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7 INCH (VS 1262) :
HEART LIKE A WHEEL - (4.30)
/ REBOUND - (3.57)
CASSETTE SINGLE (VSC 1262)
: HEART
LIKE A WHEEL - (4.30) / REBOUND - (3.57)
12 INCH (VST 1262) :
HEART LIKE A WHEEL (EXTENDED)
- (6.55) / HEART LIKE A WHEEL - (4.30) REBOUND - (3.57)
CD5 SINGLE (VSCDT 1262)
: HEART
LIKE A WHEEL - (4.30) / HEART LIKE A WHEEL (EXTENDED) - (6.55)
/
REBOUND - (3.57) / HEART LIKE A WHEEL REMIX - (4.36)
CD5 SINGLE (VSCDX 1262) :
HEART LIKE A WHEEL - (4.30)
/ HEART LIKE A WHEEL (EXTENDED) - (6.55) /
REBOUND - (3.57) / HEART LIKE A WHEEL REMIX - (4.36) / A DOORWAY?
(DUB) - (4.28)
Heart Like A Wheel - Review 2.0
Was
‘Heart Like A Wheel’ the first comeback single
of the League - or maybe the second, after ‘Human’
four years earlier? Perhaps it was even the third, if one
counts the patient and album-less wait to ‘The Lebanon’
in 1984. Whatever the actual number in the line of (ludicrously
so-called) comeback singles, ‘Heart Like A Wheel’
has a crucial role in League history. It assured us that,
despite the release of a ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation
in 1988, the League were indeed going to on and on and on
- and certainly and thankfully go longer than either Margaret
Thatcher or the annoying Ariston
adverts that had both threatened to do the same thing.
It also convincingly demonstrated that the building of the
famous new studio hadn't sunk them for good, and most crucially
that they were not stuck in a post-'Crash' R&B groove,
but had tentatively re-discovered their synthetic, electronic
sound that would reach best effect on later albums. It was
as if Philip had entered into the studio building site in
1988 sounding like Alexander O'Neal, and had re-emerged in
1990, lighter for cash and heavier on the scales, but at least
sounding like our main man from Sheffield again."
 Sonically,
‘Heart Like A Wheel’ fizzes, pings, soars and
spins its way convincingly through four and a half glorious
minutes. Sensationally, and defying all the rules that the
unseen Virgin A&R men might have devised in the late ‘80s,
the whole of the first minute is taken up with an instrumental
introduction indicating the delicious riot of synth ‘n’
vocal machinations to come. Sweet, sexy and sassy, the synths
are driven along by a racing electro-drum track that beats
colder steel. Twisting and turning throughout, the dynamics
of the song are perfectly accented by trademark League vocals,
with both the essential juxtaposition of Philip’s baritone
and the girls’ lines, and the general in-your-face
Sheffield shoutiness.
 Whilst
the lyrical meaning of ‘Heart Like A Wheel’ may
not have been entirely clear at first hearing, the song at
least showed that the League were as prescient as ever, managing
to release a song that had something to do with occupying
soldiers, holy wars and M-16 machine guns just at the exact
time that Saddam Hussein conducted another invasion –
this time, one that would lead to a short and brutal war involving
the West just a few months later, and another turbulent 13
years for that troubled country. After a few listens, the
allusion to the use of military force, perhaps by hegemonic
Western powers, and the problems it creates is a bit clearer,
if somewhat more oblique than the direct,
literal appeal of ‘The Lebanon’.
Whether or not hearts change in time, ‘Heart Like A
Wheel’ showed that The Human League’s music principles
oh-so-definitely do not. Indeed, this single showed that they
were very definitely going back to the old-established basics
of synths, sequencers and vocals. This was pristine pop of
the ‘Dare’ persuasion, a song that could have
been penned by the League’s members eight years earlier,
and with a sound that, whilst updated, still placed the League
firmly in the early 1980s.
To die-hard League fans and ‘Melody Maker’ it
was indeed a “sweet surprise” to hear the League
as they should be sounding. It was hardly surprising that
they did – Jo Callis was co-writer of the song with
former collaborator Eugene Reynolds, and the song had been
recorded at Genetic Sound Studio with Dare-veteran wizard
knobmeister Martin Rushent at the controls.
The video clip accompanying the song was as tight and dynamic
as the song itself, featuring the Leaguers singing the song
to assorted wheeled imagery, beating steel, and furnace-like
sparks crashing over a dark background, and even the sleeve
of the record cleverly reinforced the wheel imagery, with
the inclusion of Russell Dennett and Neil Sutton for the first
time on a League release.
 However,
the League’s visuals on performances of the song may
have been less inspired. Philip’s long mane and bottom-less
chaps left an expectant nation agog after an appearance on
the all-important (how times change) ‘Wogan’ show,
whilst adding a red vest under the ripped leather jacket was
beginning to give a whiff of Milli Vanilli on Top of the Pops.
The girls hadn’t yet crystallised their glamorous, sultry
and sexy look exemplified later on ‘Tell Me When’
and were left looking a little bare when appearing in tiny
shorts and body stockings (oh, Susan!). Somehow, the League
looked just a little glum and alienated – as perhaps
they were, from the new dance direction that pop
had developed in their absence.
For this was an era when, sadly, baggy ruled over brassy,
when ‘mad’ and ‘up for it’ lorded
it over whacky haircuts and the dare-to-be-different look
of boys wearing lipstick and leather chaps. The engine had
stalled when even after that Top of the Pops appearance, Heart
Like A Wheel peaked at just number 29, and the wheels had
positively fallen off when ‘Romantic?’ flopped
just a few weeks later. Most crushingly, the League were even
condemned to be on a Smash Hits Top 10 ‘Thanks - but
no Thanks’ unwanted comebacks list.
But even though ‘Heart Like A Wheel’ marks a relatively
low point of the League in purely career terms, this is to
be blamed on the fickleness of the record-buying public, rather
than on any unlikely aesthetic failings at HL HQ. Today, it
stands in retrospect as a forgotten gem on any Human League
‘Best of’ collection; the highlight on the much-overlooked
‘Romantic?’ album; and a startling, steel-and-synths
scorcher on any dance floor or live League appearance. Without
doubt, Heart Like A Wheel earns a ‘9 out of 10’
from all longstanding League fans.
 LYRICS
Calling up the promised
land. Johnny Seven's coming over the sea. He's taking your
time. When you want to be free.
Holding out a helping hand. Are you
ready for a real
career? Will you be so cool. When it's happening here?
It don't say nothing that I haven't
heard. If what I hear is true. You won't keep the law with
a broken word. So whatare you going to do?
Heart like a wheel. Turning away from
anything that's real.
Heart like a wheel. Changing in time. Beating colder steel.
Pass the message around the world. The medium is in retreat.
The power is here. And packing some heat.
Sell your soul to a holy war. Set the
captive free. We make no promises anymore. But it isn't fooling
me
Heart like a wheel. Turning away
from anything that's real.
Heart like a wheel. Changing in time beating colder steel.
You can't keep the wheels turnign anymore.
With anger, blood and fear. Or make any friends with an M16.
When you blast your way through here.
 Heart
like a wheel. Turning away from anything that's real.
Heart like a wheel. Changing in time beating colder steel.
Heart like a wheel. Turning away from anything that's real.
Heart like a wheel. Changing in time beating colder steel.
Heart like a wheel. Turning away from
anything that's real.
Heart like a wheel. Driving the world is going to be a steal.
All lyrics are property and copyright
of their owners and are provided for non-profit purposes only.
Review
MELODY MAKER AUGUST 4TH 1990
The Human League
Heart Like A Wheel (Virgin)
They’ll probably never quite
match the immaculate dreamscapes of the timeless ‘Dare’
LP, but ‘Heart Like A Wheel’ is closer to that
triumph than to the truly painful disaster that was ‘Crash’.
It has a dazzling intro, a reasonable right hook of a chorus
and a curious lyric; ‘Turning away from everything that’s
real’ is what Phil’s talking about here.
There may be more love action to be had from this source after
all. A sweet surprise.
Orac's Trivia
 (1)
UK comedian Vic Reeves was adamant
that B-side 'Rebound' really should have been the first single
prior to the release of HLAW. He believed that this Romantic
album track was much closer to the original, pure sound of
early League and claimed it was the 'best thing' the League
had done in years. During this time, Reeves would strike up
a strong friendship with Philip that would last well into
the nineties and the release of Octopus. A huge League fan
over many years, Vic managed to persuade Philip to make his
acting debut in Reeve's comedy pilot 'The Weekenders' dressed
in dodgy 'Romantic' clobber. Philip would then produce a Deep
Purple cover for Reeves' hilarious solo album,
(check out the cover of Ultravox's 'Vienna').
Whilst the
League struggled commercially following Soundtrack To A Generation,
Reeves' career went from strength to strength and is still
regarded today as one of the UK's most innovative and influential
comedians. Vic Reeves recently appeared in the BBC remake
of Randall & Hopkirk with his comedy partner Bob Mortimer
whilst their surreal game show 'Shooting Stars' made a comeback
on BBC-2 this year.
(2) Back
in 1990, the US singles market was vibrant (Depeche Mode had
just secured the biggest selling 12 inch in the history of
Sire Records with Personal Jesus) and HLAW managed a US peak
chart position of number 32 on October 31st 1990 at a time
when the Madchester invasion was stalling outside the top
100.
(3) No
one knows who was responsible for that disastrous Romantic
biker look and the cut and paste single covers of this era
but viewers must have enjoyed that Wogan appearance. Susan's
biker chick look proved popular with mentions in Melody Maker
who spotted her cleaning a car in Sheffield wearing the same
Wogan costume (black hot pants and thigh high leather boots).
Opposite: a rare Virgin promotional poster for the single
(click on the image for a full sized, high resolution version).
Bellow: one of the adverts that
appeared in the music press to promote the single
Text © Ian
Fribbance 2003 /
screengrabs by
Tony B / Photoshop manipulation
- orac
Being
Boiled / Sound Of
The Crowd / Love
Action / Don't
You Want Me / Mirror
Man / Louise
/
Heart Like A Wheel Review 01 / I
Need Your Loving / Tell
Me When / AIEW
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