Spandau Ballet is a British band that formed in London in the late 1970s. The band is best known for their hit single “True”, which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1983. The group originally consisted of Tony Hadley, Gary Kemp, John Keeble, Martin Kemp, Steve Norman and Gary’s brother Martin Kemp.
The name “Spandau Ballet” was chosen by John Keeble after seeing it written on a shop sign in Berlin. In German, the term “Spandau Ballet” means “dance of peace” or “dance of joy” and was meant to reflect the band’s optimistic outlook at the time. However, some have suggested that it could also be an ironic reference to World War II’s Spandau Prison where Nazi war criminals were imprisoned.
The band achieved success with their early singles such as “To Cut a Long Story Short” and “Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)” which both charted in the UK Top 10.
They released five studio albums before disbanding in 1990 due to internal tensions between members of the group. They reunited briefly in 2009 for a world tour and released a new album titled Once More in 2012.
What Is Spandau Ballet Named After? Spandau Ballet is named after a shop sign seen by John Keeble in Berlin which read “Spandau Ballet”. The term itself translates to “dance of peace” or “dance of joy” and was meant to reflect the optimistic outlook of the band at the time. It could also be an ironic reference to World War II’s Spandau Prison where Nazi war criminals were imprisoned.
Conclusion: In conclusion, Spandau Ballet is a British band that formed during the late 1970s and gained fame with their hit single “True”. The name was chosen by John Keeble after seeing it written on a shop sign in Berlin which read “Spandau Ballet”, translating to “dance of peace” or “dance of joy”.