Why Did Spandau Ballet Split?

Ballet

English new wave group Spandau Ballet were one of the most popular bands of the 80s, with hits like “True” and “Gold” making them a global sensation. The band members consisted of Gary Kemp (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Martin Kemp (bass guitar), Tony Hadley (lead vocals), Steve Norman (saxophone, guitar and percussion) and John Keeble (drums). After a successful six-year run together, Spandau Ballet split up in 1989.

The band had achieved commercial success throughout their time together, with four of their five studio albums reaching the UK Top 10.

Despite this success, tensions between the members had been mounting for years. In 1985, Tony Hadley left the band for a brief period due to differences in opinion about songwriting credits. He returned shortly afterwards but tensions continued to simmer beneath the surface.

In 1988, Steve Norman decided to take legal action against Gary Kemp for unpaid royalties on songs he had co-written with him. The lawsuit resulted in a bitter dispute between the two that culminated in Norman leaving the band shortly afterwards. This left Spandau Ballet as a four-piece group but they soon disbanded after their final tour ended in October 1989.

The major contributing factor behind why Spandau Ballet split up was due to financial disagreements between members over royalties and credits for songs they had written together. This caused deep divisions within the group which ultimately resulted in its demise.

Conclusion:

The financial disputes amongst Spandau Ballet’s members over songwriting credits and royalties was ultimately what caused them to split up. The deep divisions that arose from these disagreements resulted in an end to one of Britain’s most successful bands of the 1980s.