It’s one of the most unlikely origin stories in pop history — a chance meeting on a dancefloor that would go on to shape one of the defining bands of the ‘80s.

In the early days of The Human League, the group was already in turmoil. Founding members had split, creative tensions were high, and a looming European tour threatened serious financial consequences if it didn’t go ahead. At the centre of it all was frontman Phil Oakey — suddenly tasked with rebuilding the band, and fast.

The voice you hear in the audio below belongs to Susan Ann Sulley, one of two teenagers whose lives changed overnight. Alongside her friend Joanne Catherall, she was simply out dancing when Oakey approached them with a proposition that sounded almost too surreal to be real.

What followed wasn’t just a quick fix to get through a tour — it became the turning point that redefined the band’s sound, image and future. The blend of Oakey’s distinctive vocals with the fresh, youthful energy of Sulley and Catherall created a chemistry that audiences hadn’t seen before.

It set the stage for global hits like Don’t You Want Me — a song that would go on to dominate charts and become one of the most recognisable synth-pop tracks of all time.

Watch the music video of the finished song: