Heaven 17 - The Most Fascinating Facts ... Anywhere

Heaven 17 Emerged from a Bitter Split in The Human League

In 1980, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh left the original Human League after disagreements with singer Philip Oakey over the group's direction and management. Rather than simply form another version of the same band, they decided to develop a different musical project, eventually recruiting Glenn Gregory as vocalist.

Glenn Gregory Almost Became the Human League's Singer

Gregory already knew Ware and Marsh from Sheffield's experimental arts scene. He had performed with them in earlier groups, and the original Human League founders had considered him as a potential singer. He later reflected that Oakey was the right person for the Human League, while he found his own place in Heaven 17.

The Three Members Met Through an Arts Project Called Meatwhistle

Meatwhistle was a Sheffield youth arts project that brought together young people interested in theatre, music and performance. Gregory has described it as an important meeting point for the city's creative community. It helped connect the people who would later work in the Human League, Heaven 17 and other experimental Sheffield groups.

Glenn Gregory Once Sang in a Band Called Musical Vomit

Before Heaven 17, Gregory and Ian Craig Marsh were involved in a group called Musical Vomit. Gregory later recalled their deliberately provocative punk performances, which included outrageous lyrics and theatrical behaviour. It was a long way from the polished suits and sophisticated pop for which Heaven 17 would become known.

VDK and the Studs Included Members of Cabaret Voltaire

Another early project, VDK and the Studs, brought together Gregory, Ware, Marsh and Sheffield musician Paul Bower, alongside people connected with the city's experimental scene. Gregory remembered a chaotic performance at Psalter Lane Art College. The surviving recollections suggest that these early groups were as much about experimentation as conventional songwriting.

The Name Heaven 17 Came from Anthony Burgess's Novel

The name was taken from Anthony Burgess's dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange. In the fictional world of the book, Heaven Seventeen is the name of a popular music group. Ware and Marsh borrowed the reference for their own band, connecting their electronic pop project with a story about youth culture, social control and violence.

The Band Was Also a Challenge to the Conventional Idea of a Group

Ware and Marsh were interested in making records using technology and collaborators rather than relying on the traditional rock-band format. Heaven 17 developed alongside their British Electric Foundation production project, which allowed them to work with singers, musicians and performers from outside the core line-up.

They Recorded Their Debut Album at the Same Time as Dare

Heaven 17's Penthouse and Pavement and the new Human League's Dare were developed in the same Sheffield studio building. The two groups worked different shifts, with Heaven 17 often recording overnight while Oakey and his band worked during the day. The unusual arrangement produced two landmark albums from a single creative environment.

The Rivalry Helped Fuel Penthouse and Pavement

Ware and Gregory have spoken about the resentment and competitive energy that followed the Human League split. They wanted to prove that Ware and Marsh could make successful records without Oakey. That motivation helped give Penthouse and Pavement its mixture of defiance, social commentary and danceable electronic music.

Their First Album Combined Synthesizers with Funky Bass

Penthouse and Pavement, released in 1981, mixed electronic sequencing with live bass, guitar and percussion. Rather than pursue a purely synthetic sound, Heaven 17 used different musical styles to make the records feel physical and rhythmically varied. The title also reflected the social divisions that interested the band.

--

Fascist Groove Thang Was Banned by the BBC

“(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” combined a dance-floor rhythm with a direct attack on the far right. Its lyrics referred to fascism and racism, and the BBC declined to play it because of concerns about the political wording. The controversy helped make the track one of Heaven 17's most discussed early recordings.

The Song Was NME's Record of the Week

Despite the BBC ban, “(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” received strong critical attention. The music paper NME named it its record of the week, recognising the way it fused an explicitly political lyric with an energetic, funk-influenced electronic backing.

John Wilson's Bass Solo Was a Happy Accident of Recruitment

While recording “Fascist Groove Thang”, the band wanted a bass solo for the middle section. Gregory was working as a stagehand at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre and asked whether anyone there played bass. A young musician named John Wilson volunteered, and his playing became part of the track's distinctive sound.

The Luxury Gap Reached Number Four in Britain

Released in 1983, The Luxury Gap became Heaven 17's biggest studio-album success, reaching number four on the UK album chart. Its blend of sophisticated synth-pop, soul influences and sharp social observation gave the group a broader audience than their debut had achieved.

Temptation Reached Number Two

“Temptation” became Heaven 17's biggest UK hit, reaching number two in May 1983. Glenn Gregory's lead vocal was joined by Carol Kenyon, whose powerful contribution helped transform the track into a dramatic duet. The song's arrangement builds steadily towards its climactic chorus.

Carol Kenyon Was Not a Permanent Member of the Band

Although her voice is central to “Temptation”, Carol Kenyon was a guest vocalist rather than a full-time member of Heaven 17. She was an established session singer who worked with a range of artists, and her contribution gave the single a distinctive contrast between Gregory's lead and the more soaring female vocal.

Let Me Go Was One of the Band's Favourite Songs

Heaven 17 have spoken fondly of “Let Me Go”, another single from The Luxury Gap. Despite its enduring reputation among fans, it narrowly missed the UK Top 40 at the time. The band later described it as one of their favourite songs, illustrating how chart performance does not always reflect an artist's own judgement.

The Luxury Gap Was Influenced by Living in London

Gregory has said that the move from Sheffield to London changed the band's outlook while they were making The Luxury Gap. Their earlier album had been driven by the circumstances of the Human League split, but the second record reflected new surroundings, changing technology and a more developed approach to pop songwriting.

They Discovered the Fairlight During the Making of the Second Album

The Fairlight CMI, an expensive digital sampling instrument, was an important new tool for musicians in the early 1980s. Gregory recalled Ian Craig Marsh bringing one into the studio while they were developing The Luxury Gap. Its ability to sample and manipulate sounds offered possibilities that had not been available on their earlier recordings.

How Men Are Used an Enormous Vocal Tape Loop

For the 1984 album How Men Are, Heaven 17 experimented with unusually elaborate studio techniques. Gregory described the sound at the start of “...And That's No Lie” as being created from roughly 128 vocal tracks assembled into a huge tape loop that ran around the studio. It was an ambitious example of their willingness to treat recording as an experiment.

--

Heaven 17 Worked on Tina Turner's Comeback

Through British Electric Foundation, Ware and Marsh worked with Tina Turner on a version of “Ball of Confusion”, originally recorded by the Temptations. The project helped introduce Turner to a new audience and demonstrated the producers' interest in reimagining established songs through electronic arrangements.

They Also Recorded with Sandie Shaw

British Electric Foundation's work included a version of “Anyone Who Had a Heart” with Sandie Shaw. The project was part of Ware and Marsh's wider idea of using their production skills to bring different singers into their electronic musical world rather than restricting themselves to Heaven 17 alone.

Ian Craig Marsh Eventually Left the Band

Marsh gradually withdrew from public performance and later left Heaven 17. Gregory has said that Marsh wanted to pursue other interests and study, and that his departure was not something the remaining members fully understood at the time. Ware and Gregory continued working as Heaven 17.

Glenn Gregory Was Once a Music Photographer

Before his success as a singer, Gregory moved to London and worked as a photographer for music publications including NME and Sounds. He photographed bands such as Madness, the Rezillos and Darts. His earlier interest in photography gave him a different perspective on the music industry before he became a performer himself.

The Band Did Not Properly Embrace Live Performance Until Later

Heaven 17 were initially reluctant to adopt the usual touring routine. Ware and Gregory have explained that they were more focused on studio production and technology than on presenting themselves as a conventional live band. They began performing more regularly in the late 1980s and later developed elaborate shows around their classic albums.

They Revisited Penthouse and Pavement in Its Entirety

For the album's 30th anniversary in 2010, Heaven 17 performed Penthouse and Pavement in full. The project also incorporated visual projections and an installation-like presentation, reflecting Ware's later interest in interactive art and multimedia rather than treating the concert as a straightforward run through old songs.

Original Penthouse and Pavement Demos Were Found Decades Later

In 2010, original eight-track demos for Penthouse and Pavement were discovered in EMI's archive. The tapes had no track sheets or useful notes, and Ware said the contents came as a surprise. The recordings revealed earlier arrangements that predated some of the studio technology used on the finished album.

La Roux Helped Introduce Them to Younger Listeners

Heaven 17's music found a new audience during the late 2000s and early 2010s, when younger electronic artists began acknowledging their influence. La Roux's support and association with the group helped introduce their songs to a younger generation, and Gregory appeared on stage with Elly Jackson to perform “Temptation” at Glastonbury in 2009.

Martyn Ware Developed a Career in Interactive Art

Outside Heaven 17, Ware became involved in sound installations and interactive art. His work explored how sound could be experienced in physical spaces rather than only through conventional albums or concerts. That interest later influenced the multimedia presentation of Heaven 17's anniversary shows.

The Band's Catalogue Continues to Be Revisited

Heaven 17's early albums have received anniversary editions and retrospective performances, including expanded releases of Penthouse and Pavement. Their best-known recordings remain connected to the original Sheffield electronic scene, but the group's catalogue also documents an evolving approach to pop, production and political songwriting.

--

Other Artist Pages

• China Crisis
• The Lotus Eaters
• The Adventures
• The Mission