Genre: New Romanticism, New Wave, Synthpop, Sophisti-pop, and Pop Rock
From: Sheffield, England
Years Active: 1980-present
Label(s): EMI, PolyGram, Neutron
Band Members:
Current Members: Martin Fry (currently)
Touring Members:
Matt Backer - lead vocals (1980-present)
Rob Hughes - saxophone - (2008-present)
Andy Carr - bass (2008-present)
Lily Gonzalez - percussion - (2008-present)
Steve Kelly - keyboards (2008-present)
Richard Brook - drums (2009-present)
Former Members:
Mark White - guitar, keyboard (1980-1992)
Stephen Singleton - saxophone - (1980-1984)
Mark Lickley - bass - (1980-1982)
David Robinson - drums - (1980-1982)
David Palmer - drums - (1982, 2004-2009)
Alan Laramee Taylor - bass - (1982, 1985-1987)
Alan Spenner - bass - (1983, died 1991)
Andy Newmark - drums - (1983)
Fiona Russell-Powell - vocals - (1985)
David Yarritu - vocals - (1985)
Glenn Gregory - vocals - (1995-1997)
Keith Lowndes - guitar - (1995-1997)
About: ABC are an English New Wave band that released and charted with ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990. The band currently consists of Martin Fry, although the rest of the original band members either passed away or retired. Some are touring members and one-time members, even recurring members (list of members above). They started out as a band called Vice Versa until Martin Fry interviewed them and they offered him to join their group. They released a good number of singles and albums, but went on hiatus until the late 90s and released comeback albums. The band continues to tour and their recent album from 2008 is called Traffic.
Formation: ABC were originally a band called Vice Versa, which formed in 1977 in Sheffield, England. The members who formed the band were Stephen Singleton, Mark White and David Sydenham. They founded their own label, Neutron Records, releasing the EP called Music 4. They had a similarities to The Human League, whom they supported back in 1978. Martin Fry, who at the time wrote the fanzine, Modern Drugs, interviewed the band and shortly later, the band members of Vice Versa asked him to join the band as a synthesizer player. Fry accepted. Soon the band evolved into ABC, with Fry becoming the official lead singer.
Albums:
The Lexicon of Love
Beauty Stab
How to Be a Zillionaire!
Alphabet City
Up
Absolutely
Abracadabra
Skyscraping
The Lexicon of Live
Look of Love - The Very Best of ABC
Traffic
Singles:
"Tears Are Not Enough" - UK Top 20 - 1981
"Poison Arrow" - The Lexicon of Love - 1982
"The Look of Love (Part One)" - The Lexicon of Love - 1982
"All of My Heart" - The Lexicon of Love - 1982
"That Was Then But This is Now" - Beauty Stab - 1983
"S.O.S." - Beauty Stab - 1983
"Be Near Me" - How To Be A Zillionaire! - 1985
"(How to Be a) Millionaire" - How To Be A Zillionaire! - 1985
"Vanity Kills" - How To Be A Zillionaire! - 1985
"Ocean Blue" - How To Be A Zillionaire! - 1985
"When Smokey Sings" - Alphabet City - 1987
"The Night You Murdered Love" - Alphabet City - 1987
"King Without a Crown" - Alphabet City - 1987
"One Better World" - Up - 1989
"The Real Thing" - Up - 1989
"The Look of Love '90" - "Absolutely (greatest hits compilation)" - 1990
"Love Conquers All" - Abracadabra - 1991
"Say It" - Abracadabra - 1991
"Rolling Sevens" - Skyscraping - 1997
"Skyscraping" - Skyscraping - 1997
"Stranger Things" - Skyscraping - 1997
"Peace and Tranquility" - Look of Love - The Very Best of ABC - 2001
"Blame" - Look of Love - The Very Best of ABC - 2001
"The Very First Time" - Traffic - 2008
"Ride" - Traffic - 2008
If you wish to read more about the band and Martin Fry, click here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_(band)
To check out their website for a primary source, click here:
http://abcmartinfry.com/ABC.html
Other: "The track "So Hip It Hurts" from the album How To Be a Zillionaire was featured in the 1986 film Tough Guys and Fiona Russell Powell, who joined the group from that same album was part of the original line-up of the pre ABC band, Vice Versa." She chickened out of the band's first live gig and the frontman job went to Martin Fry." - Wikipedia.
"One Better World" - Up - 1989
"The Real Thing" - Up - 1989
"The Look of Love '90" - "Absolutely (greatest hits compilation)" - 1990
"Love Conquers All" - Abracadabra - 1991
"Say It" - Abracadabra - 1991
"Rolling Sevens" - Skyscraping - 1997
"Skyscraping" - Skyscraping - 1997
"Stranger Things" - Skyscraping - 1997
"Peace and Tranquility" - Look of Love - The Very Best of ABC - 2001
"Blame" - Look of Love - The Very Best of ABC - 2001
"The Very First Time" - Traffic - 2008
"Ride" - Traffic - 2008
If you wish to read more about the band and Martin Fry, click here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_(band)
To check out their website for a primary source, click here:
http://abcmartinfry.com/ABC.html
Other: "The track "So Hip It Hurts" from the album How To Be a Zillionaire was featured in the 1986 film Tough Guys and Fiona Russell Powell, who joined the group from that same album was part of the original line-up of the pre ABC band, Vice Versa." She chickened out of the band's first live gig and the frontman job went to Martin Fry." - Wikipedia.
Here is a commercial (advert if you're British) for the album The Lexicon of Love:
And here is the music video for "The Look of Love":
*Sources: Wikipedia, YouTube, and www.abcmartinfry.com*
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