Overview

This is a music autobiography to remember. This is the story of Martyn Ware. The Human League and Heaven 17 were among some of the most pioneering bands of the 1980s, with Ware having played an integral role in each of their numerous successes. 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 'Being Boiled', touring with the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Iggy Pop before Ware's departure. Heaven 17 followed suit, with their soon-to-be classic albums, Penthouse & Pavement and The Luxury Gap, featuring several 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 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.

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9780349135137

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Reviews

Martyn's memoir is at times hilarious, insightful, and bittersweet. He's a man who is owed much more credit for his contribution to the British electronic music legacy. -- Tom Robertson Wonderful, down to earth . . . a great story. From Heaven 17, to all of the miracles and magic that my life has seen. -- Sananda Maitreya Martyn is trusty, encouraging, charming, helpful, musically skilled . . . [This is a] great book. -- Peter Hook A man with a synthesizer trailblazing his way to some of the most innovative moments in music in a generation. -- Martin Fry This is a 100 per cent authentic Sheffield story. From the city's humble streets and football terraces to the very limit of the possibilities where the fearless creation of wonderful ground-breaking music can take you. F*ckin' brilliant story, brilliant book, brilliant Sheffield man! -- Richard Hawley Enthralling . . . An emotionally intelligent, honest book * Record Collector *

Martyn's memoir is at times hilarious, insightful, and bittersweet. He's a man who is owed much more credit for his contribution to the British electronic music legacy. -- Thomas Dolby Wonderful, down to earth . . . a great story. From Heaven 17, to all of the miracles and magic that my life has seen. -- Sananda Maitreya Martyn is trusty, encouraging, charming, helpful, musically skilled . . . [This is a] great book. -- Peter Hook A man with a synthesizer trailblazing his way to some of the most innovative moments in music in a generation. -- Martin Fry This is a 100 per cent authentic Sheffield story. From the city's humble streets and football terraces to the very limit of the possibilities where the fearless creation of wonderful ground-breaking music can take you. F*ckin' brilliant story, brilliant book, brilliant Sheffield man! -- Richard Hawley

Author Information

Martyn Ware was born in 1956 and raised in Sheffield. After leaving school, he worked in computers for three years before forming The Human League in 1978. He started the production company and label, British Electric Foundation, in 1980 and founded Heaven 17 that same year. Ware has written, performed and produced two Human League, two BEF and nine Heaven 17 albums. As a record producer and artist, he has featured on recordings totalling over fifty million sales worldwide, producing, amongst others, Tina Turner, Terence Trent D'Arby, Chaka Khan, Erasure, Marc Almond and Mavis Staples. Electronically Yours is his first book.

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