“(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” by Heaven 17

Heaven 17 announced themselves on 13 March 1981 with "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang", their debut single on Virgin and the opening shot from their first album, Penthouse and Pavement. It began as "Groove Thang", an instrumental Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh had cut earlier that year for Music for Stowaways under the British Electric Foundation banner, and the production credit here goes to B.E.F.

Glenn Gregory wrote the words and sings them, and the gag has teeth: fascism and racism get talked about in the jive of a funk record. Ware and Marsh work synths and percussion, Marsh adds sax, Ware piano and backing vocals, and John Wilson plays bass and guitar. AllMusic's Stewart Mason hears several electronic rhythm tracks running at once, making it seem quicker than it is. The BBC banned it, and it still became a minor UK hit.

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