Reproduction (album)
Encyclopedia
Reproduction is the debut album released by British synthpop
band The Human League
. The album was released in October 1979 through Virgin Records
Ltd.
Reproduction contains nine tracks of electronic music/synthpop with some elements of industrial music
, and was recorded during six weeks at The Human League's studio in Sheffield
. The recordings were produced by Colin Thurston
, who had previously worked on some key new wave recordings such as Iggy Pop's Lust for Life
and the first Magazine
album, and would go on to produce numerous hit albums of the 1980s, most notably for Duran Duran
.
The album was a commercial failure upon its initial release in October 1979, but it was re-issued and charted almost two years later in August 1981, earning a Silver disc by the end of the year and peaking at no.34 in early 1982. The album spent a total of 23 weeks on the album chart and was later certified Gold by the BPI
in 1988.
The only single released from the album was "Empire State Human
" which initially failed to chart, but was re-released in June 1980 (with a free single taken from the band's second album Travelogue) and reached #62. The band's debut single from 1978, "Being Boiled", was not included on the original release of Reproduction, but was added as an extra track on all CD issues from the late 1980s onwards. A re-recorded version of that single's B-side, "Circus of Death", was however included on the album.
The album also features The Human League's cover version
of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling", a hit single back in 1965 for The Righteous Brothers
.
The album was composed and engineered by The Human League (Oakey/Ware/Marsh) and Bob Last for Virgin Records Ltd. 1979.
The following tracks were first added when the album was released on CD
in the late 1980s:
"Introducing" was originally the B-side of the "Empire State Human" single. The instrumental "The Dignity of Labour
" tracks had been released as an EP in 1979, with Flexidisc (a tongue-in-cheek in-studio meta-conversation between the members of the band and their manager, Bob Last, about their plans to include a Flexidisc with their EP and what to put on it). The last two tracks were the A and B sides of the band's debut single, Being Boiled
, released prior to their signing to Virgin. The (Fast) version of Circus of Death is shorter than the original single version as it hasn't got the spoken end of the song.
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...
band 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...
. The album was released in October 1979 through 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...
Ltd.
Reproduction contains nine tracks of electronic music/synthpop with some elements of industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
, and was recorded during six weeks at The Human League's studio in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. The recordings were 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...
, who had previously worked on some key new wave recordings such as Iggy Pop's Lust for Life
Lust for Life (song)
"Lust for Life" is a 1977 song performed by Iggy Pop and co-written by David Bowie, featured on the album Lust for Life. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it #147 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Music:...
and the first Magazine
Magazine (band)
Magazine are an English post-punk group active from 1977 to 1981, then reformed in 2009. Their debut single, "Shot by Both Sides", is now acknowledged as a classic and their debut album, Real Life, is still widely admired as one of the greatest albums of all time...
album, and would go on to produce numerous hit albums of the 1980s, most notably for Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
.
The album was a commercial failure upon its initial release in October 1979, but it was re-issued and charted almost two years later in August 1981, earning a Silver disc by the end of the year and peaking at no.34 in early 1982. The album spent a total of 23 weeks on the album chart and was later certified Gold by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
in 1988.
The only single released from the album was "Empire State Human
Empire State Human
"Empire State Human" is a song by the British Synthesizer group The Human League. The song was written by Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh...
" which initially failed to chart, but was re-released in June 1980 (with a free single taken from the band's second album Travelogue) and reached #62. The band's debut single from 1978, "Being Boiled", was not included on the original release of Reproduction, but was added as an extra track on all CD issues from the late 1980s onwards. A re-recorded version of that single's B-side, "Circus of Death", was however included on the album.
The album also features The Human League's cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling", a hit single back in 1965 for The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003...
.
The album was composed and engineered by The Human League (Oakey/Ware/Marsh) and Bob Last for Virgin Records Ltd. 1979.
Track listing
- "Almost Medieval"
- "Circus of Death"
- "The Path of Least Resistance"
- "Blind Youth"
- "The Word Before Last"
- "Empire State HumanEmpire State Human"Empire State Human" is a song by the British Synthesizer group The Human League. The song was written by Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh...
" - "Morale...You've Lost That Loving Feeling"
- "Austerity/Girl One (Medley)"
- "Zero As A Limit"
The following tracks were first added when the album was released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in the late 1980s:
- Introducing
- The Dignity of Labour, Part 1
- The Dignity of Labour, Part 2
- The Dignity of Labour, Part 3
- The Dignity of Labour, Part 4
- Flexidisc
- Being Boiled (Fast Version)
- The Circus of Death (Fast Version)
"Introducing" was originally the B-side of the "Empire State Human" single. The instrumental "The Dignity of Labour
The Dignity of Labour
The Dignity Of Labour is a 12" vinyl record released in 1979. The tracks were written and performed by The Human League with the line-up Ware, Marsh and Oakey...
" tracks had been released as an EP in 1979, with Flexidisc (a tongue-in-cheek in-studio meta-conversation between the members of the band and their manager, Bob Last, about their plans to include a Flexidisc with their EP and what to put on it). The last two tracks were the A and B sides of the band's 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...
, released prior to their signing to Virgin. The (Fast) version of Circus of Death is shorter than the original single version as it hasn't got the spoken end of the song.
Chart performance
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart | 34 |