HYSTERIA

H Y S T E R I A

UK Release date: 19.05.84
Label: Virgin Records
LP: V2315
Cassette: TCV 2315
CDV 2315 (1984)

Track Listing

01: I'M COMING BACK
02: I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH
03: ROCK ME AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN (6 TIMES)
04: LOUISE
05: THE LEBANON
06: BETRAYED
07: THE SIGN
08: SO HURT
09: LIFE ON YOUR OWN
10: DON'T YOU KNOW I WANT YOU

PRODUCED BY HUGH PADGHAM, CHRIS THOMAS & THE HUMAN LEAGUE

UK Chart position: 3

Purchase HYSTERIA at amazon.co.uk

Singles released

The Lebanon (24 April 1984)
UK Chart position: 11

Life on Your Own (18 June 1984)
UK Chart position: 16

Together in Electric Dreams
(4 September 1984)
UK Chart position: 3

Louise (5 November 1984)
UK Chart position: 13

NOTES:

The album that was set to prove The Human League's foothold in the music industry, and show the world that their massive breakthrough with "Dare!" was no fluke… Unfortunately, the recording of what was to become "Hysteria" took too long (even in the days of the mid-80's three years was a long time for a follow-up album). The main reason for this longish recording was apparently disagreements between the band and the original producer hired for the album. Eventually, Hugh Padgham and Chris Thomas were hired by Virgin Records and got to finalize the album.

Musically, The Human League had decided - like many other artists who have enjoyed success - to experiment a bit, and hence decided to introduce what to the fans were to be considered nothing short of heresy to their belief…electric guitars! The inclusion of these guitars was something Philip Oakey later has been quoted on saying was a huge mistake. The album sales never really took off to the high expectations, but can hardly be considered a failure either with somewhere over a million units sold.

Production-wise, the album is not to be overlooked either, despite a somewhat minimalistic and typical mid-80's sound. All-in-all, this album contains some of the finer League moments available with tracks such as "I Love You Too Much", "Louise" (which has to be one of the absolute best ballads ever written, yet seems completely forgotten by the public), and "Life of Your Own" (possibly the best bass and chord intro in any pop song, ever).

Choice Tracks:

I'm Coming Back
Life On Your Own
Louise
Betrayed

Krister Malm

Human League reflections in 1988...

The Lebanon

Philip: "The militia went in to a Palestinian camp after the men had been exiled and killed the women and children. It was the worst thing I had ever seen. Also we had just made a lot of money and you can't celebrate how good life is when you're doing well, can you? It's arrogant.
"Looking back, it's the key record in loosing our following. The people who like metally guitars didn't like us because we were a poofy synth band and Human League fans liked us because we weren't a guitar band. Thus we alienated everyone. I'm proud of this record - we did the right thing."

Life On Your Own

Philip: "When Virgin said they were putting this out we tried to stop them so we'd have a rocking disco song. They said this would go top three, so what can you do except watch it go to 16? The Lyrics are rubbish really".
Joanne: "Nobody hated it or anything, it was just the wrong song at the wrong time."
Susan: "All these songs are wonderful and we are not embarrassed by any of them."

Together In Electric Dreams

Joanne: "Stock, Aitken & Waterman have a copy of that album (Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder) and they keep reverting back to it when they run out of ideas."
Philip: "If you examine the lyrics closely you'll find they're the best lyrics I've ever written. There's my favourite pun too: the film's hero is called Miles and there's a line "Your miles and miles away." No one ever noticed but I was really proud."

Louise

Joanne: "It would have been (one of the best) if we'd had a better video. We wanted to work with director Steve Baron but then he shot it in black and white and on a barge."
Philip: "Video is a disgusting medium. It's spoilt pop music and television. 'Louise' is the same people in 'Don't You Want Me' who meet up 15 years later in a bus station."
Susan: "The music makes it more sad and melancholy."