“Heaven 17” are an English new wave and synthpop music band formed in Sheffield in 1980. The musical group consisted of Martyn Ware (keyboards), Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) (both formerly of the band “The Human League”) and Glenn Gregory (vocals, keyboards). The musicians Ware and Marsh, after leaving the band "The Human League", founded the production company "British Electric Foundation" (B.E.F.). After the first recordings, they recorded an audiocassette entitled "Music For Stowaways" and an LP called "Music For Listering To". They then completed the training by recruiting their friend and photographer Glenn Gregory as singer. The band name "Heaven 17" was taken from the fictional band mentioned in the novel and cult film "A Clockwork Orange". Their debut single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" attracted some attention for its political lyrics while their first album, "Penthouse and Pavement", reached number fourteen in the UK. In October 1982, Heaven 17 released their new single "Let Me Go", which charted just outside the UK Top 40 and entered many European sales charts. “Let Me Go!” it remained for five weeks at number 4 on the "Dance Club Song USA" and entered the "Billboard Hot 100" in the United States. The song was recorded at "AIR Studios" in London and the instrumental base was performed with a "Roland TB-303" synthesizer. Later, band member Martyn Ware recognized "Let Me Go" as the coolest song from "Heaven 17". In 1983 the single "Temptation" was released which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart in the spring of 1983 and became their biggest hit. Carol Kenyon performed as a vocalist on the recording of the single "Temptation" and continued to work with the band on the albums "Pleasure One" and "Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho". The two singles are taken from their second album, The Luxury Gap, which contained the other hits "Come Live with Me" (UK #5) and "Crushed by the Wheels of Industry" (UK #17). The album peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart, their highest ever position, and was certified platinum by the BPI in 1984. In 1984, their third studio album, How Men Are, was released. it reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified silver by the BPI. In that same year, the band also worked on the charity single "Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?". Marsh left the band in 2007 while Ware and Gregory continued to perform as "Heaven 17".
Album
1981 - Penthouse And Pavement
1983 - The Luxury Gap
1984 - HowMen Are
1986 - Pleasure One
1988 - Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho
1996 - Bigger Than America
1998 - Retox / Detox
1999 - How Live Is
2004 - Before After
2008 - Naked As Advertised
2017 - Not For Public Broadcast
Singles
1981 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
1981 - Penthouse And Pavement
1981 - Play To Win
1981 - I'm Your Money
1982 - Who Will Stop The Rain
1982 - Let Me Go !
1982 - Temptation
1983 - We Live So Fast
1983 - Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry
1983 - Come Live With Me
1984 - This Is Mine
1984 - Sunset Now
1984 - ...(And That's No Lie)
1986 - The Foolish Thing To Do
1986 - Contenders
1987 - Trouble
1988 - Train Of Love In Motion
1988 - The Ballad Of Go Go Brown
1996 - esigning Heaven
1997 - We Blame Love
(B.E.F. - British Electric Foundation)
1981 - Music For Listening To (LP)
1981 - Music For Stowaways (AUDIO CASSETTE)
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