| "Sound of the Crowd" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Human League | ||||
| from the album Dare | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Format | 7" single, 12" single | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Genre | Synthpop | |||
| Length | 3.58 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Writer(s) | Philip Oakey Ian Burden |
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| Producer | Martin Rushent | |||
| The Human League singles chronology | ||||
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"The Sound Of The Crowd" is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League. It became the band's commercial breakthrough, reaching #12 on the UK singles chart in May 1981.
Written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey and keyboard player Ian Burden, the song was recorded at Genetic Sound Studios, Reading, in March 1981. Originally released as a stand-alone single in April 1981, it was subsequently re-recorded and incorporated into the studio album Dare, later in the year.
"The Sound Of The Crowd" was the first Human League song to feature female vocals, from new band members Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall, interacting with Philip Oakey's baritone lead.[1]
The single was the first to feature a distinctive, though short-lived, marketing tactic, where Human League singles were labelled 'Red' or 'Blue' to help buyers differentiate between the band's musical styles. 'Red' was for dance tracks, 'Blue' for pop songs. "The Sound Of The Crowd" was designated 'Red'. When asked to explain the system, vocalist Sulley explained that "Red is for posers, for Spandy (Spandau Ballet) types." Oakey added: "Blue is for ABBA fans." [2]