Music For Pleasure - The Human Factor (1984)

Music for Pleasure were founded in Leeds 1979 by Martin King (bass guitar), Alan Peace (lead vocal), Sean Wheatley (drums) and David Whitaker (keyboards). The band were originally signed to Rockburgh Records and contributed the song 'The Human Factor' to Rockburgh's seminal Northern bands compilation 'Hicks From The Sticks'. in 1980. I probably first heard the song on the John Peel show, and although I wasn't particularly enamoured of synth-pop bands like Depeche Mode or The Pet Shop Boys, I did have time for the more experimental ones like The Normal and early OMD, and so when the song was released as a 7" single I bought it. In 1980, Peace and Wheatley were replaced by Mark Copson (lead vocal) and Christopher Oldroyd (drums), and so 'The Human Factor' single that I got was a re-recorded version, which was followed by the John Leckie-produced 'Fuel To The Fire' in 1981. King was replaced by Ivor Roberts on bass guitar in 1982, and this new line-up then signed to Polydor Records, and released the 'Switchback' single in 1982, followed by their first album 'Into The Rain'. I'd stopped following them by this point, and so missed their next two singles, 'Light' and 'Time', both taken from the album, and after the 'Dark Crash' single in 1983 they were dropped by the label. Music for Pleasure did continue to release records on their own Whirlpool label, with 'Disconnection' coming out in 1984, followed by the four-track EP 'Chrome Hit Corrosion' later that year. The band then released their second album 'Blacklands' in 1985, after which they disbanded. I still think 'The Human Factor' stands up well today, and now after hearing some of their later work perhaps I should have stuck with them a bit longer, as they definitely had something which stood them apart from other synth-pop bands of the era. 

Track listing

01 The Human Factor (single 1980)
02 Madness At The Mission (b-side of 'The Human Factor')
03 Fuel To The Fire (single 1981)
04 Debris (b-side of 'Fuel To The Fire')
05 Malefice (b-side of 'Light' 1982)
06 I Recall (b-side of 'Switchback' 1982)
07 Dark Crash (single 1983)
08 Urban Poison (b-side of 'Dark Crash')
09 Black Festival (b-side of 'Dark Crash')
10 Slide (b-side of 'Time' 1983)
11 The Rise (from the 'Chrome Hit Corrosion' EP 1984)
12 Walking (from the 'Chrome Hit Corrosion' EP 1984)
13 Pleasure Ride (from the 'Chrome Hit Corrosion' EP 1984)