(Keep Feeling) Fascination

(Keep Feeling) Fascination is the title of a song recorded and released as a single by British group The Human League in April 1983. The song was written by band members Jo Callis and Philip Oakey, and produced by Martin Rushent who had been working with the group on their new album, the follow-up to Dare. This would however be their last collaboration, with Rushent abandoning studio sessions and the group.

Despite fraught relationships and difficulties within The Human League to come up with strong new material after their no.1 album and single success (only another interim single Mirror Man had been released the previous year) (Keep Feeling) Fascination went to no.2 in the UK in May and became one of their biggest and best known hits. It has subsequently been included on all the groups 'Greatest hits' compilation albums. As a hit in Spring 1983, (Keep Feeling) Fascination was included on the first NOW That's What I Call Music album.

The song did not feature on the ensuing album Hysteria, which eventually came out a year later, but was included on an EP, entitled Fascination! released as a 'stop-gap' in the USA and Canada, also available in the UK as an import.

Single release
The single was released in 7" and 12" formats. Picture sleeves bore the group's RED marking, denoting a dance record. The sleeve fronts also state the wording FASCINATION instead of the full song title.

A mini CD was also released in 1988.

Availability
Apart from the above releases, and the Fascination! EP, tracks are available on the following group releases:


 * Original 7" version: Greatest Hits (1988, 1995), The Very Best of The Human League (2005), Gold (2014)
 * Extended version: Dare/Fascination! (2012), A Very British Synthesizer Group (2016), Essential (2020)
 * Improvisation: Original remixes & Rarities (2005 - features a slightly edited fade-out version as opposed to the 'abrupt' ending of the original ), Dare/Fascination! (2012)
 * Total Panic: Original remixes & Rarities (2005), Dare/Fascination! (2012)

Also available: Groove Collision TMC Mix on The Very Best of The Human League bonus CD (2005)

Trivia

 * Total Panic is an instrumental track written hurriedly by band members Burden/Callis/Oakey. The title is said to reflect the mood within the band at the time. The track did not feature on the Fascination! EP.
 * The Human League appeared just once on Top of the Pops to perform the song, on the 05 May 1983 which was also the 1,000th edition. Former group members and founders, now Heaven 17, also performed their hit Temptation on the same show.
 * The two singles were in the Top 40 together for seven consecutive weeks. (Keep Feeling) Fascination peaked at no.2 with Temptation at no.3 closely behind in the chart announced on 10 May 1983. Temptation also peaked at no.2 the following week, both being kept off the top by Spandau Ballet's True.