Information
- • Hometown: - Islington, London, England
- • Nationality: - English
- • Years Active: - 1979–1990 • 2009–2019
- • Genre(s): - New Wave • Blue-Eyed Soul • Synth-Pop • Sophisti-Pop
- • Label(s): - Chrysalis • Reformation Records • Mercury • Epic • Columbia • Parlophone
- • Associated Acts: - N/A
- • Website: - spandauballet.com
Biography
Spandau Ballet (/ˈspændaʊ ˈbæleɪ/ SPAN-dow BAL-ay) 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 Dance Music" as "The Applause" for this new club culture's audience. They became one of the most successful groups of the New Romantic era of British pop 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. 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.
The band's classic line-up 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. It was the first of ten UK top 10 singles. The band peaked in popularity in 1983 with the album True, with its title track reaching No. 1 in the UK and the top five in the US. In 2011, it received a BMI award as one of the most played songs in US history with four million airplays. 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 line-up. 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.[16] 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, 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 announced his departure from Spandau Ballet. A year later, the band announced singer and actor Ross William Wild as their new frontman for a series of European live dates and a one-off show at Eventim's Hammersmith Apollo. In May 2019, Wild tweeted that he had quit the band "to pursue my own music with my band Mercutio", while Spandau bass player Martin Kemp confirmed there were no further plans for Spandau to tour without original singer Hadley.
• For more information goto their Wikipedia page Click Here
Band Members
- • John Keeble – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1979–1990, 2009–2019)
- • Gary Kemp – lead guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, piano, backing vocals (1979–1990, 2009–2019)
- • Martin Kemp – bass guitar, guitar, backing vocals (1979–1990, 2009–2019)
- • Steve Norman – saxophones, wind synthesizer, guitar, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals (1979–1990, 2009–2019)
- • Tony Hadley – lead vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, percussion (1979–1990, 2009–2017)
- • Ross William Wild – lead vocals (2018–2019)
Videos
"To Cut a Long Story Short" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 31 October 1980.
To Cut A Long Story Short
"Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 10 July 1981.
Chant No. 1
"Lifeline" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released 24 September 1982 from what would be their third album.
Lifeline
"Communication" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 4 February 1983.
Communication
"True" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet. It was released on 15 April 1983 from their third studio album.
True
"Gold" is a 1983 single by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, taken from their third album True.
Gold
"Through the Barricades" is from 1986 album Through the Barricades. It entered the UK Singles Chart on 8 November 1986.
Through The Barricades
"Only When You Leave" is a song by the new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the first single from their fourth album Parade.
Only When You Leave
"I'll Fly for You" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the second single from the 1984 album Parade.