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Spandau Ballet

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Spandau Ballet was an English pop band from Islington in London, formed in 1979. The group grew out of the post-punk and dance culture of the capital and began under the name The Applause as house band of the Blitz Kids' club night, where it played European dance music. The classic line-up consisted of Gary Kemp on guitar, synthesizer and backing vocals, his brother Martin Kemp on bass, the singer Tony Hadley, the saxophonist Steve Norman and the drummer John Keeble. Gary Kemp wrote the songs.

Music and breakthrough

The first single, To Cut a Long Story Short, reached fifth place in the United Kingdom in 1980 and was the first of ten British top-ten hits. The album Journeys to Glory was released in 1981, followed by Diamond in 1982 and True in 1983. The title track True became a number 1 in the United Kingdom and also reached the American top five. Parade, Through the Barricades and Heart Like a Sky followed. In 1990 the group gave its last concert before a break of nineteen years. In 2009 it returned with a tour, and in 2017 Hadley left the band.

Influence

Spandau Ballet belonged to the New Romantic wave, and became one of its most successful groups. Its music combines dance rhythms and synthesizers with smooth, romantic vocals. In School of Rock it appears alongside ABC and Culture Club in the description of the 1980s.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to True and notice the soft guitar, the saxophone and the full singing voice of Tony Hadley. How does this ballad sound compared with the dance pop of the band's early days?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

Categories: Artists