Human League - Path of Least Resistance (live BBCtv 1979)

Top clip of the original line-up performing a song from the first album on some programme called "Mainstream". Repeated as part of the "Sounds of the Seventies" series, hence the daft bookending with Paul Darrow and Patrick Troughton.

[@CHABBO]

I actually prefer this version than to the studio album version! This one is raw! Love it.

[@georgiabowring1985]

Listen to Phil's vocal range in the first verse and how he goes up 2 octaves on the second verse. What a voice x

[@gregbrown3283]

Georgia Bowring1 You're kidding right? He never did a day of formal training. He got the job because the other guy (singer) didn't show up.

[@ataraxia5808]

This is probably my favorite song by them. Love their early stuff.

[@cookies19691]

Blakes 7 and The Human League!I've died and gone to heaven :)

[@SoundsofDecay]

This is AMAZING. Guy goes on TV, not looking quite like a guy, singing to weird music and looking disgusted at the world. Groundbreaking era and pioneering musicians.

[@gregbrown3283]

SoundsofDecay 12 yo girls love it!

[@NYNYRaider]

Both the Reproduction ad Travelogue albums (79 & 80) had those dark cult-like themes which were only slightly there on DARE and their later works. But being Human League's biggest U.S. fan, all their stuff is great!!!

[@georgiabowring45]

Phil Oakey is a legend!

[@paulinegreig2147]

Since I was 9/10 yrs old I've absolutely loved this band, had a major crush on Phil (and still do) plus the early stuff from Travelogue n Reproduction are just brilliant :)

[@elfhermie]

I love the Blakes 7 and Patrick Troughton bookendings! Makes it even better!

[@xtstevie]

Years ahead of their time.....

[@yellowstag1966]

the best band to come out of the late 70's early 80's the human league still rulez also takes me back to nights at romeo and julietts in sheffield

[@fatheremmet2003]

Brilliant! Lyrically more relevant now than ever!

[@DingKong]

This song is total class. Brilliant! And somehow the Blakes 7 clip cut into it sort of suits the song! Awesome posting

[@DingKong]

The Blakes 7 cut-in at the start of the video makes it even better.

[@patjmckay]

B.E.F HUMAN LEAGUE ALBUMS "TRAVELOGUE AND REPRODUCTION"

[@Jeffybeebop]

I have loved them since I was 18 and I'm now 48! I saw them in The Great Hall at Lancaster University (UK) around 1981(ish?) and I did my final exam in that same building 18 years later (it felt strange to take a time out and think of Philip Oakey and the eclectic slide show all them years earlier!) I saw them at Rewind Scotland last year (2011) and they absolutely stole the show. And guess what : Heaven 17 were there too! Good Times indeed! "In just a few moments were off to Hawaii to join

[@AndrewHillis_2024]

"The truth is comfort kills, and you don't need that car!" I just love the early 'Human League' & when they were known as 'The Future' & I believe they were also known as 'The Men'

[@CrossCuntryFranco]

Yes, they were also known as the Men, because they felt the song "I Don't Depend On You" was far too commercial for their tastes. The single didn't chart, but it _was_ very prescient, in that it featured girl vocals, and a few years after that, who do you think joined HL? (Not that I hate the girls, in fact I _love_ *_both_* eras of the Human League.)

[@dreamdemolitionfactory1304]

So Dystopian..Hard to believe this clip is nearly 40 years ago..Classic

[@sulky_grrrl]

So awesome!! Early Human League was the best!!

[@zzzsjp]

Class! The real Leauge, before they went off and got into Abba! Wish I'd seen them live.....

[@Scotsman707]

Extremely difficult to find a Human League video before Dare. Thanks for posting!!

[@ElaineML]

Thanks for posting - I've never seen this video before.

[@ralucagymnast]

This is why I like Ladytron: they really do their damndest to sound like the early League. I think Seventeen by Ladytron is the closest thing to early stuff like this by far. But this is the original and best. I love the Human League in all its various combinations:)

[@SuperHullaballoo]

Little did I know at the age of seven that 34 years later I'd be loving this dark synth stuff and the bloke with the daft hair xx

[@peternicklin2693]

simple atmospheric synth music, listen to this in the dark , brilliant.

[@stephenjackson6762]

Sheffield finest..... and keep it warm for me...

[@nationstolemyrobots]

With Patrick Troughton and Keith Michell? Yes. The "Sounds of the Seventies" programme had all manner of clips from BBC shows of that decade between the songs, and I was in a hurrry with crude editing software so quite a lot was left in.

[@AstralFrost]

Whatever one thinks of this, he went on to create astonishing music. And yeah, they were part of a major evolution in music. Taken for what it is, I actually thought this was interesting in its own way.

[@ajs41]

Reproduction is one of the greatest albums of all time, almost as good as The Man Machine by Kraftwerk.

[@jonship]

Thanks so much for finding this, I had no idea this performance existed. I have the two albums from that era, Reproduction and Travelogue, on vinyl. I note this is actually LIVE also, gutsy!

[@marto395]

Still sounds as good now as it did then.

[@SRDhain]

MAN O MAN...this is the best. it's incredibel how without midi et al they managed to produce so much with just the system 100 (ian craig marsh's weapon of choice), a jupiter 4 and a korg or yamaha. Multi tracking the system 100 must have been such a pain...ive used mine on about 5 tracks and its fantastic to use, but a pain to do it in anything other than a DAW.

[@annem9138]

Phil IS riveting....! Such a humble man, too! That Manchester Spirit!!! I concur with you on that 'dark synth stuff!' It is Quite an interest!! Looove it so much too! To Phil Oakey & Human League...& All the Synth/Electronica!!!! Cheerssss!

[@annem9138]

Ahhh, yessss! So true. Got caught up in my Phil 'devotional.' Thanks for the note!! Either way, I adore him! Always will!!! :)!

[@ThePeterCorne]

They are from Sheffield

[@djbethell]

I feel 14 again. All the whole world waiting and this stuff made life worth living. They really should tour with these two albums. The girls can bring the coffee...

[@kramsniggah4333]

The 'League' were so good, always good. The things that dreams are made of.

[@nationstolemyrobots]

I personally reckon that this music, like much stuff after punk, was deliberately avoiding the standard ideas of what pop lyrics would be about.

[@southiland]

This is incredible good. I thought i would never see this in my life. They where big heroes for me back in the days. Thank you, thank you, thank you! What a tune.

[@CHABBO]

DAMN I had this on vhs back home. So good to see it again! thanks for uploading this

[@nikamota]

Pure cold electronics.FANTASTIC!!!

[@georgiabowring1985]

Can't wait to see these guys on December , I love the Human League x

[@ElliotFlowers]

December where?

[@georgiabowring1985]

They are touring the UK in December x

[@banyera]

Love this song from 1st Album , saw it live ....!!! , at Hammersmith Palais , London 79/80 .........THX for uploading..........banyera.

[@clintxoxox]

Awesome!

[@emile235]

this wasn't exactly a massive seller but after DARE everyone bought their back catalogue like hot cakes. how cool is that?

[@Klaus666]

This song is so fucking amazing

[@kevinprior3549]

A sign of what was to come in the 80s

[@georgiabowring45]

What a brilliant song! Love this!

[@spectro52]

Great to see this! Many people are unaware of this line-up

[@jakejasmine]

love the whole Reproduction album that this is taken from and it is still my favourite album of all time.

[@thecapricorn11]

love his hair!

[@dstdvl]

OMG. i've seen photos of phil with this hair, but never seen it in motion before! lol. he's so earnest! i was in a new wave cover band in the 80s and got to sing "the things that dreams are made of" and of course the obligatory "don't you want me." fuckin fun. wow. life is so short! path of least resistance indeed! love the big slide!

[@giagnorio86]

Very nice Martyn Ware Ian Craig Marsh from Heaven 17!

[@125or200px]

thanks for posting this,i have been wanting this for years. It was a track on the Dare album,and this track along with Being Boiled and Circus Of Death are my faves.

[@Alan147]

Wow! Great footage. Thanks for uploading.

[@paulcountyfazzer]

Early Human League is the coolest music from this era as well as the image. Oakey’s haircut was a total one off and quite outrageous even now, makes his band mates look like Bank Clerks or something 👏😂

[@deanpook]

Been waiting to see this again, thanks for posting! I love the sound of Reproduction era Human League. Pioneering audio-visual concept.

[@JetBoyofBabylon]

Absolutely fucking magic

[@steviox]

Fantastic.

[@apofkapsokefopaskfeo]

this is so electronically cold! love their early gears.

[@morkygorky]

I still can't believe how great this band was! Thanks for posting Grashopper! ;-D

[@inprogress93]

What a great song. I think it is not wrong to call them an influential band, right after kraftwerk, for electronic music. Of course there are others in this dark and morbid section like Gary Numan, Fad Gadget, Joy Division, Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire etc.

[@ontheshorenz4326]

InProgress wow - fad gadget. Remember 'coitus interruptus' / belief it was one of there best.

[@TheGodParticle]

Love that early raw synth sound, friend of mine used to have a Roland Juno-60. I couldn't leave the thing alone lol

[@Dracopol]

"We're a real avant-garde synth band, all-machine, but we're not famous enough, we're missing something. What could it be? I know! GIRLS!" The opening riff sounds a bit like Depeche Mode's "Tora! Tora! Tora!"

[@Maverick747uk]

definately their best stuff was from this era. travelogue and reproduction albums were pure genius

[@georgiabowring45]

That unique hair style x

[@IsabelDhampir82]

Que gótico suena esto.

[@dstdvl]

actually i got to sing "don't you want me" in two bands. the first was just a top 40 cover band, but that song was so big, we all agreed we should do it. i remember the first time i heard it at a house party. first top 40 hit (u.s.) to use a sequencer instead of a high hat. i was mesmerized.

[@frankmunoz27]

THANK YOU ever so much for posting this! I LOVE HUMAN LEAGUE!!!

[@gmseed]

Superb. When music was original and groundbreaking.

[@michaelprince2821]

They played this live last night @ Manchester Apollo - superb

[@soskandrew6544]

classic

[@bugatti103]

League + Heaven 17 lovely!

[@TheGlynnChannel]

Know the song, but i've never seen that video - BRILLIANT 10/10.

[@ursamage]

I couldn't agree with you more!!!!!!

[@suiteconcrete]

Superb...

[@ronellhaney271]

This is such a classically produced example of the early New Wave and techno music that I loved listening to as a youngster. They don't make them like this anymore.

[@tammieirvin8524]

I heard of him

[@onesong2001]

+Ronell Haney Techno?

[@joker9494949494]

Techno is nothing like this.

[@leoalexart]

Try going darker. Project Pitchfork for instance.

[@tasimana]

love the blake 7 flash back at the start (villa)

[@chinkogakusaizo]

Reproduction and Travelogue weren't enough for me.I wanted to hear at least one more album as a kind of trilogy to conclude futuristic journey in the darkside of synthpop.I don't mind some of MK2 HumanLeague materials but ones that I listen deep and play full blast will always be the original Human League stuff.

[@jrmetmoi]

I love his lop-sided wedge hair!

[@MegaBastard]

Blimey, how rare is that footage! Thanks for the upload, brilliant stuff :)

[@diddleboxdigital]

vedddyvedddyveddddy interseting. Always wondered about the roots of the human league always been a fan

[@kurtispopp]

Strangest episode of Doctor Who ever.

[@Scorpie]

Agreed. His best.

[@ashingtoon]

The Proper Human League, the way they were meant to be!! The D's B's of clips this!!!

[@kmfdm10392]

They had to split, they'd have never been able to carry on like this. Brilliant.

[@LatentCharm]

This is awesome footage.

[@bakulaw63]

thanks for this.great!!!

[@windswept23]

consumption kills ... great message from the 70s!

[@MrMarouka]

Is there any reason why so many synthpop, industrial, and dark electronic song lyrics are so Miltonesque? Focused on society, war, politics, and things like that? Not that I'm complaining, that's why I enjoy it. I am just curious if there is any fact based origin to this.

[@thepthepthep]

Ian's using a Roland System 100 and Korg 770, and Martyn's using a Roland Jupiter-4.

[@kramsniggah4333]

Early 'League, so glad I got to see them before the girls joined...

[@Hurricane1A]

love this song. they were the dogs bollocks back then

[@Lovelymiz]

"Start digging the early grave but keep it warm for me." Wow, deep but depressing, no?!

[@TheSheff62]

Great. Just great.

[@grayaj23]

Oh Emm Eff GEE OK for a long time I've thought that Human League was one of the few "true voices" in 80's or "BIG BEAT" sound. This video totally fucking ends the discussion. This is awesome. They took the big beat sound, made it experimental, and sold it 100%. My background is in alt 70's rock and punk. The 80's always seemed so phony to me. But this video is ultra not phony. This **IS** the 80's sound condensed into one video. My hat is off to you, sirs and ladies of THL.

[@ajp55a]

this blew the shite out of all the things they said enfluenced it

[@stilln68la]

love this song.that was blakes 7 at the beginning.the earlier stuff was undoubtebly the best.

[@OwenJ1971]

'I believed her chaste' ha ha. The Blake's 7 bit fits as well.

[@bluebrief12]

spot on.

[@NewWaver80014]

Wow. They manage to out-Kraft Kraftwerk. So cold, and clinical. And I mean that as a compliment. Phil hadn't quite conquered the frizzies yet though. :-) I remember buying the "Reproduction" LP - I must have irritated the heck out of my grandparents, playing it as much as I did.

[@grahamburns6337]

when i seen this in 79 i heard the future,the rest is history