The League Unlimited Orchestra – Love And Dancing

The first Human League release I ever bought. I loved the song and video of "Love Action" but DARE wasn't available, so I picked this up instead. After almost 40 years, I still play it and it still sounds great. I finally purchased DARE many years later, but this has always been my Human League go-to.

electro disco clubs in the 80s used to play this instrumental Hard Times mixed with the vocal version, seemed to last all night.... it was fantastic

Monumental at the time, yes, now of mere documentary value. And kudos of course, to Martin Rushent for all the manual, editing hard work.

Personally, I find a large portion of 80s hits' extended mixes super tedious - a doodle in the studio, demonstrating the technical possibilities and one's skill, where producers and sound engineers seem to have all the fun at the expense of the listener. Unless you're on the dancefloor, The League Unlimited Orchestra remains a tedious exercise in form over substance - but even on today's dancefloor, regardless of how "retro" the party may be, these overstreched instrumentals equal elevator music, testing the dancers' patience. The listeners' curiosity may have been provoked to put one such record on and get some more from its extended grooves, but at the end of the day, can one truly say they prefer "Love And Dancing" to "Dare"? I doubt it.

This experiment has its few moments but suffers under the burden of excess and self-indulgence, ending up being ripped too much of its own flesh - lacking the timeless appeal the originals possess.

A Monumental release at the time - Having been stunned by Kraftwerk and followed the nascent UK electronic scene from my Yorkshire vantage point of Hull (I had an Aunt in Sheffield) I was on their stuff early and being a music addict it wasn't long before my tastes were distinctly 'futurist. The crazy daisy had a reputation in the late 70's turn of the 80's for the avant garde and it was no coincidence that Phil found the girls there. I was turned onto the band before their arrival by two 'futurist girls' from the Shiregreen area of the city so took in early shows. I was pleased after the split that Phil seemed to drive the band to its logical sound whereas Ian & Martyn via Heaven 17 did good stuff but the league MK2 was the cooler output IMO. This album though is as much about Martin Rushent as it is about the League. My suggestion is to listen to this and then Pete Shelleys extended mixes from the same time frame (if you haven't already). A great example of a producer at the top of his game working with trusting and creative artists...
Still sounds brilliant - Still play out the tracks in the occasional set / radio show

Having first heard their breakthrough singles "Don't You Want Me", "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" and the album track "Seconds" getting a lot of airplay on KROQ Pasadena I made a trip down to the Wharehouse at the Pasadena City Plaza back in 1982-1983 and wanted to purchase the album that had these songs. I did not own a turntable at the time (only a cassette player) so I had to purchase the cassettes. The sealed Dare! album had no track listing but the League Unlimited LP had the tracklisting and I saw that it had the songs I liked listed so I went ahead and purchased the Love and Dancing cassette. When I got home I was disappointed to find out that these were all instrumental / remix versions! I soon quickly got over it and the release grew on me. With my next allowance I went ahead and purchased the Dare! cassette and all was good in my world. It was very cool experience getting use to the instrumental remixes before hearing the Dare! versions. When Soft Cell released their Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing album this time I was ready having purchased the Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret album first! Both albums (Soft Cell and Human League) are essential in the birth of new wave synth pop that invaded the USA airwaves during the early 1980's.

A few years ago I picked up a double unofficial CD called the Making of Dare! featuring many demos and unfinished tracks recording during the Dare! sessions. Comparing the demos to the final mixes / production by Martin Rushent you can hear that he played a very important role in the Human League's commercial sound. It's even nice to see him pictured and added to the back cover the of the League Unlimited Orchestra - Love & Dancing album much like an extra member of the band as George Martin was to the Beatles.

Just utterly brilliant production from Martin Rushent on this album. On a par with the great Trevor Horn, Rushent delivers the Human League sounds in their purest unadulterated electronic forms. He's stripped out all the chart pop shit and created a masterpiece on these versions, and it becomes totally timeless dance music as a result.
In my opinion one of the greatest electronic albums ever made, and essential listening whatever your musical leanings.

If you need proof of how ahead of its time this album was Richard X's saw no harm in sampling 'Things That Dreams Are Made Of' in it's entirety for his recent 'Finest Dreams' single. Also George Michael's 'Shoot the Dog' samples large chunks of 'Love Action'. Both taken from this album. The League Unlimited still sounds fresh today.

What can I say? This is the album that got me into electronic music and for me is very much the blueprint for the genre. Forget the fact that you have heard the singles throughout the decades. You will definitely not have heard them like this. The lush layers and the soaring synth riffs build upon each other to create magnificent soundscapes - 'Seconds' being a fantastic example you can almost visualise skyscrapers from the opening chords alone and 'Things That Dreams are Made Of' has me skiing on a deserted snowy mountain with avalanches crashing around me. I challenge anyone who is a fan of ambient techno or electronica to listen to this and not be impressed. This album is an inspiration. Plus it is the only album that I have ever bought in all three formats - need I say more...

This record...I can't describe how great it is. By far one of my favorites. The aesthetic of Love and Dancing is powerful and unique- it's one of those rare records that is a world unto itself.