Spandau Ballet
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Contents |
About
The 1980s were the years when Spandau Ballet did and gave their best in the music world. Emerging from a nowhere, this group has contributed a number of songs that gave new wave a different taste. The quintet was formed in 1979 with members Tony Hadley on vocals, Gary and brother Mark Kemps on guitar and bass respectively, Steve Norman on saxophone, percussion and rhythm guitar, and John Keeble on drums.
With Steve Dagger as manager, the group began performing at night clubs in London. Catching wide attention with their kind of fashion and make-up, the band gained popularity and was dubbed as New Romantic. They were offered a contract by Chris Blackwell of Island Records, but the group opted not to accept it and formed Reformation, their own label, which they later licensed to Chrysalis in 1980.
Duran Duran as a group also made their career at that time, but they came ahead with their three Top Ten hit singles all in 1981.
The group’s first single To Cut a Long Story Short released in 1980 made it to #5 in the British chart. The Freeze followed up in 1981 and ranked 17, then came Musclebound and pegged at #17. Their Chant No.1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) single raised them to top popularity in clubs. This instant popularity attracted many music lovers of their kind. Not long after, they became part of Compass Point Studios in Nassau with Steve Jolley and Tony Swain as producers.
What gave them the final ticket to worldwide exposure was their True album. This included the classic singles True, Gold, Lifeline, and Communication. Gold peaked at #2 in the UK and #29 in the U.S. However, the poor performance of the single Communication in 1984 started the downward trend of their career. Although some of their releases did relatively good, they did not receive the same level of audience support as before.
For alleged poor promotion, the group in 1985 sued the label Chrysalis in which they have licensed their own label, and then got a new home with CBS/Columbia in 1986 after the case was settled. With CBS, they released the album Through The Barricades. The title track reached Top Ten. Their last Top 40 hit was How Many Lies?. From then on, their works did not make it even to the same level.
The group disbanded in 1990. The Kemp brothers Gary and Martin tried an acting career, and had exposure in the 1990 film The Krays. Gary also appeared in the Whitney Houston picture The Bodyguard.
Band Members
- Tony Hadley
- Gary Kemp
- Martin Kemp
- Steve Norman
- John Keeble
Awards & Certifications
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | BRIT Awards | The Sony Award For Technical Excellence |
Chart Toppers
| Year | Title | U.K. Singles Chart | U.S. Hot 100 | AUS Singles Chart | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | To Cut a Long Story Short | 5 | - | 15 | Journeys To Glory |
| 1981 | The Freeze | 17 | - | - | Journeys To Glory |
| 1981 | Musclebound | 10 | - | - | Journeys To Glory |
| 1981 | Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) | 3 | - | 30 | Diamond |
| 1981 | Paint Me Down | 30 | - | - | Diamond |
| 1982 | She Loved Like Diamond | 49 | - | - | Diamond |
| 1982 | Instinction | 10 | - | 30 | Diamond |
| 1982 | Lifeline | 7 | - | 68 | True |
| 1983 | Communication | 12 | 59 | 24 | True |
| 1983 | True | 1 | 4 | 4 | True |
| 1983 | Gold | 2 | 29 | 9 | True |
| 1983 | Pleasure | - | - | - | True |
| 1984 | Only When You Leave | 3 | 34 | 12 | Parade |
| 1984 | I'll Fly For You | 9 | - | 38 | Parade |
| 1984 | Highly Strung | 15 | - | 83 | Parade |
| 1985 | Round And Round | 18 | - | 16 | Parade |
| 1986 | Fight For Ourselves | 15 | - | 16 | Through the Barricades |
| 1986 | Through The Barricades | 6 | - | 50 | Through the Barricades |
| 1987 | How Many Lies | 34 | - | - | Through the Barricades |
| 1988 | Raw | 47 | - | - | Heart Like A Sky |
| 1989 | Be Free With Your Love | 42 | - | - | Heart Like A Sky |
| 1989 | Empty Spaces | 94 | - | - | Heart Like A Sky |
| 1990 | Crashed Into Love | 96 | - | - | Heart Like A Sky |
News
Tours & Concerts
Disbanded since 1990.
Announcements
Discography
Albums
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Singles
| Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | To Cut a Long Story Short | |
| 1981 | The Freeze | |
| 1981 | Musclebound | |
| 1981 | Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) | |
| 1981 | Paint Me Down | |
| 1982 | She Loved Like Diamond | |
| 1982 | Instinction | |
| 1982 | Lifeline | |
| 1983 | Communication | |
| 1983 | True | |
| 1983 | Gold | |
| 1983 | Pleasure | |
| 1984 | Only When You Leave | |
| 1984 | I'll Fly For You | |
| 1984 | Highly Strung | |
| 1985 | Round And Round | |
| 1986 | Fight For Ourselves | |
| 1986 | Through The Barricades | |
| 1987 | How Many Lies | |
| 1988 | Raw | |
| 1989 | Be Free With Your Love | |
| 1989 | Empty Spaces | |
| 1990 | Crashed Into Love |
Compilations & Live Releases
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Other artists
Similar artists
Influences
Contemporaries
Trivia
External Links
Categories: Artist | New Romantic | New Wave | Synthpop | Funk | Pop | Rock | Soul
