two before true

It has been a helluva week. I didn't mean to neglect my little corner of the blogosphere. Sometimes things get in the way of our creative endeavors. Thankfully, I have music as my backdrop and soundtrack everyday. So, with apologies behind us, let's move forward with the tunes I've been spinning on my old Victrola all week long. Indeed, it was a LONG week.

Before we knew this much was true, Spandau Ballet released two, bold, slightly rough musical statements. "Journeys To Glory" was their debut which saw the band plucked from the tastemaker, New Romantic glitz of London's Blitz Club and dropped onto "Top Of The Pops", tartan dishcloths and all.

Their second album, "Diamond", traded in the more stately, dramatic elements of the first longplayer for a more urban, funky backdrop. However, both clearly derived their inspiration from the dancefloor.

Now, after nearly 30 years since they were first released, and over 20 since they first appeared on CD, Spandau Ballet's first two sonic offerings have been brushed up just as the band has reformed for a reunion tour. It has been a long time coming.

The Spandau story started in 1980 with their debut single, "To Cut A Long Story Short", which rocketed to #5 in the UK. The insistent, dramatic and somewhat militaristic synth number was followed by another goosestep groover, "The Freeze", and the hunky sleaze of"Musclebound". The parent album pulled in Old English folk influences which, when played on synths, gave the album a futuristic Renaissance flair with a Germanic twist.

Together with Tony Hadley's art house bravado, which has since become a formidable croon, "Journeys To Glory" certainly didn't sound like anything else in the early decade's dawn. Even though they were joined at the hip with Duran Duran in the press, the two bands sounded nothing alike.

At this point, Spandau were mixing slightly Goth and Middle Ages imagery in their videos. Much different than the slightly futuristic and sexualized look of Duran Duran's early clips.

The video for "The Freeze" features the rare sight of a bearded Tony Hadley! I've known Mr. Hadley for nearly two decades and I've never seen him sport whiskers of any sort. However, he's always smartly attired.



As with most reissues, a slew of bonus tracks have been added to the original tracklisting. This expanded, 2 CD edition is plumped up to included non-album b-side and funky favorite, "Glow" in both its 7" and extended 12" versions, both of which have rarely appeared on CD. However, for some odd reason, the 12" mix of "Musclebound" has been strangely omitted. This is a disappointment considering the entire package is nearly complete.

The rest of the set is filled out with 12" mixes, some of which mark their first appearance on CD with this collection. For the generation that grew up in the 80s, many of Spandau's unique remixes became the soundtrack to most weekend club crawls. They were clearly influenced by the likes of late era disco as well as acts like Chic and Roxy Music, both of which are often name checked by Duran Duran as influences.

As an added bonus, previously unreleased BBC recordings fill out the rest of the package which give an inside look into the bands rugged, live roots.

"Diamond", Spandau Ballet's second slab of longplaying vinyl, was a funkier affair that dabbled with Middle Eastern and Turkish flavors. It's quixotic and somewhat confused. Looking back on it, you can hear the shift from the first album and the move toward the smoother, smoochier worldwide breakthrough of "True".

Slap bass is the order of the day for Martin Kemp on groovy numbers like "Chant No. I (I Don't Need This Pressure On)", "Instinction" (which is not a real word, BTW) and "Coffee Club".

More world music undertones are featured on the hushed tones of "Innocence And Science" and the obtuse "Missionary" which conjures up images of David Sylvian and Japan.

"Diamond" went four singles deep with its campaign having been introduced by the high octane funk of "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" highlighted by a signature, metallic guitar riff and Earth Wind & Fire style horn arrangement.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to locate the video clip for the song without the embedding having been disabled. So, instead, let's revisit Spandau Ballet's performance of the hit on "Top Of The Pops" from 1981. Keep your eyes on Martin Kemp's wonky, bedraggled presence. What was he smoking before the show? Oh, the evils of YouTube. There's no where to hide these days.

Subsequent singles failed to crack the top 10 in the UK. However, they are all worthy of attention in the Spandau cannon. For instance, "Paint Me Down", second single from "Diamond", features a darker element and more chanting choruses. It's easy to see why it was considered a formidable follow up to "Chant No. 1".

Perhaps the homo eroticism of the video prevented it moving past its #30 peak, a far cry from the #3 success of previous single, "Chant No. 1". At the time, Mother Beeb didn't take kindly to shirtless men painting each other with tender care.

Third single, "She Loved Like Diamond", a foreshadowing of the soul boy ballads for which they became most remembered, missed the top 40 completely and crashed out at a lowly #49.



"Instinction", the final single lifted from "Diamond", restored the band's fortunes on the singles chart with a little reswizzling from man of the moment, Trevor Horn. If you get a chance to play the album version back to back with Trevor's mix, you can hear how much depth and polish he added to one of Spandau's funkiest moments.

The reissue of "Diamond" follows the same path as its predecessor. The 12" mixes and previously unreleased BBC recordings round out the collection. Of special note is the non-album b-side, "Gently". It's only one of two songs the band recorded that never appeared on one of their longplayers.

Unlike Duran, Spandau weren't prolific and had a more continental appeal. In fact, Gary Kemp as sole songwriter for the band, shows them in complete contrast to their 80s heyday rivals. Of course, the contribution of all the band members brought added depth, color and style to songs. On one of the occasions when we worked together, Gary mentioned to me that he only ever wrote enough material for an album with very little extra material available for inclusion as b-sides.

The inclusion of the remixes that were released as an EP with a limited edition, boxed set of "Diamond", are a nice surprise. Some of them were never issued on CD and appear on this collection for the first time.

Unfortunately, neither reissue was serviced with liner notes. Surely there is a Spandau Ballet historian who could've regaled us with colorful accounts of the band's exploits. But if you want to know more about a band from the big 80s that doesn't get the glory which seems to be reserved for other groups from that era, pick up Spandau Ballet's first two albums. There's more to them than "True".

black and white ballet

It took them a while to get around to lensing a video for the first single from the new album. Finally, Spandau Ballet got around to giving us the full visual for the newly invigorated quintet.



Suitably stylish and not too expensive. Nicely done, chaps.

reformation

Twenty years after their last longplayer of original material, "Heart Like A Sky", Spandau Ballet triumphantly returned to the UK albums chart this week at #7 with "Once More", which features acoustic reimagings of their biggest hits plus two, brand new songs.

Their last top 10 album was "Gold - The Best Of Spandau Ballet" which, coincidentally, also peaked at #7 in 2001.

The original, five members of the band put aside their differences and stormed the live stage for a reunion tour which stopped in London's O2 Arena for three sold out nights last week. With rewards points in hand, I scooped up a flight, booked my hotel and made the trip over the Atlantic to witness the third of their three, highly anticipated, hometown shows.

Much has been made of this reunion after such an acrimonious split that played out in the British tabloids in the 90s. Having worked with both sides of the divided ranks over the last 15 years, it was a pleasure to see the five friends return to doing what they love most. It was clear from their playful camaraderie that they were a unified, creative front once more.

As the lights dimmed in the arena, a montage of footage featuring each band member, followed by each of their names just in case anyone forgot over the passing years, was projected onto a sheer curtain at the front of the stage. Each member received squeals of delight from the mostly 40+ crowd. Clearly, Martin Kemp, resident bass player and "Eastenders" heartthrob garnered the most adulation, which was expected.

Then, five shadowy figures appeared behind the draping which dropped to the floor and revealed a reinvigorated Spandau Ballet as they launched into the sinuous, gritty synthiness of "To Cut A Long Story Short" and barreled through a two hour parade of hits peppered with a few surprises.

After the rubbery bass and New Romantic arty stance of "The Freeze" and a high octane version of "Highly Strung", Tony Hadley addressed the audience in his usual, smooth and affable way by asking the audience what they've been up to for the last twenty years. That statement drew cheers and laughter from the crowd who had packed the house.

The band members, suitably dressed in their trademark fine suits and casual couture, carried the show with nothing more than a jumbo screen at the back of the stage and their instruments in hand. This reunion was clearly about the music. The fact that they could carry a two hour show of hits without a dry ice machine, laser show, pyro or other unnecessary spectacle is a testament to their collective talent. Tony, always dashing, never removed his tie or blazer during the entire show including the encore. Substance and style all the way.

"Highly Stung" was followed by a fiery take on "Only When You Leave" and the dreamy, "I'll Fly For You", both hit singles from their fourth longplayer, "Parade". "How Many Lies", the power ballad lifted as the third single from their fifth album, "Through The Barricades", slowed the tempo down a bit, but it was obvious and quite astounding, that Tony Hadley's voice has more range and power than ever. His impressive stage presence, passionate performance and relative ease scaling the upper end of his vocal range were delivered with effortless grace.

It was evident at this point in the show that Spandau Ballet played musical hopscotch throughout the 80s. In retrospect, with every single they seemingly tried on a new style whether it was the electro stylings of their early work, the funk workouts which dotted their albums, the posh soulboy ballads that marked their imperial phase, or the rock leanings of their later material. This is a band that used the full palate of musical colors and weren't afraid to experiment. As the evening progressed, it was clear that Gary Kemp, the main songwriter in the band, has always been a rock classicist at heart rather than a dedicated follower of pop fashion. All of the songs were performed with expert delivery almost stripped completely of some of their dated stylings which allowed them to shine and stand as timeless compositions.

The biggest kick for me occurred during "How Many Lies". While watching Gary play his distinctive parts on a buttery yellow guitar, I recognized it as the one he used when we wrote and recorded a few songs together only a year or two ago just before Spandau Ballet reformed. I got a little zing from that particular memory which stands out as one of my professional highlights.


First surprise of the evening was a rocked out, "Virgin", a song tucked away on "Through The Barricades" that, at one time, was rumored to have been considered as a single. It was followed by a completely reworked, more organic version of "She Loved Like Diamond" which was their first single to miss the top 40 back in 1982.

Fast forward back to the present as Tony introduced "Once More", the first, new Spandau Ballet song in twenty years complete with sexy, sax solo in the middle. I think it's about time we bring sax breaks back into pop music. At the key change toward the end of the song, Tony belted out some of the highest notes of his career with amazing ease.

Then it was back to their massive catalog of hits with the mellow "Round And Round" which was accompanied by old, grainy, home movies of the band in their very early days interspersed with current shots. The footage was received with rapturous applause by the audience, who by this time, was eating from the palm of Tony's hand. He certainly has maintained his ability to carry a crowd on a musical journey and engage them with his grand and gracious gestures.


A few more surprises in the shape of "Man In Chains", another track from "Through The Barricades", which was followed by the band leaving the stage with the exception of Tony and Gary who sat front and center on stools for an intimate, acoustic performance of "With The Pride", a song from "Parade" which Gary described as one which holds a very special place in his heart.

As the rest of the band returned to the stage, the haunting intro to the title track from "Through The Barricades" floated through the arena and the venue was flooded with the glow of hundreds of mobile phones as the band proudly delivered an elegiac performance of what has become one of their signature songs which was inspired by the strife that embattled North Ireland in the 80s.

After a few downtempo numbers, it was time for a funk frenzy including the brassy, "Instinction" which Tony sang with backing singer, Dawn Joseph, who's bleached blonde quiff put all 80s revivalists to shame. It was followed by the brazen, full throttle romp of "Communication", an ebullient "Lifeline" and a medley of "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" merged with the erotic, "Paint Me Down", all of which showcased Martin Kemp's significant bass chops.

A Spandau Ballet show wouldn't be complete without "True", the ultimate love song and Marvin Gaye tribute which launched the quintet into the international stratosphere. With a backdrop of twinkling lights and another wave of glowing mobile phones from the audience, the band closed their show but not before a sprightly run through the anthemic "Fight For Ourselves" and the towering beauty of "Gold".


The following is the full set list from Spandau Ballet's "Reformation" tour.

1. To Cut A Long Story Short

2. The Freeze

3. Highly Strung

4. Only When You Leave

5. I'll Fly For You

6. How Many Lies

7. Virgin

8. She Loved Like Diamond

9. Once More

10. Round And Round

11. Man In Chains

12. With The Pride

13. Through The Barricades

14. Instinction

15. Communication

16. Lifeline

17. Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)/Paint Me Down

18. True

Encore

19. Fight For Ourselves

20. Gold

Sadly, no songs from their final album, "Heart Like A Sky", made an appearance in the show. The sexy and seductive strains of "Raw" or the glorious, Latin tinged "Be Free With Your Love" would've been welcome additions.

Luckily, my charm and wit was put to good use by allowing me to attend the afterparty in the bar on the main floor of the O2. I had the opportunity to spend a little time with Tony and have a lovely chinwag with drummer, John Keeble who, as always, was super chatty and seriously charming. However, he's a little camera shy when the spotlight turns off. Martin was swamped, as is the burden of all top level pinups at any age. Steve Norman, percussionist and saxophone player extraordinaire, had the briefest of conversations with me as he was ensconced in conversations with friends and family.

I got a chance to chat with Gary about possible US dates which are being negotiated at the moment. We talked about the thrill, for both the band and their fans, in the light of an unexpected, full on reunion tour and new album. He and the rest of the gents in the band are truly moved by the overwhelming response received thus far. They are all looking forward to enjoying every moment.

As a music obsessed teenager - which is quite like being a music obsessed adult only with less time on my hands - Spandau Ballet were one of my favorite bands. I wanted to write poetic odes to unrequited love like Gary Kemp (who has written at least three, bona fide classics) and sing with the deep emotion and unbridled confidence of Tony Hadley.

Spandau Ballet hardly ever appeared on the arty sleeves of their albums and singles. I admired them for their mix of sophisticated arrangements and urban stylings. Imagine my delight, mixed with slight trepidation, when the opportunity to work with them presented itself years later in my professional life. Spandau Ballet inspired me both musically and visually, having left an indelible imprint on my creative endeavors over the years.


It was a tremendous joy to see them live for the first time ever. They never really embarked on a fully fledged tour of the US during the height of their success, so endless hours viewing their lush, intricate videos had to suffice. Finally, I was able to experience their electric, live performance which I've only ever seen on television when they played Live Aid that glorious day in July 1985. With the current, "Reformation" tour, they proved that they might be older but their fire still burns brightly after a long spell away from the game.

hot butterfly

One of my absolute favorite songs at the moment is "Papillon" by Editors. It's a world away from their previous, guitar oriented efforts. I've got to admit that I much prefer this new, brooding, spooky, electro goth direction.

Lead singer, Tom Smith, is definitely channeling equal parts Scott Walker and Dave Gahan. The track is like the best, synthy bits of Gary Numan, Depeche Mode and even a touch of early Spandau Ballet. Seriously! Go and have a listen to songs like "Musclebound", "The Freeze" and "To Cut A Long Story Short".

I'm sure their bold, new direction has a lot to do with bringing on Flood as the producer for the project. He was responsible for numerous albums by Depeche Mode and Erasure, among others.

"Papillon" is from their forthcoming, third longplayer, "In This Light And On This Evening". I'm sure this will be spinning on my old victrola for many months to come. By the way, the Tiesto remix is the jammy jam. It's just as tasty as the original version.

Question. Is a sleep twitch like a Charlie horse? Send me your thoughts on a cocktail napkin, please.

this much is true

Alert the media! With a thrill in my head and a pill on my tongue, I am pleased to announce the finalized tracklisting for "Once More", the forthcoming longplayer from Spandau Ballet.

The thirteen track album hits the "shops" on October 19 just as they hit the road for their European reunion tour. The following is the running order:

1. Once More
2. To Cut A Long Story Short
3. Gold
4. True
5. Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)
6. I'll Fly For You
7. Only When You Leave
8. Through The Barricades
9. She Loved Like Diamond
10. Communication
11. Lifeline
12. With The Pride
13. Love Is All

"Once More" and "Love Is All" are the band's first new recordings in twenty years! How time flies!

The remaining eleven tracks are re-imaged recordings of songs across their entire career produced in an acoustic setting. There are the obvious choices like "True", "Gold" and "Through The Barricades". Then there are more obscure selections like "She Loved Like Diamond", which was originally the third single from their second album, "Diamond", and peaked at a rather lowly #49 in the UK singles chart in 1982. Another interesting choice is "With The Pride", a longtime band and fan favorite from their fourth longplayer, "Parade".

once more with feeling

Here it is, kittens! "Once More" is the brand new single from the mighty Spandau Ballet.

It marks the very first time one of their songs has been written by Gary Kemp with another member of the band. "Once More", from the album of the same name, is a collaboration between Gary Kemp and Steve Norman, Spandau Ballet's percussionist and sax player. With the exception of one song on their final album, "Heart Like A Sky", Gary wrote every song in the Spandau cannon.



About a minute has been trimmed of the end of the song for this clip, but it's worth hearing. And Tony's voice sounds richer and more confident than ever. A welcome return!

chatting and chanting

In less than a month, I'll be settled in my seat at the O2 Arena in London waiting for Spandau Ballet to take flight once again! I am beyond thrilled! And by the look and sound of things, they are back with a vengeance.

Here they are performing "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" and "Gold" on "Friday Night With Jonathan Ross".



And to get a sense of their esteemed history and unflappable sense of humor, here is the entire interview from the show delivered in two parts.





Their forthcoming longplayer, "Once More", will feature new versions of their biggest hits plus two, brand new songs. Gary Kemp has personally assured me that the album is a bit of a fresh, acoustic reading of the group's best known songs and that the live show will present the hits like the original versions on steroids. I hope I can make it through the show without passing out from excitement.

Here's a short preview of what we can expect from the new album which should fan the flames of frenzy for the diehards that have been with the group since the start.

I've heard the new, acoustic reading of "Only When You Leave", one of my favorite Spandau Ballet songs, and I have to admit that it sounds quite spectacular.

once more unto the breach

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Spandau Ballet, who not only reunited for a tour which commences in four week's time and will continue through 2010, will be releasing a brand new longplayer, "Once More", this November.

The album, featuring reworkings of classic Spandau Ballet tracks alongside two brand new songs, will be issued by Mercury through Universal. It will be preceded by a single of the same name which is schedule for release on October 19.

The cover art looks like a cross between something from Talk Talk and Christopher Cross. Don'tcha think?

Keep watching this space. I'll be flying over to London to see Spandau Ballet perform live at the O2 Arena on October 22. Is it too early to start screaming like a high school girl?