I Don't Depend on You
Encyclopedia
"I Don't Depend on You" is a disco-influenced song by the British Synthpop
group The Human League
released under the pseudonym The Men. It was released as a single in the UK in July 1979, but failed to chart. It was written by Philip Oakey
, Martyn Ware
and Ian Craig Marsh
; was produced by Colin Thurston
and featured guest backing vocalists Katie Kissoon and Lisa Strike (who later worked with Pink Floyd
).
After hastily signing the Human League in 1978 it became apparent to Virgin Records
that the band were not very profitable, with none of their releases under Fast Records making any impact on the charts. Virgin began putting pressure on the group to justify their large advance signing fee. Pressure was put on Ware, Oakey and Marsh to abandon their no traditional instruments rule and use conventional instruments in an attempt to be more commercial and sell more records. Ware reluctantly agreed but insisted that any material recorded this way should be released under a pseudonym to ensure that it wasn’t confused with the pure electronic sound of The Human League. "I Don't Depend on You" was the only product of this compromise with Virgin. It was recorded with the addition of session musicians and was released under the name The Men. The song also features the synth riff from debut single Being Boiled
towards the end of the track. Afterwards the band were able to record tracks in their original style for Virgin. Before any further conventional style records could be recorded the original Human League had split; Oakey then took the new reformed band down a different commercial and pop route.
Later it would be commented on that in recording "I Don’t Depend on You" two years prior to the arrival of schoolgirl vocalists Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall
. Oakey, Ware and Marsh had already produced a Human League Mk 2 style track complete with commercial pop sound, Oakey's vocal with female backing (with Katie Kissoon and Lisa Strike providing the backing vocals).
NME
commented on this in 1990:
The B-side, titled "Cruel", is simply a remix of "I Don’t Depend on You" without Oakey's vocals. "I Don’t Depend on You" received little promotion or airplay and did not chart.
Re-releases on albums now credit the track as The Human League aka 'The Men.
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
group The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
released under the pseudonym The Men. It was released as a single in the UK in July 1979, but failed to chart. It was written by Philip Oakey
Philip Oakey
Philip Oakey is an English composer, singer, songwriter and producer.He is best known as the lead singer, frontman and co-founder of the famous English synthpop band The Human League. He has also had an extensive solo music career and collaborated with numerous other artists and producers...
, Martyn Ware
Martyn Ware
Martyn "Teddy Bear" Ware is a British musician and music producer. He is the chairman of a local football team: PPA. As a founder member of both The Human League and Heaven 17, he was partly responsible for hit records such as "Being Boiled" and "Temptation"...
and Ian Craig Marsh
Ian Craig Marsh
Ian Craig Marsh is a former English musician. He was a founding member of the electronic band The Human League, writing and playing on their first two albums and several singles, until leaving in 1980 to form B.E.F...
; was produced by Colin Thurston
Colin Thurston
Colin Thurston was a British recording engineer and producer.Born in Singapore, Thurston played in bands in London before he "bluffed his way" into audio engineering...
and featured guest backing vocalists Katie Kissoon and Lisa Strike (who later worked with Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
).
After hastily signing the Human League in 1978 it became apparent to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
that the band were not very profitable, with none of their releases under Fast Records making any impact on the charts. Virgin began putting pressure on the group to justify their large advance signing fee. Pressure was put on Ware, Oakey and Marsh to abandon their no traditional instruments rule and use conventional instruments in an attempt to be more commercial and sell more records. Ware reluctantly agreed but insisted that any material recorded this way should be released under a pseudonym to ensure that it wasn’t confused with the pure electronic sound of The Human League. "I Don't Depend on You" was the only product of this compromise with Virgin. It was recorded with the addition of session musicians and was released under the name The Men. The song also features the synth riff from debut single Being Boiled
Being Boiled
"Being Boiled" is a song composed by Sheffield musicians Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, with lyrics by Philip Oakey, and recorded by them as The Human League...
towards the end of the track. Afterwards the band were able to record tracks in their original style for Virgin. Before any further conventional style records could be recorded the original Human League had split; Oakey then took the new reformed band down a different commercial and pop route.
Later it would be commented on that in recording "I Don’t Depend on You" two years prior to the arrival of schoolgirl vocalists Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall
Joanne Catherall
Joanne Catherall is an English singer; best known as one of the two female vocalists of the veteran English synthpop band The Human League.Born and raised in Sheffield, England...
. Oakey, Ware and Marsh had already produced a Human League Mk 2 style track complete with commercial pop sound, Oakey's vocal with female backing (with Katie Kissoon and Lisa Strike providing the backing vocals).
NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
commented on this in 1990:
The B-side, titled "Cruel", is simply a remix of "I Don’t Depend on You" without Oakey's vocals. "I Don’t Depend on You" received little promotion or airplay and did not chart.
Re-releases on albums now credit the track as The Human League aka 'The Men.
Cover versions
- British Dance Troupe Hot GossipHot Gossip-Formation:Arlene Phillips came to London to learn and teach developing American Jazz dance routines. Employed as a dance teacher, she taught at locations including the Pineapple Dance Studios and the Italia Conti Stage School. In 1974, Phillips started forming the core of a troupe; Italia Conti...
covered this song in 1981 for their compilation album "Geisha Boys and Temple GirlsGeisha Boys and Temple GirlsGeisha Boys and Temple Girls is a studio album of cover versions of songs by British dance troupe Hot Gossip by various artists. It was released in 1981 and was produced by BEF -Track listing:...
" which was produced by Martyn WareMartyn WareMartyn "Teddy Bear" Ware is a British musician and music producer. He is the chairman of a local football team: PPA. As a founder member of both The Human League and Heaven 17, he was partly responsible for hit records such as "Being Boiled" and "Temptation"...
, the album was a commercial failure
External links
- http://www.the-black-hit-of-space.dk/i_dont_depend_on_you.htm
- http://www.blindyouth.co.uk/