Spandau Ballet is a British band that rose to fame in the 1980s. Formed in 1979, the group consists of Tony Hadley on vocals, Gary Kemp on guitar and keyboards, Martin Kemp on bass guitar, Steve Norman on saxophone and percussion, and John Keeble on drums. Together they have released eight studio albums, with their most successful being True (1983), which reached number one in the United Kingdom.
The band’s debut single “To Cut a Long Story Short” was their first big hit. It was produced by producer/engineer Steve Jolley and released in October 1980. The song reached number five in the UK charts and topped the charts in Australia.
Other early singles from Spandau Ballet included “Chant No.1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)”, “The Freeze” and “Musclebound”.
Between 1981 and 1983 Spandau Ballet achieved four consecutive Top 10 albums – Journeys to Glory (1981), Diamond (1982), True (1983) – which reached number one – and Parade (1984). The group also had seven consecutive top 10 singles between 1981 and 1982.
In addition to their commercial success, Spandau Ballet achieved critical acclaim with their soulful synthpop sound. Their songs featured emotionally charged lyrics that touched upon themes of love and loss as well as social commentary. Their sound has been described as a mix of funk, jazz, dance music and pop.
Spandau Ballet has remained popular throughout their career with hits such as “Gold”, “True” and “Through the Barricades” becoming staples of radio airplay. The band continues to tour around Europe and perform live concerts for fans old and new.
Conclusion:
Spandau Ballet is a British band formed in 1979 consisting of Tony Hadley on vocals, Gary Kemp on guitar/keyboards, Martin Kemp on bass guitar Steve Norman on saxophone/percussion and John Keeble on drums who sang many hits throughout the 1980s including “To Cut A Long Story Short”, “Chant No1”, “The Freeze”, “Musclebound”, “Gold”, “True” & “Through The Barricades”.