Sunset Now

Last updated

"Sunset Now"
Heaven-17-sunset-now-virgin.jpg
Single by Heaven 17
from the album How Men Are
B-side "Counterforce"
Released20 August 1984 [1]
Genre Synthpop, new wave
Length3:40
Label Virgin Records, Arista Records
Songwriter(s) Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh, Martyn Ware
Producer(s) British Electric Foundation, Greg Walsh
Heaven 17 singles chronology
"Crushed by the Wheels of Industry"
(1983)
"Sunset Now"
(1984)
"This Is Mine"
(1984)

"Sunset Now" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1984 as the first single from their third studio album How Men Are . [2] It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Ware (British Electric Foundation) and Greg Walsh. It reached No. 24 in the UK, remaining on the charts for six weeks on. [3] A music video was filmed to promote the single.

Contents

Critical reception

Upon release, Adrian Thrills of New Musical Express stated: "It is difficult to take an active dislike to Heaven 17, but it is even harder to find anything other than flat, flawless worthinness in their music. I'd love "Sunset Now" if I could, but it tells me nothing about the frenzy of political struggle or even how I feel about my all-time favourite dancer. It is merely another record, another numb artefact. I guess the fairlight is just not the instrument from which dreams are made." Andy Coyne for Sounds wrote: "Hardly a great achievement from the creators of "Fascist Groove Thang" but as pop fare it's strong enough. I know this is going to really irritate after about two weeks. Oh, what could have been."

Paul Simper from Number One commented: "More happy returns. A year on, Heaven 17 seem to have refined the mannered funk of "Crushed By The Wheels". "Sunset Now" sees Glenn Gregory in fine voice, with Afrodiziak helping out on backing vocals, and points to an excellent third album in September." [4] AllMusic retrospectively said: ""Sunset Now", "Flamedown" and the brilliant "This Is Mine" are just a few of the reasons for this album's greatness". [5]

Formats

7" single
  1. "Sunset Now" - 3:40
  2. "Counterforce" - 3:02
12" single
  1. "Sunset Now (Extended version)" - 5:21
  2. "Flamedown" - 3:14
  3. "Counterforce" - 3:02
  4. "Sunset Now (Album version)" - 3:40
  5. "Counterforce II" - 3:08
12" single (US release)
  1. "Sunset Now (LP version)" - 3:40
  2. "Counterforce 1" - 3:02
  3. "Sunset Now (Extended version)" - 5:21
Cassette single
  1. "Sunset Now (Album version)" - 3:42
  2. "Counterforce" - 3:02
  3. "Sunset Now (Extended version)" - 5:20
  4. "Flamedown" - 3:14
  5. "Counterforce" - 3:02
  6. "Sunset Now (Album version)" - 3:42
  7. "Counterforce II" - 3:07

First two tracks not credited on cover.

Chart performance

Chart (1984)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [6] 93
Irish Singles Chart [7] 18
UK Singles Chart [3] 24
U.S. Dance/Club Play Singles [8] 39

Personnel

Credits sourced from the original album liner notes

Heaven 17
Additional personnel

Related Research Articles

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

Heaven 17 are an English new wave band that formed in Sheffield in 1980. The band were a trio for most of their career, composed of former Human League members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) with vocalist Glenn Gregory. Although most of the band's music was recorded in the 1980s, they have occasionally reformed to record and perform, playing their first ever live concerts in 1997. Marsh left the band in 2007 and Ware and Gregory continued to perform as Heaven 17.

<i>Penthouse and Pavement</i> 1981 studio album by Heaven 17

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

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

Glenn Peter Gregory is an English 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 synthpop 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”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let Me Go (Heaven 17 song)</span> 1982 single by Heaven 17

"Let Me Go" is a single by Heaven 17,, taken from their second album The Luxury Gap. It reached #41 on the UK Singles Chart, the lowest chart placement among the singles from that album but their highest at the time of the single's release.

<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.

<i>How Men Are</i> 1984 studio album by Heaven 17

How Men Are is the third studio album by English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 24 September 1984 by Virgin Records. The album peaked at No. 12 in the UK and was certified Silver by the BPI in October 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, originally released in April 1983, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart. This was the second single to be taken from their second album, The Luxury Gap, after "Let Me Go" in November 1982. "Temptation" was certified silver by the BPI in May 1983, for sales exceeding 250,000 copies.

<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>Pleasure One</i> 1986 studio album by Heaven 17

Pleasure One is the fourth studio album by the English new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 17 November 1986 by Virgin Records. It was the band's last studio album chart entry within the UK Top 100.

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

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

<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">The Ballad of Go Go Brown</span> 1988 single by Heaven 17

"The Ballad of Go Go Brown" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1988 as the lead single from their fifth studio album Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho. The song was written and produced by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware. "The Ballad of Go Go Brown" reached No. 91 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for two weeks.

<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, which was released in 1987 as the second and final single from their fourth studio album Pleasure One. 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">Come Live with Me (Heaven 17 song)</span> 1983 single by Heaven 17

"Come Live With Me" is a song by the British synthpop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1983 as the fourth single from their second album The Luxury Gap. It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Ware and Greg Walsh. "Come Live with Me" peaked at number 5 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for eleven weeks. It would be the band's last UK top 10 hit until the Brothers in Rhythm remix of "Temptation" in 1992.

<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, which was released in 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 in 1983 as the fifth and final single from their second studio album The Luxury Gap. It was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Marsh and Ware and Greg Walsh. It reached No. 17 in the UK and spent seven weeks on the chart. It would be the band's last Top 20 hit in the UK until 1992's "Temptation ".

<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, which was released in 1984 as the second single from their third studio album How Men Are. 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 "

<span class="mw-page-title-main">...(And That's No Lie)</span> 1985 single by Heaven 17

"...(And That's No Lie)" is a song by the British new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, which was released in 1985 as the third single from their third studio album How Men Are. The song was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and produced by Ware and Greg Walsh. It reached number 52 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for five weeks. A music video was filmed to promote the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Foolish Thing to Do</span> 1986 single by Heaven 17

"The Foolish Thing to Do" is a song by the British synthpop band Heaven 17 and featuring American singer Jimmy Ruffin. It was released in 1986 as a non-album single. The song was written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh, Martyn Ware and Nick Plytas, and produced by Marsh and Ware.

<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 new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in 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.

References

  1. "News". Record Mirror. 11 August 1984. p. 4.
  2. "Heaven 17 - How Men Are at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Heaven 17 - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  4. "Heaven 17 - Articles and reviews". Heaven17.de. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  5. Aaron Badgley. "How Men Are - Heaven 17 | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  6. 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.
  7. Ward, Jaclyn. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  8. Billboard (28 January 2018). "Music Charts, News, Photos & Video". Billboard. Retrieved 19 March 2018.