Home » Music » Music Genres » 80's Music

Spandau Ballet

Ranked #3,899 in Music, #110,677 overall

Spandau Ballet - British Supergroup

Spandau Ballet were a fantastic British group of the 80s. Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran were Britain's two supergroups, although Spandau Ballet were not as successful overseas as they were in their homeland.

As a hot boy band they drove the girls crazy. The blue eyes and sexy smiles of Steve Norman (percussion & sax) and Martin Kemp (bass guitarist) were an important part of the group. Gary Kemp's (lead guitarist) music and lyrics kept Spandau Ballet's sound fresh. Tony Hadley added his distinctive voice to the fray and with John Keeble on the drums the band was complete.

The Spandau Ballet Menu

  1. Spandau Ballet Reunion
  2. Once More
  3. Pre-Spandau Days
  4. Spandau Ballet, the Journey to Glory
  7. Spandau Ballet are Diamond
  10. So, True?
  14. Spandau Ballet on Parade
  16. Spandau Ballet and their 12 Inches
  18. Breaking Barricades
  22. The Heart Breaks
  24. The Sue Romantics
  26. Spandau Ballet Rocks
  29. Favorite Spandau Ballet Member
  31. Read All About It
  33. Spandau Ballet Memories up for Auction
  34. Were You a Spandau Fan?
  36. More About Spandau Ballet

Spandau Ballet Reunion

Fans have been waiting with trepidation for the announcement of Spandau Ballet's Reunion and on March 26th 2009 aboard the HMS Belfast the wait was over.

Spandau Ballet were reuniting for a World Tour starting on 13th October 2009 in Dublin. They even went back into the studio to record a new album poignantly called Once More. Their tour, however, is definately a greatest hits tour which they feel they owe their fans.

I am happy to report that in April 2010 Spandau Ballet made it 'down under' for their Reformation tour, I had only heard good reviews so it was with more than a little excitement that I purchased my ticket and was all set to go.......you can read more here-

Spandau Ballet Reformation Tour



The photo is courtesy of spandauballet.com and is part of their press release and don't they still look good (rumour has it that Tony has been dieting to get into shape!)

Once More

The Latest Spandau Ballet Album

Reworking some of their greatest hits and including two new tracks - Once More and Love is All. Personally I feel that with a couple of the songs they've lost their edge and taken on more of a laid back feel on the album, but I'm just too excited that they're back to nit pick too much!!
Once More

Once More

Amazon Price: $6.04 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $19.98
Used Price: $6.09

Release Date: 10/23/2009

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Pre-Spandau Days

An Early History

While still at school four friends decided to form a band. The four friends were Gary Kemp, Richard Miller, Steve Norman and John Keeble. Gary did not want to be the lead singer however and so Tony Hadley joined the group. This group was called The Makers.

The Makers lost their bass guitarist Richard Miller in 1978 and the band's manager Steve Digger recommended that Gary's younger brother Martin join the band.

Martin could not play the bass guitar, but he used to help as a roadie and with his dimpled chin, quick smile and blue eyes had his own little fan club.

Gary taught his younger brother Martin to play the bass in four weeks and then he was in the band which they renamed "Gentry."

The name Spandau Ballet was adopted by the band in 1979.

Spandau Ballet, the Journey to Glory

Beginning the Journey to Gold

November 17th 1979 Spandau Ballet gave their first live performance in a rehearsal studio in Islington. Spandau Ballet led the way for the New Romantic wave that was about to hit the 80s. They paid as much attention to visual aspect of the band as they did to the music.

Spandau Ballet were part of a group referred to as the Blitz Kids and they developed a cult following by performing invite only concerts. They also didn't invite the standard music press to their performances instead sending invites to the national press.

Spandau Ballet's strategy worked and they were courted by the likes of Melody Maker and The Face (music magazines). This led to them signing a record deal with Chrysalis in October 1980.

Their first single was"To Cut a Long Story Short".
Spandau Ballet's debut album, Journeys To Glory was a success. The singles from the album were To Cut a Long Story Short , The Freeze & Musclebound.
Journeys to Glory

Journeys to Glory

Amazon Price: $6.97 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Track Lising

1. To Cut A Long Story Short - 3:20
2. Reformation - 4:54
3. Mandolin - 4:07
4. Musclebound - 5:06
5. Age Of Blows - 4:09
6. The Freeze - 4:35
7. Confused - 4:38
8. Toys - 5:48

If all you know about Spandau Ballet are the songs True and Gold then you should listen to their cult hits To Cut a Long Story Short, The Freeze and Muscle Bound. These two singles were club hits when New Romanticism was beginning to sprout.
Loading

Spandau Ballet are Diamond

Spandau Ballet's Second Album

Spandau Ballet's second album, Diamond was considered a bit too experimental for their record company and didn't do as well as expected. Chant No 1 was the first single released off of it.
Other singles off of their second album were Paint Me Down & She Loved Like Diamond.
Diamond

Diamond

Amazon Price: $7.49 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Track Listing

Chant No 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) - 4:07
Instinction - 4:47
Paint Me Down - 3:45
Coffee Club - 5:32
She Loved Like Diamond - 2:56
Pharoah - 6:37
Innocence And Science - 4:27
Missionary - 7:00

Loading

So, True?

Spandau Ballet's Third Album

Spandau Ballet, Tony Hadley, Steve Norman, Martin Kemp, John Keeble Gary Kemp, November 1982




Buy at AllPosters.com



Spandau Ballet's third album True had more of an 80s mainstream feel about it and the first singles Lifeline and Communication set up the first signs of the Spandaumania that was to start on May 5th 1983. That was the release date for this next song ............
Spandau BalletSpandau Ballet were on tour in the UK when True hit the number one spot and the tour turned to pandemonium with screaming girls hunkering for a bit of the boys! They celebrated True's success by partying aboard a boat on the Thames.

Spandau Ballet had made it.






Picture credit - LyricsKeeper.com

They also released the club hit Gold from the same album and a single called Pleasure.
True

True

Amazon Price: $7.11 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Track Listing

Pleasure - 3:31
Communication - 3:41
Code Of Love - 5:11
Gold - 4:51
Lifeline - 3:36
Heaven Is A Secret - 4:27
Foundation - 4:08
True - 6:29

Loading

Spandau Ballet on Parade

Spandau Ballet's Fourth Album

Spandau Ballet's fourth album with Chrysalis was Parade and this album cemented the success of True, although it never produced a number one hit.

The first single off of the Parade album was Only When You Leave.
During Spandau Ballet's Parade World Tour Steve Norman badly injured his knee on stage which brought their US leg to a halt.

After Only When You Leave, they released the I'll Fly For You single followed by Highly Strung and Round and Round.
Parade

Parade

Amazon Price: $9.14 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Track Listing

Only When You Leave - 5:12
Highly Strung - 4:11
I'll Fly For You - 5:37
Nature Of The Beast - 5:15
Revenge For Love - 4:23
Always In The Back Of My Mind - 4:30
With The Pride - 5:32
Round And Round - 5:30

Spandau Ballet and their 12 Inches

Spandau Ballet went to court with Chrysalis after the Parade album was released claiming that Chrysalis had not done enough to promote them in the US market. While the legal battle was continuing Spandau Ballet spent some time in Ireland where Gary Kemp found more material for his songwriting.

Spandau Ballet were successful with the legal battle and Chrysalis quickly cashed in on their success to date by releasing the Singles Collection and the 12 Inches Collection. The band urged their fans to boycott these albums.....unfortunately most of their fans (including myself) could not stop themselves from buying the albums - we had to keep our collection intact, didn't we???
Loading

Breaking Barricades

Spandau Ballet's Fifth Album

Spandau Ballet were not done yet and they released their Through the Barricades album. Their first single from the album was Fight for Ourselves, but their second Through the Barricades was a haunting melody that really touched audiences.
Their third single from this album was How Many Lies. I saw them live on their Through the Barricades tour and they were on top of their game. This album saw Italy catch Spandaumania in a big way and yet the group were still seen as approachable.


Live at the Nec
[Region 2]

This DVD was filmed during the Through the Barricade's Tour, but you can't see me as I was in Bournemouth whereas this concert was in Birmingham!!!

As well as the concert, this DVD has music videos for Fight For Ourselves, Through the Barricades, Raw, Be Free with your Love and Crashed Into Love. It also contains the making of Fight for Ourselves.

The DVD was only released in 2005 after the concert video was apparently 'discovered' in a cupboard! I was lucky enough to have my hubby purchase it for me and it took me right back to 1986.
Through the Barricades

Through the Barricades

Amazon Price: $3.77 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Track Listing

"Barricades -- Introduction" - 1:17
"Cross the Line" - 4:07
"Man in Chains" - 5:40
"How Many Lies?" - 5:21
"Virgin" - 4:23
"Fight for Ourselves" - 4:22
"Swept" - 4:53
"Snakes and Lovers" - 4:36
"Through the Barricades" - 5:58

Loading

The Heart Breaks

Spandau Ballet's Final Album

Spandau Ballet's next album was Heart Like a Sky and this was to be their last album together.

The first single to be released was Raw.

An interesting point about this Spandau Ballet album is that not all of the songs are written by Gary Kemp. Steve Norman wrote the track Motivator.
Spandau Ballet followed Raw up with the singles Be Free with Your Love, Empty Spaces & Crashed into Love.
Heart Like A Sky

Heart Like A Sky

by: Spandau Ballet

Amazon Price: $59.50 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Track Listing

"Be Free With Your Love" - 4:39
"Crashed into Love" - 4:43
"Big Feeling" - 3:47
"A Matter of Time" - 5:15
"Motivator" - 4:00
"Raw" - 3:46
"Empty Spaces" - 3:57
"Windy Town" - 4:22
"A Handful of Dust" - 4:54

The Sue Romantics

Spandau Ballet in Court

Spandau Ballet, 1982




Buy at AllPosters.com

Although every member of Spandau Ballet had gone their own way after Heart Like a Sky was released they did not officially split up until Tony Hadley, Steve Norman and John Keeble took Gary Kemp to court.

Why did they go to court?

During Spandau Ballet's career Gary Kemp had been doing all of the songwriting (except for one song on their final album). In a classic 'he said they said' case Tony, Steve and John claimed that Gary had agreed to share his songwriting royalties with them. Gary denied ever having agreed to that and with nothing in writing the Judge ruled in his favour.

Spandau Ballet Rocks

Why Spandau Ballet Were So Good

What made Spandau Ballet better than other groups?

Spandau Ballet never recycled hits, if you listen to their songs they are all different which is part of what makes them so fantastic.

Their live performances were always amazing, they really could play and sing and they were energetic on stage. I have never heard anyone say that they ever gave a bad concert unlike ............................well it would just be bad taste to finish that sentance!
Loading
They also appeared approachable, they were just some London Lads who hit the big time, they were never too "posh" to say hello to their fans and to sign autographs.

They always seemed to put as much effort into their videos as they did to writing their songs. They embraced the age of MTV that only began at that time and they excelled in it. As for looks ...... Martin Kemp's dimpled chin, who could resist??

Favorite Spandau Ballet Member

Loading poll. Please Wait...
Want more on your favorite Spandau man?
Loading

Read All About It

Unfortunately the books on Spandau Ballet that I can find are unavailable at the moment, but here are a couple of autobiographies you can look at.
Loading
Loading

Spandau Ballet Memories up for Auction

Buy Spandau Ballet Goodies

A mix of Spandau memories from around the globe brought especially to you from ebay!
Loading

Were You a Spandau Fan?

submit
Show All
For all the latest on your favorite celeb don't forget to check out - Celebhoo

More About Spandau Ballet

The One Where I Will Always Love You
By the late 80's I had abandoned Spandau Ballet and Bucks Fizz and I was more likely to be found listening to The Smiths, Depeche Mode or Everything But the Girl. By the early 90's it was Radiohead, Nirvana and All About Eve! But all the time, ...
Martin Kemp to reunite Spandau Ballet?
Martin Kemp to reunite Spandau Ballet? Updated: 16:51, Saturday January 21, 2012 Martin Kemp would reunite with Spandau Ballet 'in a heartbeat'. The 'Hustle' actor - who formed the band with his brother Gary and Steve Norman in the 1970s before being ...
Book review: 'The Third Reich' by Roberto Bolaño
By Roberto Ontiveros A few years after George Steiner penned an essay about Hitler's architect Albert Speer for the New Yorker and New Wave sellouts Spandau Ballet cracked the top 40 by singing songs about truth and precious metals, an obscure Chilean ...
Powered by Google

This Spandau Ballet webpage was last updated by lou16 on 4th December 2011

by

lou16

Spandau Ballet were an 80s supergroup in the UK and spearheaded the New Romantic movement of the decade.

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Explore related pages

Spandau Ballet Reunion Tour 

Reformation

Loading

Amazon Spotlight 

Once More

Once More

Amazon Price: $6.04 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Some of The Boys From Spandau Ballet 

Loading

Related Tags