ABC: История британской поп-группы

English pop band

ABC is an English pop band that originated in Sheffield in 1980, evolving from the earlier ensemble Vice Versa. The band's classic formation featured Martin Fry as the lead vocalist, Mark White on guitar and keyboards, Stephen Singleton playing the saxophone, and David Palmer behind the drums. Developed from an earlier band, Vice Versa, ABC achieved ten UK and five US top 40 hit singles between 1981 and 1990, and their 1982 debut studio album, The Lexicon of Love, was a UK number one. Their early 1980s success in the US saw them associated with the Second British Invasion. ABC continue to tour and released a ninth studio album, The Lexicon of Love II, in 2016. Continuing to evolve and engage with their fanbase, ABC has maintained an active presence in the music world, touring extensively. In 2016, they released their ninth studio album, "The Lexicon of Love II", which was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching number 5 in the UK charts. This release underscored the band's enduring appeal and ability to resonate with both long time fans and new listeners alike.

ABC has its roots in Vice Versa, a Sheffield band formed in 1977 by synthesizer players Stephen Singleton and Mark White. Their debut gig was as the support to Wire at the Outlook club in Sheffield. They founded their own label, Neutron Records, releasing the EP Music 4. Martin Fry, who wrote the fanzine Modern Drugs, interviewed Vice Versa and shortly afterwards they asked him to join as synthesizer player. Fry accepted and by late 1980 the band had evolved into ABC, with Fry becoming lead singer. The band's last day as Vice Versa was at the Futurama 2 Festival in Leeds in September 1980; from then on it performed as ABC, with Singleton playing saxophone and White on guitar and keyboards.

The band's first single, "Tears Are Not Enough", made the UK top 20 in 1981. she 'chickened out' of Vice Versa's first live gig, and the job as frontman went to Fry. The Fry White Russell Powell Yarritu line up recorded the album How to Be a Zillionaire!, released in 1985. The band's chart success dwindled further in the UK with this album, but they did score their first US top 10 hit with "Be Near Me", which also made the UK top 30. The album also featured the singles "(How to Be a) Millionaire", "Vanity Kills" and "Ocean Blue". Inspiration for the album's cartoons of the band members was taken from a photo shoot by David Levine whose work featured on many of the sleeves for singles released from this album. The album also spawned "The Night You Murdered Love" (UK No. 31) and "King Without a Crown" (UK No. 44) as singles. which also featured Terri Nunn of Berlin, Wang Chung and Cutting Crew. In June, July and August 2011, ABC performed at a few locations around the UK as well as Las Vegas, Nevada. In October 2011, ABC performing dates in Melbourne, Australia. On 19 July 2012, Fry was made an honorary Doctor of Music at the University of Sheffield for his contribution to music over more than thirty years. The following day his daughter Nancy received her degree from the Department of Sociological Studies from the same university. On 1 March 2013, ABC appeared in Dubai, UAE, in the '80s Rewind' concert with Rick Astley, Heaven 17, Howard Jones and T'Pau. In June 2014, it was revealed that a dozen early tapes had been discovered of rare remixes and unheard songs from ABC's first three albums. These were returned to Martin Fry who was delighted, but unsure as to what he would do with them. According to Classic Pop, the rediscovered songs include "a 'That's It Folks!' mix of 'So Hip It Hurts' from Zillionaire. From Beauty Stab, reams of early studio takes have come to light including one song, 'You and Me', that never made the final album. From The Lexicon of Love era, the band's own, pre Trevor Horn demos of 'All of My Heart' have come to light, along with a reel entitled '4 Ever 2 Gether – The Outtake, Starring Martin Fry as Ken Dodd'".

In October 2015, Fry announced that he was working on a new ABC album. "It's going to be a take on The Lexicon of Love, but all these years on. I'm a man in my fifties now with a wealth of experience. It's about how you grow older but you make the same mistakes over and over and over again." In November 2015, a compilation album entitled 80s Recovered was released, featuring many artists from the 1980s. ABC contributed a cover of Radiohead's "High and Dry", with a regular version and a remix. In January 2016, Fry said the new ABC album would be entitled The Lexicon of a Lost Ideal and released in the UK in May 2016. Featuring tracks penned by Fry, with contributions by Rob Fusari, Marcus Vere, Matt Rowe and Anne Dudley, the album features orchestration arranged by Anne Dudley, who worked in a similar capacity on The Lexicon of Love. In April 2016, the release of the new album, now entitled The Lexicon of Love II, was announced with lead single "Viva Love" made available via digital platforms. It was A playlisted by BBC Radio 2. The release of "Viva Love" was accompanied by a video directed by Julien Temple, who also worked with the band on the Mantrap and Poison Arrow videos, which the new video references. The album was released in the UK and the US on 27 May 2016 and entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 5, the first time ABC had reached the Top 5 since the original Lexicon of Love album in 1982. "The Flames Of Desire" and "Ten Below Zero" were released as follow up singles. Both were added to the BBC Radio 2 playlist. ABC also contributed a new song called "Living Inside My Heart" to Fly: Songs Inspired by the Film Eddie the Eagle, the soundtrack of which was released on 18 March 2016 on CD and digitally. ABC released their first Christmas song, entitled "A Christmas We Deserve", on 2 December 2016 as part of a 4 track EP. The other three songs are acoustic versions of "The Love Inside the Love, "Viva Love" and "The Look of Love". In March 2017, just before the band's Royal Albert Hall orchestra show on April 6 (featuring songs from The Lexicon of Love II, greatest hits and the complete Lexicon of Love album) the band announced the November 2017 XYZ tour. During the tour two new songs were performed: "Look Good Tonite" and "The Life And Times Of A Troubadour". On October 22, 2020, the compilation album The Essential ABC featuring songs and remixes from the first five albums entered the UK Official Albums Chart at #62.

On June 9, 2022 ABC released the vinyl only single "Look Good Tonite"/"Sixty Seconds Later" in the UK. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of The Lexicon of Love, the band performed at Sheffield City Hall on 21 June 2022. The show was recorded for future release on CD and DVD. In January 2023, a US show was announced: the band played at the Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California on May 20, 2023. In March ABC announced the May 19 release of the live 2CD The Lexicon of Love 40th Anniversary Live At Sheffield City Hall. It was released digitally and as a limited edition live album on 19 May 2023. The album was recorded in 2022 at a show in ABC’s hometown of Sheffield, to mark the 40th anniversary of the seminal album, ‘The Lexicon Of Love’. ABC were joined by the original orchestral team of Southbank Sinfonia and longtime collaborator and arranger Anne Dudley who conducted on the evening of the recording. The album features the whole of the original Lexicon Of Love album, plus hits like "When Smokey Sings", "Be Near Me", "Viva Love", "(How To Be A) Millionaire" and "The Flames Of Desire". On August 4 The Lexicon of Love was reissued (belatedly) for its 40th anniversary with special vinyl editions and an SDE exclusive blu ray audio, No. 12 in the ongoing SDE Surround Series. Renowned musician, songwriter and producer Steven Wilson remixed the classic album in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and stereo for this special reissue, which was also made available on streaming platforms. The album (re)entered the UK Official Album Chart at #48.

ABC was profiled in a 2004 documentary about bands hailing from Sheffield in the late 1970s to early 1980s. Original ABC saxophonist, Stephen Singleton, was interviewed for Made in Sheffield, along with members of the Human League and Heaven 17.