recruited their good friend and photographer Glenn Gregory on vocals to complete their lineup for Heaven 17. Contrary to popular belief, they were not 'New Romantics' per se and had different visual characteristics than groups such as Spandau Ballet and the Culture Club. Like The Human League, Heaven 17 heavily used synthesizers and drum machines while taking influence from the minimalist electronica music of the 70s.
They had a few minor hits in their early days, including the song "Play To Win" that featured on the album 'Penthouse and Pavement'. Their debut single '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' from the same album attracted some attention, became a left-wing anthem for a while, and was banned by the BBC because of its overtly political lyrics, but it still reached number 45 in the UK singles chart.
Major chart success eluded them until the single 'Temptation' (in which they were augmented by the vocalist Carol Kenyon) reached number 2 in the UK charts in summer 1983. Other songs from the same album, The Luxury Gap, also charted though not as high - 'Come Live With Me' reached number 5 in the UK, 'Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry' reached number 17, and 'Let Me Go', reaching 41 in November 1982. The album itself charted at their best ever position, number four.
At the end of 1983, the band helped re-launch Tina Turner's solo career, producing and providing backing vocals on her debut hit 'Let's Stay Together'. 1984 featured the release of the moderately successful How Men Are, which reached number 12.
The band also worked on the Band Aid single at the end of 1984, with Gregory supplying vocals alongside Midge Ure and Sting. However, they did not perform at Live Aid the following year.
Pleasure One (featuring the single 'Trouble') appeared in 1986 and it was followed up in 1988 with Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho (featuring the single 'Train Of Love In Motion'). The early 90's were a quiet period for the band and they wouldn't work together as Heaven 17 until 1996's Bigger Than America. In the preceding years, Marsh and Ware produced a second B.E.F. album to 1981's original Music of Quality and Distinction and Gregory formed the band Ugly. Ware became an in-demand producer, working for the likes of Terence Trent D'Arby, Alison Moyet and Erasure. 2005 saw the release of the long-awaited Before After; the album having a much more contemporary dance sound compared to previous albums.
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Heaven 17 Lyrics
(And That's No Lie) But when the fire goes out The dark starts moving in And…
(Don't Fear) The Reaper All our times have come Here but now they're gone Seasons do…
(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (Everybody move to prove the groove) Have you heard it on…
(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang Everybody move to prove the groove Have you heard it on…
12 Geisha Boys And Temple Girls Look ahead, on the screen, Slim perfect creatures and they'…
An Electronic Prayer From beyond a message has come Slowly the last forever has…
And That's No Lie But when the fire goes out The dark starts moving in And…
Another Big Idea I'm waiting for someone to find me Someone to pick me…
Are Everything Your looks My charm My own imagination My loves Your hat…
At The Height Of The Fighting Heat War (They sent you to do it, do it) Sweat…
Being Boiled Listen to the voice of Buddha Saying stop your sericulture L…
Best Kept Secret The view outside The best kept secret No one can reach it No…
Big Square People Another square day And another square week And another squar…
Bigger Than America There's a bookstore in town where no one reads And those…
Can You Hear Me So you send them back And I began to cry But I…
Can You Hear Me? So you send them back And I began to cry But I…
Come Live With Me I was thirty-seven You were seventeen You were half my age T…
Contenders We're going to stop this world from turning We build it…
Crushed by the Wheels Call me in the morning just before the breakfast show We'll…
Dangerous Dangerous You can see them on the corners They are short an…
Designing Heaven How demanding life can be With a taste for luxury It's such…
Dive Please don`t be afraid Believe what you see Whisper it a hun…
Do I Believe You spoke softly my name Not wishing to be heard by…
Do I Believe? You spoke softly my name Not wishing to be heard by…
Don't Fear The Reaper All our times have come Here but now they're gone Seasons …
Don't Stop For No One Don't stop for no-one And then it goes on (repeat 3 times)…
Fascist Groove Thang (Everybody move to prove the groove) Have you heard it on…
Fascist Groove Thing Everybody move to prove the groove Everybody move to prove …
Five Minutes to Midnight Break or be broken A sensitive target A thirty day boy in A…
Flame Down Underneath the bridge The glowing streets Light up the hea…
Flamedown Underneath the bridge The glowing streets Light up the heavy…
Foolish Thing to Do I was thinking just the other day How it started in…
Freak Freak There's a hole in me that's ten feet wide There's a…
Free Here as I sit in this lonely square This train of…
Geisha Boys Look ahead, on the screen, Slim perfect creatures and they'…
Geisha Boys & Temple Girls Look ahead, on the screen Slim perfect creatures and they're…
Geisha Boys and Temple Girls Look ahead, on the screen, Slim perfect creatures and they'r…
Giving Up When I was young I was told what to want I've got…
Heaven 17 Megamix I never forget you girl I never forget you girl He eojinji…
Height of the Fighting Heat War (They sent you to do it, do it) Sweat…
Holiday Holiday Celebrate Holiday Celebrate If we took a holiday To…
I Set You Free We know what we have to do But I'm not being…
I'm Gonna Make You Fall In Love With Me I'm in heaven when you kiss me Show me how you…
I'm Your Money Chemical love bank within your grasp Social partners without…
If I Were You The tenth of may It seems so far away When you and…
Im Your Money Chemical love bank within your grasp Social partners without…
I’m Your Money Chemical love bank within your grasp Social partners withou…
Key to the World I'm working every hour But I'm heading for a crash I'm sick…
Lady Ice and Mr Hex Stop! Does he know the way out of here Or will…
Le Me Go Once there was a day We were together all the way An…
Let And as the low aggress the high All you can do…
Let Me Go Once there was a day We were together all the way An…
Let's All Make A Bomb And as the low aggress the high All you can do…
Look At Me I know a place where we can talk A precious smile…
Low Society A judge a dentist or physician In this low society Trade am…
Maybe Forever Tell me Should I be surprised By the thought of something ne…
Mine No more wasting time Synchronize Tell them this is mine Don…
Move Out I fell in love on the day we met It was…
Party Fears Two I′ll have a shower And then phone my brother up Within the…
Penthouse & Pavement Sweat my youth away With the rules we have to play Speedin…
Penthouse And Pavement Sweat my youth away With the rules we have to play Speeding…
Penthouse and Pavement '93 Sweat my youth away With the rules we have to play Speedin…
Play City clubland, theatre, dockland Empty house, no audience Sm…
Red The streets are full of stars again tonight And an angel…
Reputation I don't have a reputation Falling faster all the time Help m…
Responsibility It's not my responsibility If you say you love me (ooooooh) …
Resurrection Man Do you feel disturbance ? A disturbance hits the news You ca…
Rocket Man She packed my bags last night pre-flight Zero hour nine AM A…
Shame Is On The Rocks Guess who's walking in your tracks (don't look back) Forcing…
Skin People say I need a new direction People say That I won't la…
Snake and Two People There is a snake with the evil In the garden of…
Somebody You've got to face the fact That in the world today They…
Song With No Name Can't sleep; trying hard to find a rhyme Can't work; I…
Soul Warfare Soul warfare Soul warfare Soul warfare Soul warfare If I w…
Sunset Now Sun crazed in our room It was an endless afternoon It seemed…
Temptation I've never been closer I've tried to understand That certain…
Temptation (featuring Billie Godfrey) I′ve never been closer I've tried to understand That certain…
The Ballad of Go Go Brown If that's why they call him go-go brown He'd say [?] If…
The Ballad Of Go-Go Brown If that's why they call him go-go brown He'd say (?…
The Best Kept Secret The view outside The best kept secret No one can reach it No…
The Big Dipper The national nightmare has begun Empire of fantasy with a da…
The Foolish Thing To Do I was thinking just the other day How it started in…
The Fuse I wish I'd never heard the news (Never had a good…
The Height Of The Fighting Heat War (They sent you to do it, do it) Sweat…
The Last Seven Days You don't wake up You (? ) wake up There's someone hiding…
The Skin I'm In People say I need a new direction People say That I won't la…
This Is Mine No more wasting time Synchronize Tell them this is mine Don…
Train Of Love In Motion (all aboard) Train of love in motion Heading for the ocean …
Trouble I`m in a place where nothing ever happens I`ll try one…
Unreal Everything I don't believe everything I see God only knows I believe…
We Blame Love It couldn't be clearer I'll apologise right now In spectacul…
We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thang (Everybody move to prove the groove) Have you heard it on…
We Live So Fast Please don't ask me to stay I'm leaving this town Don't worr…
We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time I don't care about life Or the world around me I've got…
Who Will Stop The Rain Chorus: Who'll stop the rain Who'll stop the action East …
Who'll Stop the Rain [Chorus] Who'll stop the rain Who'll stop the action East si…
With this ring let me go Ugh-huh ES got the flow, in case you didn′t know I'm bout…