Susan Ann Sulley (born 22 March 1963),[1] formerly known as Susanne Sulley and Susan Ann Gayle, is an English singer. She is one of the two female vocalists in the synth-pop band The Human League, contributing co-lead vocals on the conflicting duet "Don't You Want Me" with the band's founding member and lead singer Philip Oakey.
Born and raised in Sheffield, England, Sulley was, with friend Joanne Catherall, discovered while schoolgirls aged 17 as customers in the Crazy Daisy Nightclub in Sheffield by Oakey. He soon asked them to provide full vocals as an experiment.
Sulley is a joint business partner in the band,[2] which still records and performs. The Human League has dominated Sulley's life: she has been a singer all her adult life and has never had any other full-time job. She explains: "Joanne and I weren't ambitious; we didn't want to be in a pop group. We were just two girls at school who wanted to go to university."[3]
Early life and education
Sulley was born in Sheffield, UK, on 22 March 1963. She spent all her early years in the Gleadless suburb of the city. For her final education, she attended the city's Frecheville Comprehensive School from the late 1970s until mid-1981. Her best friend from the age of 13 was fellow lifelong Sheffield resident and Frecheville student Joanne Catherall. By early 1981, she was calling herself 'Susanne Sulley', a familiar amalgamation of her two first names, a nickname by which she had been casually known at school. Whilst still at school in 1980, she had a part-time job in a Sheffield hairdressing salon and a casual summer job selling ice cream at a Sheffield cinema, the only jobs she has had in her life apart from music.[4]
Sheffield 1980 and "The Crazy Daisy"
The Human League had recently split acrimoniously over creative differences, leaving only two of the original four members, Oakey and Adrian Wright, to continue. Crucially, The Human League was contracted to a European tour starting within a week. Already in debt to Virgin Records, Oakey had to recruit new band members in a matter of days for the tour or be sued by the tour's promoters, face bankruptcy, and see the end of the band.[citation needed] Oakey went into Sheffield one evening to recruit a single female backing singer for the tour, needed to replace the original high backing vocals of the now departed Martyn Ware.[citation needed] He immediately noticed Catherall and Sulley dancing together in the Crazy Daisy and now states that they stood out from all the other girls in the club due to their unique dress sense, immaculate make-up, and idiosyncratic but sophisticated dance moves.[citation needed] Without preamble, Oakey asked both girls to join the tour as dancers and incidental vocalists.[citation needed]
Catherall now states that she knew it was a genuine offer, as Oakey was well known in Sheffield; she and Sulley already had tickets to see The Human League on the Doncaster leg of their tour.[citation needed] Catherall and Sulley agreed to the offer immediately, despite having no singing or professional dancing experience.[citation needed]
However, the girls were 17 and 18 years old and the final decision regarding going on the tour lay with their parents.[citation needed] The parents of both the girls were unhappy with the idea and initially refused to give their consent. This was overturned reluctantly when Oakey, complete with his then trademark lop-sided haircut, red lipstick and high heeled shoes, visited both sets of parents to convince them that the girls would come to no harm.[5] Catherall and Sulley's school also agreed to the absence, as it was thought visiting Europe would be educational.[6][7]
The first European tour of The Human League got underway with the two young recruits assigned to dancing and incidental vocal duties.[citation needed] The girls at this stage were just guests in the group on a salary of £30 a week. Although the tour was a success, the crowds were largely hostile to Catherall and Sulley, as fans had bought tickets for the original all male line-up.[citation needed] Catherall recalls dodging several beer cans thrown at her during the tour and was often heckled. During the tour, Oakey had experimented with the girls singing on a number of the original tracks and was impressed with the results; he was also impressed with the girls' professionalism and determination during the tour.[citation needed]
1981: Dare and "Don't You Want Me"
The group recorded Dare, their most commercially successful album to date, in 1981. The release of the album also coincided with a steep rise in the use of music videos and the launch of MTV. In the video for "Don't You Want Me", released in November as the fourth single from the album, Sulley plays a successful actress walking out on her bitter Svengali lover (played by Oakey), who laments her success and departure. Set on a "film shoot" on a wet winter night, Sulley sings directly to the camera whilst walking through the atmospheric set, immaculately made up and wearing a distinctive trench coat. The single, aided by the classic video, was a commercial breakthrough for the group, going to number one in the charts in both the UK and the US.[8] Sulley was still at school when Dare was recorded and often jokes that she "has never had a proper job in her life".[9]
The remaining 1980s
The international stardom that Dare brought was short-lived. The group took three years to release their next full album, 1984's Hysteria. A stop-gap EP, Fascination!, was issued in America in 1983. From these releases, the group had a number of top-ten singles in the UK and the US, including "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" and "Mirror Man", which both charted at number two in the UK. The single "Human" from Crash was the group's last real commercial success of the decade, charting at number one in the US and number eight in the UK. From then, the group's mainstream popularity plunged, with subsequent releases not even breaking the top forty. It also was about 1986 that she stopped calling herself Susanne, opting for the more formal Susan.
The mid-to-late 1980s were not a particularly happy time for Sulley, as she had to deal with the personal problems unexpected international fame brought her. Also, internal disputes and pressure to produce more hits caused conflict, and eventually splits, within The Human League. When asked in late 1995 to describe that period, Sulley said: "I hated the 1980s; it was horrible… absolutely all of it."[9]
The 1990s
In 1990, the band released their last album for Virgin Records, Romantic?, which included the minor hit single "Heart Like a Wheel". The Romantic? album did not re-capture the group's huge commercial success of 1981; with the album's second single "Soundtrack for a Generation" flopping, Virgin chose not to renew the band's recording contract. During the recording of Romantic?, Sulley suffered the first of two nervous breakdowns, exacerbated by a disastrous short-lived marriage.[10] Although disheartened, the group remained together and persevered with new material. The Human League made a surprise comeback in 1994, now signed to East West Records, with the single "Tell Me When" giving them their first major hit since 1986's "Human" and the accompanying album Octopus going Gold.
Like Catherall before her, Sulley had a relationship with Oakey.[11][12]
"One Man in My Heart"
In 1995, the Octopus album gave the UK another hit single with "One Man in My Heart". This provided Sulley her highest public profile in the band's history. The song was a ballad sung by Sulley on lead vocals, with Oakey and Catherall providing supporting vocals. The stylish accompanying video, set in a Parisian café, gave (the now 32-year-old) Sulley the best opportunity to demonstrate her considerable screen presence since "Don't You Want Me". Although only moderately successful (it reached number thirteen in the UK charts), it was described years later in The Guardian as "one of the best love songs of the 1990s", and has been remixed and re-released a number of times since.
2000 to the present
Sulley, Sheffield, April 2008Sulley, 2010
The group regularly play to sell-out venues worldwide. In 2006, they played to an audience of 18,000 at the Hollywood Bowl, and appeared on the network US television show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In late 2006, The Human League completed another tour of the UK and Europe, again with many venues sold out. In a 2007 interview, Sulley stated that the main effort of The Human League in the immediate future was the recording of new material, with the possibility of a new studio album, while continuing to play live at a variety of venues both in the UK and internationally.[13]
Sulley, when asked (in 2004) to pick the highlight of her career, said: "I think it's still happening. I think the fact we're still doing it now. After all these years – I'm 41 now, and really, I shouldn't be in a pop group any more, but I am and it's still my job! I wake up in the morning and I haven't got to go to a nine-to-five. I've got this life and I'm very, very lucky![14]
Although her birth name is Susan Ann Sulley, she has been known professionally by a number of variants throughout her career; the table below shows the chronology. Because she rarely corrects journalists using an incorrect name, it is possible to find any of these currently in use in the media.[16]
1963–1981
Susan Ann Sulley
1981–1986
Susanne Sulley
1986–2001
Susan Ann Sulley
2001–2007
Susan Ann Gayle
2007–present
Susan Ann Sulley
Note: Her middle name can be spelled either Ann or Anne by the media and is only used professionally
Awards
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
Story of a Band Called "The Human League" by Alaska Ross (Proteus July 1982) ISBN978-0-86276-103-5
The Human League is an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album Dare in 1981 after restructuring their lineup. The album contained four hit singles, including the UK/US number one hit "Don't You Want Me". The band received the Brit Award for Best British Breakthrough Act in 1982. Further hits followed throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, including "Mirror Man", "(Keep Feeling) Fascination", "The Lebanon", "Human" and "Tell Me When".
Crash is the fifth studio album by English synth-pop band the Human League, released on 8 September 1986 by Virgin Records. The album would provide the band with their second US number-one single, "Human", the same year. It was produced by the American production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who also wrote several tracks.
Philip Oakey is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead singer, songwriter, and co-founder of the synth-pop band the Human League. Aside from the Human League, Oakey has enjoyed an extensive solo music career and has collaborated with numerous other artists and producers.
Dare is the third studio album by English synth-pop band The Human League, first released in the United Kingdom in October 1981 and then subsequently in the US in mid-1982. The album was produced by Martin Rushent and recorded between March and September 1981, following the departure of founding members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, and saw the band shift direction from their previous avant-garde electronic style toward a more pop-friendly, commercial sound led by frontman Philip Oakey.
Joanne Catherall is an English singer who is one of two female vocalists in the English synth-pop band The Human League.
Secrets is the eighth studio album by British synth-pop band The Human League. It was issued in 2001 by Papillon Records and was the Human League's first studio album in six years. The album was well-received by critics but performed poorly commercially.
The Crazy Daisy Nightclub was a discothèque and dance club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England in the mid-1970s to late 1980s, located originally on the corner of York Street and High Street, Sheffield. It was known as The Beer Keller in the early to mid-1970s. It was renamed the Crazy Daizy in 1973 and run by Mecca. Lunch-time discos and Bryan Ferry nights were popular in the mid-1970s. In 1978 it was taken over by the Tetley company. Situated in the basement of an art deco building, it featured numerous supporting pillars and a steep, sweeping staircase down from the entrance.
"One Man in My Heart" is a song by English synth-pop band the Human League, written by Neil Sutton and Philip Oakey. It was released as the second single from the band's seventh album, Octopus (1995), on 6 March 1995 by East West Records. A ballad, the song differs from all previous Human League tracks as the lead vocal is performed by band member Susan Ann Sulley, with spoken-word refrains from Oakey and contrasting backing from the third member, Joanne Catherall. The song received positive reviews from music critics and peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart, spending eight weeks in the top 100. Its music video was directed by Andy Morahan. In 2001, The Guardian newspaper named "One Man in My Heart" one of the best love songs of the 1990s.
"All I Ever Wanted" is a song by English synth-pop band the Human League. It is taken from the Secrets album of 2001 and was released as its first single. It is currently their most recent single released on a major label. It follows the standard Human League style of baritone lead vocals of Philip Oakey with choruses and incidentals jointly shared between female co-vocalists Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley. It was released in July 2001 and stalled at number 47 in the UK Singles Chart.
"Life on Your Own" is a song by English synth-pop band the Human League. Written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey, keyboard players Jo Callis and Adrian Wright, it was recorded at AIR Studios during 1983–1984. Originally an album track on the band's fourth studio album Hysteria, it was then released as the second single from the album in the UK.
"Boys and Girls" is a song by the British synth-pop group The Human League. It was released as a stand-alone single in the UK in February 1981 and peaked at number 48 in the UK Singles Charts. It was written by lead singer Philip Oakey and the band's visual director / keyboard player Philip Adrian Wright.
"The Sound of the Crowd" is a song by the British synth-pop group The Human League. It became the band's commercial breakthrough, reaching #12 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1981.
"Open Your Heart" is a song by the British synth-pop group The Human League. It was released as a single in the UK in October 1981 and peaked at number six in the UK Singles Chart. It was written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey and keyboard player Jo Callis. The song features a lead vocal by Oakey and female backing vocals by Susanne Sulley and Joanne Catherall, analogue synthesizers by Jo Callis, Philip Adrian Wright and Ian Burden. Drum machines, sequencing and programming were provided by producer Martin Rushent.
"I Don't Depend on You" is a disco-influenced song by the British synth-pop group the Human League released under the pseudonym The Men. It was released as a single in the UK in July 1979, but failed to chart. It was written by Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh; was produced by Colin Thurston and featured guest backing vocalists Katie Kissoon and Lisa Strike.
"Mirror Man" is a 1982 song by the British synth-pop group The Human League. It was released as a single in the UK on 12 November 1982 and peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart. It was written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey with keyboard players Jo Callis and Ian Burden, and produced by Martin Rushent.
"Filling Up with Heaven" is a song by English synth-pop band the Human League, released as the third and final single from their seventh full-length studio album, Octopus (1995). It was jointly written by lead singer Philip Oakey and producer Ian Stanley. The song was released on 5 June 1995 by East West Records in a variety of vinyl and CD single formats. These included various third-party remixes of "Filling Up with Heaven" and "John Cleese; Is He Funny?", including mixes by Hardfloor.
"Soundtrack to a Generation" is a song by English synth-pop band the Human League. It is taken from the album Romantic?, from 1990.
The Very Best of the Human League is a DVD by veteran British Synthpop group The Human League, containing most of the band's music videos recorded up to that point, digitally re-mastered. The only music video missing is Filling up with Heaven from 1995 which was excluded due to a licensing fee dispute between Virgin Records and EastWest
The Human League Live at the Dome is a live concert performance released on DVD by the British group The Human League, recorded on 19 December 2003 at the Brighton Dome. It was commissioned by the band themselves due to the success of Virgin Records' The Very Best of the Human League DVD the previous year; and the high uptake for their live concerts.
"Louise" is a song by English synth-pop band the Human League. It was released as a single in the UK on 5 November 1984 and peaked at number thirteen in the UK Singles Chart. It was written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey with fellow band members Jo Callis and Philip Adrian Wright. The song features a lead vocal by Oakey and female vocals by Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall, analogue synthesizers by Philip Oakey, Jo Callis, Philip Adrian Wright and Ian Burden. The producers were Chris Thomas and Hugh Padgham. Although enjoying modest success when released as a single, it appeared on Melody Maker’s list of 50 top singles of 1984.
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