Diamond is the second studio album by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 12 March 1982 by Chrysalis Records. As with their debut album, Journeys to Glory, all songs were produced by Richard James Burgess and written by band guitarist Gary Kemp. The music was inspired by a variety of genres, including the renewed interest in funk around Soho, American film scores with roots in eastern Europe, the second side of David Bowie's Low album, Pink Floyd records and the mood pieces of another English new wave band, Japan.
Burgess, Kemp and lead singer Tony Hadley had difficulties over the course of making the album. After the first song written for it, "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)", became the band's biggest hit, Kemp found it harder to churn out material to complete the project. Burgess began to exercise control over Hadley, who struggled with the vocals to the point of losing his temper and needing to take some time off. The recording sessions involved six different studios because of Burgess's busy schedule, and the band's decision to have a separate box set of 12-inch remixes of every song on the album in addition to the 7- and 12-inch single versions took even more of his time.
The next two singles, "Paint Me Down" and "She Loved Like Diamond", did not perform well, but another track from the album, "Instinction", was remixed by Trevor Horn and made the top ten in the UK. Because the new single had more of a pop feel than anything Spandau Ballet had released before, the nightclub crowd that the band had initially intended to represent lost interest in them, but Kemp then felt free to write pop songs on future projects without wondering if it was something their fans could dance to.
Diamond reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart and received Gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry. Side two of the album, which Kemp intended as film music, did not impress reviewers and was widely criticized. The band was unhappy with how the entire album turned out and decided to end their relationship with Burgess. Horn was interested in some material Kemp had started for their next album but clashed with drummer John Keeble during rehearsals and decided to move on. Spandau Ballet chose to have Tony Swain and Steve Jolley join them in producing their next album, True, which was a huge success.
Diamond was re-released in a remastered and expanded two-disc special edition on 8 March 2010.
Background and development
By the time Spandau Ballet had completed their first album, Journeys to Glory, their guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp found that musical tastes around Soho were shifting toward funk.[1] This eventually inspired him to write "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)", which became a number 3 hit on the UK Singles Chart in the summer of 1981[2] and the first song completed for Diamond. Its success added to the stress Kemp was already experiencing in having to write enough material to fill an album. In his autobiography I Know This Much: From Soho to Spandau, he wrote, "Unlike second marriages, second albums are notoriously difficult. Journeys had been developed over some time and played live before we went into the recording studio, with some songs being discarded at the last minute. It was a mission statement, cohesive and tight, with none of the indulgence that often plagues follow-ups."[3]
Songs
Spandau Ballet wanted to represent the young London nightclub crowd through their music,[4] and "Chant No. 1" paid tribute to the newest hotspot, Le Beat Route.[5] Suffering from writer's block as it climbed the charts, Kemp simply repeated the use of horns and group vocals from that hit in writing what would be the second single from the album, "Paint Me Down".[6] A third track released before Diamond was completed, "She Loved Like Diamond", was inspired by his exposure to movie themes and musicals that had American Jewish music with roots in eastern Europe.[7] It began side two of the vinyl and cassette editions of the album and was followed by a suite of three songs – "Pharaoh", "Innocence and Science", and "Missionary" – that was intended to suggest film music.[8] His brother and band bass guitarist, Martin Kemp, told Smash Hits magazine in a 1982 interview that the suite was their effort to "get out of the Duran Duran league",[8] but Gary Kemp more specifically revealed a few of his inspirations for that set of songs. In his autobiography he wrote that he was "wanting to attempt things in the vein of Bowie's second side of Low or the mood pieces by Japan."[9] In 2021 he said he was "trying to make a [Pink] Floyd record, with soundscapes and the rest of it. We didn’t know if we were going to go prog or not. Obviously, things turned out very differently.[10]
Recording
Richard Burgess had come on board as producer [of Journeys to Glory] primarily because he moved in the same social circles as us. We had run into him in the Blitz. There was no more to it than that, really. He wasn’t even a producer; he was the drummer in a band called Landscape.
– Tony Hadley on his reluctance to continue working with Burgess after the first album[11]
Lead singer Tony Hadley had found himself more and more isolated from the other band members during the time that they traveled to promote their first album, and that isolation was only compounded as he had difficulty performing the vocals for Diamond while the band watched him through the glass from the control room; he attributed his struggle to the fact that he disliked several of the songs and felt his confidence was gone.[12] Spandau Ballet chose to continue working with Journeys to Glory producer Richard James Burgess on Diamond, the recording of which was prolonged because of the need to use several different studios in order to accommodate Burgess's schedule.[13] Hadley was especially frustrated during the making of the album because of an escalating friction between him and Burgess, which began while recording "Chant No. 1"; although the music sessions went well, according to Kemp, Burgess wanted Hadley's voice to convey the "film noir quality of the lyrics by having Tony sing it quietly, restrained, and with a sense of paranoia. Tony has such a huge voice that Richard wanted him to relax it as much as possible" but was unable to elicit what he wanted to hear with Hadley standing and had him lie down to get the effect he and Kemp had in mind.[14]
Hadley's discord with Burgess was most apparent when he had trouble singing "Paint Me Down" and the producer suspended a rug over two microphone stands and had him lie down underneath it to help him relax as he sang.[15] Years later, band member Steve Norman commented, "It was a great idea, like [something Bowie producer] Tony Visconti would come up with."[16] When Hadley pointed out that the backing vocals his bandmates were recording for the song were out of tune, Burgess's dismissal of his concerns left him even more frustrated.[17] The song's number 30 peak on the UK Singles Chart came in the middle of recording the Diamond album, and while Kemp later admitted that he and Burgess were to blame for its disappointing showing, he was also sorry that Hadley was the one at whom everyone seemed to be pointing the finger.[18] The tension mounted as Hadley continued to struggle with the rest of the songs while the band watched his sessions through the glass,[19] and it reached the breaking point the day he lost his temper and picked up a fire extinguisher; he got a hold of his senses before throwing it through the control-room window and instead walked out.[20] He took a few days off to recover before returning to the studio.[21]
When the band finished recording the album, they played it for Chrysalis executives, whose faces sat frozen when it was over; none of them said anything.[22] Kemp realized later that the band never got together to discuss what the album should be; they just left him to write songs without providing any feedback.[23] While playing the album for Chrysalis, Kemp sensed that the side two suite was especially difficult for the executives to sit through.[24] He later defended those songs, arguing that they "were never realised with the panache they needed."[25]
Although most reviews at the time of its release were negative, some critics gave Spandau Ballet credit for doing something different. Billboard magazine wrote that, whereas Journeys to Glory "was too similar from track to track, this one shows the band moving in new directions. The experimentation is not always successful, notably on side two,"[30] where Kemp attempted a mix of film music and progressive rock. Mike Nicholls of Record Mirror had mixed feelings about that side, especially with regard to the album's closer, "Missionary": "At best its eastern chants and listless sitar show Spandau entering new avenues." He also noted that "'Innocence and Science' has an obviously Oriental flavour, Gary Kemp trying his chops at 'cheng', which, in conjunction with the lapping water effects provides a quaintly Floydian 'Grantchester Meadows' atmosphere."[27] In concluding he warned that "the band have become victims of their obsessive stylization, and unless they break free from their neurotic need to be super-hip, they will soon stagnate beyond the point of no return."[27] Red Starr of Smash Hits thought "'Chant No. 1' and a couple of the simpler moments are OK, but mostly it’s a bad case of running before you can walk," and that the album had "painfully pretentious lyrics whose irritation is doubled by those awful stilted vocals, some overblown, heavy-handed muzak arrangements plus a couple of mock Oriental pieces to boot. Not only is it contrived rubbish, it’s boring contrived rubbish."[29]
Other critics at the time of its release had nothing positive or constructive to offer. In Sounds magazine Dave McCullough wrote, "Diamond is a cold hotch-potch of a terribly studio-sounding second album that is 'light' in the sense it doesn't want to be, both sounding unconvinced and being, simply, unconvincing."[31]Richard Cook was especially critical of the album in his New Musical Express review. While he acknowledged that the other complaints by his colleagues were valid, he felt the album's most troubling aspect was the box set of four twelve-inch 45s, which he felt was "the most accurate reflection of Kemp's grandiose, inflatory plundering of any stylistic milieu he feels privy to."[32] In describing "Chant No. 1" as "the one Spandau tune to pay tithes direct to disco convention," he asserts that "Spandau Ballet, whatever their declared intentions, have never really made an Anglo-funk equivalent to any American disco language. No producer of U.S. black music would countenance the dry, ascetic sound favoured by Richard Burgess or content himself with the spareness of Spandau's instrumental resources."[32] He laid the blame at the songwriter's feet: "Kemp has probably brought it upon himself by insisting on credence for his soul roots – nevertheless, Spandau's idiosyncratic, danceable pop has suffered by its association with funk instead of thriving on it."[32] He also found much to criticize about the side two suite and labeled the album "a failure".[32]
Retrospective reviews were mixed. In The Rolling Stone Album Guide, Paul Evans was dismissive of Journeys to Glory and described the new album as "more of the same" with the exception of the side two suite, which he did not think helped.[28] On AllMusic Dan LeRoy was also unimpressed by the experimental songs but thought Diamond was "an improvement on their debut";[26] in reviewing a reissue pairing their first two albums, Dave Thompson wrote, "There are moments spread across Diamond where it's already difficult to believe that you're contending with the same band that made such a splash upon their arrival," but thought a few songs, including the much-derided closer "Missionary", represented "where the group sets the controls for the heart of a sun far funkier than any visualized by sundry better-respected Britfunk merchants."[33]
The peak at 30 in the UK for "Paint Me Down" was their worst chart performance there to date.[34] Critics were differing in their opinions, with Smash Hits labeling it "cringeworthy"[44] and Dan LeRoy of AllMusic calling it "tuneless"[45] while that site's Dave Thompson thought it "represented the peak of Spandau's ambition".[46] The music video included footage shot as the sun came up behind silhouettes of the seemingly naked band members as they smeared paint upon themselves, and the BBC refused to play it because of nudity.[47]
The music video for the third single, "She Loved Like Diamond", showed each of the band members in scenes with the song's deceased title character, either through flashbacks or on the grounds of the estate she was haunting. Hadley's vocals were judged as excessive in most reviews of the song: Smash Hits preferred the instrumental version on the B-side of the 7-inch single because of his singing;[48]Sounds magazine described the song as "unlistenable";[49] and Cook thought the performance was "absurdly overwrought". He did, however, admit that the song had "the best melody on the record".[32] Mike Nicholls of Record Mirror exonerated Hadley, calling the song "a great 45 with melody to match the, for once, appropriate vocal posing."[27] The song's number 49 showing on the UK Singles Chart[34] put Spandau Ballet in "panic mode",[50] but their manager suggested remixing and releasing another song from the album, "Instinction", to boost Diamond sales.[51]
Disappointed with Burgess's work on the album, the band realized that they needed to find another producer to handle the remixing of "Instinction"[25] and began working with Trevor Horn on rebuilding the song.[52] Kemp was concerned, however, that shifting to a pop producer would mean losing the interest of the dance club crowd they initially attracted as their fanbase.[53] The new version became the album's fourth single and reached number 10 in the UK;[34] it also charted in Australia[35] and Ireland.[36] They opted to scale back on the expenses they incurred with their previous music videos and do a simple performance clip.[54] In their review, Smash Hits reported that Horn "saved the Spans from the dumper" by turning the original recording "inside out".[55] Despite Kemp's concern about clubgoers, AllMusic called it "the best dance-oriented single Spandau Ballet ever managed."[56]
Commercial performance
Diamond was released on 12 March 1982,[57][58] five months after the band had finished recording it.[59] In an interview with New Sounds New Styles magazine in May of that year, Kemp was asked why it took so long to get the album finished and in stores and responded, "Oh, just record company rubbish. It always seems to happen – trouble with the artwork. Things like that."[60] On 20 March Diamond began 17 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, during which time it reached number 15.[34] It also charted at number 9 in New Zealand,[61] number 22 in Sweden,[62] number 39 in Australia[35] and number 40 in Canada.[63] The British Phonographic Industry awarded the album Silver certification on 30 April of that year and Gold certification 8 months later, on 9 December, for reaching the respective 60,000 and 100,000 units of shipment thresholds.[58]
Aftermath
When the Horn remix of "Instinction" started to become popular with radio DJs, Kemp met with Burgess to communicate Spandau Ballet's decision to move on to another producer for future projects.[64] As the band prepared for their next album later that year, Kemp told Smash Hits, "We moved away from Richard because we didn't want to get in a rut."[8] In a 1986 interview with Billboard magazine, Burgess said that he was also ready to move on because the amount of remixing required for the Diamond box set in addition to the 7- and 12-inch single mixes left him exhausted.[65]
The success of "Instinction" as a full-fledged pop song also confirmed Kemp's belief that the original followers of Spandau Ballet would no longer be interested in their music.[66] He now felt free to write in whatever style he chose without worrying about how it would play to the London club scene.[67] Horn was especially interested in one of the first songs he came up with, which was called "Pleasure".[68] He wanted to start working on it right away, but after a day of rehearsals in which he was dissatisfied with what he was getting from drummer John Keeble, he spoke to Kemp about programming the drums while they looked for someone to replace Keeble.[69] Kemp rejected the idea, and Horn decided to end his work with the band.[70] Kemp also told Smash Hits, "We couldn't have worked with Trevor because he was too overpowering, too dogmatic."[8]
Dagger suggested producers Tony Swain and Steve Jolley, who had recently worked with Bananarama, so the band presented the duo with several songs Kemp had finished writing.[71] The plan was to have them produce just one single to get a sense if they were right for the group before committing to anything more, and although "Communication" was considered, the song Jolley chose for their assignment was the "up-tempo, more obvious pop sing-along" titled "Lifeline".[72] Spandau Ballet was credited alongside Jolley and Swain as producers of "Lifeline",[73] which went to number 7 on the UK Singles Chart in the fall of 1982,[34] as well as their next album, True,[74] which spent a week at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart in 1983.[34]
Spandau Ballet originally intended to represent the clientele of the trendy London nightclub the Blitz by playing "white European disco music",[75] but the disfavoring of the band by clubgoers that concerned Kemp was witnessed first-hand by music journalist Paul Simper, who, in his autobiography Pop Stars in My Pantry: A Memoir of Pop Mags and Clubbing in the 1980s, detailed Graham Smith's reactions to a couple of their songs. Smith, a Blitz regular who had designed the cover art for Spandau Ballet's first two albums and their singles, encountered Simper while delivering the cover he had produced for "She Loved Like Diamond" and was already losing interest in the band, but upon the release of "Lifeline", Smith was visibly disappointed as he played a cassette of the new "mop-top-flavoured" song for Simper, who concluded, "Spandau were no longer making records for the cool kids."[76]
Spandau Ballet 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.
True is the third studio album by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 4 March 1983 by Chrysalis Records. The band's songwriter/guitarist Gary Kemp realised after the release of their second album that the nightclub audience they initially wanted to attract had lost interest in them in part because of the band's transition from dance music to pop. He no longer felt obligated to keep writing music for them and shifted his focus to soul and R&B influences such as Marvin Gaye and Al Green for this album. Kemp thought that bandmate Steve Norman's newfound interest in the saxophone would be well-suited to the sound he was going for, as would the decision to record most of the album at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas.
Anthony Patrick Hadley is an English pop singer. He rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the new wave band Spandau Ballet and launched a solo career following the group's split in 1990. Hadley returned to the band in 2009 but left again in 2017. Hadley is known for his "expressive voice" and "vocal range".
Gary James Kemp is an English songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and principal songwriter for the new wave band Spandau Ballet.
"True" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released in April 1983 as the title track and third single from their third studio album. It was written by the band's guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp to express his feelings for Altered Images lead singer Clare Grogan, influenced musically by songs of Marvin Gaye and Al Green he was listening to at the time, and lyrically by Green and The Beatles. It eventually reached number one on the UK chart in April 1983 and made the top 10 in several other countries, including the US, where it became their first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100.
"To Cut a Long Story Short" is the debut single by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 31 October 1980. The band began recording the song before they were signed to a record label because of the interest they had generated with a debut concert for patrons of the exclusive weekly London nightclub the Blitz as well as a Christmas party at that establishment. After having tried other popular genres, the band had been preparing to make their debut as performers of dance music and wanted the public to associate them with the young crowd who met at the Blitz every Tuesday. They needed their guitarist/songwriter, Gary Kemp, to come up with something that they could feel confident about presenting to the top tier of the club's regulars at their first performance.
Journeys to Glory is the debut studio album by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 6 March 1981 by Chrysalis Records. All of the songs on the album were produced by Richard James Burgess and written by band guitarist Gary Kemp to appeal to the patrons of a weekly Tuesday night club the band started attending called the Blitz, where they were accustomed to hearing "white European dance music". Their performances at the Blitz and other exclusive venues attracted the attention of record labels eager to sign them, and one of the songs they had been performing, "To Cut a Long Story Short", gained popularity through a recording session made at BBC Radio 1.
The Singles Collection is a greatest hits album by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 4 November 1985 by Chrysalis Records. The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) within six weeks of release. It is the band's best-selling album in the United Kingdom, though despite its success, the album was released without the band's approval as they were leaving Chrysalis Records and signed to CBS Records for their next album.
"Gold" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 5 August 1983 as the fourth single from their third album, True. The song was written by the band's guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp as an homage to the film themes of composer John Barry that was especially influenced by his scores for the James Bond series. This was apparent to some music critics, but they were sharply divided in their reviews. Some appreciated the energy and drama behind it while others found it affected and overwrought. The song peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and made the top 10 in several other countries, but its number 29 showing in the US and the disappointing chart performances of the next two singles released there led to the band's decision to change record labels.
"Lifeline" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 24 September 1982 as the first single from what would be their third album, True (1983). The song confirmed the band's intent to transition from dance music to pop that was hinted at with their previous single, "Instinction". Some band members found an enjoyable chemistry with "Lifeline" producers Tony Swain and Steve Jolley that was lacking in recording sessions with previous producers. The new song received mixed reviews but reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also their first single to chart in the United States, missing the Billboard Hot 100 but charting on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 at number 8. The music video for the song received airplay on the U.S. cable channel MTV.
"Only When You Leave" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the first single from their fourth album Parade. It peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and made the top 10 in several other countries but only reached number 34 in the US, where it was their last song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. Most critics were impressed with Tony Hadley's vocals and enjoyed the song. The music video used its theme of revenge as a way of paying tribute to the late film director Alfred Hitchcock.
"Chant No. 1 " is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 10 July 1981 as the first single from their upcoming second album, Diamond. The band's guitarist/songwriter, Gary Kemp, wanted to pay homage to the latest London hotspot, Le Beat Route, by emulating the funk music that was popular there and even using the club as the location for the music video, all in order to show that the band was still part of the trendy Soho scene. Except for the remix of the song from the album's box set, "Chant No. 1" received good reviews, and the 7-inch single became their third top ten hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Instinction" is a song by Spandau Ballet whose original version was included on their second album Diamond as produced by Richard James Burgess. The song was written by band guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp. A remix by Trevor Horn was released on 2 April 1982 as the last single from the album and reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. This new version received good reviews but constituted a shift into pop music that did not interest the patrons of trendy London nightclubs that Spandau Ballet originally intended to represent. The band tried continuing their work with Horn on the songs for their next album but came to an impasse with him and moved on to a successful relationship with producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain.
"Muscle Bound" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as part of the third single from their debut album Journeys to Glory. In the UK, it was released as a double A-side with the song "Glow"; elsewhere, "Glow" was included as the B-side. "Muscle Bound" received mostly good reviews, and the combined single was their third consecutive top 20 hit in their native UK, reaching number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video for "Muscle Bound" was more ambitious than their previous promotional clips and went over budget because of snowy weather that caused delays during the location shoot.
"Highly Strung" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the third single from the 1984 album Parade. In their native UK, the song reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, and critics had a variety of responses to it. The music video used the population density of Hong Kong to demonstrate the song's emotional themes.
"The Freeze" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 12 January 1981 as the follow-up to their debut single, the number 5 UK hit "To Cut a Long Story Short". As was the case with that release, the 7-inch single of "The Freeze" featured a dub mix on its B-side, and the 12-inch single had two additional mixes of the song geared toward dance clubs. The cover art used for both formats of the single also repeated its predecessor in having a simple black-and-white classical motif. This design, however, was also seen on the sets of the music video for the song. Reviews of "The Freeze" were mixed. It reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart.
The Story: The Very Best of Spandau Ballet is a greatest hits album by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 13 October 2014. The album includes three new songs that were produced by Trevor Horn.
"Paint Me Down" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 2 November 1981 as the second single from what would be their second album, Diamond. Their guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp copied some of the elements of their previous hit, "Chant No. 1 ", and the conflict between producer Richard James Burgess and lead singer Tony Hadley that began with that song continued as they recorded the vocals for "Paint Me Down". A controversial music video for the song was rejected by the British music chart television programme Top of the Pops, and its number 30 peak position on the UK Singles Chart was not enough to justify airing the studio performance they had filmed for the show either.
"She Loved Like Diamond" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 11 January 1982 as the third single from what would be their second album, Diamond. The music video and cover art for the single focused on the sexual themes in the lyrics and the allure of the title character. In writing the song, their guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp was influenced by American Jewish music with an eastern European flavour that he had heard in movie themes and musicals. Most reviews singled out lead singer Tony Hadley's performance as the main problem with the recording, which only mustered a number 49 peak position on the UK Singles Chart. The poor showing prompted the idea to release another song from the album, but the band realized that getting a new single to succeed would require a remix of the disappointing work of their current producer and decided to discontinue their association with him in doing so.
"Communication" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 4 February 1983 as the second single from what would be their third album, True. The song was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas along with most of the material from that album and received several good reviews. It reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and made the pop charts in other countries as well. The music video for the song was made to look like a film with lead singer Tony Hadley as the main character and received airplay on the U.S. cable channel MTV.
↑ Kemp 2009, p.95: Every seminal moment in British youth culture had had a band or artist that represented it: skiffle – Lonnie Donegan… punk – the Sex Pistols. We knew, even then, that Blitz and all it entailed and encouraged was going to be an important chapter in the story of London youth and their street-found fashions; and so, in a basement studio on Islington's Holloway Road, the Angel boys were busily trying to create a band who'd embody this latest twist in the tale.
↑ Kemp 2009, p.149: There’s a claustrophobia that emanates from ‘Chant No. 1' that had everything to do with the club that’s eulogised in it. Le Beat Route was a small and unfrequented dive that had sad Coconut Grove decor, a long central bar and a small stage at the far end in front of a square dance floor. Ollie… started a night in this tired Greek Street dive that automatically attracted the ex-Blitz crowd and more.
↑ Kemp 2009, p.155: The recording of the new album was becoming far too erratic for its own good. Owing partly to Richard’s now busy schedule… we couldn't get down to a solid run in one place and drifted through six different studios across London.
↑ Hadley 2004, p.95: As I sweated, the rest of the band watched from behind the glass that separated the studio from the control room. Everyone was willing me to get it right, which only made matters worse. Each time I messed up a line I sensed a collective rolling of the eyes... It was while I was wrestling with 'Paint Me Down' that Richard Burgess… wanted to put me in a tent with a few candles to create a relaxed mood.
↑ Hadley 2004, p.95: When the band began laying down the backing vocals on ‘Paint Me Down’ it was clear to me they were flat. They sounded awful. Now it was my turn to watch in disbelief from the control room. I turned to Richard Burgess. ‘They’re out of tune,’ I said. I wanted to go back in and record my own backing vocals. He wouldn't have it. "It will be fine," he assured me. At that point, I realized he and I were on an utterly different wavelength. The backing vocals sounded out of tune to me, yet he was happy. Nothing made sense to me anymore.
↑ Kemp 2009, p.155: During the recording of the album, "Paint Me Down" failed to get us on Top of the Pops and stalled at number thirty in the charts. The men who should have been taking the rap were me and Richard, but unfortunately the scapegoat for everyone's frustration became Tony.
↑ Hadley 2004, p.96: I don't even remember which track I was struggling with. I just remember losing it. Again, the rest of the band was watching from the control room.
↑ Hadley 2004, p.97: The day my temper finally snapped I grabbed a fire extinguisher and was about to hurl it through the control-room window. I was standing with a lump of metal in my hands, at absolute breaking point, and I thought. So this is how it feels to be the lead singer in a successful band. Wonderful. It was an ugly moment. In the end I dropped the fire extinguisher and walked out.
↑ Hadley 2004, p.97–98: For the next few days I stayed away from the studio…. With some misgivings, I went back and finished the album.
↑ Hadley 2004, p.99: When the album finished playing, no one said anything, probably because they couldn’t think of anything to say. There was just a row of stony faces, which spoke volumes.
↑ Kemp 2009, p.156: We’d never sat down and decided where the album was going and I —in my fearful bedroom — was allowed to ramble.
↑ Kemp 2009, p.156: During the 'difficult', esoteric second side there was some fidgeting
↑ Kemp 2009, p.162: "Look, Diamond has just come out; it can't survive without another single from it."… "I'm worried it won’t be enough just to release 'Instinction'. We need something else. A remix maybe."
↑ Kemp 2009, p.165: As 'Instinction' hit Radio 1 and became Peter Powell’s 'single of the week' and Simon Bates played the song twice, back to back, I met Richard in Soho. We went to the Beat Route and, arriving at the bar, he jumped in before I had a chance to offer my apologies.
↑ Tobler, John (16 August 1986). "Richard James Burgess — A Producer/Hitmaker Whose 'Breathless' Style Carries Sound Of 'Hit' Excitement Around The World". Billboard. New York: Billboard Publications, Inc. p.H-5. It was a mutual thing that we didn't do a third LP," says Burgess… "When the LP came out, it was decided to also do a boxed set of 12-inch singles, which excited me at the time, but then I had to mix a whole album's worth of work again, but with a completely different mix for the boxed set. That took all my energy for about six months, and at the end of it, I felt completely drained.
↑ Kemp, Gary (11 July 2018). "Richard Strange Interviews Gary Kemp – HiBrow". YouTube. Hibrow TV. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022. At the end of the second album there was a feeling, you know, there were some of the kids we were hanging out with at the time who were going, 'We can't follow these guys anymore. They've been on Top of the Pops six times.' It's not really cult, is it?
↑ Kemp, Gary (11 July 2018). "Richard Strange Interviews Gary Kemp – HiBrow". YouTube. Hibrow TV. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022. And I sort of realized that I didn't have to keep chasing 'What's the latest rhythm that I need to write to? What sound are all my friends wanting to dance to in that club?'
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