DON'T YOU WANT ME - 1981

Don't You Want Me  - 1981 (Dare)

This Video needs no introduction! If you haven't seen it before you must have been living on Mars.

 "Don't You Want Me" was the fourth hit single from Dare in 1981. It catapulted The Human League into international superstardom  with a British Christmas No 1 in 1981, and then US No 1 in mid 1982.

Quite simply the Human League's best ever  track! Although Philip Oakey strongly disagrees and calls it 'overrated'.  This music video is now universally called a modern classic around the world.  It is now 27 years old  but hardly dates unlike some other League videos, which will add to its longevity. This will still be played in another hundred years time. You only have to read comments on Youtube.com  by teenagers who weren't even alive when this was released, to know it has timeless appeal.

From Susan's point of view, it bears pointing out she was only 18 and had only just left school when she made this; although she looks in her mid 20s.  Probably the only time in her career that she has looked older than she really is. This makes it all the more remarkable that , with no previous experience, she performs like  a professional actress throughout  the video.

In the re-mastered DVD version you can actually see how Sue is slightly nervous as she starts her walk through the film set, but as soon as she starts singing the nerves are gone. It was this video, with her distinctive blonde hair and trench coat , walking through the night mist that firmly put Susan in the public consciousness as a visual icon of the1980s.  Because of this video most  people in the western world  know who Susan Sulley is! They might not recognize the name now but say the line "I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar" and they will instantly remember her (and usually her hair color) from either the track or the Video.

It remains the most popular live track at concerts.

Photographs taken on set during filming of video - Slough, November 1981