All I Ever Wanted (The Human League song)

Infobox Single |
Name = All I Ever Wanted


Artist = The Human League
from Album = Secrets
Released = 2001
Format = 12" single, Maxi-CD
Recorded = 2000
Genre = Synthpop
Length =
Label = Papillon Records
Writer = Philip Oakey
Neil Sutton
Producer = Q, Kerry Hopwood & Dave Clayton
Last single = "Stay With Me Tonight"
(1996)
This single = "All I Ever Wanted"
(2001)
Next single = "Love Me Madly?"
(2003)

"All I Ever Wanted" is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League. It is taken from the "Secrets" album of 2001 and was released as its first single. It is currently their most recent single released on a major label. It follows the standard Human League style of baritone lead vocals of Philip Oakey with choruses and incidentals jointly shared between female co-vocalists Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley (credited for the first time under her married name,Gayle, causing some erroneous comment that 'Susan Sulley' had been replaced). The meticulous joint production of Q, Kerry Hopwood and Dave Clayton produced a modern sounding electronica track that was critically well received. [Q Magazine August 2001,THE TIMES 4 August 2001] It was released in July 2001 and reached number 47 in the UK Singles Chart. [Guinness Rockopedia - ISBN 0-85112-072-5]

Background

The Human League had recently signed to Papillon Records, a subsidiary of the Chrysalis Group. Papillon were set up to capitalize on so called 'heritage acts' (bands with a large and established fan base) and the Human League were to become their headline band.Human League Media Enquiries] However the label was in financial difficulties as previous releases had failed to realize Papillon Records' investments and Chrysalis were unwilling to further invest. The band recorded the studio album "Secrets", their first since "Octopus" in 1995. "All I Ever Wanted" was to be the first single from the album and with a professional promotional music video filmed the single was expected to enter high up the UK charts heralding another return to form for the Human League similar to "Octopus" six years previously. Although keenly anticipated, Papillon dithered over the release date, with even Oakey stating he didn't know when the single would be eventually released.Secrets Online, Band Biography part 5]

The uncertain release date for "All I Ever Wanted" prompted worries from some in the industry that Papillon Records may have been having problems and there was also little in the way of advance promotion for the single for the public, save a token advertisement in UK's tabloid Red Tops.

To compound the problem in the UK, both BBC Radio 1 and 2 (who have a virtual monopoly on national airplay) arbitrary refused to playlist the single. Alex Jones-Donnely, head of music programming for BBC Radio 1 claimed that the audience would not be able to 'connect' with the Human League's new single adding that it was too 'retro'. It was also claimed that with Oakey in his late 40s and the girls (Susan Sulley and Joanne Catherall) both 39, the group didn't meet Radio 1's self-imposed demographic target audience of teenagers and 20-somethings. Philip Oakey was stoical in the face of such hostility simply responding that "it was their station, they can play what they want".

The single was finally released on July 23, 2001, but it soon became apparent that Papillon lacked the distribution power and the will to promote the single. Most stores in the UK didn't get the single on the crucial first day of release and many fans reported problems across the country. Despite this, midweek chart figures had the single down as a hit within the top 30 but as limited stocks sold out - the single dropped. The distribution chaos sealed the single's fate and the single scraped into the UK charts at number 47, it remained at the lower end of the charts for a further two weeks before disappearing. It was the first time that the premier track from a Human League studio album had failed to make the top 20. Philip Oakey was also quick to defend Papillon Records against criticisms regarding the lack of promotion responding that the label had spent much time, effort and money on the recording of "Secrets", but privately the band were devastated. Worse was yet to come with the subsequent failure of the entire album due in no part to the winding up of Papillon Records by Chrysalis mid-issue.

Track listings

12" Vinyl

*A1 "All I Ever Wanted" (Oliver Lieb's Main Mix) 7:41
*A2 "All I Ever Wanted" (Oliver Lieb's Alternative Mix) 7:10
*B1 "All I Ever Wanted" (The Vanity Case Mix) 6:02
*B2 "All I Ever Wanted" (The Vanity Case Instrumental Mix) 5:59

Maxi-CD

# "All I Ever Wanted" (Dave Bascombe Album Mix) 3:32
# "Tranquility" 3:28
# "All I Ever Wanted" (Vanity Case Mix) 6:02

Limited Maxi-CD

# "All I Ever Wanted" (Original Mix) 3:55
# "All I Ever Wanted" (Oliver Lieb Main Mix) 7:41
# "All I Ever Wanted" (Video) 3:33 ⁴

Music video

The music video was filmed on a moderate budget on a small studio set. The theme has as its influence the film "". This fit in with the modern-sounding track and its obvious year of release. In keeping with the promotional videos from the "Octopus" album, there is no storyline. Only Oakey, Sulley and Catherall appear, all dressed in black against a futuristic white set. As the band's age was a contentious issue, the standard filmmakers' technique of making the band appear younger by the use of bright lighting and high exposure is applied. This worked well for the darker complexions of Oakey and Catherall, but the lighter skin and blonde hair of Sulley made her appear over exposed throughout the video. The overall result however was a modern-looking professional music video which would have been acceptable to the various music television channels. It now appears on the "Very Best of the Human League" DVD.

References

External links

The Human League does not have an official website, but there are a number of unofficial sites on-line:
* [http://www.the-black-hit-of-space.dk/all_i_ever_wanted.htm Unofficial Human League Archive]
* [http://www.league-online.com/biography1.html Unofficial Human League Biography]