One Man in My Heart
Encyclopedia
"One Man in My Heart" is a song recorded by British synthpop
band The Human League
. It was released as the second single from the band's album Octopus
. A ballad
, the song differs from all previous Human League tracks as the lead vocal is performed by a female member of the band, Susan Ann Sulley, with spoken word refrains from Philip Oakey
and contrasting backing from the third Human League member Joanne Catherall
. Released in March 1995 in the UK only, the song received positive reviews from music critics and eventually peaked at number thirteen in the UK Singles Chart
, eventually spending 8 weeks in the charts. In 2001 in The Guardian Newspaper it was called one of the best love songs of the 1990s
and Philip Oakey not only to give Sulley, who was seeking a higher profile on the album, an opportunity to expand her repertoire but also to contrast with the accepted Human League sound of Oakey’s lead and Sulley's and Catherall’s backing which dominated the album. It was devised purely as an album track: the band never intended it to be released as a single.
After the unexpected commercial success of the first single from Octopus, Tell Me When
, EastWest Records wanted another commercial, radio-friendly song to follow up with. They selected 'One Man in My Heart', much to the surprise of the band. Oakey was said to be happy with the choice, but the only person in the band who wasn’t was Sulley herself. To have a single with her on lead vocals with Oakey barely contributing four lines was something never done before; it was an enormous creative and commercial risk. Sulley's vocal ability had been harshly criticized in the past and she expected to be mauled badly by the music critics. If the single bombed it would make it difficult to release a third single from the album. Sulley feared that she personally would be blamed by the media for any failure.
In the event the single was a success and generally well received by the critics. Ironically criticism of Sulley's vocals was that she was too technically proficient making her sound "bland": one critic declared that he missed "The rough edges of the girl plucked from the Sheffield dance floor".
The music video
for One Man in My Heart has a similar cinematography style to the video for the previous single Tell Me When
and had the same director, Andy Morahan. It is set in a Parisian cafe and principally features (for this song) lead vocalist Susan Ann Sulley sat on her own having a coffee while singing to herself; whilst watching the other customers. Fellow band members Philip Oakey and Joanne Catherall are seated elsewhere in the cafe and the camera pans to them for their backing vocals and Oakey's incidental spoken words.
Known in the media for her regular dramatic style changes Sulley had the look of an elegant business woman for the video. Sulley always insists that she "doesn’t dress up for music videos" and the style seen on screen is how she could be found in her daily life. She changed her style again before the next music video later that year.
The video received considerable play on VH1
; it also played on MTV
. It was cruelly caricatured at the time as a Starbucks
commercial by some critics.
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
band The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
. It was released as the second single from the band's album Octopus
Octopus (Human League album)
Octopus is the seventh full-length studio album recorded by British synthpop band The Human League. It was produced by former Tears for Fears keyboardist Ian Stanley and released by EastWest Records in 1995. It was the first new album from the Human League in five years after the termination of...
. A ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, the song differs from all previous Human League tracks as the lead vocal is performed by a female member of the band, Susan Ann Sulley, with spoken word refrains from Philip Oakey
Philip Oakey
Philip Oakey is an English composer, singer, songwriter and producer.He is best known as the lead singer, frontman and co-founder of the famous English synthpop band The Human League. He has also had an extensive solo music career and collaborated with numerous other artists and producers...
and contrasting backing from the third Human League member Joanne Catherall
Joanne Catherall
Joanne Catherall is an English singer; best known as one of the two female vocalists of the veteran English synthpop band The Human League.Born and raised in Sheffield, England...
. Released in March 1995 in the UK only, the song received positive reviews from music critics and eventually peaked at number thirteen in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, eventually spending 8 weeks in the charts. In 2001 in The Guardian Newspaper it was called one of the best love songs of the 1990s
Background
The song was written by Neil SuttonNeil Sutton
Neil Sutton is a long term associate member of the veteran British synthpop group The Human League. He is best known as the on stage and studio keyboard player, but also has written various lyrics and composed instrumental tracks for the band and has numerous Human League album credits.His...
and Philip Oakey not only to give Sulley, who was seeking a higher profile on the album, an opportunity to expand her repertoire but also to contrast with the accepted Human League sound of Oakey’s lead and Sulley's and Catherall’s backing which dominated the album. It was devised purely as an album track: the band never intended it to be released as a single.
After the unexpected commercial success of the first single from Octopus, Tell Me When
Tell Me When
"Tell Me When" is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League. Written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey and Paul C. Beckett, it was recorded at 'Human League Studios', Sheffield in 1994...
, EastWest Records wanted another commercial, radio-friendly song to follow up with. They selected 'One Man in My Heart', much to the surprise of the band. Oakey was said to be happy with the choice, but the only person in the band who wasn’t was Sulley herself. To have a single with her on lead vocals with Oakey barely contributing four lines was something never done before; it was an enormous creative and commercial risk. Sulley's vocal ability had been harshly criticized in the past and she expected to be mauled badly by the music critics. If the single bombed it would make it difficult to release a third single from the album. Sulley feared that she personally would be blamed by the media for any failure.
In the event the single was a success and generally well received by the critics. Ironically criticism of Sulley's vocals was that she was too technically proficient making her sound "bland": one critic declared that he missed "The rough edges of the girl plucked from the Sheffield dance floor".
Promotional Video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for One Man in My Heart has a similar cinematography style to the video for the previous single Tell Me When
Tell Me When
"Tell Me When" is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League. Written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey and Paul C. Beckett, it was recorded at 'Human League Studios', Sheffield in 1994...
and had the same director, Andy Morahan. It is set in a Parisian cafe and principally features (for this song) lead vocalist Susan Ann Sulley sat on her own having a coffee while singing to herself; whilst watching the other customers. Fellow band members Philip Oakey and Joanne Catherall are seated elsewhere in the cafe and the camera pans to them for their backing vocals and Oakey's incidental spoken words.
Known in the media for her regular dramatic style changes Sulley had the look of an elegant business woman for the video. Sulley always insists that she "doesn’t dress up for music videos" and the style seen on screen is how she could be found in her daily life. She changed her style again before the next music video later that year.
The video received considerable play on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
; it also played on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. It was cruelly caricatured at the time as a Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
commercial by some critics.
Versions
'One Man In My Heart' was released as 2 CD singles with remixes by Joachim Björklund & Sören Elonsson, credited as T.O.E.C.- CD 1 1995, East West (YZ904CD1)
- One Man In My Heart
- One Man In My Heart (T.O.E.C. Extended)
- One Man In My Heart (T.O.E.C. Unplugged)
- These Are The Days (Sonic Radiation)
- CD 2 1995, East West (YZ904CD2)
- These Are The Days (Ba Ba Mix)
- These Are The Days (Overworld Mix)
- These Are The Days (Man With No Name Vocal)
- One Man In My Heart (T.O.E.C. Nasty Sue Mix)