ABC (band)

Categories: British musical groups | New Wave groups

ABC were an English pop band of the 1980s, who scored a total of 10 top 40 hit singles between 1981 and 1990.

The original band members were:

  • Martin Fry - vocals/songwriter.
  • Mark White - guitar.
  • Stephen Singleton - saxophone.
  • Mark Lickley - bass.
  • David Robinson - drums.

ABC were formed in 1980, and were initially a part of the New Romantic movement. Their first single, "Tears are Not Enough," made the top 20 in 1981, but after the release of the first single David Robinson left the band and was replaced by David Palmer. Then the band had three top 10 hits during 1982, with the singles "Poison Arrow", "The Look Of Love" and "All Of My Heart." Later that year, the band released their debut album The Lexicon of Love which was a big hit reaching number one in the British album charts.

Despite their considerable success, ABC found it very difficult to follow up. Lickley and Palmer left the band before their second album, Beauty Stab, which performed poorly in comparison to its predecessor. One single, "That Was Then But This is Now," briefly appeared in the UK top 20. Stephen Singleton left the band in 1984.

Now a duo of Fry and White, augmented by two non-performing session musicians chosen for their unusual looks, ABC's chart fortunes further collapsed with the 1985 LP How to Be a Zillionaire. While the group did score its first American Top Ten hit with "Be Near Me," at home they could no longer make the top 20. They did manage a hit in 1987 with the single "When Smokey Sings" which was a tribute to Smokey Robinson.

ABC split up in 1992, following further chart failures which did at least meet with some muted critical approval and appreciation from the band's loyal fan base. Martin Fry resurrected the band's name in 1997 for the album Skyscraping and periodically tours or performs, often in conjunction with other 1980s nostalgia or revival acts.

In 2004 VH-1 tried to get the line-up of Martin Fry, David Palmer, Stephen Singleton and Mark White back together for a "one-night only" concert for the show "Bands Reunited", Martin Fry and David Palmer showed up and the two of them played together for the first time in more than 20 years, Singleton and White didn't participate.

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Discography

  • The Lexicon Of Love (June 1982, UK #1, US #24)
  • Beauty Stab (November 1983, UK #12, US #69)
  • How To Be A...Zillionaire! (October 1985, UK #28, US #30)
  • Alphabet City (October 1987, UK #7, US #48)
  • Up (August 1989, UK #58)
  • Absolutely (April 1990) (compilation)
  • Abracadabra (August 1991, UK #50)
  • Skyscraping (April 1997, UK #97)
  • Lexicon Of Live (September 1999)
  • Look Of Love - Very Best Of ABC (July 2001, UK #69)
  • Poison Arrow (April 2002)
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Singles

  • "Tears Are Not Enough" (1981) #19 UK
  • "Poison Arrow" (1982) #6 UK, #25 US (1983 release)
  • "The Look Of Love (Part 1) (1982) #4 UK, #18 US
  • "All Of My Heart" (1982) #5 UK
  • "That Was Then But This Is Now" (1983) #18 UK
  • "S.O.S." (1984) #39 UK
  • "Be Near Me" (1985) #26 UK, #9 US
  • "How To Be A Millionaire" (1986) #49 UK, #20 US
  • "When Smokey Sings" (1987) #11 UK, #5 US
  • "The Night You Murdered Love" (1987) #31 UK
  • "One Better World" (1989) #32 UK
  • "The Real Thing" (1989)
  • "Love Conquers All" (1991)
  • "Say It" (1991)
  • "Rolling Sevens" (1997)
  • "Skyscraping" (1997)
  • "Stranger Things" (1997)
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See also

et:ABC (ansambel) nl:ABC (popgroep)