Heaven 17 are to record a new version of (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, because... well, have you seen the news recently?
The single was originally released back in 1981 in the wake of Ronald Reagan’s election in the United States. Indeed, it was initially banned by the BBC for referencing Reagan in its lyrics. But recently it’s been taken up as an anthem of resistance to the Trump regime in the States, which fills its co-writer Martyn Ware with a strange mixture of pride and dismay.
“When we wrote the piece, it was a warning,” Ware says in a new interview with Variety. “I didn’t, honestly, in my heart, think it would ever happen. But now we are where we are, and that’s why people are adopting it now. Particularly at the current No Kings protests, it seems to be picking up. It’s on various playlists and such.”
“We’ve been asked for many, many years to do an updated version of it, and very occasionally, we have altered the lyrics for different people that are in power. But for the first time, we’ve actually decided that we’re going to do a brand new version of it and change the lyrics. I’m not going to give too much away, but it definitely incorporates the word Trump,” Ware says.
“We’re not sure when we’re going to release it, because we’re actually writing a new album at the moment, so we may save it for that when it comes out in the spring. But it’s not going to get any less relevant, is it?”
The song was covered live by LCD Soundsystem at a recent show at the Hollywood Bowl that featured Pulp on backing vocals. They changed the line ‘Reagan’s president elect – fascist god in motion’ to ‘The orange one is president – fascist god in motion’.
Ware himself gave the cover the thumbs-up, saying: “It’s brilliant. They are one of the few acts that have emerged from that kind of electronic dance scene that really know how to write songs and have an impact. I’m quite flattered that they understood and wanted to cover it.”
In between working on that new album, Heaven 17 have some UK dates in November, a German tour and then, hopefully some US shows... if they’re allowed in. Ware, though, lays out his cards plainly: “It’s not going to alter the way that we present ourselves online or in person or in interviews. Then they’ve won, as far as I’m concerned. So if they want to turn us away at the border, go for it!”
