Heaven 17

After briefly performing together as co-founders of the Sheffield-based band Human League, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware left the group in 1980 and formed Heaven 17. Joined by lead singer Glenn Gregory, the band concentrated on the relatively new pop innovations of synthesizers and Linn drum machines, resulting in a run of hit singles during the mid-1980s. Their 1982 debut album Penthouse And Pavement was a bold expression of dance pop, including their classic first single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang." Ware and Marsh also developed a formidable reputation as cutting-edge pop producers, operating under the name B.E.F., notably releasing the compilation Music Of Quality And Distinction featuring artists like Tina Turner and Paula Yates. In 1983, Heaven 17 had a major hit with "Temptation," which helped propel their second album, The Luxury Gap, to platinum status. "Come Live with Me" charted at Number 5 in the UK later that same year, and the band's follow-up release, How Men Are, peaked at Number 12 in 1984. Even so, the band's success dwindled as the 1980s gave way to the 1990s. Ian Marsh departed the group after the release of 2005's Before After, and Heaven 17 recorded 2008's Naked as Advertised as a duo consisting of Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware. Heaven 17 continued to tour throughout the 2010s and returned to the UK charts in 2021 with a greatest hits compilation, Essential Heaven 17, which charted at Number 73.

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