Song:True
Album:Gold: The Best Of Spandau Ballet
True was the only top five US hit for Spandau Ballet in 1983. It has proven to be one of the more durable songs of the era. The group was a much bigger deal in their native England. They are viewed as an obvious Roxy Music knockoff. They started out in London in 1976 as The Cut led by guitarist Gary Kemp and guitarist and sax player Steve Norman. They were joined by drummer John Keeble and lead singer Tony Hadley. They went through a couple of bassists before Kemp's twin brother Martin Kemp joined. They worked gigs as The Makers and then changed it to Spandau Ballet after a German prison. The group generated a lot of buzz in London and signed with Chrysalis Records. Spandau Ballet's 1980 debut album To Cut a Long Story Short did very well and the single was a top five in England. The group was perceived as part of the New Romantic movement started by Roxy Music. Their second album did well too. The idea with the third album True was to aim it towards the international market and produce a much slicker sound. It worked because True reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a smash hit worldwide. Gary Kemp wrote the song as a tribute to Marvin Gaye. True has been regularly sampled by hip hop guys most significantly by PM Dawn's 1991 number one hit Set Adrift on Memory Bliss. And it has also been used in several hit films. They had a couple more minor hits but they were much bigger in England than they ever were in the US. You can get all their hits on this comp. Spandau Ballet split up after the Kemp twins starred in the film The Krays. They released an album in 1989 and then Gary Kemp left to try more acting. Martin Kemp was in the BBC series East Enders. Tony Hadley attempted a solo career. There were legal issues about the group name and Gary Kemp's songwriting royalties. These were resolved and Spandau Ballet reunited for a British tour and a new CD in 2009. I expect them to continue performing in England. Here's the video for True by Spandau Ballet.
Spandau Ballet - True by trashfan
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