July 3, 1982 - The Human League started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles charts with 'Don't You Want Me', also a UK No.1. It is the band's best known and most commercially successful recording to date. In 1981 it was the Christmas No.1 in the UK, where it has since sold over 1,560,000 copies, making it the 23rd most successful single in UK Singles Chart history. The lyrics were originally inspired after lead singer Philip Oakey read a story in a teen-girl's magazine. Originally conceived and recorded as a male solo, Oakey was inspired by the film A Star Is Born and decided to turn the song into a conflicting duet with one of the band’s two teenage female vocalists. Susan Ann Sulley was asked to take on the role. Up until then, she and the other female vocalist Joanne Catherall had only done backing vocals; Sulley says she was chosen only through luck of the draw. Musicians Jo Callis and Philip Adrian Wright created a synthesizer score to accompany the lyrics which was much harsher than the version that was released. Virgin Records-appointed producer Martin Rushent was unhappy with initial versions of the song. He and Callis remixed the track, giving it a softer, and in Oakey's opinion, "poppy" sound. Oakey hated the new version and thought it the weakest track on Dare, resulting in one of his infamous rows with Rushent. Oakey disliked it so much that it was relegated to the last track on the B side of the vinyl album. With a hit album and three hit singles in a row, Virgin's Chief Executive Simon Draper decided to release one more single. His choice, "Don't You Want Me", instantly caused a row with Oakey who did not want another single to be released because he was convinced that "the public were now sick of hearing The Human League" and the choice of the "poor quality filler track" would certainly be a disaster, wrecking the group's new-found popularity. Virgin was adamant about a fourth single and Oakey finally agreed on the condition that a large color poster accompany the 7" single, because he felt fans would "feel ripped off" by the 'substandard' single alone. #thehumanleague #humanleague #thisdayinmusic #1981 #1980s #PhilipOakey #SusanAnnSulley #JoCallis #PhilipAdrianWright #virginrecords #synthpop #newwave
