The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)

"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.

"The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)"
Single by Heaven 17
from the album Penthouse and Pavement
B-side"Honeymoon in New York"
Released1982
Length2:55
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh, Glenn Gregory
Producer(s)Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh
Heaven 17 singles chronology
"Penthouse and Pavement"
(1981)		 "The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)"
(1982)		 "Let Me Go"
(1982)

"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.[1] The song failed to make a chart appearance in the UK, while in New Zealand it reached No. 20.[2]

Critical reception

Upon 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."[3]

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".[4] 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".[5]

Track listing
7" single (UK release)
  1. "The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)" - 2:55
  2. "Honeymoon in New York" - 2:12
7" single (European release)
  1. "The Height of the Fighting" - 2:59
  2. "Penthouse and Pavement" - 6:23
7" single (New Zealand release)
  1. "Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)" - 2:55
  2. "He-La-Lu" - 2:58
  3. "Honeymoon in New York" - 2:12
12" single
  1. "Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)" - 2:55
  2. "He-La-Lu" - 2:58
  3. "Honeymoon in New York" - 2:12

Chart performance
Chart (1982) Peak
position
New Zealand Singles Chart[2] 20

Personnel
Heaven 17
Additional personnel
  • Nick Patrick - assistant producer, engineer
  • BilBo - mastering
Other
  • Jill Mumford - artwork
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References
  1. Rimmer, Dave (18 February 1982). "Heaven can wait". Smash Hits Magazine.
  2. Steffen Hung. "charts.nz - Heaven 17 - The Height Of The Fighting (He-La-Hu!)". Charts.nz. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  3. Starr, Red (18 February 1982). "Singles". Smash Hits Magazine.
  4. AllMusic Review by Dan LeRoy. "Penthouse and Pavement - Heaven 17 | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  5. "Heaven 17: Penthouse and Pavement". PopMatters. 2006-11-30. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
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