Alphabet City (album)

Alphabet City
Studio album by
ABC
Released3 August 1987 (US)[1]
12 October 1987 (UK)[2]
Recorded1986–1987
StudioMarcus Recording Studios (London)
Genre
Length40:55
Label
Producer
ABC chronology
How to Be a ... Zillionaire!
(1985) 		Alphabet City
(1987) 		Up
(1989)
Singles from Alphabet City
  1. "When Smokey Sings"
    Released: 26 May 1987
  2. "The Night You Murdered Love"
    Released: 24 August 1987[6]
  3. "King Without a Crown"
    Released: November 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[8]
Record Mirror[9]
Smash Hits8/10[10]

Alphabet City is the fourth studio album by English pop band ABC. It was originally released in August 1987, on the labels Mercury, Phonogram and Neutron, two years after their previous album How to Be a ... Zillionaire! Following a hiatus in which singer Martin Fry was being treated for Hodgkin's disease, it was recorded over a period of nine months, in sessions that took place at Marcus Recording Studios in London, assisted by Bernard Edwards, best known for his work with the American band Chic.

The album's title and the titles of several tracks were inspired by the Alphabet City section of Manhattan, New York City, where Fry and Mark White lived for a time prior to the album's release. It peaked at No. 7 in the UK, making it their first album to reach the Top 10 since their debut The Lexicon of Love. The album launched three charting singles in the UK. "When Smokey Sings", a tribute to Smokey Robinson, peaked at No. 11 on the UK singles chart; "The Night You Murdered Love" peaked at No. 31; "King Without a Crown" at No. 44.

In 2005, a digitally remastered CD of the album was released with six bonus tracks.

  1. ^ "FMQB" (PDF). p. 43.
  2. ^ Andy Strickland, ed. (10 October 1987). "Index: Releases". Record Mirror. p. 2. ISSN 0144-5804.
  3. ^ "Stylusmagazine.com". Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  4. ^ Lewis, Justin (2003). "ABC". In Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. pp. 2–3. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0.
  5. ^ AllMusic
  6. ^ "ABC singles".
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "ABC – Alphabet City". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  8. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
  9. ^ Culp, Nancy (10 October 1987). "Albums". Record Mirror. p. 20. ISSN 0144-5804.
  10. ^ Heath, Chris (7–20 October 1987). "Albums: ABC – Alphabet City (Neutron)" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 19. Peterborough: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. p. 60. ISSN 0260-3004. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2023 – via World Radio History.