461:. Most of the female camera time went to Joanne Catherall, in a wedding dress for the first half. Susan Ann Sulley's scenes mainly involved her having a tantrum and throwing objects around a flat. At one point in the scene, she accidentally managed to score a direct hit on the camera and a production crew member with a flying lamp. She
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album to be released in advance of the album itself in 1981. It was released as a double A-side single with the non-album track "Hard Times". In the US, "Love Action (I Believe in Love)"/"Hard Times" made the dance charts twice: in 1981, the tracks first peaked at number thirty-seven, and one year
338:
The release of the single was widely advertised in music press in early August 1981 with prominence given also to the B-side "Hard Times" as well as the A-side, and to the fact that a "limited" 12" single would also be made available as "Hard Times/Love Action" in "Disco Mix and Odd Mix" although
434:
Originally the song was released without a promotional video; at the time promotional videos were still rare, very expensive and only very high-profile bands received them. At this point the Human League were not sufficiently marketable to warrant the expense of a video. Instead, video from the
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song "I Believe in Love". The song contains another cryptic reference to Lou Reed in the lyric, "I believe what the old man said". Oakey, speaking in 1982 said, "no one ever asks me who the old man is... it's Lou (Reed)."
342:
The single made number 3 in the UK charts and placed The Human League in the forefront of media attention. It also renewed Virgin
Records' faith in the band and guaranteed the release of the album that was to become
442:
Following the huge success of "Don't You Want Me", a video for "Love Action" was shot retrospectively for the single's release in
America on 11 August 1982. The storyline is loosely based on the 1967 film
325:'s line "Jesus, this is Iggy". The Human League had previously supported Iggy Pop live. Oakey borrows from another of his influences and the title "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" is named after the
339:
these names were not used for the actual release. The single was designated 'Red' on the Human League's short-lived self-imposed labelling system of 'Blue' for pop songs and 'Red' for dance tracks.
692:..."The Sound of the Crowd", peaked at #12 in the UK. The next two, "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" and "Open Your Heart", both went top-10. Suddenly, the Human League were new wave stars.
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The song is a semi-autobiographical account of Oakey's relationships. Oakey often refers to himself and at one point uses the lyric "this is Phil talking." The line was inspired by
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modular synth. Jo Callis' guitar strumming was fed into the synth and used to shape and trigger the sounds, producing an unusual choppy, strumming synth patch.
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350:"Love Action" was the 34th best-selling single in the UK in 1981. The song was ranked at number 5 among the top ten "Tracks of the Year" for 1981 by
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449:. The opening scene is an exact copy of the church scene from the film with Oakey taking
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Listening to the Music the
Machines Make: Inventing Electronic Pop 1978-1983
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band's television appearances to promote the song (mainly an appearance on
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Screenshot of Joanne
Catherall in promotional video for "Love Action" 1982
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311:"Love Action (I Believe in Love)" was the second of three songs from the
30:
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976:(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 262.
291:. Drum machines, sequencing and programming were provided by producer
454:
495:"Hard Times/Love Action (I Believe in Love) (Instrumentals)" – 11:10
457:
council estate while the church scenes were filmed at St
Saviour's,
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later, re-entered the dance chart and peaked at number fifty-seven.
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but has been excised from the DVD release. The song was covered by
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role. The majority of the video was filmed on a derelict South
283:. It features lead vocal by Oakey and analogue synthesizers by
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The song was sampled in the UK hit single from dance duo
677:"The Number Ones: The Human League's "Don't You Want Me"
492:"Hard Times/Love Action (I Believe in Love)" – 10:09
418:
on the album MGT: Gemini Nyte, released in 2018 ().
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465:as she realizes she had just hit one of the crew.
404:in 2009. The song was used in the 1982 teen film
835:"The Official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1981"
383:for her come back track "Get Me to the Weekend"
954:Human League – Love Action (I Believe in Love)"
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8:
386:The song is featured on the 2006 video game
275:The song was written jointly by lead singer
398:. The song was also used for an episode of
1628:Song recordings produced by Martin Rushent
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1036:
810:"Sounds 12th August 1978 THE HUMAN LEAGUE"
754:"Sounds 12th August 1978 THE HUMAN LEAGUE"
704:Evans, Richard (6 August 2024). "1981.3".
603:
532:
29:
20:
837:. Official Charts Company. 5 March 2021.
508:"Love Action (I Believe in Love)" – 5:06
479:"Love Action (I Believe in Love)" – 3:50
636:
463:momentarily broke character and cringed
237:"Love Action (I Believe in Love)" from
47:
36:
372:for his politically charged 2002 hit "
379:It was sampled once again in 2022 by
295:and his then engineer and programmer
7:
998:"National Top 100 Singles for 1982"
790:The Human League The new RED single
514:"Love Action" (Instrumental) – 5:23
389:Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
1584:Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder
1498:The Things That Dreams Are Made Of
511:"Hard Times" (Instrumental) – 5:44
392:and in the series 1, episode 4 of
14:
1537:The Very Best of The Human League
1251:The Very Best of The Human League
1236:The Very Best of The Human League
778:Smash Hits magazine December 1981
24:"Love Action (I Believe in Love)"
973:British Hit Singles & Albums
1372:Love Action (I Believe in Love)
1266:Original Remixes & Rarities
908:Australian Chart Book 1970–1992
849:"Albums and Tracks of the Year"
742:. Record Research. p. 125.
258:Love Action (I Believe in Love)
204:Love Action (I Believe in Love)
18:1981 single by The Human League
1530:The Human League Greatest Hits
1:
1623:Songs written by Philip Oakey
1244:The Golden Hour of the Future
675:Breihan, Tom (5 June 2020).
1633:Songs written by Ian Burden
1591:YMO Versus The Human League
1571:British Electric Foundation
937:Chart Track: Week 13, 1981"
656:. 1 August 1981. p. 22
588:The Official Charts Company
487:12" vinyl (Virgin VS435-12)
287:, Philip Adrian Wright and
260:" is a song by the British
1659:
1456:Soundtrack to a Generation
1400:(Keep Feeling) Fascination
1229:Soundtrack to a Generation
960:. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
740:Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003
469:Formats and track listings
347:, just four months later.
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915:: Australian Chart Book.
814:The-black-hit-of-space.dk
758:The-black-hit-of-space.dk
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1442:Love Is All That Matters
407:The Last American Virgin
368:in the mid-1990s and by
239:Multi Coloured Swap Shop
970:Roberts, David (2006).
474:7" vinyl (Virgin VS435)
1643:Virgin Records singles
1613:The Human League songs
1477:Filling Up with Heaven
1365:The Sound of the Crowd
1298:The Sound of the Crowd
431:
195:The Sound of the Crowd
1337:I Don't Depend on You
1284:The Dignity of Labour
429:
1484:Stay with Me Tonight
1111:Philip Adrian Wright
798:: 14. 6 August 1981.
519:CD released in 1988.
279:and keyboard player
133:4:58 (album version)
1523:Video Single (1983)
1470:One Man in My Heart
941:Irish Singles Chart
877:"MGT – Gemini Nyte"
505:"Hard Times" – 4:53
500:3" CD (Virgin CDT6)
482:"Hard Times" – 4:53
1449:Heart Like a Wheel
1435:I Need Your Loving
1344:Empire State Human
1214:Compilation albums
883:. 23 February 2018
536:Chart (1981–1982)
432:
184:singles chronology
1600:
1599:
1491:All I Ever Wanted
1386:Don't You Want Me
1312:Dance Like a Star
1002:Kent Music Report
792:advertisement)".
721:978-1-915841-45-2
628:
627:
619:Kent Music Report
597:
596:
574:Recorded Music NZ
548:Kent Music Report
422:Promotional video
301:Roland System 700
254:
253:
221:
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82:Genetic Studios,
1650:
1554:Related articles
1544:Live at the Dome
1414:Life on Your Own
1259:Live at the Dome
1162:Love and Dancing
1093:Susan Ann Sulley
1086:Joanne Catherall
1067:The Human League
1060:
1053:
1046:
1037:
1031:THE HUMAN LEAGUE
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1004:. 3 January 1983
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760:. 12 August 1978
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586:United Kingdom (
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270:UK singles chart
266:The Human League
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182:The Human League
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43:The Human League
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1379:Open Your Heart
1351:Only After Dark
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714:. p. 288.
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712:Omnibus Press
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645:"New Singles"
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607:Chart (1982)
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1618:1981 singles
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1505:Night People
1463:Tell Me When
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1330:Being Boiled
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1305:Fascination!
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1079:Philip Oakey
1077:
1012:– via
1006:. Retrieved
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913:St Ives, NSW
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885:. Retrieved
881:Regenmag.com
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162:, Ian Burden
160:Philip Oakey
74:31 July 1981
66:"Hard Times"
50:
15:
1561:Discography
1407:The Lebanon
1339:" (The Men)
1291:Holiday '80
1125:Jim Russell
1106:Martyn Ware
903:Kent, David
861:13 February
617:Australia (
546:Australia (
416:Ashton Nyte
366:Utah Saints
230:Music video
169:Producer(s)
1638:1981 songs
1607:Categories
1393:Mirror Man
1148:Travelogue
1116:Ian Burden
1008:22 January
887:23 October
819:19 October
795:Smash Hits
764:19 October
653:Music Week
631:References
307:Background
289:Ian Burden
281:Ian Burden
1566:Heaven 17
1183:Romantic?
1121:Jo Callis
681:Stereogum
612:position
558:Ireland (
541:position
381:Betty Boo
285:Jo Callis
262:synth-pop
86:, England
1169:Hysteria
905:(1993).
738:(2004).
327:Lou Reed
323:Iggy Pop
99:New wave
79:Recorded
71:Released
1322:Singles
1197:Secrets
1190:Octopus
686:22 July
660:16 July
334:Release
245:YouTube
217:(1981)
208:(1981)
199:(1981)
104:electro
84:Reading
1421:Louise
1254:(2003)
1239:(1998)
1133:Albums
980:
919:
857:. 2016
718:
524:Charts
455:London
360:Legacy
264:group
146:Virgin
116:Length
61:B-side
39:Single
1428:Human
1204:Credo
1176:Crash
1014:Imgur
648:(PDF)
401:Skins
141:Label
108:disco
92:Genre
1155:Dare
1010:2023
978:ISBN
917:ISBN
889:2021
863:2018
821:2016
766:2016
716:ISBN
688:2023
662:2022
610:Peak
560:IRMA
539:Peak
414:and
345:Dare
314:Dare
52:Dare
1276:EPs
943:.
854:NME
624:87
579:21
565:11
553:12
376:."
353:NME
243:on
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