Martyn Ware was at the helm of both The Human League and Heaven 17, two music projects that were among some of the most pioneering bands of the 1980s, and still touring today.

As a young lad from the heart of post-war Sheffield, Ware formed The Human League a few years out of school in his early twenties. Described by David Bowie as ‘the future of music’, it wasn’t long before the band become known for their innovative and infectiously catchy singles such as the dance club anthems (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang and Temptation, touring with the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Iggy Pop. Heaven 17 followed suit, with their soon-to-be classic albums, Penthouse & Pavement and The Luxury Gap, featuring several other colossal hits. Ground-breaking icons in new wave and synth pop, both groups remain some of the biggest-selling bands across the UK and worldwide.

In Electronically Yours, Martyn takes us through his incredible route to stardom; from his austere upbringing in various council houses and close teenage friendship with former-bandmate Phil Oakey, to the white-hot experimentation in the ‘Synth Britannia’ era and his production career, which allowed him to work with some of the world’s greatest singers, including Tina Turner. But it’s not just his life inside the industry which is compelling; a proud socialist, Martyn writes poignantly about politics – how it can be a soulful, personal, moral duty – and its role in his music creation and Britain today. With charming meditations on culture, humour, travel and sport, Martyn also shares his love of 60s films, explains why Venice is the most beautiful city in the world, and reveals how Sheffield Wednesday F.C. has forever been his first and eternal passion.

A huge page-turner and always warmly told, Electronically Yours sees Martyn talk candidly for the very first time about his extraordinary journey. Discover amusing anecdotes, raw confessions, and moving reflections of a life well and truly lived at the height of the music industry.

Available from Little Brown

Electronically Yours Podcast

 

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist based in Toronto with a focus on tourism, lifestyle, entertainment and community issues. He has written several travel articles and has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He’s willing to take on any assignments of interest, attend parties with free booze, listen to rants, and travel the world in search of the great unknown. He’s eager to discover the new, remember the past, and look into the future.