That was some hiatus, huh? Well, I’m only human.

And with that obviously lame and self-serving segue, here’s today’s delayed look back. In 1986, The Human League released Crash, the synthpoppers’ fifth album, with R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis behind the board. Riding high on the mega-success of Janet Jackson’s Control, Messrs. Jam and Lewis were interested in working similar studio magic for the UK band (in the U.S., The Human League and Janet Jackson were both signed to the same label, A&M).

But recording at Jam and Lewis’ Flyte Tyme homebase in Minneapolis, things turned chilly between the production duo and the group. After four months in which there were arguments about whose songs to record and doubts about the band’s musical skills, The Human League packed up and returned to England, leaving Jam and Lewis to craft Crash out of what had been committed to tape.

Three tunes written by Jam and Lewis made the final cut, including “Human,” the lead single. Released in September 1986, it became The Human League’s second number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 (after 1982’s “Don’t You Want Me”), and also peaked at #3 on the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts.

Hugely into Control, I wanted to get my hands on anything Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis had theirs on, and “Human” was an epic piece of pop. Even the talky bit in the middle didn’t bother me so much.

Today, while acknowledging the process of recording Crash was anything but smooth, Phillip Oakley credits the subsequent mainstream success of “Human” for the group’s continued longevity. In December, The Human League signed with UK label, Wall of Sound, following an 8-year break from recording. The group looks to fill this space of emptiness with a new album soon.

Purchase The Human League – “Human” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.