Heart Like a Sky

Last updated

Heart Like a Sky
Spandau Ballet - Heart Like A Sky Coverart.png
Studio album by
Spandau Ballet
Released18 September 1989
Recorded1988–1989
StudioWestside, The Town House, AIR, Olympic and Mayfair (London)
Genre Pop
Length39:30
Label CBS
Producer
Spandau Ballet chronology
Through the Barricades
(1986)		Heart Like a Sky
(1989)		 The Best of Spandau Ballet
(1991)
Singles from Heart Like a Sky
  1. "Raw"
    Released: 22 August 1988 [1]
  2. "Be Free with Your Love"
    Released: 14 August 1989 [2]
  3. "Empty Spaces"
    Released: 13 November 1989
  4. "Crashed Into Love"
    Released: 12 February 1990

Heart Like a Sky is the sixth studio album by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 18 September 1989 by CBS Records. Several of the songs were written as a result of lead guitarist and songwriter Gary Kemp's new relationship. The band, however, was not happy with the material, and lead singer Tony Hadley had so little confidence in the songs and the direction of the band in general that it affected his mental health. That and the involvement of Kemp and his brother, bassist Martin Kemp, in the making of a feature film created tension during the recording sessions. Preparation for filming interrupted the recording of the album and postponement of principal photography delayed the album's release. Gary Kemp alienated some of the band members even further by deciding to receive a separate production credit for the album and discontinuing regular payments of a share of publishing royalties to them, which caused them to file a lawsuit against him.

Contents

Heart Like a Sky was much less successful in the UK than their other albums, peaking at number 31 during its three weeks on the the chart there. A music magazine review only gave a weak recommendation. The singles also fared poorly, the first two narrowly missing the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart and two more barely making its top 100. Although the first of these releases, "Raw", received very good responses from critics, the rest elicited mostly or completely negative reviews. The album was the group's last release before disbanding and is their last to be composed entirely of new material.

Background

In October 1987 Spandau Ballet lead guitarist and songwriter Gary Kemp serendipitously reconnected with actress Sadie Frost, who had appeared in the band's videos for "Gold" and "Fight for Ourselves". He began a romance with her that replaced his tendency to be cautious with a devil-may-care attitude. The newfound freedom he felt as a result of the relationship recharged his desire to write again, which lead to several songs for their next album, Heart Like a Sky, but the rest of the band was not impressed with the demo cassette he presented. [3] Drummer John Keeble was especially bothered since Kemp was planning to use programmed drums to record the album. [4] [lower-alpha 1] Saxophonist Steve Norman gave Kemp a demo for a song he had written called "Motivator", which Kemp agreed that the band should record for the album. [5]

The band disagreed upon where to record it. Kemp wanted to stay in London to be near Frost and also because he and his brother, band bassist Martin Kemp, had accepted the roles of twin gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray in what became the 1990 film The Krays [6] and needed to be there since the rehearsal for the film would coincide with the recording of the album, meaning they would be need to take time off from the band. [7] [lower-alpha 2] The band's manager, Steve Dagger, wanted them to record the album in Los Angeles, thinking that it would help their relationship with the US branch of their record label, which had not shown much interest in their work. [7] [lower-alpha 3] Lead singer Tony Hadley felt that recording their albums away from England had elicited great results and wanted to travel again for this one, but he was outvoted by his bandmates. [8] [lower-alpha 4] In his 2004 autobiography To Cut a Long Story Short, he wrote, "I'm convinced that, had we gone away together to make that album, we'd still be on speaking terms now." [8]

Recording

Heart Like a Sky took its toll on all of us. It was the beginning of the end, as far as I was concerned.

– Tony Hadley [9]

Hadley described his emotional state while making the album as a "breakdown" because of the anxiety, sleeplessness, sweaty palms and tightness in the chest he experienced before each recording session. [10] As to the reason for the breakdown, he explained, "The album was weak. I had no faith in the songs, my confidence had gone, and I had no idea where we were going as a band." [10] He was also reluctant about the fact that they were recording at several studios [11] [lower-alpha 5] and that there was new recording technology being used. [9] [lower-alpha 6] He believed that Gary Kemp thought he could produce the album by himself. [12] [lower-alpha 7] He wrote, [8]

As a result there was a sense of detachment about Heart Like A Sky. It was Gary Kemp in tandem with the producer, Gary Langan, saying, This is how it’s going to be. The rest of us weren’t all that involved and it showed. It was like working in a vacuum and it sucked the life out of the band, sucked the life out of the songs. The whole process became difficult and unsatisfactory. Ultimately, the record had no soul.

Hadley felt pressure from Kemp about the quality of his vocals while recording "Empty Spaces", a song Kemp wrote about the end of the relationship with his previous girlfriend, so much so that Kemp eventually wanted to split the vocals with him. Hadley told him, "I'm the lead singer of this fucking band. Now fuck off." Hadley later infuriated Kemp when he criticized his lyrics for "Windy Town" but was able to calm him down. [13] Hadley recorded the new lines for it that Kemp gave him but was still unhappy with how they sounded. [14]

In the end, we spent £600,000 - an obscene amount of money - making a dire album.

– Tony Hadley [15]

The disruption of the recording of the album caused by the rehearsal for The Krays led Gary Kemp to believe that the three band members not involved in the film saw the Kemps as being "unfaithful". He felt this was an unfair assessment considering his dedication to the band from its very beginnings. [6] [lower-alpha 8] In his 2009 autobiography I Know This Much: From Soho to Spandau, he wrote that his anger over the situation made him realize, "Self-preservation was suddenly everything." Because of the amount of work he had put into the demos for the new album, he decided he wanted a production credit that was separate from the band. [16] [lower-alpha 9] Hadley and Keeble were upset when they heard and objected, but Dagger insisted they cooperate and finish the album. [17] [lower-alpha 10]

Release and promotion

The band also disagreed on the name for the album. Because they were recording in London, Keeble thought Home would be appropriate, [8] [lower-alpha 11] and that became its working title. [18] Sixth Sense was also considered. [2] Kemp suggested the title Heart Like a Sky, which was a lyric from one of the songs on the album, "Crashed Into Love". Hadley and Keeble wanted to stick with Home but were outvoted. [18] Kemp's explanation of its meaning was that it was "about the heart being infinite in its love and grandness, just like the sky," which Hadley, years later, described as "stupid." [11] [lower-alpha 12]

The first single from the album, "Raw", was released in the UK on 22 August 1988. [1] During a photo shoot for its cover, Kemp criticized Hadley's choice of clothing and thought the other band members would agree. Instead Norman responded sharply in Hadley's defence. [19] [lower-alpha 13] [20] [lower-alpha 14] Hadley wrote, "You just have to look at the shots from that session to see the hostility written all over our faces." [21]

Dagger did not want to release the album until the Kemps's work on The Krays was finished. Financial issues delayed the start of filming, however, and the release of Heart Like a Sky was pushed back [22] [lower-alpha 15] to September 1989, [2] which was when filming started. A promotional appearance on European television required stand-ins to perform for the busy band members. [22] [lower-alpha 16]

When the Kemps finished filming and rejoined the band to begin rehearsals for the album's tour, the camaraderie between them and the other members was gone. [22] [lower-alpha 17] Hadley wrote, "Since the early days, John had always been close to Gary, but that was no longer the case," which Hadley blamed on Kemp's choice to program the drums. [11] [lower-alpha 18] Kemp was hurt by the loss of the friendship. [22] [lower-alpha 19] As they toured, the Kemps stayed at the front of the bus while Hadley, Keeble and Norman stayed in the TV room at the back. [22] [lower-alpha 20] The stress of trying to keep the band together was so high for Dagger that he required hospitalisation. [22] [lower-alpha 21]

Commercial performance

Heart Like a Sky entered the UK Albums Chart on 24 September 1989 to begin a chart run of three weeks, the first of which was spent in its peak position at number 31. [23] It was their lowest charting album of new material [24] and the only one not to receive gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry. [25] It also reached number five in Italy, [26] number 27 in the Netherlands, [27] number 29 in Germany, [28] number 35 in Spain, [29] number 47 in Sweden, [30] and number 96 in Australia. [31]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [32]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [33]

Record Mirror 's Robin Smith wrote, "This album is chocolate box Spandau. The work of once angry young men who've grown up into sleek executives." [33] He liked "Be Free with Your Love" and "Raw" but not "Empty Spaces" or "Windy Town". He concluded, "Heart Like a Sky is safe, solid and accessible. It smooths your collar, but it doesn't bite at your ankles." [33]

Singles

"Raw" debuted on the UK Singles Chart dated 3 September 1988 and peaked at number 47 during its 3 weeks there, making it their lowest charting single to date. [24] It also reached number 11 in Italy, [34] number 22 in Belgium, [35] number 23 in the Netherlands [36] and number 79 in Australia. [31] The 1987 film Angel Heart inspired the song itself [37] as well as its music video. [21] The single received mostly positive reviews, with one critic writing that it was "probably their best offering yet" [38] and another describing it as "the stuff of which great comebacks are made." [39]

"Be Free with Your Love" was released as the second single almost a year later, on 14 August 1989. [2] It only performed slightly better than "Raw" in the UK, peaking at number 42. [24] It also reached number 11 in Italy, [34] number 37 in Belgium, [40] number 44 in the Netherlands, [41] number 52 in West Germany [42] and number 110 in Australia. [31] Its music video was filmed in Los Angeles. [21] The single received mostly negative reviews upon its release. [43] [44]

"Empty Spaces" was released as the third single in November 1989. [45] It debuted in its peak position at number 94 in the UK and only spent a total of two weeks on the chart. [24] Number One 's guest critic Taylor Dayne gave the single two-and-a-half stars out of five. [46]

The fourth and final single from the album, "Crashed Into Love", debuted on the UK Singles Chart on 24 February 1990 in its peak position at number 96. [24] It also reached number 28 in Italy. [34] Its music video was also filmed in Los Angeles. [21] The review of the single in Record Mirror was not favorable. [47]

Aftermath

Band dissolution

The band signed with CBS Records in 1986 [48] to record six albums, but Hadley wrote in 2004 that he thought it was unlikely that they would make four more albums together after the recording of Heart Like a Sky began. [49] [lower-alpha 22] However, he also wrote, "Despite what had gone on during the making of the last album, and subsequent tour, no one had spoken about splitting up. Not to each other, anyway." [50] Regarding his request for separate production credit on the album, Kemp wrote in 2009 that he had no concerns about how the others would feel about it because he knew at the time that it would be the last Spandau Ballet album. [51] [lower-alpha 23]

When the Heart Like a Sky tour ended, Dagger suggested that they do something in the studio to prompt the record company to make an advanced payment on what would have been the next album. Kemp was not interested in writing anything, so they decided to record a cover [52] [lower-alpha 24] but disagreed on the song. Hadley suggested the Righteous Brothers hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", and Kemp wanted to do the Simon and Garfunkel song "The Boxer". Hadley and Keeble were again outvoted. [50] [lower-alpha 25] Michael Kamen, who wrote the score for The Krays, produced "The Boxer", but Kemp speculated that the project was "uncomfortable" for Kamen since certain members of the band were not wanting to be there or were, at least in Kemp' view, not talking to everyone. [53] [lower-alpha 26] Hadley liked Kamen but thought the song was a bad choice for them and "hated" their recording. [50] [lower-alpha 27] Kemp wrote, [53]

The final product was, not surprisingly, bland, with nothing about it that might suddenly reverse Spandau's limp exit from grace. We collected the CBS cheque but kept "The Boxer" on the shelf, never to be released. [lower-alpha 28] It was the first time we'd ever done anything cynically, but by now there was little pride left. At the end of the recording there was no group meeting, no plans, no farewell, just a deceitful see-you-later, as I slipped out of the studio, and out of the band.

Kemp further described the fate of Spandau Ballet after recording the song as "an unspoken acceptance that the band would not be working, at least for the foreseeable future." [52] Hadley, however, wrote of feeling completely unaware of any sort of dissolution at that point: [49]

Despite the problems during the making of Heart Like a Sky, we were still speaking to each other by the end of the process -- just about. We had agreed to disagree, but our relationships weren't beyond repair. I didn't feel at that stage that there was no going back. For years afterwards, there was confusion. Had we split or were we just having time off? No one really knew. Our lives had been run by an office for years. All of a sudden, it all went quiet. The band didn't blow apart; it deflated. There was never any real closure.

Publishing royalties lawsuit

When the band first had success in the early 1980s, they created a company called Marbelow to manage their finances. At the time, Kemp decided to invest his songwriting income in the company as a way of keeping the band afloat. As he speculated that Heart Like a Sky would be their last album, he decided to stop sharing these publishing royalties with the rest of the band. He told Dagger and Martin and wanted Dagger to tell the other three instead of having a confrontation about it. [51] [lower-alpha 29]

Hadley's autobiography has two incidents in which he is informed of Kemp's decision. The first is during a trip to Los Angeles to film videos for "Be Free with Your Love" and "Crashed Into Love". Martin Kemp mentioned to Hadley and Keeble while having drinks that his brother was going to stop paying the 50 percent of the publishing royalties to the band. [21] [lower-alpha 30] Hadley wrote that he thought Martin was only referring to the royalties from Heart Like a Sky, which he did not think would amount to much. [21] [lower-alpha 31] The second notification came in 1993 when Hadley realized that there were only very small amounts of money he was receiving from Marbelow. After investigating he understood that Kemp had discontinued the payment of all publishing royalties. [55] [lower-alpha 32]

Hadley, Keeble and Norman spoke with a series of attorneys before deciding to take legal action; Martin Kemp was not interested in suing his brother. [56] The case went to trial in 1999, and a judge found in favor of Kemp, [57] ruling that the publishing royalties were "a gift". [58]

The band reunited in 2009, [59] and in a 2015 interview, Hadley said, [60]

Looking back, we should never have made the final album – I can't even bear to listen to it. Gary's said that we should have taken a couple of years off, gone away and done solo stuff and then got back together again, and he's right.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gary Kemp, except "Motivator" by Steve Norman

No.TitleLength
1."Be Free with Your Love"4:39
2."Crashed Into Love"4:43
3."Big Feeling"3:47
4."A Matter of Time"5:15
5."Motivator"4:00
6."Raw"3:46
7."Empty Spaces"3:57
8."Windy Town"4:22
9."A Handful of Dust"4:54

Personnel

Spandau Ballet

Additional musicians

The Phantom Horns

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Heart Like a Sky
Chart (1989)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [31] 96
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [27] 27
European Albums ( Music & Media ) [61] 32
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [28] 29
Italian Albums ( Musica e dischi ) [26] 5
Spain (AFYVE) [29] 35
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [30] 47
UK Albums (OCC) [23] 31

Certifications

Certifications for Heart Like a Sky
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [62] Gold50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ "John was hurt the most. Understandably. The programmed drums had removed his input. And yet, in my strange, faithless behaviour, I even tried to persuade him that we should use the programmed drums instead." [4]
  2. ↑ "But because of Sadie, and my need to be around for the movie’s preparation, I’d pitched to stay in London to record… Martin and I were back with Anna Scher and Charles Verrall to do workshops for The Krays, which occasionally meant having to be absent from the recording studio during the making of the album." [7]
  3. ↑ "He wanted us to get away from London, to record in LA and hopefully connect with CBS America. He was haunted by the lack of interest shown by them towards the Barricades album, which was ironic, given America was the reason we'd joined them in the first place." [7]
  4. ↑ "Even before we got into the studio there were disagreements. The first was about where to record. It made sense to me to go away together, which is how we had worked on True, Parade and Through The Barricades. Too much time had elapsed between albums. We had started to drift apart. The camaraderie had gone. With the band at odds, it was unlikely we would produce good work. We had managed to pull things round before. In the wake of Diamond we had gone to Compass Point and come up with ‘True’. We could do it again. Martin and Gary wanted to stay in London. Steve wasn’t sure. I was dead against staying at home. There were too many distractions. We all had places of our own now and were busy decorating and buying furniture. I had a family. I had visions of us drifting in and out of the studio, less committed than we should be. I argued that we had consistently produced our best work by getting away from London. Gary and Martin stood firm. The band was split. The decision lay with Steve Norman, He opted to stay at home." [8]
  5. ↑ "As with Diamond , we traipsed from one studio to another; in all, we recorded at Westside, Townhouse, Air, Olympic and Mayfair. We were all over the place. There was no cohesion." [11]
  6. ↑ "Suddenly, we had the advent of new technology. It seemed that recording was no longer so much about playing as programming. I don't think any of us had a problem with technological innovation. It's just that, at the time, it was new and no one really knew what they were doing." [9]
  7. ↑ "Programming, in itself, wasn't going to produce a better album. I don't actually believe it was about using new techniques anyway. I think Gary [Kemp] thought he could do it more or less by himself. Not that he ever said as much." [12]
  8. ↑ "For the rest of the band, the movie must have felt as though we were being unfaithful towards them. For my part, I felt they were being unfair, given all the commitment to the band I'd shown over the years." [6]
  9. ↑ "I called Dagger and told him that I wanted to be individually credited for production on the new album as I'd done so much work on the demos. I'd always spent a great deal of time in the studio and the band had had joint production credits with Swain and Jolley as well as with Gary Langan, but this time I wanted some personal recognition." [16]
  10. ↑ "Dagger explained that Gary Kemp wanted a separate production credit on Heart Like A Sky. There was an almighty row. It was out of order… I objected to a separate production credit for Gary Kemp. John Keeble objected. Dagger wanted us to go along with it for an easy life. He rode roughshod over our views and made it clear he was right behind Gary. He told us to get on and finish the record." [17]
  11. ↑ "We argued about what to call the album. John Keeble suggested Home, since we were recording in London." [8]
  12. ↑ "Gary had a better idea: Heart Like a Sky. It was more . . . esoteric. We were, after all, Spandau Ballet. An album title the entire world would understand was too obvious. Thinking back, that was probably the problem. Why be obvious when you can be clever.? Or stupid? to quote Spinal Tap. Predictably, we went down the esoteric road. A few months later, I listened, fascinated, as Gary explained the thinking behind Heart Like a Sky to a music journalist from Germany, babbling on - very intellectually, I might add - about the heart being infinite in its love and grandness, just like the sky. I hope that clears up any confusion." [11]
  13. ↑ "Shooting the single's cover in a deserted market, I'd made a comment on what Tony was wearing, suggesting that it wasn't right for the picture. Instead of the support I expected from the others, I got Steve flying at me." [19]
  14. ↑ "We got together for a photo shoot before the first single off the album – 'Raw' - was released. Things between us were on a knife-edge by then. I was feeling low anyway. That whole period was about the unhappiest I remember. Gary made some derogatory comment, probably about whatever I was wearing, and I didn't have the energy to fight back ... At the shoot that day, Steve Norman took Gary on and had a right old go. He could see I really wasn't very well." [20]
  15. ↑ "While Martin and I were being the Krays the rest of the band were waiting for us to become two-fifths of Spandau Ballet again. As far as they were concerned the film had disrupted preparations for the forthcoming tour and was probably costing them money. It had also put the album release back several times. Dagger hadn't wanted the record to come out until after we'd finished shooting the movie, but owing to the film's financing problems, that date kept shifting." [22]
  16. ↑ "In the end it was released just as Martin and I were donning fifties suits for the camera. We were therefore unavailable for initial publicity, and a TV appearance somewhere in Europe had Spandau miming with two unknowns impersonating Martin and me on bass and guitar." [22]
  17. ↑ "I understood how awful this must have been for the other three, but it still hurt when Martin and I walked back into rehearsals only two days after finishing the movie, and no one expressed any interest in what we'd done over the past eight weeks." [22]
  18. ↑ "John was as thrown as I was by what was happening. His passion was playing. He was used to going into the studio and making a noise. He loved the blood, sweat and tears of it all. For him, music was, and is, a visceral experience. On Heart Like a Sky, playing was secondary. It was a case of, 'Let's just go through another eighty-two snare drum sounds and see if we can find a good one . . .' It drove him mad." [11]
  19. ↑ "For me, the saddest loss of all was my friendship with John. We'd been room-buddies, housemates, and confidants." [22]
  20. ↑ "Now, as the tour rolled itself out, we found ourselves permanently at different ends of the bus. I’d sit at the front with Martin, and find my escape in books, while John, Tony and Steve claimed the TV room at the back." [22]
  21. ↑ "We were all hiding, protecting ourselves in case of an explosion. For Dagger, it manifested itself physically. While he tried desperately to hold everything together, his body decided that it had had enough. One day it suddenly crashed and he found himself trapped hopelessly in a hospital bed, with a system that desperately needed some peace and quiet." [22]
  22. ↑ "When we had started making Heart Like a Sky, no one knew that it would be the last album, although, once the process was under way, the writing was on the wall. We may have signed a six-album deal with CBS but the prospect of us making the outstanding four albums was remote." [8]
  23. ↑ "I knew this would be our final album and I didn't care what the others thought." [51]
  24. ↑ "The last time we'd been in a studio together had been just after coming off of the Heart Like a Sky tour, and was a gruelling experience that we'd all chosen to forget. I'd been in no mood to write another Spandau album and Dagger knew it … Dagger was rightly worried that we'd not do another album together ever again, and, hoping for the best but planning for the worst, he called to tell me that if we went into the studio we'd trigger a payment from CBS for the advance on the next album. I suggested we find a song to cover rather than face each other in a musical confrontation of personal interests." [52]
  25. ↑ "Predictably, there was a difference of opinion about what we should actually do. Gary Kemp wanted to cover the Simon and Garfunkel track 'The Boxer'. I thought the Righteous Brothers song, 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'' was a better bet. It was an enduring pop song. I knew we could do a good, contemporary version. John Keeble liked both tracks, but agreed we had more chance of a hit with 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin''. After the poor performances of the recent singles, we needed a Top 5 hit. Martin backed Gary. We all looked at Steve. He wasn't sure. In the end, he came down on the side of 'The Boxer'." [50]
  26. ↑ "'The Boxer' was decided upon and I'd suggested that the composer and arranger Michael Kamen produce it. I'd met Michael when he'd written the score for The Krays. He was a gentle bear of a man, but recording 'The Boxer' was an uncomfortable experience for him. The band weren't all on talking terms and, for him, there must have been no sense of recording a band — Martin already hankered for a future in acting and was certainly not dreaming of hit records and world tours, while I just wanted to go home as soon as possible each night." [53]
  27. ↑ "We worked on the track with a new producer, Michael Kamen. He was a good producer, but I couldn't come to terms with the track. It seemed an unlikely song for Spandau Ballet to cover. In the end, I hated our version. It felt as if we were trying to be something we weren't. Although I was never a big fan of the song, I could see it suited Simon and Garfunkel. It didn't suit us." [50]
  28. ↑ "The Boxer" was later released on the 2020 compilation 40 Years: The Greatest Hits . [54]
  29. ↑ "Around this time, I made another decision. Since the early eighties I'd had my own publishing company. It collected the money I earned as the songwriter for Spandau Ballet. Brian Carr had recommended the autonomy and Dagger successfully ran it from his office. I wanted my company to contribute towards the running costs of the band. To me, it seemed a fair thing to do, and so I did it on a year-by-year basis. Now, with the end looming, I chose to stop that contribution. I told Dagger and Martin. Dagger told the others. There was no confrontation about it, but it was a decision that would have a very slow-burning fuse indeed, and more destructive firepower than anything I could possibly imagine." [51]
  30. ↑ "Late one night, Martin, John and I sat in the jacuzzi at the hotel drinking, bemoaning the state of the band … Martin let slip that Gary was about to stop paying 50 per cent of the publishing royalties into Marbelow, the band's company, which was the existing arrangement." [21]
  31. ↑ "Having shut us out during the making of Heart Like a Sky, it came as no surprise that Gary planned to keep the publishing royalties on the album to himself. I told Martin I didn't care. Heart Like a Sky was different to the other albums. He could stick the royalties up his arse. What I didn't appreciate at the time was that Gary was planning to keep all the publishing royalties on every song that we'd ever recorded." [21]
  32. ↑ "By 1993, I couldn’t understand why there was so little money coming through from Marbelow, the company we had set up to handle our financial affairs. I rang the office. That’s when I believe I found out I was no longer receiving an income from publishing royalties." [55]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spandau Ballet</span> English new wave band

Spandau Ballet 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. 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.

<i>True</i> (Spandau Ballet album) 1983 studio album by Spandau Ballet

True is the third studio album by English pop 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Keeble</span> Musical artist

John Leslie Keeble is an English pop and rock drummer. He is best known for his membership of the 1980s new wave band Spandau Ballet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Kemp</span> English actor and musician (born 1959)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">True (Spandau Ballet song)</span> 1983 single by Spandau Ballet

"True" is a song by English pop 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 lead guitarist and principal songwriter Gary Kemp to express his feelings for Altered Images lead singer Clare Grogan. Kemp was influenced musically by songs of Marvin Gaye and Al Green he was listening to at the time, and lyrically by Green and the Beatles. "True" reached number one on the UK singles 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Cut a Long Story Short</span> 1980 single by Spandau Ballet

"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.

<i>Journeys to Glory</i> 1981 studio album by Spandau Ballet

Journeys to Glory is the debut studio album by English synth-pop 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.

<i>Diamond</i> (Spandau Ballet album) 1982 studio album by Spandau Ballet

Diamond is the second studio album by English 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.

<i>Parade</i> (Spandau Ballet album) 1984 studio album by Spandau Ballet

Parade is the fourth studio album by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 25 June 1984 by Chrysalis Records. The band wanted the album to sound more like how they played together live, and their guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp came up with material that he felt would be more appropriate for the arenas in which they performed now since they were attracting larger audiences. Because they would be parading themselves around the world as part of the album's corresponding tour, he hit upon the idea of a parade as the theme of the album and included an international cast of characters taking part in a parade on the album cover.

<i>Through the Barricades</i> 1986 studio album by Spandau Ballet

Through the Barricades is the fifth studio album by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 17 November 1986 by CBS Records. The band was continuing their efforts to replicate the sound of their live performance on a studio album that they had attempted unsuccessfully with their previous album, Parade. They were also wanting to address any misconceptions about their music that came from the success of their first US hit song, "True", and reshape the style of their music to that of a rock band. The title song, which details the struggles in a relationship, was chosen as the album title because of how they felt they were being perceived. Through the Barricades was also their first album with the label after leaving Chrysalis Records because of the downturn in their popularity in the US after "True".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold (Spandau Ballet song)</span> 1983 single by Spandau Ballet

"Gold" is a song by English pop 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lifeline (Spandau Ballet song)</span> 1982 single by Spandau Ballet

"Lifeline" is a song by English pop 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Through the Barricades (song)</span> 1986 single by Spandau Ballet

"Through the Barricades" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the second single from their 1986 studio album of the same name. The song was inspired by the murder of a member of the band's road crew in Belfast during The Troubles and emerged as the Spandau Ballet song that the band members rated the best. It reached number six on the UK Singles Chart, becoming their final top ten hit, and made the top ten elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instinction (song)</span> 1982 single by Spandau Ballet

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Freeze (song)</span> 1981 single by Spandau Ballet

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paint Me Down</span> 1981 single by Spandau Ballet

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Loved Like Diamond</span> 1982 single by Spandau Ballet

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communication (Spandau Ballet song)</span> 1983 single by Spandau Ballet

"Communication" is a song by English pop 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be Free with Your Love</span> 1989 single by Spandau Ballet

"Be Free with Your Love" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the second single from their 1989 album Heart Like a Sky. It received mostly negative reviews and became their second consecutive single that failed to make the top 40 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raw (song)</span> 1988 single by Spandau Ballet

"Raw" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the first single from their 1989 album Heart Like a Sky. It failed to make the top 40 in the UK but received mostly positive reviews.

References

  1. 1 2 "Raw Power". Record Mirror . Vol. 35, no. 34. 20 August 1988. p. 8. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "I'm Free" (PDF). Record Mirror . 12 August 1989. p. 4. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  3. ↑ Kemp 2009 , pp. 254–256
  4. 1 2 Kemp 2009 , p. 257
  5. ↑ Kemp 2009 , p. 264
  6. 1 2 3 Kemp 2009 , p. 244
  7. 1 2 3 4 Kemp 2009 , p. 258
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hadley 2004 , p. 205
  9. 1 2 3 Hadley 2004, p. 204
  10. 1 2 Hadley 2004 , p. 202
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hadley 2004 , p. 206
  12. 1 2 Hadley 2004 , pp. 204–205
  13. ↑ Hadley 2004 , p. 207
  14. ↑ Hadley 2004 , p. 208
  15. ↑ Hadley 2004, p. 209
  16. 1 2 Kemp 2009 , pp. 258–259
  17. 1 2 Hadley 2004 , pp. 208–209
  18. 1 2 Thomas, Pat (30 August 1989). ""We're Back…But We Haven't Been Away!"". Number One . No. 323. p. 37. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  19. 1 2 Kemp 2009 , p. 263
  20. 1 2 Hadley 2004 , pp. 210–211
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hadley 2004 , p. 211
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Kemp 2009 , p. 273
  23. 1 2 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 "Spandau Ballet | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  25. ↑ "British certifications – Spandau Ballet". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 7 June 2024.Type Spandau Ballet in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  26. 1 2 "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2022.Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "Spandau Ballet" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  27. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Spandau Ballet – Heart Like a Sky" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  28. 1 2 "Offiziellecharts.de – Spandau Ballet – Heart Like a Sky" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  29. 1 2 Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  30. 1 2 "Swedishcharts.com – Spandau Ballet – Heart Like a Sky". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  31. 1 2 3 4 Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  32. ↑ "Spandau Ballet: Heart Like a Sky at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  33. 1 2 3 Smith, Robin (23 September 1989). "Spandau Ballet: Heart Like a Sky". Record Mirror . Vol. 36, no. 38. p. 28. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  34. 1 2 3 "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 9 June 2024.Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type the song title in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
  35. ↑ "Spandau Ballet – Raw – ultratop.be". Ultratop . Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  36. ↑ "Spandau Ballet – Raw". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  37. ↑ Page, Betty (3 September 1988). "Eight Years in the Raw". Record Mirror . Vol. 35, no. 36. p. 25. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  38. ↑ Kadis, Alex (24 August – 6 September 1988). "Spandau Ballet: "Raw"". Smash Hits . Vol. 10, no. 17. p. 77. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  39. ↑ Smith, Robin (27 August 1988). "Spandau Ballet: "Raw"". Record Mirror . Vol. 35, no. 35. p. 30. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  40. ↑ "Spandau Ballet – Be Free with Your Love – ultratop.be". Ultratop . Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  41. ↑ "Spandau Ballet – Be Free with Your Love". top40.nl. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  42. ↑ "Spandau Ballet – Be Free with Your Love – Offizielle Deutsche Charts". GfK Entertainment charts . Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  43. ↑ Duffy, Stephen (19 August 1989). "Spandau Ballet: "Be Free With Your Love"". Record Mirror . Vol. 36, no. 33. p. 29. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  44. ↑ Dr. Robert (9–22 August 1989). "Spandau Ballet: "Be Free With Your Love"". Smash Hits . Vol. 11, no. 16. p. 66. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  45. ↑ "Also released this fortnight". Smash Hits . Vol. 11, no. 22. 15–28 November 1989. p. 69. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  46. ↑ Panos, Andrew (22 November 1989). "Spandau Ballet: Empty Spaces". Number One . No. 335. p. 43. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  47. ↑ Cheeseman, Phil (24 February 1990). "Spandau Ballet: "Crashed Into Love"". Record Mirror . Vol. 37, no. 8. p. 16. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  48. ↑ Smith, Robin (21 June 1986). "Spandau Come Back Fighting" (PDF). Record Mirror . p. 2. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  49. 1 2 Hadley 2004 , p. 229
  50. 1 2 3 4 5 Hadley 2004 , p. 228
  51. 1 2 3 4 Kemp 2009 , p. 259
  52. 1 2 3 Kemp 2009 , p. 284
  53. 1 2 3 Kemp 2009 , p. 285
  54. ↑ 40 Years: The Greatest Hits (CD liner notes). Spandau Ballet. Parlophone / Warner Bros. Records. 2020. 0190295200053.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  55. 1 2 Hadley 2004 , p. 240
  56. ↑ Hadley 2004 , pp. 242–245
  57. ↑ "Spandau court bid fails". BBC News. 30 April 1999. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  58. ↑ Hadley 2004 , p. 265
  59. ↑ "Spandau re-form for a world tour". BBC News. 25 March 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  60. ↑ "Spandau Ballet tell why playing Hong Kong will be so special". South China Morning Post. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  61. ↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 6, no. 42. 21 October 1989. p. VIII. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  62. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2 . Retrieved 20 September 2019.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.