Spandau Ballet

Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet in 2009
Spandau Ballet in 2009
Background information
OriginIslington, London, England
Genres
Years active
  • 1979–1990
  • 2009–2019
Labels
Past membersTony Hadley
Gary Kemp
Martin Kemp
John Keeble
Steve Norman
Ross William Wild
Websitewww.spandauballet.com Edit this at Wikidata

Spandau Ballet (/ˈspændaʊ ˈbæleɪ/ SPAN-dow BAL-ay) were an English pop 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 Dance Music" as "The Applause" for this new club culture's audience.[7][8][9] They became one of the most successful groups of the New Romantic era of British pop[10] and were part of the Second British Invasion of the Billboard Top 40 in the 1980s, selling 25 million albums and having 23 hit singles worldwide.[11][12][13] The band have had eight UK top 10 albums, including three greatest hits compilations and an album of re-recorded material. Their musical influences ranged from punk rock and soul music to the American crooners Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.[14]

The band's classic lineup featured Gary Kemp on guitar, synthesiser and backing vocals; his brother, Martin Kemp, on bass; vocalist Tony Hadley; saxophonist Steve Norman; and drummer John Keeble. Gary Kemp was also the band's songwriter. Their debut single "To Cut a Long Story Short" reached No. 5 in the UK in 1980 and was the first of ten UK top-10 singles. The band peaked in popularity in 1983 with the album True, as its title track reached No. 1 in the UK and the top 5 in the US. In 2011, it received a BMI award as one of the most-played songs in US history with four million airplays.[15] In 1984, they received a Brit Award for technical excellence and were the first act to be approached by Bob Geldof to join the original Band Aid lineup.[16] In 1985, they performed at the Live Aid benefit concert at Wembley Stadium.

In 1990, the band played their last live show before a 19-year absence. In 1999, Hadley, Norman and Keeble launched an unsuccessful case in the High Court against Gary Kemp and his Reformation Publishing Company for a share of the band's songwriting royalties.[17] Spandau Ballet reformed in 2009 for The Reformation Tour, a sell-out "greatest hits" world tour. In 2014, their archive-only feature-length documentary biopic, Soul Boys of the Western World,[18] was world-premiered at SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. It was officially screened at the Rome, Ghent (Belgium) and NYC Doc film festivals and received its European premiere at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

In 2017, Hadley left Spandau Ballet.[19] A year later, singer and actor Ross William Wild became their new frontman for a series of European live dates and a one-off show at Eventim's Hammersmith Apollo.[20][21] In May 2019, Wild tweeted that he had quit the band "to pursue my own music with my band Mercutio",[22] while Spandau bass player Martin Kemp confirmed there were no further plans for Spandau to tour without original singer Hadley.[23]

  1. ^ Debnath, Neela (3 August 2014). "Spandau Ballet to release first studio album since 1989". The Independent. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  2. ^ "Spandau Ballet On Its Reunion And 'Looking Outrageous'". NPR. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  3. ^ David Stubbs (27 March 2009). "David Stubbs Explores The Battle Between Thatcherite Pop And Marxist Funk". The Quietus. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  4. ^ Reynolds, Simon (2006). "Chapter 18: Electric Dreams: Synthpop", "Chapter 22: Raiding the Twentieth Century: ZTT, the Art of Noise, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood". Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. Penguin Books. ISBN 1-4295-2667-X.
  5. ^ Lester, Paul (2009). "Spandau Ballet Once More Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  6. ^ Gittins, Ian (1 October 2014). "Spandau Ballet review – return of the shoulder-heaving soul boys". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  7. ^ McCormick, Neil (18 March 2015). "Spandau Ballet, O2 Arena, review: 'celebratory'". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  8. ^ Johnson, David (3 October 2009). "Spandau Ballet, The Blitz Kids and the birth of the New Romantics". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  9. ^ Simper, Paul (2017). Pop Stars In My Pantry. London: Unbound. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-78352-388-7.
  10. ^ Nickson, Chris (25 September 2012). "New Romantics". ministryofrock.co.uk.
  11. ^ "Spandau Ballet Finds Redemption and Reformation After Years Apart". PopMatters. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  12. ^ Singh, Anita (26 March 2009). "Spandau Ballet interview". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  13. ^ Menefee, Lynne (2 May 2015). "Concert Review: Spandau Ballet at 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C." Maryland Theatre Guide. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  14. ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (30 September 2014). "Spandau Ballet's Soul Boys Of The Western World, film review: Band remember roots". The Independent. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Spandau Ballet's True wins award". BBC News. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  16. ^ Kemp, Gary (2009). I Know This Much From Soho to Spandau. London: Fourth Estate. pp. 211–213. ISBN 978-0-00-732330-2.
  17. ^ "Spandau court bid fails". BBC News. 30 April 1999. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Spandau Ballet Add Second O2 Arena Date". Smooth. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  19. ^ @TheTonyHadley (3 July 2017). "A statement from Tony Hadley :- I am..." (Tweet). Retrieved 1 February 2018 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Band Return With Ross William Wild". spandauballet.com press release, 7 June 2018.
  21. ^ "Dad band Spandau preen with pride for Ross their newly adopted son". Shapersofthe80s. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  22. ^ @RossWilliamWild (23 May 2019). "I have formally quit the band @SpandauBallet..." (Tweet). Retrieved 9 June 2019 – via Twitter.
  23. ^ Kemp, Martin (23 May 2019). "Martin Kemp talking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby". ITV’s This Morning. Retrieved 9 June 2019.