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24/04/05
Secrets Online is delighted to be able to premier a stunning new
mix of the League's ground breaking debut single 'Being
Boiled'.
Remixed by a producer who has had extensive experience within the
music industry with various artists including the latest Mel
C album (he also produced the
single 'Mas Que Nada'
- a 1998 Top Ten hit for Echobeatz),
EMP have delivered a fantastic mix exclusively for this site - completely
updating the song with a new backing track and some pumpingly
good drum patterns.
This new mix contains 'a few diverse influences' that includes Donna
Summer and Kraftwerk
(soon to appear at the Homelands festival) to a pulsating techno
beat and the overall production is faultless.
This edit has a running time of 4 min 30 secs but we have decided
to give the mpg a high birate to preserve the quality of the mix.
For those interested in the technical aspects of the EMP mix, the
following equipment was used:
Apple iBook G4 Laptop 1.2 gHz
with...
Logic Express 7 Music Software
Vanguard Soft Synth
EXSP Soft Sampler
ES1 Soft Synth
To download the
'Being Boiled EMP Blind Revenge Mix'(7.10 MB file size), please click here
If you enjoyed this mix, you can send comments to EMP
and maybe we will get him to do a few more ;)
Note: This mix is provided for non-commercial
use to promote The Human League and is copyright protected by the
holders EMI/Virgin/Marsh/Oakey/Ware. The original version of Being
Boiled can be found on Reproduction.
Many of the League's old albums are available at bargain budget
prices, some of which are digitally remastered with extra tracks.
If you have enjoyed the free mp3's made available through this site,
please support the band by purchasing the albums via the links opposite.
Secrets Online's fave album of the past few weeks: Interpol:
Antics
and just 6 days till 'DALEK'!!!
Can the new Dr Who series possibly get any better?? Fantastic stuff...
synthpopmusic.com
reports that feisty rock chick
Kelly Osbourne has decided to
reject the dodgy music closely associated with her father Ozzy by
recording a cover of 'Dare'
classic 'Sound of The Crowd'.
Kelly's version will appear as an extra track on her forthcoming
US single 'One Word'
which is released next week (the single get's a UK release in May
and apparently sounds like Visage classic 'Fade To Grey).
The new single also coincides with a stunning make-over for Kelly
pictured opposite.
You can find out more about Kelly and her new single by clicking
here.
(With thanks to Paul
Boddy)
Dare just about made it into CH4's much talked about Top 100 Albums
poll at number 100 last night. Over 400,000 people voted for their
favourite albums and the show kicked off with TOTP clips of the
League performing 'Love Action' plus a specially recorded interview
with the trio who admitted to being 'surprised' by the album's continued
success.
Dare was one of the few all electronic albums to feature in the
four hour countdown that mainly consisted of music for dullards
with the usual suspects popping up (Queen, Elton John, Led Zep etc).
Other notable & worthy entries included Air's
'Moon Safari' , Kraftwerk
'Trans Europe-Express' & Madness
'One Step Beyond' whilst Bjork's
'Debut' figured quite highly (though it isn't her best album). Duran
Duran's 'Rio' however managed
to reach the top 30 no doubt helped by a successful comeback last
year with new material
whilst the superior 'Lexicon of Love' by ABC
was nowhere to be seen.
I had turned over to watch top comedy show High
Spirits with Shirley Ghostman
on BBC-3 by the time the top 10 was revealed but the eventual winner
was Radiohead with
happy album 'OK Computer'. No
surprises...
Considering that many
highly influential artists were completely absent from the poll
(Depeche Mode,
New Order,
The Specials
& Elvis Costello
to name just a few), the appearance of Dare is remarkable though
we al know that it should have been in the top 50 when you consider
how many acts have been influenced by it.
Rob - contact - secretsonline@f2s.com
09/04/04
 Paul
Boddy kindly alerted the site with news that the Mighty League were
heard being played in the UK's most depressing soap EastEnders last
night and the choice of track was very interesting as Paul explains;
'Somebody at the BBC must be a
League fan. Was watching laugh-a-minute Eastenders last night with
the missus and during one of the scenes (featuring Johnny Alan I
think), a snippet of 'All I Ever
Wanted' was played in the background.
I was surprised that such a recent League track was featured as
often they will go for classic 80s tracks like 'Just
Cant Get Enough' by DM,
still can't complain! '
(Image: EastEnder's actress and Doctor
Who companion contender Michelle Ryan)
If you see, hear or read
any League related news - send us your comments to secretsonline@f2s.com
Finally, Secret Records
were very impressed by Sarah Tarrant's recent review of the 'Live
at The Dome' DVD. The company contacted the site with the following
praise: 'a huge thank you on behalf
of everyone here at Secret Records Limited, your review is not only
brilliant but also highly detailed and accurate.'
You can read Sarah's review here.
Secrets Online Recommends: Battlestar
Galactica Season 1
Gritty remake taking the bare essentials of the original 70's version
but adding the politics of Babylon 5 with superb production values
- 13 episodes that manage to transcend the genre.
04/04/05
 Sheffield
Vision have contacted the site with details of a fascinating 300
page book available via their site entitled: 'Beats
Working For a Living - The Story Of Popular Music In Sheffield 1973
to 1984'.
Written by local music journalist Martin
Lilleker who had previously assisted
Eve Wood
during the research of her acclaimed DVD documentary 'Made
in Sheffield', the book will
be of particular interest to League fans as the band are covered
in great depth with a whole chapter devoted to them.
Online extracts include a copy of the letter sent to Philip from
Hallamshire Hospital after he terminated his employment as a porter.
The hospital's Administrator at the time David Marshall reveals
that he is sorry to Philip leave, hopes that the band are successful
and then jokingly requests 'when
the money starts rolling in please send a cheque to Fullwood Annexe'.
Director Eva Wood describes the book as a perfect companion to the
'Made in Sheffield' DVD and a 'labour of love' on the part of author
Martin Lilleker who has uncovered rare recollections from the likes
of Philip Oakey, Martin Ware
and other members of the band.
'Beats Working For a Living' is packed full of rare photos, posters
and other memorabilia and essential acts covered in great detail
also include Heaven
17, ABC
and the sadly missed Pulp.
Available exclusively from Sheffield
Vision, this weighty volume costs £20.00 and more details
on how to order 'Beats Working For a Living' can be found by clicking
here.
Purchase Made
in Sheffield
Rob - contact - secretsonline@f2s.com
01/04/05
 Sarah
Tarrant has been watching the new Human League DVD all week (which
has hopefully helped to alleviate the massive shock of Christopher
Ecclestone quitting Dr Who). Sarah T has presented us with a detailed
review where the main feature is examined track by track as well
as casting an eye over the technical aspects such as the menus,
sound and exclusive extras.
Sarah also gives this release a rating out of ten but how does it
ultimately compare to 2003's VBO DBD?
Our reviewer seems fairy happy with the Dome DVD when she descibes
it as 'a stunning DVD release
of outstanding quality conveying a varied, insightful and entertaining
content which is absolutely faultless.'
Pictured top right is one of the DVD grabs kindly provided by Stig
Olsen taken from the gallery section. The pic features guitarist
Nik and no less than three Human League webmasters backstage after
the Dome gig in 2003 (no prizes for guessing which one is dressed
as Doctor Who).
To read the complete review please click here
Click here to purchase The Human League - Live At The Dome
Secret Online's choice to play the next Dr Who: Daniel
Craig!
Rob - contact - secretsonline@f2s.com
29/03/05
The
long awaited live DVD from Secret Records has finally reached record
stores across the land this week after many months of delay. With
beautiful packaging, crisp digital sound and scores of exclusive
extras, Secrets Online strongly urges you all to snap up a copy
by clicking here.
Radio 2 provided a subtle League link last week when Stuart
McConie explored the enduring appeal of the show's unique
signature tune mentioning the pioneering work of Delia
Derbyshire. Stuart mentioned how
this famous theme tune would later inspire the Human League, Orbital
and Aphex Twin. Stuart also gave
the League's 'Boys & Girls'
B-side 'Tom Baker' a rare spin
on national radio.
You can hear Stuart's passionate analysis on the Dr Who theme via
the BBC Radio 2 site here.
Here is a brief summary of media mentions for the League:
 MTV
have been reporting a fairly old tale of two Mansons. Garbage lead
singer Shirley Manson recently
revealed back in Feb that she had recorded a version of 'Don't
You Want Me' with Marilyn Manson.
The two iconic singers apparently met at a recent Yeah
Yeah Yeahs' gig and according to femalefirst.co.uk
'their mutual chemistry was obvious immediately
- so they agreed to join forces to cover HUMAN LEAGUE's '80s classic
DON'T YOU WANT ME BABY.'
Though the cover version was completed, it now seems unlikely that
it will appear on any future Manson releases as Shirley revealed:
"It's really cool but neither of
us felt comfortable enough putting it on our records, so I don't
know if it will ever come out. I hope it does.'
The new Garbage album Bleed
Like Me is released on April 11th
The current issue of Mojo magazine this month came with a free CD
that may be of interest to those League fans who have never sampled
pre-Dare League. The 14-track CD entitled 'Beyond Punk' includes
Reproduction's 'Almost
Medieval'.
Inside the mag, Mojo explain the appeal of the League and the featured
track:
'Such is the success enjoyed by THL that
it's easy to overlook the Sheffield synth squad's initial pioneering
efforts. Almost Medieval finds them on the cusp of the pop sound
for which they would be best remembered. Somehow, Almost Medieval
retains a dark heart, a claustrophobic atmosphere and a sense of
post Kraftwerk man-machine alienation.'
(with thanks to cs15)
Finally, cheeky media personality Boy George has released another
autobiography which he is currently promoting (you may have read
quotes from it in the national press). His book 'Straight' contains
several references to The Human League and a 'Rewind' tour which
took place in the States during the late 90's.
David Beevers responded to some of George's comments over in the
Secrets forum and we thought they were worth pasting here on the
news page...
Boy George: 'Since HJ (Howard Jones) had scored more hits in the
US, the promoter decreed that THL should go on first, a decision
they weren't too happy about. I don't think they were that chuffed
about supporting us in the first place.'
David Beevers: It was only ever mentioned
that we should rotate, although when HJ was on it was fairly empty,
half full for us and insane for CC.
'When the tour kicked off at the Chastain
Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta that July, it certainly wasn't so much
a rainy night as a frosty night in Georgia. I greeted HL frontman
Phil Oakey by saying I was delighted they were on the bill. He squeezed
out a smile and gave me a frugal handshake, starting as he meant
to persist.'
Thats one way of seeing PO another is he is
very shy.
'One night before a gig I could hear their
Northern mithering through one of the air vents in my dressing room.
I couldn't resist standing on a chair and having a drop of eaves.
Althought I couldn't hear exactly what was being said, I picked
up stuff like: 'It's a bloody cheek! Well, fook them!''
Seems pointless writing this at all as it
has no relevance to anything. We could have been talking about anything.
'Midway through the tour I bumped into Phil
outside one of the hotels and complimented him on the previous night's
performance. Stoney-faced he said: 'I was singing completely flat.
We were terrible. I don't give a fook, me.' I'm not opposed to indulging
in a bout of the misery guts routine myself, but Phil Oakey seems
to have trapped himself in a deadpan, 'speak as I find' persona.'
This was in Akron and in 18 years of knowing
Philip I've never heard him say anything like the last part of the
quote a.This might have been the first time we had seen him too
as we didn't all stop in the same hotels or travel together.
'Only three days before that package tour
came to an end at the Wisconsin State Fair, vocalist Suzanne Sully
tottered into my dressing room plastered and said: 'We've got a
mutual friend. He's gay and he said we'd really get on'. It was
a little late to start playing happy families.'
True. Too late? we had the UK to do together
next.
Remember there are two sides to every story.
db
Secrets Online would like to thank the following people for making
this update & the next 12 months possible:
Susan Fines, Vipul Master, Michael Alan Jones, Andrew S Darley &
Richard Evans Webmaster of remembertheeighties.com
Rob - contact - secretsonline@f2s.com
14/03/05
The League have confirmed that they will be playing at this
year's Homelands festival which is due to take place on May 28 at
The Bowl in Hampshire’s Matterley Estate.
The line-up is nothing short of impressive with the highly promising
The Bravery also headlining along with The Streets, the gorgeous
Miss Kittin, Grandmaster Flash, Jazzy Jeff and Mad Skillz, Scratch
Perverts, SkinnyMan, Tiga and a DJ set from Groove Armada.
Tickets cost £56.50 and you can find out more by clicking
here.
Just a reminder to those who may not have
downloaded the three Audacity mixes we have been hosting. All three
will have to be temporarily removed by the weekend in order to free
up some webspace so get them while you can!
The Shameless mix can be reached by clicking here.
If you enjoy Secrets Online
and would like to make a voluntary contribution towards online costs
which are due mid-March (fees that would hopefully include the purchase
of extended webspace) then simply click on the paypal icon below.
All help is greatly appreciated.
Rob - contact - secretsonline@f2s.com
May
Saturday 14th Cirque Royal Brussels
Sunday 15th
Leipzig
Friday 27th
Primavera Sound festival Barcelona
September
Sat 3rd Killarney NEC
- Ireland
Sun 4th Electric Picnic - Ireland
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