ABC are an English
pop band formed in
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
in 1980. Their classic line-up consisted of lead singer
Martin Fry
Martin David Fry (born 9 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, composer, musician, and record producer.
Fry's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as co-founder and lead singer of the pop band ...
, guitarist and keyboardist
Mark White, saxophonist
Stephen Singleton and drummer David Palmer.
Developed from an earlier band,
Vice Versa
References
Additional references
*
*
{{Latin phrases
Lists of Latin phrases, V
ca:Locució llatina#V
da:Latinske ord og vendinger#V
fr:Liste de locutions latines#V
id:Daftar frasa Latin#V
it:Locuzioni latine#V
nl:Lijst van Latijns ...
, ABC achieved ten UK and five US
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...
hit singles between 1981 and 1990, and their 1982 debut album, ''
The Lexicon of Love
''The Lexicon of Love'' is the debut studio album by English pop band ABC. It was released on 21 June 1982 by Neutron Records in the United Kingdom, by Mercury Records in the United States and Japan, and by Vertigo Records in Canada and Eur ...
'', was a UK number one. Their early-1980s success in the US saw them associated with the
Second British Invasion
The Second British Invasion consisted of music acts from the United Kingdom that became popular in the U.S. during the early-to-mid 1980s primarily due to the cable music channel MTV. The term derives from the similar British Invasion of the U. ...
. Now essentially a solo project for Fry, ABC continues to tour and released a ninth studio album, ''
The Lexicon of Love II
''The Lexicon of Love II'' is the ninth studio album by English band ABC. It was released on 27 May 2016 on Virgin EMI, eight years after their previous album ''Traffic''. After a performance of ABC's studio album '' The Lexicon of Love'' in con ...
'', in 2016.
History
Formation
ABC has its roots in the band
Vice Versa
References
Additional references
*
*
{{Latin phrases
Lists of Latin phrases, V
ca:Locució llatina#V
da:Latinske ord og vendinger#V
fr:Liste de locutions latines#V
id:Daftar frasa Latin#V
it:Locuzioni latine#V
nl:Lijst van Latijns ...
, a Sheffield band formed in 1977 by synthesizer-players
Stephen Singleton and
Mark White. Their debut gig was as the support to
Wire
Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm
A wire is a flexible strand of metal.
Wire is c ...
at the Outlook club in Sheffield.
[Frame, Pete. (1999) Pete Frame's Rockin' Around Britain: Rock'n'roll Landmarks of the UK and Ireland, Omnibus Press ] They founded their own label, Neutron Records, releasing the
EP ''Music 4''.
Martin Fry
Martin David Fry (born 9 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, composer, musician, and record producer.
Fry's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as co-founder and lead singer of the pop band ...
, who wrote the fanzine ''Modern Drugs'', interviewed Vice Versa and shortly afterwards they asked him to join as synthesizer player.
Fry accepted and by late 1980 the band had evolved into ABC, with Fry becoming lead singer.
[Reynolds, Simon (2005) ''Rip it up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984'', Faber & Faber, ] The band's last day as Vice Versa was at the Futurama 2 Festival in
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
in September 1980; from then on it performed as ABC, with Singleton playing saxophone and White on guitars and keyboards.
In the new year Singleton and White were joined by Mark Lickley on bass and David Robinson on drums.
''The Lexicon Of Love'', ''Beauty Stab'' & ''How To Be A Zillionaire'': 1981–1985
The band's first single, "
Tears Are Not Enough
"Tears Are Not Enough" is a 1985 charity single recorded by a supergroup of Canadian artists, under the name Northern Lights, to raise funds for relief of the 1983–85 famine in Ethiopia. It was one of a number of such supergroup singles reco ...
", made the UK Top 20 in 1981.
Soon afterwards, Robinson left the band and was replaced by David Palmer; Lickley departed shortly thereafter and was not replaced.
In 1982, the band released their debut studio album ''
The Lexicon of Love
''The Lexicon of Love'' is the debut studio album by English pop band ABC. It was released on 21 June 1982 by Neutron Records in the United Kingdom, by Mercury Records in the United States and Japan, and by Vertigo Records in Canada and Eur ...
'', which reached number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
.
Produced by
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
, it often featured in UK critics' lists of favourite albums: it ranked 42nd in ''
The Observer Music Monthly
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
s "Top 100 British Albums" (June 2004) and 40th in ''
Q'' magazine's "100 Greatest British Albums" (June 2000). The band had three Top 10 hits during 1982: the singles "
Poison Arrow
"Poison Arrow" is a song by English new wave band ABC, released as the second single from their debut studio album, ''The Lexicon of Love'' (1982).
The single was released in the United Kingdom on 15 February 1982 on 7" and 12", with the sam ...
", "
The Look of Love" (both of which were recorded whilst Mark Lickley was still a member of the band), and "
All of My Heart
"All of My Heart" is a song by English new wave and synth-pop band ABC, from their debut studio album, ''The Lexicon of Love'' (1982). It was released as a single in the UK on 27 August 1982 and peaked at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. The B- ...
".
Several
high-concept music videos were made, including the long-form spy pastiche "Mantrap" by
Julien Temple.
Following the culmination of the ''Lexicon of Love'' tour, Palmer joined the
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO for short) is a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). The group is cons ...
for a series of tour dates; shortly thereafter Fry, White and Singleton decided to reconvene in order to commence work on their next album, leading Palmer to depart ABC in order to honour his commitments to Yellow Magic Orchestra's tour. The remaining members found it difficult to follow-up on the success of their debut. Their second album, ''
Beauty Stab'', was released in November 1983, produced by
Gary Langan
Gary Michael Langan (born 19 April 1956) is an English engineer, record producer, mixer and musician.
Biography
His career started at age 18 when he worked as an assistant engineer at Sarm East Studios, learning the craft from Gary Lyons and M ...
who was the
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
on ''The Lexicon of Love''.
It performed poorly in comparison to its predecessor, peaking at No. 12. The first single from the album, "
That Was Then but This Is Now", briefly appeared in the UK Top 20, followed by a Top 40 showing for "
SOS".
The band eschewed
remixes for the project and so the 12" single for "That Was Then but This Is Now" featured the disclaimer "This record is exactly the same as the 7" version. The choice is yours."
Singleton left the band shortly after the release of ''Beauty Stab'' as a result of Fry and White's reluctance to spend much time touring the band's material. Fry and White then enlisted the services of
Fiona Russell Powell
Fiona Russell Powell (born 2 April 1962) is a British journalist. She is best known for her series of interviews throughout the 1980s in '' The Face'' magazine. For a brief period in the mid-1980s, she performed as a member of pop group ABC ...
(under the name "Eden") and
David Yarritu
David Yarritu is an American musician and photographer. He was best known for his short stint as a member of the English new wave band ABC in the 1980s. He was featured in several music videos from the band's '' How to Be a ... Zillionaire!'' ...
in the band's new line-up. Russell Powell had been a member of the original line-up of the pre-ABC band, Vice Versa. According to an article published on 7 March 1997, she 'chickened out' of Vice Versa's first live gig, and the job as frontman went to Fry. The Fry-White-Russell Powell-Yarritu line-up recorded the album ''
How to Be a ... Zillionaire!'', released in 1985. The band's chart success dwindled further in the UK with this album, but they did score their first US Top 10 hit with "
Be Near Me
"Be Near Me" is a song by English new wave and synth-pop band ABC. It was released in April 1985 as the second single from their third studio album, '' How to Be a ... Zillionaire!'' It peaked at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart in 1985, and w ...
", which also made the UK Top 30. The album also featured the singles "
(How to Be a) Millionaire", "
Vanity Kills
"Vanity Kills" is a song by English new wave and synth-pop band ABC, released as the third single from their third studio album, '' How to Be a ... Zillionaire!'' (1985). It peaked at No. 70 on the UK Singles Chart and reached No. 91 on the U ...
" and "
Ocean Blue". Inspiration for the album's cartoons of the band members was taken from a photo shoot by
David Levine
David Levine (December 20, 1926 – December 29, 2009) was an American artist and illustrator best known for his caricatures in ''The New York Review of Books''. Jules Feiffer has called him "the greatest caricaturist of the last half of the ...
whose work featured on many of the sleeves for singles released from this album.
Keith LeBlanc
Keith LeBlanc is an American drummer and record producer, and is a member of the bands Little Axe and Tackhead.
His record " No Sell Out" was one of the first sample-based releases. The song was a success, charting at No. 60 on the UK Singles ...
from
Tackhead
Tackhead (styled TACK>>HEAD, sometimes known as Fats Comet) is an industrial hip-hop group that was most active during the 1980s and early 1990s, and briefly reformed in 2004 for a tour. Their music occupies the territory where funk, dub, in ...
programmed much of the beatbox work for the album.
Chart success continues with ''Alphabet City'': 1986–1988
After a hiatus, during which Fry was being treated for
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma, in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the patient's lymph nodes. The condition w ...
, he and White reconvened ABC as a duo, releasing the album ''
Alphabet City
Alphabet City is a neighborhood located within the East Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Its name comes from Avenues A, B, C, and D, the only avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter names. It is bounded by Houston St ...
'' in 1987.
The album returned them to the UK Top 10 for the first time in five years, peaking at No. 7. It featured "
When Smokey Sings
"When Smokey Sings" is a song by English pop band ABC, released as the first single from their fourth studio album, ''Alphabet City'' (1987). The lyrics and title of the song are a tribute to R&B and soul singer Smokey Robinson. In the Unite ...
", a tribute to
Smokey Robinson, which narrowly missed the UK Top 10.
The song did give the group their biggest hit in the US, where it peaked at number 5 in September. The album also spawned "
The Night You Murdered Love" (UK No. 31) and "
King Without a Crown" (UK No. 44) as singles.
''Up'', greatest hits album ''Absolutely'' & ''Abracadabra'': 1989–1992
In 1989, the duo issued ''
Up'', their fifth and final
PolyGram studio album. This time experimenting with
house music, ABC scored a minor UK hit with the single "
One Better World
"One Better World" is a song by English band ABC, released as the first single from their fifth studio album, '' Up'' (1989).
The song, sung with accompanying children's chorus, concerned love, peace and tolerance ("one better world"), and pe ...
". A second single, "
The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to:
Film and television
* The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film
* ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...
", and the album itself were less successful.
During this period, the duo worked on a couple of outside productions aimed at the house music scene. One was
Paul Rutherford's (
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English synth-pop band formed in Liverpool in 1980. The group's best-known line-up comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (singer), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Peter Gill (FGTH drummer), Peter ...
) solo album and first single release; the other was for Lizzie Tear on the duo's own Neutron label.
In 1990, the band released a
greatest hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
compilation album, ''
Absolutely''. This covered all of ABC's albums up until 1990 and featured most of their singles. The compilation made the UK Top 10. A video package featuring
promo
Promo or promos may refer to:
Promotions and advertising
*Promo (media), a form of commercial advertising used to promote television or radio programs
*Promo (professional wrestling), a televised interview in which a wrestler's on-screen personali ...
s was also released. One new song, "The Look of Love '90", was released to promote the package.
The duo moved to the
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
label (and
MCA in North America), where they recorded the 1991 album ''
Abracadabra
''Abracadabra'' is a magic word, historically used as an incantation on amulets and common today in stage magic.
Etymology
''Abracadabra'' is of unknown origin, but according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', its first known occurrence ...
''. Two singles, "
Love Conquers All" and "
Say It", narrowly missed the UK Top 40, though a remix of the latter by the Italian production team
Black Box
In science, computing, and engineering, a black box is a system which can be viewed in terms of its inputs and outputs (or transfer characteristics), without any knowledge of its internal workings. Its implementation is "opaque" (black). The te ...
appeared on the US dance charts.
Martin Fry also collaborated with
M People
M People (stylised as ''M''People) is an English dance music band that formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is taken from the first letter of the first name of band member Mike Pickering, who form ...
in 1991 on their first album, ''
Northern Soul'', recording vocals for the song "Life". However, when the album was re-released in 1992, and again in 1995, this track was omitted.
''Skyscraping'' and comeback: 1997–2007
After a six-year hiatus, Fry, now the sole member of ABC, resurrected the band's name in 1997 for the album ''
Skyscraping
''Skyscraping'' is the seventh studio album by English pop band ABC, released in March 1997 by Blatant and Deconstruction. The album was produced as a homage to lead singer Martin Fry's several musical heroes, including David Bowie, Roxy Musi ...
'', an homage to several of his musical heroes, including
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Roxy Music
Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...
and the
Sex Pistols. With
Glenn Gregory
Glenn Peter Gregory (born 16 May 1958) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as co-founder and lead singer of the new wave and synthpop b ...
of
Heaven 17
Heaven 17 are an English new wave and synth-pop band that formed in Sheffield in 1980. The band were a trio for most of their career, composed of Martyn Ware (keyboards) and Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) (both previously of the Human League), and ...
and Keith Lowndes contributing to the sessions and songwriting, the album was commercially unsuccessful though a single, "
Stranger Things", reached No. 57 in the UK. Two other singles, "
Rolling Sevens
"Rolling Sevens" is a song by new wave group ABC, released as the third single from their album ''Skyscraping
''Skyscraping'' is the seventh studio album by English pop band ABC, released in March 1997 by Blatant and Deconstruction. The ...
" and "
Skyscraping
''Skyscraping'' is the seventh studio album by English pop band ABC, released in March 1997 by Blatant and Deconstruction. The album was produced as a homage to lead singer Martin Fry's several musical heroes, including David Bowie, Roxy Musi ...
", did not chart.
In 1999, ABC released their first live album, ''
The Lexicon of Live
''The Lexicon of Live'' is a live album released by pop group ABC. Although Martin Fry was the only original member left, he had a backing band, and performed in his trademark gold suit.
Track listing (1999 Blatant BLATCD 01)
All songs writ ...
''. The album covered most of their major hits. Although Fry was the only member left, he had a backing band and adorned the album cover in his famed gold lamé suit.
''
Look of Love – The Very Best of ABC'' was released in 2001. Although essentially a reissue of the 1990 greatest hits compilation ''Absolutely'', the album featured two new songs by Fry, "Peace and Tranquility" and "Blame". A companion DVD, along with a bonus disc of remixes, was also released.
In 2004, the
VH1 show ''
Bands Reunited
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
* Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
* Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, ...
'' attempted to get the band's classic line-up of Fry, White, Singleton and Palmer together for a reunion concert. Fry and Palmer appeared and played together (with help from
Nick Beggs
Nicholas Beggs (born 15 December 1961Larkin, Colin (1997) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 270-271) is an English musician, noted for playing the bass guitar and the Chapman Stick; he is a member of the Mute Go ...
of
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo were a British new wave band, best known for their 1983 hit single "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart, and the Top 10 in numerous other countries.
History Beginnings (1978–1982)
Formed in Leighton Buzzar ...
) for the first time in over twenty years. Singleton and White opted not to participate.
''Traffic'': 2007–2015
Following a tour of the United States in May and June 2006, Fry and Palmer, together with session keyboardist Chuck Kentis, put together a new ABC album, ''
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
''. It was released on 28 April 2008.
Gary Langan
Gary Michael Langan (born 19 April 1956) is an English engineer, record producer, mixer and musician.
Biography
His career started at age 18 when he worked as an assistant engineer at Sarm East Studios, learning the craft from Gary Lyons and M ...
, who worked on ''The Lexicon of Love'' and ''Beauty Stab'', mixed and produced the album. The first single, "The Very First Time", debuted on
BBC Radio 2 in January, was added to the station's "A" playlist for the week beginning 29 March and was released as a
music download
A music download (commonly referred to as a digital download) is the digital transfer of music via the Internet into a device capable of decoding and playing it, such as a personal computer, portable media player, MP3 player or smartphone. T ...
track on 1 April.
On 1 September 2007, ABC performed a set with other 1980s acts at Retrofest at
Culzean Castle
Culzean Castle ( , see yogh; sco, Cullain) is a castle overlooking the Firth of Clyde, near Maybole, Carrick, in South Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It is the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa, the chief of Clan Kennedy, but is ...
in
Ayrshire, Scotland. This appearance included a rendition of "
Addicted to Love", with
Tony Hadley
Anthony Patrick Hadley (born 2 June 1960) is an English pop singer. He rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the new wave band Spandau Ballet and launched a solo career following the group's split in 1990. Hadley returned to the ban ...
of
Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European D ...
and
Peter Cox of
Go West.
In the summer of 2008, ABC toured the US as part of the 2008 Regeneration Tour, which also featured
the Human League
The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
,
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist.
Raised in ...
,
A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls are an English new wave band formed in Liverpool in 1979. The group, whose best-known line-up comprised Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds, hit the peak of their chart success in the early 1980s.
The ...
and
Naked Eyes
Naked Eyes are an English new wave band"All Eyes on Pete Byrne", ''Newsday'', 15 October 2013 that rose to prominence in the early 1980s. The band had four US top 40 singles.
The group's first hit, "Always Something There to Remind Me", was ...
.
In April 2009, ABC performed ''The Lexicon of Love'' album live at the
Royal Albert Hall, accompanied by the
BBC Concert Orchestra
The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale sym ...
.
Anne Dudley
Anne Jennifer Dudley (née Beckingham; born 7 May 1956) is an English composer, keyboardist, conductor and pop musician. She was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in the classical and pop genr ...
of
Art of Noise
Art of Noise (also The Art of Noise) were an English avant-garde synth-pop group formed in early 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan and programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with keyboardist/arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn, and mus ...
, who arranged and played keyboards on the original record, conducted the performance. A music review in the 13 April 2009 edition of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' newspaper, described the performance as a "glorious night that has placed one of the Eighties' most perfectly constructed albums back near the top of the pop pantheon".
In 2009 ABC toured the US as the headliner of the 2009 'Regeneration Tour', which also featured
Terri Nunn
Terri is an alternative spelling of Terry. It is a common feminine given name and is also a diminutive for Teresa.
Notable people with the name include:
*Terri Allard (born 1962), American country/folk singer/songwriter
* Terri S. Armstrong, Ame ...
of
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
,
Wang Chung and
Cutting Crew
Cutting Crew are an English rock band formed in London in 1985. They are best known for their debut album ''Broadcast'' and hit single, "(I Just) Died in Your Arms".
History 1985–1986: Formation
While still in his teens, Nick Van Eede (bo ...
.
In June, July and August 2011, ABC performed at a few locations around the UK as well as
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
. In October 2011, ABC performing dates in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia.
On 19 July 2012, Fry was made an honorary
Doctor of Music
The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus., D.M., Mus.D. or occasionally Mus.Doc.) is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions and/or scholarly publications on music. Like other higher doctorates, it is granted b ...
at the
University of Sheffield
, mottoeng = To discover the causes of things
, established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions:
– Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield
, type = Pu ...
for his contribution to music over more than thirty years. The following day his daughter Nancy received her degree from the Department of Sociological Studies from the same university.
On 1 March 2013, ABC appeared in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
, UAE, in the '80s Rewind' concert with
Rick Astley
Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and radio personality, who has been active in music for several decades. He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including his signature song " Ne ...
,
Heaven 17
Heaven 17 are an English new wave and synth-pop band that formed in Sheffield in 1980. The band were a trio for most of their career, composed of Martyn Ware (keyboards) and Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) (both previously of the Human League), and ...
,
Howard Jones and
T'Pau.
In June 2014, it was revealed that a dozen early tapes had been discovered of rare remixes and unheard songs from ABC's first three albums. These were returned to Martin Fry who was delighted, but unsure as to what he would do with them. According to ''
Classic Pop
Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...
'', the rediscovered songs include "a 'That's It Folks!' mix of 'So Hip It Hurts' from ''Zillionaire''. From ''Beauty Stab'', reams of early studio takes have come to light including one song, 'You and Me', that never made the final album. From ''The Lexicon of Love'' era, the band's own, pre-
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
demos of 'All of My Heart' have come to light, along with a reel entitled '4 Ever 2 Gether – The Outtake, Starring Martin Fry as Ken Dodd'".
''The Lexicon of Love II'': 2016 and beyond
![ABC at Eroica Britannia 2017 05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/ABC_at_Eroica_Britannia_2017_05.jpg)
In October 2015, Fry announced that he was working on a new ABC album. "It's going to be a take on ''The Lexicon of Love'', but all these years on. I'm a man in my fifties now with a wealth of experience. It's about how you grow older but you make the same mistakes over and over and over again."
In November 2015, a compilation album entitled ''80s Recovered'' was released, featuring many artists from the 1980s. ABC contributed a cover of
Radiohead's "
High and Dry
"High and Dry" and "Planet Telex" are songs by the English rock band Radiohead. They were released as a double-A side single from their second studio album, '' The Bends'' (1995), on 5 March 1995.
"High and Dry" was recorded as a demo durin ...
", with a regular version and a remix.
In January 2016, Fry said the new ABC album would be entitled ''The Lexicon of a Lost Ideal'' and released in the UK in May 2016. Featuring tracks penned by Fry, with contributions by
Rob Fusari
Rob Fusari, also known as 8Bit, is an American record producer and songwriter. He has worked with Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Will Smith, Whitney Houston and Lady Gaga.
Early life
Rob Fusari was born between 1967 and 1968. And raised in Livings ...
,
Marcus Vere
Living in a Box are a British band founded in 1985. They are best known for their eponymous debut Living in a Box (song), single, produced by Richard James Burgess. The group currently consists of founding members Anthony "Tich" Critchlow (dru ...
, Matt Rowe and
Anne Dudley
Anne Jennifer Dudley (née Beckingham; born 7 May 1956) is an English composer, keyboardist, conductor and pop musician. She was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in the classical and pop genr ...
, the album features orchestration arranged by Anne Dudley, who worked in a similar capacity on ''The Lexicon of Love''. In April 2016, the release of the new album, now entitled ''
The Lexicon of Love II
''The Lexicon of Love II'' is the ninth studio album by English band ABC. It was released on 27 May 2016 on Virgin EMI, eight years after their previous album ''Traffic''. After a performance of ABC's studio album '' The Lexicon of Love'' in con ...
'', was announced with lead single "Viva Love" made available via digital platforms. It was A playlisted by BBC Radio 2. The album was released in the UK and the US on 27 May 2016 and entered the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
at No. 5, the first time ABC had reached the Top 5 since the original ''Lexicon of Love'' album in 1982.
ABC also contributed a new song called "Living Inside My Heart" to ''Fly: Songs Inspired by the Film Eddie the Eagle'', the soundtrack of which was released on 18 March 2016 on CD and digitally.
ABC released their first
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
song, entitled "A Christmas We Deserve", on 2 December 2016 as part of a 4-track EP. The other three songs are acoustic versions of "The Love Inside the Love, "Viva Love" and "The Look of Love".
In March 2017, just before the band's
Royal Albert Hall orchestra show on April 6 (featuring songs from ''The Lexicon of Love II'', greatest hits and the complete ''Lexicon of Love'' album) the band announced the November 2017 XYZ tour.
Band members
;Current members
*
Martin Fry
Martin David Fry (born 9 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, composer, musician, and record producer.
Fry's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as co-founder and lead singer of the pop band ...
– lead vocals
(1980–1991, 1997–present); keyboards, synthesizers
(2016–present); bass guitar
(2016–present); guitar
(2016–present); drums, percussion
(2016–present); alto and tenor saxophones
(2016–present)
Former members
*
Stephen Singleton – alto and tenor saxophones
(1980–1984)
*
Mark White – keyboards, guitars
(1980–1991)
*Mark Lickley – bass guitar
(1981–1982)
*David Robinson – drums, percussion
(1981)
*David Palmer – drums, percussion
(1981–1983, 2004–2009)
*
Fiona Russell Powell
Fiona Russell Powell (born 2 April 1962) is a British journalist. She is best known for her series of interviews throughout the 1980s in '' The Face'' magazine. For a brief period in the mid-1980s, she performed as a member of pop group ABC ...
– vocals
(1984–1985)
*
David Yarritu
David Yarritu is an American musician and photographer. He was best known for his short stint as a member of the English new wave band ABC in the 1980s. He was featured in several music videos from the band's '' How to Be a ... Zillionaire!'' ...
– vocals
(1984–1985)
Current touring musicians
*Matt Backer – guitars
(1999–present)
*Andy Carr – bass guitar
(2008–present)
*Rob Hughes – alto and tenor saxophones
(2008–present)
*Steve Kelly – keyboards
(1998–present)
*Lily Gonzalez – percussion
(1998–present)
*Richard Brook – drums, percussion
(2009–present)
Line-ups
Timeline
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id:ww value:gray(0.5) legend:Saxophone
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id:dr value:orange legend:Drums
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at:16/10/1989 color:black layer:back
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at:24/03/1997 color:black layer:back
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at:27/05/2016 color:black layer:back
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bar:Fiona Russell Powell from:01/10/1984 till:01/01/1986 color:voc
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bar:David Robinson from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/1982 color:dr
bar:David Palmer from:01/01/1982 till:01/07/1983 color:dr
bar:David Palmer from:01/01/2004 till:01/01/2009 color:dr
Discography
* ''
The Lexicon of Love
''The Lexicon of Love'' is the debut studio album by English pop band ABC. It was released on 21 June 1982 by Neutron Records in the United Kingdom, by Mercury Records in the United States and Japan, and by Vertigo Records in Canada and Eur ...
'' (1982)
* ''
Beauty Stab'' (1983)
* ''
How to Be a ... Zillionaire!'' (1985)
* ''
Alphabet City
Alphabet City is a neighborhood located within the East Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Its name comes from Avenues A, B, C, and D, the only avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter names. It is bounded by Houston St ...
'' (1987)
* ''
Up'' (1989)
* ''
Abracadabra
''Abracadabra'' is a magic word, historically used as an incantation on amulets and common today in stage magic.
Etymology
''Abracadabra'' is of unknown origin, but according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', its first known occurrence ...
'' (1991)
* ''
Skyscraping
''Skyscraping'' is the seventh studio album by English pop band ABC, released in March 1997 by Blatant and Deconstruction. The album was produced as a homage to lead singer Martin Fry's several musical heroes, including David Bowie, Roxy Musi ...
'' (1997)
* ''
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
'' (2008)
* ''
The Lexicon of Love II
''The Lexicon of Love II'' is the ninth studio album by English band ABC. It was released on 27 May 2016 on Virgin EMI, eight years after their previous album ''Traffic''. After a performance of ABC's studio album '' The Lexicon of Love'' in con ...
'' (2016)
Pop culture influence
*The track "So Hip It Hurts" from ''How to Be a ... Zillionaire!'' featured in the 1986 film ''
Tough Guys
''Tough Guys'' is a 1986 American action comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach, Charles Durning, Dana Carvey and Darlanne Fluegel. It is the eighth film of Touchstone Pictures, and the final ...
''.
*ABC had three number-one hits on the US
Dance Club Songs: "The Look of Love" (18 December 1982), "Be Near Me" (28 September – 5 October 1984) and "When Smokey Sings" / "Chicago" (29 August – 5 September 1987).
*ABC was profiled in a 2004 documentary about bands hailing from Sheffield in the late 1970s-to-early 1980s. Original ABC saxophonist,
Stephen Singleton, was interviewed for ''
Made in Sheffield
''Made in Sheffield'' is a documentary film on the history of the music scene in the city of Sheffield, England from 1975 until 1983. The film was directed Eve Wood and produced by Sheffield Vision and Slackjaw Film in 2001. It features bands su ...
'', along with members of
the Human League
The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
and
Heaven 17
Heaven 17 are an English new wave and synth-pop band that formed in Sheffield in 1980. The band were a trio for most of their career, composed of Martyn Ware (keyboards) and Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) (both previously of the Human League), and ...
.
See also
*
Honeyroot
Honeyroot is an ambient dance collaboration between Glenn Gregory and Keith Lowndes, signed to the independent record label Just Music.
Career
The project had its origins in the 1997 album, ''Skyscraping'', by ABC. As ABC was essentially Ma ...
*
List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
This is a list of number-one dance hits as recorded by '' Billboard'' magazine's Dance Club Songs chart – a weekly national survey of popular songs in U.S. dance clubs. It began on October 26, 1974, under the title ''Disco Action'' chart. It is ...
*
*
List of synth-pop artists
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abc
English new wave musical groups
English synth-pop groups
Sophisti-pop musical groups
British synth-pop new wave groups
Musical groups from Sheffield
Musical groups established in 1980
Musical groups disestablished in 1991
Musical groups reestablished in 1997
ZTT Records
Parlophone artists
Second British Invasion artists