Penthouse and Pavement

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Penthouse and Pavement
Penthouse and Pavement.jpg
Studio album by
Heaven 17
ReleasedSeptember 1981 (1981-09)
Studio
Genre
Length38:12 ¹
Label Virgin
Producer
Heaven 17 chronology
Penthouse and Pavement
(1981)		 The Luxury Gap
(1983)
Singles from Penthouse and Pavement
  1. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang"
    Released: March 1981
  2. "Play to Win"
    Released: August 1981
  3. "Penthouse and Pavement"
    Released: November 1981
  4. "The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)"
    Released: February 1982

Penthouse and Pavement is the debut studio album by English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in September 1981 by Virgin Records.

Contents

"(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" was released as a single, but did not achieve chart success, partly due to a ban by the BBC. [4] Despite not generating a major hit single, the album reached no.14 and spent 77 weeks on the UK Albums Chart. [5] It has since been regarded as "an important outing", [2] is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die , and was re-released in 2010 in a three-disc special edition.

Recording

The album was recorded at a Sheffield studio, taking shifts with Martyn Ware's and Ian Craig Marsh's earlier band the Human League, who simultaneously recorded their Dare album. Local session musician John Wilson was recruited to play bass and rhythm guitar on the album which allowed the band to explore a new and more varied sound than the sparse electronic sound they had been restricted to. The title track also features r&b-style female backing vocals by Josie Jones. The album was divided into two distinctive parts, the "Pavement" side that featured the new funk-influenced sound, and the all electronic "Penthouse" side. Lyrically the album features political themes such as criticism of capitalism, nuclear warfare and the cold war arms race. [5]

Cover artwork

The cover of the album features a painting by Ray Smith, depicting the band members as businessmen in suits. Designed by the band and featuring the logo 'B.E.F The New Partnership – That's opening doors all over the world', it was intended as an ironic take on the upcoming yuppie culture and greedy capitalism. [5] Ian Craig Marsh came up with the title "Penthouse and Pavement" and the idea of the cover design from an ad in a business magazine. [5] The cover also feature the logo 'Heaven 17 Sheffield-Edinburgh-London', which was inspired by a packet of Dunhill cigarettes with a similar logo. The image was a deliberate attempt to present themselves as brand rather than a band. [5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
PopMatters 8/10 [7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Smash Hits 8/10 [9]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]

Whilst the singles charted poorly, the album charted at No. 14 and remained in the Top 100 for 77 weeks. [11] It was certified gold (100,000 copies sold) by the BPI in October 1982. [12]

It was well received in the British music press. Reviewing the album for NME , Paul Morley said: "Penthouse and Pavement is fabulous and it won't deny your needs and you just put our faith in it because it is true." [13] It was ranked the fifth best album of 1981 by NME. [14]

In Smash Hits the album was given an 8 out of 10 rating; "this is often danceble, always intriguing and sometimes a whole lot more", Dave Rimmer wrote. [9]

Lynden Barber of Melody Maker noted that Heaven 17, with their "alternative dance stance", had produced "some of the most enjoyable, inspiring and intelligent music you're likely to hear this year" and "occupy that rare space in contemporary pop reserved for true originals". [15]

Writing In Record Mirror, Mike Nicholls was critical of the album's richness describing the album as, "a pancake which requires more digesting than the entire contents of a Basque patisserie", advising readers to "tread gingerly and consume at leisure". [16]

In a retrospective review, Dan LeRoy of AllMusic felt that the album combined electropop with good melodies, and that Glenn Gregory was able to deliver the "overtly left-wing political" lyrics without sounding "pretentious". [2]

The album is included in the musical reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh, and Glenn Gregory

Side A ("Pavement")
No.TitleLength
1."(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang"4:20
2."Penthouse and Pavement"6:23
3."Play to Win"3:37
4."Soul Warfare"5:04
Side B ("Penthouse")
No.TitleLength
5."Geisha Boys and Temple Girls"4:33
6."Let's All Make a Bomb"4:03
7."The Height of the Fighting"3:01
8."Song with No Name"3:36
9."We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time¹"3:15
Total length:38:12
Additional tracks
Bonus tracks

All tracks are written by Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh, and Glenn Gregory, except where noted

Bonus tracks (1997 US edition)
No.TitleLength
10."I'm Your Money" (extended mix)5:10
11."Play to Win" (extended mix)7:29
Bonus tracks (2006 remastered edition)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Groove Thang" (performed by the B.E.F.) 4:07
11."Are Everything" (12″ version) Pete Shelley 4:28
12."I'm Your Money" (12″ version) 5:10
13."Decline of the West" (performed by the B.E.F.)
  • Ware
  • Marsh
7:17
14."Honeymoon in New York/B.E.F. Ident" (performed by the B.E.F., "B.E.F. Ident" unlisted)
  • Ware
  • Marsh
  • Malcolm Veale
2:52
2010 3-disc special edition

The album was reproduced live in its entirety in a series of concerts the band held throughout 2010, one of which (in Sheffield) was filmed and shown on BBC Two on 16 May 2010. The following night a documentary about the making of the album was screened; this was later included on a new three-disc special edition of the album released in November 2010.

Track listing
Disc 1
  1. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang"
  2. "Penthouse and Pavement"
  3. "Play to Win"
  4. "Soul Warfare"
  5. "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls"
  6. "Let's All Make a Bomb"
  7. "The Height of the Fighting"
  8. "Song with No Name"
  9. "We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time"
  10. "I'm Your Money" (12″ version)
  11. "Are Everything" (12″ version)
  12. "Decline of the West"*
Disc 2
  1. "Penthouse and Pavement" (original demo)
  2. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" (original demo)
  3. "Play to Win" (original demo instrumental)
  4. "Soul Warfare" (original demo)
  5. "Are Everything" (original demo)
  6. "BEF Ident" (alternate version)*
  7. "Decline of the West" (alternate version)*
  8. "Rise of the East" (alternate version)*
  9. "Music to Kill Your Parents By" (alternate version)*
  10. "Uptown Apocalypse" (alternate version)*
  11. "A Baby Called Billy" (alternate version)*
  12. "Rhythmic Experiment 1"*
  13. "Rhythmic Experiment 2"*
  14. "Boys of Buddha Experiment"*
  15. "At the Height of the Fighting" (original rhythm track)
  16. "Rhythmic Loop Experiment"*
  17. "Funky Experiment"*
  18. "Song Experiment"*
  19. "Heavy Drum Experiment"*
  20. "Play to Win" (original demo with vocals)

* credited to B.E.F.

Disc 3 (DVD)
  1. The Story of Penthouse and Pavement (2010 documentary)

Personnel

Heaven 17

Session musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Penthouse and Pavement
Chart (1981–1982)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [17] 99
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [18] 18
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [19] 45
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [20] 24
UK Albums (OCC) [21] 14

Certifications

Certifications for Penthouse and Pavement
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [22] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

"Penthouse and Pavement" is featured in the hit 1982 film Night Shift (starring Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton and was included on the film's soundtrack. The song is also included in Rockstar Games video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories where it is played on the fictional radio station Wave 103.

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven 17</span> English new wave and synth-pop band

Heaven 17 are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1980. The band were a trio for most of their career, composed of founding Human League members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) with vocalist Glenn Gregory.

<i>Travelogue</i> (The Human League album) 1980 The Human League album

Travelogue is the second full-length studio album released by British synth-pop group The Human League, released in May 1980. It was the last album with founding members Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, as they would leave to form Heaven 17 later that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martyn Ware</span> English musician

Martyn Ware is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer, and music programmer. As a founding member of both the Human League and Heaven 17, Ware co-wrote hit songs such as "Being Boiled" and "Temptation".

B.E.F. was a band/production company formed by former Human League members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh which became largely eclipsed by its best-known project, Heaven 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Gregory</span> British singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist

Glenn Peter Gregory is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as co-founder and lead singer of the new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which released several UK chart hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including “Temptation”, “Let Me Go”, “Come Live with Me”, “Crushed by the Wheels of Industry”, “Sunset Now”, “This Is Mine”, and “(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang”

<i>The Luxury Gap</i> 1983 studio album by Heaven 17

The Luxury Gap is the second studio album by English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 25 April 1983 by Virgin Records. It is the band's best-selling studio album, peaking at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart – eventually becoming the 17th best-selling album of the year – and being certified platinum by the BPI in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temptation (Heaven 17 song)</span> 1983 single by Heaven 17

"Temptation" is a single by British band Heaven 17 featuring Carol Kenyon, originally released in April 1983 by Virgin Records, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart. This was the second single to be taken from their second album, The Luxury Gap (1983), after "Let Me Go" in November 1982. It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by B.E.F. and Greg Walsh. The music video for the song was directed by Steve Barron. "Temptation" was certified silver by the BPI in May 1983, for sales exceeding 250,000 copies, subsequently listed by the Official Charts Company as the 34th best-selling single of 1983 in the UK.

<i>Before After</i> 2005 studio album by Heaven 17

Before After is the seventh studio album by the English synth-pop band Heaven 17. It was originally released in September 2005, on the label Ninthwave, nine years after their previous album, Bigger Than America.

<i>Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho</i> 1988 studio album by Heaven 17

Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho is the fifth studio album by the English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in September 1988 by Virgin Records, the band's last studio album for the label.

<i>Naked as Advertised</i> 2008 studio album by Heaven 17

Naked as Advertised is the eighth studio album by the English synth-pop band Heaven 17. It was originally released in 2008, on the label Just Music, three years after their previous album, Before After. The album contained re-workings of tracks such as "Temptation" along with versions of Martyn Ware songs best known from his time with the Human League, including "Being Boiled" and "Empire State Human", as well as a cover of The Associates' hit "Party Fears Two". Following the departure of Ian Craig Marsh in 2007, this is the first Heaven 17 album with the band consisting of the duo of Glenn Gregory and Ware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang</span> 1981 single by Heaven 17

"(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" is a song by British synth-pop band Heaven 17. It was their debut single, released on 6 March 1981, and the lead single from their debut studio album, Penthouse and Pavement (1981). It was a minor hit in the UK in 1981, despite being banned by the BBC. It was also a minor dance hit in the US. It developed from an instrumental, "Groove Thang", that Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh created earlier that year for Music for Stowaways, an album they released as British Electric Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trouble (Heaven 17 song)</span> 1987 single by Heaven 17

"Trouble" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 5 January 1987 as the second and final single from their fourth studio album, Pleasure One (1986). It was written and produced by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware. The song peaked at No. 51 in the UK and spent four weeks on the chart. It was a bigger success in Germany where it reached No. 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contenders (song)</span> 1986 single by Heaven 17

"Contenders" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 6 October 1986 as the first single from their fourth studio album, Pleasure One. It was written and produced by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware. The song reached No. 80 in the UK and spent four weeks on the chart. It also reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crushed by the Wheels of Industry</span> 1983 single by Heaven 17

"Crushed by the Wheels of Industry" is a song by the British synthpop band Heaven 17, released on 12 August 1983 as the fifth and final single from their second studio album, The Luxury Gap (1983). It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Ware and Greg Walsh. It reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart and would be the band's last top 20 hit in the UK until 1992's Brothers in Rhythm remix of "Temptation".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunset Now</span> 1984 single by Heaven 17

"Sunset Now" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 20 August 1984 as the first single from their third studio album, How Men Are (1984). It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Ware and Greg Walsh. It reached No. 24 in the UK, remaining on the charts for six weeks on. A music video was filmed to promote the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Is Mine</span> 1984 single by Heaven 17

"This Is Mine" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 19 October 1984 as the second single from their third studio album, How Men Are (1984). It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Greg Walsh. The song reached No. 23 in the UK, remaining in the charts for seven weeks. It would be the band's last Top 30 single until 1992's "Temptation "

<i>Music for Stowaways</i> 1981 studio album by British Electric Foundation

Music for Stowaways is the debut album by English electronic act British Electric Foundation (B.E.F.), formed by musicians Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh. The album released in the United Kingdom as a limited edition cassette in March 1981 by Virgin Records, who also released an LP version of the album titled Music for Listening To later in the year with a different track list and cover art, aiming its release for export markets. The Stowaways version was originally released concurrently with Ware and Marsh's first single with Heaven 17, "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang", itself a developed version of the Music for Stowaways track "Groove Thang".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)</span> 1982 single by Heaven 17

"The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)" is a song by British synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 12 February 1982 as the fifth and final single from their debut album, Penthouse and Pavement. It was written by Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh and Glenn Gregory, and produced by Ware and Marsh.

<i>Higher and Higher: The Best of Heaven 17</i> 1993 compilation album by Heaven 17

Higher and Higher: The Best of Heaven 17 is a compilation album by English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Your Money</span> 1981 song by Heaven 17

"I'm Your Money" is a song by English new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in 1981 by Virgin as a non-album single. The song was written by band members Ian Craig Marsh, Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory, and produced by B.E.F..

References

  1. ↑ Borthwick, Stuart; Moy, Rob (2004). Popular Music Genres: an Introduction. Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh University Press. p. 137. ISBN   0-7486-1745-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 LeRoy, Dan. "Penthouse and Pavement – Heaven 17". AllMusic . Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Top 15 Electropop Albums". Classic Pop . 25 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 Shade, Chris (2011). "Penthouse and Pavement: Heaven 17 (1981)". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Cassell Illustrated. ISBN   978-1-84403-699-8 . Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Classic album: Penthouse and Pavement Heaven 17". classicpopmag.com. 17 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Buckley, David (September 2006). "Heaven 17: Penthouse and Pavement". Mojo . No. 154. p. 116.
  7. ↑ O'Neil, Tim (30 November 2006). "Heaven 17: Penthouse and Pavement". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  8. ↑ Halasa, Malu (1983). "Heaven 17". In Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide (2nd ed.). Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 222. ISBN   0-394-72107-1.
  9. 1 2 Rimmer, Dave (17–30 September 1981). "Heaven 17: Penthouse and Pavement". Smash Hits . Vol. 3, no. 19. p. 29.
  10. ↑ "Heaven 17: Penthouse and Pavement". Uncut. p. 86. [They] defined new pop ambitions with Penthouse and Pavement, a steely state-of-the-art, state-of-the-nation address...
  11. ↑ Official Charts Company (Penthouse and Pavement)
  12. ↑ British Phonographic Industry database
  13. ↑ Morley, Paul (19 September 1981). "Heaven 17: Penthouse and Pavement (BEF/Virgin)" . NME . Retrieved 29 November 2020– via Rock's Backpages.
  14. ↑ "1981 Best Albums And Tracks Of The Year". NME . 10 October 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  15. ↑ Barber, Lynden (19 September 1981). "Albums: Could this be Heaven?". Melody Maker . p. 16. ISSN   0025-9012.
  16. ↑ Nicholls, Mike (19 September 1981). "Albums: Syrup of figs" (PDF). Record Mirror . p. 19.
  17. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 137. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  18. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  19. ↑ "Charts.nz – Heaven 17 – Penthouse and Pavement". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  20. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Heaven 17 – Penthouse and Pavement". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  21. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  22. ↑ "British album certifications – Heaven 17 – Penthouse and Pavement". British Phonographic Industry. 14 October 1982. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  23. ↑ "Heaven 17 – Penthouse And Pavement". Discogs. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  24. ↑ "Heaven 17 – Endless". Discogs. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
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