"Homosapien"

In the spring of 1982, there were few songs (if any) that were played more often on the 2nd floor of Cheney Hall at UC Berkeley than Pete Shelley’s “Homosapien.” I can’t remember who first introduced the song into our eclectic mix, but I remember that I was the one who went out and bought the 12” single. The first side was the “single mix,” similar to the version that you hear in this video, but with fewer guitars and more synthesizers. But the second side was the real treat – a 10-minute extravaganza, with loads of special effects, DJ-mixing, and the like.

It was that version of the song that we used to torture one of our floor mates, when he had the gall to ask a girl to dance at one of our dorm parties that none of us could stand (the feeling was mutual, believe me), and who carried about her an air of superiority that you could cut with a knife. We were in charge of the music at that particular party, and the decision was an easy one – “OK, if you’re going to dance with her, you get treated to a full workout.”

He was not pleased.