The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)
{{Infobox song
| name = The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)
| cover = Heaven 17 Height of the Fighting 1982 Single Cover.jpg
| alt =
| border = yes
| type = single
| artist = Heaven 17
| album = Penthouse and Pavement
| B-side = Honeymoon in New York
| released = 12 February 1982
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 2:55
| label = Virgin
| writer = Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh, Glenn Gregory
| producer = Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh
| prev_title = Penthouse and Pavement
| prev_year = 1981
| next_title = Let Me Go
| next_year = 1982
}}
"The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)" is a song by British synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 12 February 1982{{cite magazine |editor=Simon Hills |date=6 February 1982 |title=News: Heaven 17 get Beggared |magazine=Record Mirror |page=3 |issn=0144-5804}} 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.
"The Height of the Fighting" was remixed for its release as a single, with more aggressive drums plus brass both missing from the album track. The added horn section was performed by Beggar and Co.{{cite magazine|last=Rimmer|first=Dave|date=18 February 1982|title=Heaven can wait|magazine=Smash Hits}} The song failed to make a chart appearance in the UK Singles Chart, but did reach the unnumbered 'bubbling under' section for three consecutive weeks, which would have been equivalent to a position between 76 and 100 at a time when the main charts covered the top 75.{{cite magazine |title=Chartfile: UK Singles - Bubbling Under |magazine=Record Mirror |date=27 February 1982 |page=27 |issn=0144-5804}}{{cite magazine |title=Chartfile: UK Singles - Bubbling Under |magazine=Record Mirror |date=6 March 1982 |page=27 |issn=0144-5804}}{{cite magazine |title=Charts: Top UK Singles - Bubbling Under |magazine=Record Mirror |date=13 March 1982 |page=35 |issn=0144-5804}}
Critical reception
Upon its release, Red Starr of Smash Hits considered the single a "pointless rehash of an album track in a truly dreadful cover". They added: "The sooner BEF give up this dead-end synthetic funk and turn their talents back to writing classic stuff like "Dreams of Leaving" and "Radio WXJL" from Travelogue the better."{{cite magazine|last=Starr|first=Red|date=18 February 1982|title=Singles|magazine=Smash Hits}} Sunie of Record Mirror noted: "It doesn't quite match the magnificent "Penthouse and Pavement" single but it's pretty fab nonetheless."{{cite magazine|author=Sunie|date=13 February 1982|title=Singles|magazine=Record Mirror|page=9}}
In a retrospective review of the album, Dan LeRoy of AllMusic considered the song one of the "standout combinations of witty lyrics and whiplash electro-grooves".{{cite web|author=Dan LeRoy |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/penthouse-and-pavement-mw0000194104 |title=Penthouse and Pavement - Heaven 17 | Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=2018-09-23}} Tim O'Neil of PopMatters commented that the song "acts as both a satire of gung-ho militarism and a rallying cry for anti-capitalist insurgency".{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/heaven-17-penthouse-and-pavement-2495749966.html |title=Heaven 17: Penthouse and Pavement |publisher=PopMatters |date=2006-11-30 |access-date=2018-09-23}}
Track listing
=7" single (UK release)=
- "The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)" - 2:55
- "Honeymoon in New York" - 2:12
=7" single (European release)=
- "The Height of the Fighting" - 2:59
- "Penthouse and Pavement" - 6:23
=7" single (New Zealand release)=
- "Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)" - 2:55
- "He-La-Lu" - 2:58
- "Honeymoon in New York" - 2:12
=12" single=
- "Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)" - 2:55
- "He-La-Lu" - 2:58
- "Honeymoon in New York" - 2:12
Personnel
=Heaven 17=
- Glenn Gregory - lead vocals, backing vocals
- Martyn Ware - Linn LM-1 programming, backing vocals, producer
- Ian Craig Marsh - synthesizer, producer
=Additional personnel=
- Nick Patrick - assistant producer, engineer
- BilBo - mastering
=Other=
- Jill Mumford - artwork
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| Chart (1982)
!Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|New Zealand|20|artist=Heaven 17|song=The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu!)|rowheader=true|access-date=16 August 2024}} |
| scope="row"|UK Top 100 Singles (Record Business){{cite magazine |title=Top 100 Singles |magazine=Record Business |date=8 March 1982 |volume=4 |issue=49 |page=6 |issn=0144-0691}}
| 41 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Heaven 17}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)}}
Category:Virgin Records singles
Category:Songs written by Martyn Ware