Empire State Human

Infobox Single
Name = Empire State Human


Artist = The Human League
from Album = Reproduction
B-side = "Introducing"
Released = September 1979
Format = 7", 12" Vinyl Single
Recorded = Monumental Studios,Sheffield,UK
Genre = Electronica
Length = 4:36
Label = Virgin
Writer = Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh
Producer = Colin Thurston
Certification =
Chart position = * 62 (UK Singles Chart)
Chronology = The Human League singles
Last single = "I Don't Depend on You"' (as "The Men") (1979)
This single = "Empire State Human" (1979)
Next single = "Boys and Girls (1981)

"Empire State Human" is an Electronica song by the British Synthesizer group The Human League. It was released as a single in the UK in September 1979, but originally failed to chart. It was re-released the following year and reached number 62 in the UK. It was written by Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh; was produced by Colin Thurston, and recorded at Monumental Studios in Sheffield. Turner, Sean: Blind Youth, the complete works of the original Human League 1977-1980 [http://www.blindyouth.co.uk/] ]

The song was the third single released by the original line up of the Human League. It was the first single released from the band's debut album "Reproduction". Like the previous releases it didn't capture mainstream public attention and failed to chart. It was re-released nine months later in June 1980 and fared slightly better, spending 2 weeks in the UK singles chart and reaching number 62. For the re-release, as a sweetener Virgin Records included a free copy of the single "Only After Dark" with the first 15000 copies. Virgin's plan had originally been to release "Only After Dark" as a single with "Empire State Human" given away as the free, but this was revised when the band objected to it.

"Empire State Human" is lyrically a song about becoming powerful using the analogy of size, with Oakey declaring that he wants to be "tall" a total of 60 times in 3 minutes.Uncut magazine drew a comparison with Oakey's own personal ambition:

The B-side "Introducing" is an instrumental. Oakey sang on the original recording but the vocals were not used on the final edit.

The open shirted man on the cover artwork is in fact Ian Craig Marsh's father.

References

External links

*http://www.the-black-hit-of-space.dk/empire_state_human.htm
*http://www.blindyouth.co.uk/