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"Human" is a song recorded by British synthpop band The Human League. It was released as the first single from their 1986 album Crash. The track was written and produced by US producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Background

In 1985 the recording sessions for the Human League's fifth album were not going well; and the band did not like the results which was causing internal conflict. Virgin Records executives, worried by the lack of progress from their at-the-time most-profitable signing, suggested the band accept an offer to work with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who already had material to work with; and had expressed an interest in the band from their U.S. releases. Jam and Lewis had recently emerged as in-demand talent due to their success with Janet Jackson and her Control album.

Of the ten songs on Crash, Jam and Lewis wrote three, "Human" being one of them. It is a mid-tempo ballad which lyrically is an exchange between a man and a woman in a relationship who have reunited after a separation. In the first two verses Philip Oakey is apologizing to his partner for being unfaithful during her absence, and in the song's breakdown Joanne Catherall's spoken-word confession reveals that she too was unfaithful. The song's title is derived from the chorus, in which both parties in the relationship explain that they are "only human" and "born to make mistakes".

"Human" became the second million-selling number-one single for The Human League on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (after "Don't You Want Me") and their second chart-topper on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart (after "(Keep Feeling) Fascination"). Jam and Lewis' R&B-based production was also popular on American urban radio, bringing the Human League into the top ten of the U.S. R&B chart for the first time. In the UK, where R&B was less popular "Human" peaked at number eight in the UK singles chart.

It was a welcome success for the Human League, who were starting to suffer from creative stagnation and a slight decline in fortunes after a hugely successful start to the 1980s.

Reception

On its release, "Human" was met with mixed reviews. Billboard wrote: "Trio that helped define British techno- pop has lost its do-it-yourself edge but gained Jam and Lewis, resulting dance ballad is lush, plush, even soulful." However, Spin criticised the record, saying: "The Human League tackle the schmaltzy pop soul ballad and emerge with no idea how silly they look." He added: "'Human', a whiny claim to sensitivity, undercuts the band's essential irony; the joke about Human League was that they weren't human but digital chips."

"Human" has had some positive retrospective reviews, with Allmusic journalist Dave Thompson describing it as a "lovely romantic ballad. The lyrics make much of human mistakes and the need for human forgiveness in a thoroughly romantic context".

Composition

The song is a composition in common time with a tempo of 50 beats per minute. It is set in a key of A♭ major, with a chord progression from D♭-E♭-f.

Remixes

The song was revived and remixed by U.S. producers Joel Dickinson & John Michael in 2010. This new club remix incorporated elements from Coldplay's hit, "Viva la Vida." It was a favorite among NYC dj's including Junior Vasquez.

Chinese Whispers mix

"Human" was reworked and re-released in 2003 as a remix in the form of "The Chinese Whispers Mix", principally in Asia. It was the creation of Hong Kong based British producer Ian Widgery who had recently had major success in the Asian music market with the album Shanghai Lounge Divas. Widgery took the original, mixed in traditional Chinese instruments and recorded a new chorus in Mandarin by female Chinese vocalist Li Ya, which is interwoven with Oakey, Catherall and Sulley's vocals. Oakey's lead vocals are faded to give the music greater impact.

The remix was so popular that it crossed over to the UK and U.S. markets where it received radio airplay and play on music television stations during the height of the electroclash revival. Although it was not released as a single in either country it appears on some versions of the band's The Very Best of the Human League album of 2003.

Music video

The music video for "Human" was filmed in London during June 1986, in a studio using Chroma key overlay. It is heavily stylized to give a 'water reflective' effect and blue hue throughout. In the first time that the band had been presented as a "Phil and the girls" trio, images of Oakey, Catherall and Sulley are constantly layered and blended. The video was conceived and directed by Andy Morahan.

In 2003, a new video was created and released to promote the Chinese Whispers mix. This music video used the original footage of Oakey, Sulley and Catherall from 1986 and interlaced it with traditional Chinese imagery of silhouetted water grass, water lilies and Cantonese characters. It was subject of a U.S. MTV featurette which was introduced by Oakey and featured Ian Widgery talking about the creative process in the reworking of the original Human.

Charts

Year-end charts

Cover versions

• In 1997, Malaysian songstress Ning Baizura covered the song on her album Always.
• In 1998, the song was covered by English boy band Five on their debut album 5ive.
• In 2001, a cover by The 6ths (with Lloyd Cole) was included on the tribute album Reproductions: Songs of The Human League.
• In 2001, Craig David included a cover of the song as the B-Side to "Walking Away".
• In 2005, Rick Springfield included a cover of the song on his studio album The Day After Yesterday. The album is an eclectic mix of Rick's interpretation of songs "he wishes he'd written".
• In 2007 the song was covered by Filipino singer Jed Madela for his album Only Human.
• n 2008, American R&B duo Zo! and Tigallo (Phonte, formerly of Little Brother) recorded a cover with additional lyrics for their EP Zo! & Tigallo Love the 80's.

Sampling

• In 1997, the song was partially covered by Boyz II Men as "Human II - Don't Turn Your Back On Me" with new lyrics. It was included on their album Evolution, also produced by Jam & Lewis.
• In 1999, the song was sampled by LFO in "Baby Be Mine," a song on their self-titled debut album.
• In 2005, Ari Gold and Mr. Man sampled the chorus of the song in his own song "Human" for the album Transport Systems.
• In 2008, DJ Nasty & LVM sampled the song for Rick Ross' "I'm Only Human" featuring R&B singer Rodney which is included on his Trilla album.

Parodies

• A parody of the song was performed by Gloria Estefan on The Rosie O'Donnell Show in 1998, under the title Cuban.

Other uses

• Human is heard in a 2012 TV commercial for Liberty Mutual.

References

1. "Human". Discogs.com.
2. "Reviews - Singles". Billboard Google Books. 6 September 1996. Retrieved 23 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
3. Leland, John (December 1986). "Singles". Spin Google Books. Retrieved 23 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
4. Thompson, Dave. "Song Review - Human". Allmusic. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
5. Discogs: Ian Widgery
6. "Artist Chart History - The Human League". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
7. "InfoDisc : Tout les Titres par Artiste". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2012-01-06.
8. Billboard Top 100 - 1986. "Billboard Top 100 - 1986 - Longbored Surfer - Charts". Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 2012-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
9. "Gloria Estefan - The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1998)". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-01-06.

External links

• http://www.the-black-hit-of-space.dk/human.htm

• The Human League songs
• 1986 singles
• New Wave ballads
• 1980s ballads
• Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
• Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs number-one singles
• RPM Top Singles number-one singles
• Songs written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
• Song recordings produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
• Compositions in D-flat major