Little Boots
Little Boots in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Victoria Christina Hesketh
Born	(1984-05-04) 4 May 1984 (age 28) Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Genres	Electropop, synthpop, nu-disco
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, Tenori-on, Stylophone
Years active	2005–present
Labels	IAMSOUND, 679, Atlantic, Elektra
Website	littlebootsmusic.co.uk

Victoria Christina Hesketh (born 4 May 1984),^[1] better known by her stage name Little Boots, is an English electropop singer-songwriter.^[2] Her stage name comes from a nickname given to her by a friend, a reference to her unusually small feet. As a musician, Boots sings and plays the piano, keyboards, synthesizer, Stylophone and a Japanese electronic instrument called Tenori-on.^[3][4] After a return to college to focus on her studies, Hesketh along with two of her fellow students formed the electropunk band Dead Disco. The band had limited releases of their four singles but due to increasingly different ideas about the band's musical direction Hesketh left to pursue a solo career.^[5] Hesketh has cited as influences The Human League, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and Jean Michel Jarre.^[6]

Hesketh began writing her own songs and posting covers on social networking sites such as YouTube and Myspace. After appearing on several shows including Later... with Jools Holland and Last Call with Carson Daly, Hesketh entered production on her debut album Hands. With increasing media attention regarding her then-yet-to-be-released debut album, Hesketh topped the BBC Sound of 2009 poll and received a Critics' Choice nomination at the 2009 BRIT Awards.^[7] With the release of her debut, she was linked to a recent wave of breakthrough female artists in their twenties playing 1980s-influenced music, including Lady Gaga, Ladyhawke, Florence and the Machine and Elly Jackson of La Roux.^[8]

Her debut album, Hands, released on 8 June 2009, peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart and at number twenty on the Irish Albums Chart. The first single off the album "New in Town" became a top twenty hit,^[9] while the next single "Remedy", produced by RedOne,^[10] reached the top ten. She has also released the EP Illuminations in the United States.^[11] Her second album is scheduled to be released in sometime during 2012.^[12]

Biography[link]

1984–2005: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Hesketh was born in Blackpool, Lancashire to English parents;^[13] her father has a car sales business and her mother is a writer. The eldest sibling with three brothers,^[1] she was raised in the area of Thornton, between Blackpool and Fleetwood, Lancashire.^[13]

From the age of five Hesketh played the piano and began lessons at six,^[14] later taking lessons from Arthur Lingings and eventually winning a music scholarship. During this time she was taught how to play the flute, was a member of the school choir and travelled regularly to Manchester to take lessons on her harp. Trained initially in classical singing by Janet Wunderley, by the age of thirteen Hesketh was writing her own songs.^[14]

Hesketh attended the Rossall School in Fleetwood,^[15] and then Blackpool Sixth Form College;^[16] it was around this time that she entered the ITV talent competition search Pop Idol aged sixteen. Reaching the third round, she was eliminated by the producers of the show and did not reach the panel of judges.^[17] She stated, "It gave me a thicker skin and it made me realise that it wasn't a short cut to getting where I wanted to be."^[18]

After singing with the Lancashire Youth Jazz Orchestra and performing with a jazz trio for some time Hesketh decided to prioritise her education and studied cultural studies at the University of Leeds, attaining a first-class honours degree.^[19] She subsidised her course by playing "awful, schmoozy lounge versions of Norah Jones songs" in hotels around the north-west. "It paid me loads of money, but it's not what I wanted to be doing" she said.^[20] It was during her time at Leeds University that Hesketh, along with two of her fellow students, formed the all girl band Dead Disco, Hesketh herself eventually becoming the lead singer.^[20]

2005–08: Dead Disco[link]

Dead Disco at the Leeds Festival in 2006

While studying at the University of Leeds, Hesketh answered an online advertisement posted by Lucy Catherwood and Marie France looking for a lead singer in order to start a band.^[21] Sharing an interest and love of The Killers, Ladytron, The Rapture and Siouxsie & the Banshees, they formed the electropunk band Dead Disco in August 2005,^[22] The band got their name through randomly picking words from a hat.^[23] With Dead Disco, Hesketh sang lead vocals and played synth, while Catherwood and Franceon played guitar and bass, respectively.^[24]

With only a few songs written, Dead Disco began playing gigs around the north of England; their live gig in the headline slot at the "In the City" event in Manchester gained them enough recognition to get a recording stint with James Ford. Working with Ford in his London attic studio, the band issued a limited release of their debut single "The Treatment" in April 2006 on the record label High Voltage.^[21] Their second release "City Place" was a digital-only release through Playlouder Records.

With the success of several sell out gigs and an appearance at the Leeds Festival, the band moved to Los Angeles to begin recording their debut album with Greg Kurstin. However, it was around this time that Hesketh herself began to write songs not in keeping with the band's "indie" style. Choosing a new musical direction, Hesketh left Dead Disco; they officially revealed their disbandment on their Myspace blog in December 2008.^[25] In an interview with The Times, Hesketh spoke about her gradual shift away from the band: "All the time I'd been hiding my own songs and finally I had to make the sort of music I actually wanted to listen to. [...] Before I used to always think, 'What would a jazz performer do?' or 'What would the band do?'—Now it's so easy because it's 'What would I do?' It's just me."^[26] In a later interview Hesketh noted that the bands' label was pressuring the group to have a certain style and that her fellow band mates lost confidence in her because she wanted to write "cheesy" songs.^[27]

[edit] 2008–10: Mainstream success, Hands and Illuminations

Little Boots performing at the Arvika Festival in 2009

With her departure from Dead Disco in August 2007, Hesketh decided to begin a new solo career in pop. She returned to her parents' house to begin recording various covers of pop songs by artists which included Girls Aloud, Kate Bush, MGMT, Hot Chip, Madonna, Blur, Estelle, Alphabeat, Wham! and Miley Cyrus and posted them on social networking websites YouTube and Myspace. Within a year she had narrowed down a list of her songs to create an album and by getting in touch with Greg Kurstin,^[28] with whom she had previously worked with Dead Disco, Hesketh started production on her debut album Hands. In early 2008 she began using the stage name Little Boots. Hands was recorded in Los Angeles with Greg Kurstin and Joe Goddard,^[29][30] and by January 2009 she had begun to compile the album's track listings. During this period Boots topped the BBC Sound of 2009 poll ahead of the likes of White Lies, Florence and the Machine and Empire of the Sun, leading to surge of media attention regarding her then-yet-to-be-released album.^[31]

Hands was released on 8 June 2009. A limited edition 12-inch vinyl of the album was also released on 10 June, which was limited to 1000 copies. The album peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart and has produced the top twenty hit "New in Town" and top ten hit "Remedy". The album also did well in Europe and Japan.^[32]

Critical response to the album was generally favourable, generating a score of 70 on Metacritic.^[33] In a review for musicOMH, Michael Cragg called it "a well-crafted, glorious pop record."^[34] ClashMusic.com reviewer Joe Zadeh disagreed, writing that the album "falls victim to attempts to reach beyond more boundaries than necessary, and thus ironically loses the concentration of the more earnest listener."^[35] David Renshaw of Gigwise.com described Hands as "a big pop album" that "rival[s] Lady Gaga, Girls Aloud or Lily Allen."^[36] Ben Thompson of The Guardian wrote that the album's production was "diverse" and called the song "Symmetry", a duet with Philip Oakey, a "joyous cross-generational head-to-head."^[37] NME reviewer Emily Mackay wrote that "Little Boots gives us an inspiring story of self-realization" and called the album "brilliant."^[38] Pete Paphides of The Times named "Stuck on Repeat" the album's "best moment" due to its "exquisite vulnerability."^[39] Boots was also nominated for Critics' Choice at the 2009 BRIT Awards.^[7] She was included on Esquire magazine's list of sixty "Brilliant Brits 2009",^[40] and was named a 2009 artist to watch by American magazine Rolling Stone.^[6]

Boots collaborated with illustrator and artist Chrissie Abbott for the artwork of the album.^[41] The artwork for the album has been compared to Pink Floyd's 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon because of its geometric design and fairytale imagery.^[42] The album was released in the United States on 2 March 2010,^[43] debuting at number seven in the Top Heatseekers chart.^[44]

Little Boots at Studio B in 2009

On 9 June 2009, Boots released an EP entitled Illuminations in the United States and Canada. It includes "Stuck on Repeat", "New in Town", "Magical", "Love Kills" (a cover of Freddie Mercury's 1984 song) and "Not Now" (which is only available on the US edition).^[11][45] Designed to help relaunch Elektra Records, the EP peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart on 27 June 2009.^[46]

2010–present: New material and second album[link]

In an interview with music website Artistdirect on 1 March 2010, Boots stated that her second album would be "rawer and a bit more down-to-earth. It'll still be magical, but quite dark and spooky at the same time." She added that she has drawn inspiration from the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe.^[47] On 1 May 2011, she performed at China Music Valley Music Festival in Beijing, during which she performed a new song called "Crescendo".

In late September 2011, Boots performed several old and new songs acoustically at the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles.^[48] One month later, on 24 October 2011, she released a mixtape called Shake Until Your Heart Breaks and announced that she would embark on an international DJ tour to promote her new material.^[49] She would later release the song "Shake" digitally and on a limited edition vinyl on 13 November 2011.^[12][50] Boots collaborated with English electronic producer Michael Woods on the song "I Wish", which premiered during Woods's set on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix on 10 December 2011.^[51]

Boots unveiled her third new mixtape, Into the Future, on 9 March 2012 via her official SoundCloud page. The mix includes re-workings of Azari & III's "Reckless with Your Love", Kylie Minogue's "Slow" and the title track a Tensnake remix of "Every Night I Say a Prayer" which she wrote with Andy Butler of Hercules and Love Affair.^[52] On 22 April 2012, "Every Night I Say a Prayer" was released as a free digital download and on limited 12" vinyl on 679 and Trax Records to coincide with Record Store Day.^[53] She supported the launch with a short live set at Rough Trade East in London on 21 April.^[54][55]

Touring and performances[link]

2009[link]

Little Boots' first televised appearance was on Later... with Jools Holland on 7 November 2008. She was invited to perform on the show after posting songs on MySpace.^[56] On 4 March 2009, Little Boots appeared on late night television show Last Call with Carson Daly in the United States where she was interviewed by Daly and several clips from a Los Angeles nightclub performance were shown.^[57] Little Boots performed "Stuck on Repeat" using the Tenori-on on the 11 May 2009 edition of BBC Breakfast.^[58] She returned to Later... with Jools Holland on 15 May 2009, becoming the only artist to perform on the show twice prior to having an album released.^[56] This was followed by an appearance on the BBC Radio 4 programme Woman's Hour on 27 May 2009.^[59] Also in 2009, the song "Meddle" was featured in an advertisement for Victoria's Secret.^[60] On 5 June 2009, she appeared on Bebo music show Beat, performing "New in Town" live in the studio.^[61]

On 3 July 2009 Little Boots closed out Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.^[62] A week later, she performed at Oxegen 2009 on the Hot Press New Bands Stage, her first performance in Ireland.^[63] The following weekend she performed at T4 on the Beach 2009 on both the T4 and 4Music Stages.^[64]

Little Boots performed "Remedy" and a cover version of JLS' "Beat Again" as part of the Live Lounge segment of BBC Radio 1's The Jo Whiley Show on 19 August 2009.^[65] Later in the month, Little Boots performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals on the Radio 1/NME Stage.^[66] Between those appearances, she also performed at Manchester Pride 2009, an LBGT pride event.^[67] In September 2009 she was scheduled to embark on a five-city North American tour to support the Illuminations EP.^[11] The following month she performed on the main stage at the Bestival 2009 in Downend, Isle of Wight.^[68]

Little Boots went on a five-city sold-out US tour in the autumn of 2009 in support of Illuminations.^[43] On 26 October 2009 Little Boots performed as the main act at 53 Degrees in Preston, Lancashire.^[69] Along with this, Little Boots revisited the Blackpool Sixth Form College to film a 360 Session for Channel 4. The college's media studies, music technology and college magazine all got to work with her and Sixth Sense, the college magazine, managed to get their second exclusive interview with Little Boots, which was published in January 2010.^[16] On 7 December Little Boots dueted with Gary Numan on the 6 Music Live Combos show, broadcast on 11 December.^[70]

2010[link]

Little Boots performing in Seattle in 2010

On 2 March 2010 Little Boots was scheduled to embark on a thirteen-date North American tour to coincide with the release of Hands there.^[43] She toured without her laser harp because she was not a certified laser operator (which is a legal requirement in the US for certain laser appliances) and therefore she was not allowed to travel with the instrument.^[71] However, on 17 March, seven of the planned concerts were cancelled; Little Boots cited this was due to "unforeseen circumstances and commitments in the UK".^[72]

The following month, Little Boots performed a set in the Gobi Tent at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. She told the audience that much of her crew and costumes had been stranded in the UK due to the Icelandic volcano—which had forced some UK artists, such as Gary Numan and Bad Lieutenant, to cancel their Coachella engagements entirely—and that aspects of her set had to be improvised at the last minute.^[73] Two months later, Little Boots performed on the NewNowNext Awards show on the United State LBGT cable channel Logo.^[74]

Other pursuits and appearances[link]

Little Boots in 2008

Many of Boots' songs have been used on television and film. "New in Town" has appeared numerous times, including in the 2009 American horror film Jennifer's Body^[75] "Remedy" was used in the Dollhouse episode entitled "Belle Chose".^[76] It was also used in a scene in the third series of Gavin & Stacey.^[77]

"Meddle" was featured in the ninth episode of the third series of the British teen drama Skins, titled "Katie and Emily" and broadcast 19 March 2009. It also appears in a Victoria's Secret commercial, along with appearing in the new Channel 4 comedy series, Friday Night Dinner. The Hands track "Click" was used in the twentieth episode of The Vampire Diaries, "Blood Brothers", and in the sixteenth episode of Melrose Place, "Santa Fe", which aired on 30 March 2010.

Boots has contributed to a documentary about the Stylophone.^[10] She has also collaborated with RjDj, and released a remix app for the iPhone entitled The Little Boots – Reactive Remixer, which allows users to remix "Remedy", "Meddle" and "New in Town" and share it over social networking sites.^[78]

Boots has joined the War on Want campaign, part of which supports protests against sweatshops in India.^[79]

Discography[link]

• Hands (2009)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Little Boots

• Official website

Philip Oakey
In concert with The Human League at Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands in April 2011
Background information
Also known as	Phil Oakey
Born	(1955-10-02) 2 October 1955 (age 56)
Origin	Hinckley, Leicestershire, England
Genres	Synthpop, Electronica
Occupations	Singer, Composer, Producer
Instruments	Vocals, Keyboards
Years active	1977–present
Labels	Fast Product, Virgin Records, EMI, EastWest, Papillon, Wall of Sound
Associated acts	The Human League Giorgio Moroder Respect All Seeing I Kings Have Long Arms Hiem Pet Shop Boys Little Boots

Philip Oakey (born 2 October 1955) is an English composer, singer, songwriter and producer.

He is best known as the lead singer, lead songwriter, frontman and co-founder of the famous English synthpop band The Human League. Aside from the Human League, he has had an extensive solo music career and collaborated with numerous other artists and producers. He is also an occasional DJ.^[1]

Oakey was one of the most visually distinctive music artists of the early 1980s. His synthesiser composition and song writing helped make his band The Human League one of the highest profile pop bands of the early 1980s. At the height of their success The Human League released the triple platinum album Dare and Oakey co-wrote and sang the multi million selling single “Don't You Want Me”, which was a number one single in both the U.S and UK, where it remains the 25th highest selling single of all time.^{[citation needed]} Oakey has been a key figure in the music business and has been lead singer of The Human League for over 30 years, with whom he has sold more than 20 million records worldwide.^[2][3] He continues recording and performing internationally to this day.^[1]

Early life[link]

Oakey was born on 2 October 1955 in Hinckley, Leicestershire. His father worked for the General Post Office and moved jobs regularly: the family moved to Coventry when Oakey was a baby, Leeds when he was five and Birmingham when he was nine, before settling in Sheffield when Oakey was fourteen.^[4] He was educated at King Edward VII School in Sheffield. He left school at 18 without finishing his exams and worked in a number of casual jobs: in a university bookshop, and from 1975 as a porter at Thornbury Annex Hospital in Sheffield. He was married briefly to his girlfriend, whom he met at school, but the marriage did not last long and they were divorced in 1980.

Entry into music[link]

Oakey’s entry into music in 1977 was entirely accidental. He had bought a saxophone but had given up trying to learn how to play it, and had no aspiration to be in a pop group. In Sheffield in 1977 Martyn Ware (a school friend of Oakey’s), Ian Craig Marsh and Adi Newton^[5] had formed a band called ‘The Future’. Although they had recorded a number of demo tapes, they remained unsigned. They were part of an emerging genre of music that used analogue synthesisers instead of traditional instruments, which would later be defined as Synthpop. Newton quickly left the band after they were turned down by record companies. To replace him Ware decided that The Future needed a dedicated lead singer. His first choice was Glenn Gregory, but Gregory was unavailable. So Ware suggested his old school friend Philip Oakey to Marsh. Although Oakey had absolutely no musical experience he was well known on the Sheffield social scene, principally for his eclectic dress sense and classic motorcycle. The lack of experience didn’t bother Ware as he declared that Oakey “already looked like a pop star”. Ware went to visit Oakey to ask him to join The Future; finding him away from home, he famously left a note on Oakey’s front door asking him to join The Future as lead singer, an offer Oakey quickly accepted, joining the band in mid 1977.^[1]

Human League career[link]

In late 1977 The Future changed its name to ‘The Human League’ - after an element of a science fiction board game. The new band played their first live gig at Psalter Lane Arts College in June 1978 (a blue plaque now marks the spot) and signed to Fast Records. The early Human League had a reputation for being arty and had only limited commercial success, releasing two singles, "Being Boiled" and "Empire State Human", with lyrics written by Oakey. They would eventually release two albums, Reproduction (1979), and Travelogue (1980), both recorded at the band's Monumental Pictures studio, but dogged by the lack of commercial success Oakey and Ware’s working relationship became increasingly strained. In October 1980, on the eve of a European tour, it reached breaking point and Ware walked out taking Marsh with him. Oakey and director of visuals Adrian Wright were permitted to retain the band name but would be responsible for all band debts and the tour commitment. Ware and Marsh soon recruited Glenn Gregory and became Heaven 17.

With the tour promoters threatening to sue Oakey and facing financial ruin, he had less than a week to put a new band together. In an unplanned move that is now entrenched in popular folklore, Oakey went to a Sheffield city centre discothèque called The Crazy Daisy (since demolished) and recruited two totally unknown teenage schoolgirls: Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall into the band. As luck would have it, the women were already fans of The Human League and recognised Oakey. He now calls this the best decision of his career, as the girls would be critical in the band's further success, and Sulley and Catherall are now Oakey's business partners in the present day band.^[6]

In mid 1981 Oakey and Catherall would enter into a long term relationship that would last until the end of the decade. Later that year at the height of the band’s success they were touted as a celebrity couple; but were also pursued by the tabloid press after a sensationalist story. Oakey and Catherall would split amicably in 1990 remaining friends and colleagues, contrary to press stories they never married. Catherall has since married.^[7] After the tour in April 1981 the band had their first top 20 hit "Sound of the Crowd" and with the addition of Jo Callis they went on to release the number three single "Love Action (I Believe in Love)". Briefly during 1981 Oakey truncated his name to Phil, and even referred to himself as Phil in “Love Action”. He would not use it for long quickly returning to Philip. He would later say "I’ve never been a Phil; I’m a formal sort of person really".^[8] The band under Oakey’s direction then released another single "Open Your Heart", then a full album Dare much of it written by Oakey. Dare would soon become a number one album in the UK and go double platinum. It has since been called one of pop music's most influential albums, responsible for shaping an entire genre of music. At the end of 1981, the Oakey and Sulley conflicting duet "Don't You Want Me" would sell two million copies in the UK staying at number one for four weeks. It would do the same in the US, selling another million. By the end of 1981/82 Oakey and the Human League would be famous worldwide.^[1]

The remainder of the 1980s saw the band's success peak and dip, with the follow-up release of the album Hysteria in 1984 underachieving. In 1986 Oakey accepted an offer to work with US producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis which resulted in the release of the album Crash and the single "Human" which became another international hit and went to number one in the US. By 1987 the band had lost most of its original members leaving only Oakey, Sulley and Catherall. In 1989 Oakey persuaded Sheffield City Council to invest in business development loan for the building of Human League Studios in Sheffield, Oakey's dedicated studio for the band and a commercial venture. The 1990 album Romantic? failed to sell and in 1992 Virgin records cancelled the band's recording contract. This had a devastating effect on the band, causing Oakey to seek counselling for depression, and Sulley to have a breakdown. The emotional problems of the pair nearly caused the band to fold. Thanks mainly to the efforts of Catherall, by 1993 Oakey and Sulley had recovered and the band was back on its feet. They signed to Eastwest records which resulted in the release of the gold selling album Octopus and the hit singles "Tell Me When" and "One Man in My Heart".^[1]

Another change of record label saw the release of critically acclaimed Secrets album in 2001. Secrets failed to sell because the record label went into receivership curtailing promotion. After the failure of a project he had put so much work and time into, Oakey lost faith in the record industry and changed the band's focus in to more lucrative live work. Between 2002 and the present day they have toured almost constantly, either on their own or as guests at festivals. They have played at such prestigious events as V festival, Festival Internacional de Benicàssim and to 18,000 fans at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles in 2006.^[1]

In 2011, the band released a new album, Credo.

Solo and collaborative career[link]

Oakey's career in music has rarely been confined to just the Human League. He has worked on his own, but also with numerous other artists and producers. His first collaboration was producing the Spanish released single "Amor Secreto" by Nick Fury in 1983 for which he also played synthesizer, together with Jo Callis.^[9]

His highest profile and most commercially successful collaboration was with producer Giorgio Moroder. In 1984 for the film Electric Dreams, he and Moroder provided the film theme song, "Together in Electric Dreams". When later released as a single it would go on to become an international hit, actually eclipsing the film it was intended to promote. The song went on to become a bigger hit than some of Oakey’s Human League singles of the same period.^[1]

In 1985 Oakey and Moroder released the joint album Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder which generated two further single releases, "Be My Lover Now" and "Good-Bye Bad Times". Released in both the UK and US these singles were not as successful as "Together in Electric Dreams" and the Oakey/Moroder partnership was effectively ended.^[1]

In 1990 Oakey guest vocalled on "What Comes After Goodbye", the one-off release by the short-lived Sheffield dance band 'Respect'. In 1991 Oakey worked as Producer on comedian, Vic Reeves only studio album, I Will Cure You - most notably on the track "Black Night" which is a Deep Purple cover. In 1999 he provided vocals for the single "1st Man in Space" by the Sheffield band All Seeing I. The song was written by Jarvis Cocker. In 2003 he provided vocals for Sheffield band Kings Have Long Arms on the single "Rock and Roll is Dead"; also in 2003 he worked with producer/DJ Alex Gold and they released the trance single "LA Today". In 2008 Oakey worked with Hiem, a band fronted by former All Seeing I lead singer David "Bozz" Boswell, on the song "2 am".

Oakey (often with Neil Sutton) has written music for third parties which has been released anonymously or published uncredited. He has infrequently guest DJed, and one of his sets entitled 'the history of the synthesizer' was streamed live over the internet.^[1]

In early 2009 Oakey collaborated with Pet Shop Boys on their tenth studio album Yes, supplying vocals for the intended bonus disc song "This Used to Be the Future". Also in 2009 Oakey collaborated with British female synthpop artist Little Boots on her first album Hands, recording the duet track "Symmetry".^[10][11]

Personal style[link]

Throughout his career and in his personal life Oakey has been a very flamboyant dresser and fashion trend setter. His entry into music was precipitated by his reputation for style. His outrageous dress sense and original hairstyle would make him an iconic figure of the early 1980s music scene.^[1]

Pre-1977, during the era of Punk rock, Oakey adopted various styles; at one time having a crew cut but later he had collar length hair and had once turned up in one club wearing a household power lead with plug as a necklace. He also often wore bike leathers and rode a distinctive Old Norton motorcycle around Sheffield. His natural good looks combined with his flamboyant style was the main reason Martyn Ware invited him to join his pop band ‘The Future’ in 1977. Ware, who was chasing commercial success, reasoned that half the battle was won "as Oakey already looked like a pop star".

Soon after 'The Future' transformed into 'The Human League', Oakey as lead singer wanted a look that would make him stand out from other lead singers. After spotting a girl on a Sheffield bus with a Veronica Lake hair style, Oakey was inspired to adopt a strange lopsided geometric hairstyle, shoulder length on one side and short on the other. As the Human League increased in prominence the hairstyle would became Oakey’s trademark. Between 1978-1979 with his unique hairstyle he maintained a masculine dress style and at one time wore a full beard.

Increasingly interested in attracting the limelight and standing out from the crowd, in 1979 inspired by the 1970s Glamrock style of Brian Eno Oakey began wearing makeup; his style became increasingly more feminine including the use of bright red lipstick.

By 1981 after the formation of the Mk2 Human League, Oakey’s trademark style of the early 1980s was complete. As well as full make up, Oakey had begun wearing androgynous clothing, which he described as "neither male nor female". The addition of teenage school girls Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall as co-vocalists to the band in 1980 complemented his look. At times all three would wear the same eyeliner and lipstick. Oakey and Catherall, who were to enter into a relationship with each other, often looked and dressed almost identically.^[7]

The media regularly commented and joked about his style (unwittingly achieving Oakey's aim). Fearlessly Oakey pushed his unique style further and began wearing high heeled shoes. He already had both his ears pierced and wore dangling women’s diamante earrings. Keen to shock, on one of the 'new' Human League's posters in 1981 Oakey posed shirtless displaying pierced nipples linked together by a gold chain. Oakey says of his early 1980s style: "I deliberately wore clothes that either men or women could wear. But I don't think I ever really looked like a woman. And I never wore very masculine clothes".^[12]

Another common media error was that Oakey and The Human League were part of the New Romantic movement. Oakey and the band, whose look was unique and pre-dated the start of the Blitz Kids never identified with the New Romantic scene, although they seldom challenged the media label while it helped sell records. It wasn’t just a stage look and Oakey openly went about in public in full make up, dressed in his eclectic style, he claims that "Sheffield was so accepting that no one ever blinked an eyelid". ^[7] Oakey jokes that when he sought parental permission for the girls to go on the 1980 tour, that the father of Susan Sulley (then aged 17) only let her go on tour with the Human League because “He wasn’t entirely sure I was a man”.

After the international success of Dare, Oakey tired of the androgynous look and then by 1983 had adopted a more macho look of denim, collar length permed hair and the ill shaven ‘designer stubble’.

For the Crash album of 1986 Oakey adopted a smoother style of designer clothes of the period and a very manicured look which he says was inspired by Sean Young’s character ‘Rachael’ from the film Blade Runner.

By 1990 the Human League had seriously begun to decline. For their Romantic? album, Oakey wore denim, leather and readopted his lop sided hairstyle from 1981 in a rebellion against "the male model look of Crash". The band went through dark times and the style was quickly abandoned.

When the band returned in a comeback in 1995, the mature (then 40 year old) Oakey reappeared with designer clothes and a sauvé short neat hair cut.

In 1998 Oakey began to suffer from male pattern baldness and after advice from his hair stylist, in 1999 he adopted an all over ‘number two’ crop hairstyle. This is the style he wears today, albeit that his hair has now completely greyed.

Today Oakey is still known for his dapper style, but now generally wears a simple Armani suit on stage. Although he has not lost his desire to shock, and recently boasted during a newspaper interview that he had recently acquired a Prince Albert piercing, which he says “hurt less than having his ears pierced”.^[13]

Today[link]

Today Oakey still lives in central Sheffield with his long term girlfriend, close to his studio; and long term colleagues Sulley and Catherall. He continues to work full time in the music industry, principally touring with The Human League. When not touring he works in the studio or with other artists. He has stated that he is currently working on a solo studio album, although he refuses to be drawn on a timescale for its release.

Discography[link]

with The Human League[link]

Studio albums

• Reproduction (1979)
• Travelogue (1980)
• Dare (1981)
• Love and Dancing (1982)
• Hysteria (1984)
• Crash (1986)
• Romantic? (1990)
• Octopus (1995)
• Secrets (2001)
• Credo (2011)

Number-one singles

• "Don't You Want Me" - 1981 (UK)(25th highest selling single of all time), 1982 (U.S, AUS, NZ)
• "Human" - 1986 (U.S)

Solo[link]

Albums

• "Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder'" Virgin, 1985

Singles

• "Together In Electric Dreams" - (with Giorgio Moroder), Virgin Records, 1984
• "Good-Bye Bad Times" - (with Giorgio Moroder), Virgin, 1985
• "Be My Lover Now" - (with Giorgio Moroder), Virgin, 1985
• "What Comes After Goodbye" - (Respect featuring Philip Oakey), Chrysalis Records, 1990
• "1st Man in Space" - (All Seeing I, vocals by Philip Oakey), FFRR Records, 1999
• "Rock and Roll is Dead" - (Kings Have Long Arms featuring Philip Oakey), Heart and Soul Records, 2003
• "LA Today" - Alex Gold (featuring Philip Oakey), Xtravaganza Records, 2003

Film and television[link]

• 1990 "The Weekenders" (TV) (D. Vic Reeves) - Played Himself
• 1999 "Hunting Venus" (Buffalo Films, D. Martin Clunes) - Played Himself
• 2010 "Top Gear 15x01" - Guest Appearance (Jeremy Clarkson's Three-Wheeler Report)

Awards[link]

• 1982 BRIT Awards - (as 'The Human League') - 'Best British Breakthrough Act'
• 2004 Q Awards - (as 'The Human League') - 'The Q Innovation in Sound Award'

• Nominated for Grammy Award in 1982 for Best International Act (as 'The Human League')

Further reading[link]

• Story of a Band Called "The Human League" by Alaska Ross (Proteus July 1982) ISBN 978-0-86276-103-5

See also[link]

External links[link]

Oakey deliberately does not have an official website, not wanting to do what others do, and apparently believing it is expensive to have one.^[14]

• "Philip Oakey of The Human League: Here Comes The Mirror Man" - Interview with Philip Oakey of The Human League - Rocker Magazine, 2011

References[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Philip Oakey

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Philip Oakey