Heaven 17

Born in Sheffield in 1980 in the wake of the first split of The Human League, Heaven 17 initially brought together Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh and singer Glenn Gregory around a synth-pop sound informed by new wave, funk and a soul sensibility. From the start the band stood out for its political and social lyrics, as on 'Fascist Groove Thang', before adopting a more melodic and sophisticated songwriting approach on the 1981 album Penthouse and Pavement. Heaven 17's sound combines electronic programming, prominent bass lines, pop choruses and arrangements drawing on both club music and early-1980s British pop. The Luxury Gap (1983) remains their most identifiable record, propelled notably by 'Temptation' with Carol Kenyon, as well as 'Come Live with Me' and 'Crushed by the Wheels of Industry'. Heaven 17 continued in that vein with How Men Are (1984), then broadened their palette on Pleasure One (1986). In parallel, Ware and Marsh developed British Electric Foundation, a vehicle for several productions and collaborations, including work with Tina Turner in the mid-1980s. After a more uneven period in the 1990s and 2000s—marked by Bigger Than America (1997) and Before After (2005)—Heaven 17 have mostly remained a live act. Since Ian Craig Marsh's departure the group has revolved around the duo Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware.