Exclusive review of new digital releases by Paul Simper!
Exclusive review of new digital releases by Paul Simper, formerly of No.1 magazine, Melody Maker & New Sounds New Styles!
To celebrate the digital release of Spandau’s first 4 studio albums, Journeys To Glory, Diamond, True & Parade, special editions featuring previously unreleased tracks, b-sides, live sessions & 12” mixes, we have asked celebrated journalist, author and commentator on the 80’s, Paul Simper, to review 10 classic hits from these fabulous Spandau albums exclusively for spandauballet.comspandauballet.com!
Click on track title for iTunes link
To Cut A Long Story
Gary Kemp’s homage to The Blitz kids, that influential band of posers, designers, embryonic popstars and party animals of ‘79/’80 that made London swing again, only this time the city danced to a bass line, four to the floor and this memorable electronic keyboard riff.
The Freeze
Determined to stay true to the club scene they were representing this follow-up to Cut A Long Story added a dirtier groove and was admired even by John Taylor from arch rivals Duran for its more hardcore vibe.
Musclebound
The five North London schoolmates were always at their best when they sounded like a gang. Intended as a Constructivist chant, this Eastern European folk melody came from left field after two club hits but showed the band were prepared to take chances.
Chant No.1
As the early 80s London club scene skipped from electronica to soul boy with a Latin NYC influence Spandau delivered a sweaty funk and brass summation of Soho’s hottest nightspot, Le Beat Route.
True
At six and a half minutes few in the band saw this blue eyed soul ballad as anything more than a very classy album closer when they first recorded it in Nassau. But the reaction when they played it to the rest of the world changed all that.
Gold
The Bond theme that never was. The band had experimented with epic John Barry flavoured ballads before with She Loved Like Diamond but Gold nailed it. The actual Bond theme for that year, 1983, was Rita Coolidge’s All Time High for Octopussy.
Only When You Leave
Praised by Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant in his Smash Hits singles reviewing days, this sleek rock ballad moved Spandau from the balmy shores of Nassau to the urban landscape of Munich again with Swain and Jolley producing.
I’ll Fly For You
The mix of acoustic and electric guitars on this elegant ballad showed the influence of Don Henley and Mark Knopfler on the Spandau sound as the band enjoyed success on America’s West Coast in ‘83/’84.
With The Pride
A hymn to the working man, inspired by Gary and Martin’s dearly departed dad Frank. While this Parade version rocks out it was revisited acoustically with a nod to the Walker Brothers.
Round and Round
Allied with Martin Kemp’s evocative hi-8 home movies of 80s Spandau at work and play, this ballad finally had a chance to spread its wings on the 2009/10 Reformation tour and emerge from the shadow of True.
December 2010 – Paul Simper, formerly of No.1 magazine, Melody Maker & New Sounds New Styles
Journeys To Glory, Diamond, True & Parade Special Editions are also available digitally here and physically here in the spandauballet.com official store.
Look out for the next spandauballet.com newsletter when Paul will review 10 personal choice ‘deep cuts’ from the fantastic Spandau catalogue!
Archive
-
2012
-
May
-
April
-
March
- • FREE 'Gold' Merchandise!…
- • Tony Playing World…
- • Martin On ITV's…
- • Gary Unveils Ziggy…
- • Gary To Appear…
- • Tony Announces…
- • Listen To Gary's…
- • Happy Birthday…
- • Tony Hadley Metropolis…
- • Gary On BBC London…
- • Last Live At The…
- • REMINDER: Tony…
- • Gary To Unveil…
- • Winner Of Signed…
- • Watch Martin On…
- • 'True EP' Get Digital…
- • Follow John On…
- • REMINDER! Mother's…
- • Gary Blogs For…
- • 'True' Featured…
- • Sir Terry Chats…
- • Martin To Compete…
- • Hi-Brow: Gary Kemp…
- • Gary On Weekend…
- • Martin To Appear…
- • Press Release:…
-
February
- • Video Footage:…
- • Amazing FREE Bundle…
- • REMINDER: O2 Show…
- • Rex Albert Kemp
- • 'We Can Be Heroes'…
- • Watch Martin's…
- • Repeat Of Gary's…
- • 'Gold' Mixes Available…
- • The Lyrics Of Gary…
- • Whitney Houston…
- • Tony Becomes A…
- • REMINDER: Tony…
- • Frida Gold's...Gold'!…
- • Press Release:…
- • Martin Appears…
- • The Lyrics Of Gary…
- • Steve At 'The Gathering'…
- • Tony To Play Two…
-
January
- • Stalker Out Now…
- • REMINDER: Steve…
- • Further UK TV Appearances…
- • Gary Curates and…
- • Catch Up On Martin's…
- • Gold Mixes 2012…
- • 'Gold' Mixes Released…
- • Martin: UK TV Appearance…
- • Martin's 'Stalker'…
- • Movin' On Up -…
- • New 'Gold' Merch…
- • Spandau Smash Into…
- • Orgasmatron Show…
- • Gary On The Jo…
- • Happy New Year!
-
-
2011
-
December
-
November
-
October
- • New 'GOLD' Merchandise…
- • 'We Can Be Heroes'…
- • Sing On Spandau's…
- • Martin To Attend…
- • Steve Norman's…
- • Unseen Spandau…
- • Martin On ITV1's…
- • Martin's 'Stalker'…
- • Tony Live: Australia…
- • Happy Birthday…
- • Steve Norman /…
- • Martin's Stalker…
- • Tony Hadley Live…
- • Competition To…
- • Happy Birthday…
- • Gary Kemp Talks…
- • Steve Norman /…
- • Gary Picks Up BMI…
- • Martin To Take…
- • Guardian Piece…
- • Gary Turns Theatre…
-
September
- • Graham Smith Talks…
- • Steve Norman: Dutch…
- • Catch Up On Martin's…
- • Martin TV Dates…
- • 'We Can Be Heroes'…
- • Cloudfish Live:…
- • Watch Martin on…
- • Watch Martin On…
- • Update: Gary's…
- • Martin on Saturday…
- • Martin Kemp's 'Stalker'…
- • Watch Martin on…
- • Gary's 'Hot Lap'!…
- • Clouldfish Live…
- • Meet Martin Kemp!…
-
August
-
July
-
June
-
May
-
April
-
March
- • Gary Kemp 'In Conversation'…
- • Mothers Day Offer:…
- • Happy Birthday…
- • Gary Kemp appearing…
- • Gary and Tony Rock…
- • Gary and Tony Live…
- • Gary interview…
- • Mail On Sunday…
- • Gary and Tony Live…
- • Spandau Covermount:…
- • Journeys To Glory…
- • Gary Kemp: 'Live'…
- • Spandau Mail On…
- • Journeys To Glory…
- • Journeys To Glory…
- • Journeys To Glory…
- • Gary Kemp Live:…
-
February
-
January
-
-
2010
-
December
-
November
-
July
-
June
-
May
-
April
-
March
-
February
-
January
-
-
2009
-
December
-
November
-
October
-
September
-
June
-
May
-
April
-
March
-