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Monday 20 July 2020

Vinyl #48 - Heaven 17

"(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" (12" single)


By 1981 things were changing - I was now working in Portsmouth city centre and was able to spend my lunch times perusing the record shops. Music was changing too - punk and new wave had had their day, ska and new romantics had taken over and there was an emerging electronic music scene - with Sheffield bands the Human League and Heaven 17 leading the charge.

March 1981 saw this debut single from Heaven 17, a catchy, danceable slab of electro-funk with heavily political lyrics (which could apply equally today as back then - nothing's really changed). As was my way in 1981 I had to have the 12" version, although interesting to note now the song wasn't a massive hit - not helped by being banned by the BBC as too political (and by possibly libelling Reagan). It came out a good six months before the band really hit the big time with their classic debut album 'Penthouse and Pavement'.

Listening to it again it still holds up and it's been covered several times including by the likes of New York hipsters LCD Soundsystem.

Here's the music: https://youtu.be/lV5dbcOmw6I