This was fantastic, Pe! I wasn't familiar at all with this -- I may have heard it before, but never intentionally, so I was glad to sit down and listen. Knowing what I know about you and your taste in music (and the overlap with mine), I can totally see why this has all the ingredients to be a record you would buy five times! I loooove love love that sophisticated sound yet so rooted in R&B. That's a soft spot we both share.
I also loved finding out more about the band -- sounds like they were a handful 😂 but I love their attitude. They were, quite clearly, trailblazers.
Indeed, it’s something we definitely share. Researching these weekly episodes has made me realise it even more, because I now see connections that completely escaped me at the time. In this case, when I discovered they had consciously modelled themselves on Chic, I immediately thought, “Well, that explains why I love this record so much!” 😁
Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing, Andy. Have a great weekend!
The reason I bought the Blu-ray is because it includes both a 5.1 and a Dolby Atmos mix. It’s really something for the super geeks among us and not a format that’s ever likely to go mainstream. But it did bring me closer to the original mix.
The richness of the sonic palette Trevor Horn created here is simply immense. The wonderful thing is that, despite all the layers and details, it never sounds crowded, unlike some other productions from that period. But I’m convinced that if we ever get a version in true immersive audio, like Auro-3D, this record will become even more special.
Anyway, I had a feeling this one would be right up your street, Kristin. I already knew our tastes align when it comes to this genre 😁 Thanks for reading and reacting. Wishing you a great rest of the week!
Hi Pé, I’ve read both the A-side and the B-side about ABC! Once again, great and entertaining! I may not have 5 copies of Lexicon of Love (only one), but I do have the discussed 12" of Look of Love (parts 1-4 and dub) and Poison Arrow (Jazz mix).
I thought I knew a lot about ABC, but you still manage to surprise me with delightful facts. I’m thinking of the link with Chic, but also the term New Pop. I hadn't heard this one before, but it explains a lot. And now it’s clear why I like The Human League and Frankie Goes to Hollywood so much, besides ABC.
And a question for you, Pé: would you classify Wang Chung as New Pop as well?
And as a big admirer of Trevor Horn, I also looked up the introduction to Poison Arrow in ToTPs. And on a side note, I love watching "the Story Of Top Of The Pop" (especially years 1981-1985) on You Tube. Brings you back in time and great to see the performances of all these great upcoming bands!
Regarding your question about which album I have multiple copies of, my answer isn't so much an album as well a song: West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. Over the years, I have collected all the official 12" and album versions.
Keep up the good work, Pé! This coming year, too, I’ll be drinking fewer cups of coffee so I can stay glued to your pen for more episodes!
Thanks for the great comments, Paul. I’m glad I could add a little to your knowledge of ABC. It’s funny because I made exactly the same observation while digging deeper into the whole New Pop movement. It suddenly explained why I love so many of those artists and why they all feel connected in my mind.
The same goes for the Chic connection with ABC. The moment I discovered that influence, it all clicked into place. I was on board from the very beginning, to the extent that I’ve bought their debut album five times. 😁 It probably says a lot about my nerdiness, but also about how deeply I love that record, just as I did, and still do, with Chic, especially those first three albums.
As for your question, yes, Wang Chung can certainly be considered part of New Pop. But while they tick many of the boxes, they really broke through at a point when the New Pop concept itself was already beginning to fade. So I’d probably see them as artists influenced by the movement rather than being at its very core.
The early eighties were, in many ways, the golden age of Top of the Pops. I can’t remember exactly when we got the BBC on cable in Antwerp, but once we did, I watched it whenever I could. TOTP was a fixed moment in the week. 😁
Thanks for reading, Paul. It’s always a pleasure to read your comments. Have a great week!
I'd be interested to hear about ABC from the point of view of someone working for their record company Phonogram in the early 80s. I've often wondered if the "sophisti pop" vibe of the project was an attempt to appeal to the over 25s, who had been largely neglected by the industry since punk.
Have you heard Chromium Star To Star, the "sci fi disco" project from 1979 that involved Horn, Ann Dudley and Geoff Downes? Definitely on the cheesy side, but worth a listen if you enjoy the likes of Buggles, Sylvia Love or the Shooting Star album by Dollar.
I had exactly the same question when I was researching this, Paul. Especially since they used an orchestra on four tracks, the recording budget was probably well above what would have been considered standard for this kind of act. That suggests to me that Mercury/PolyGram had a very clear idea of the band’s potential and expected something bigger than the usual return. So you may well be right.
A second indication is the sheer self-confidence they displayed. 😁 I was genuinely surprised by how quickly they secured a contract with Mercury. I suppose they might have used the same tactics they later employed with Trevor Horn. 😁
Sadly, you can’t find much about what PolyGram itself thought of the project. The only thing that seems clear is that they weren’t particularly pleased with Beauty Stab, and even less so with album number three. But I’ll come back to that in a future post.
And no, I hadn’t heard of Chromium, Paul. You absolutely made my day with that tip. 😁 I live for these kinds of obscure deep cuts. Trevor Horn didn’t mention it at all in his autobiography. I understand it wasn’t a success, but considering this is how he got to know Ann Dudley, you would think it deserved at least a passing mention.
Anyway, both the album and the twelve-inch are now on my Discogs wantlist. I’m quite sure you’ll hear it turn up in one of my upcoming space-disco-themed mixes. 😁
Thanks for reading and reacting, Paul. Have a great weekend!
I never bought any of their albums, but I knew "Poison Arrow" and "Look of Love" from all the airplay they got on MTV. Even though my friends and I were into heavier rock at the time, ABC was one of the more pop-oriented bands on MTV that crossed over to us and that we enjoyed. That was a big benefit of the MTV-driven monoculture in the States during the 80s.
Yeah, MTV played a major role in their success in the US. A classic case of being in the right place at the right time 😁. While writing this week’s episode, I found myself wondering how I first discovered them, and I honestly can’t remember exactly. We had a wonderfully eclectic weekend radio show on the French-speaking public broadcaster here in Belgium. It was very much like US college radio. They played all the new British releases and introduced listeners to bands long before they became mainstream. The programme was hugely popular and played a major part in the breakthrough of many of those UK acts over here. Chances are that’s where I first heard them.
Anyway, do give their second album, Beauty Stab, a spin, Matt. It’s a completely different beast. Much more guitar-driven, but packed with great songs. Thanks for reading and reacting. Have a great weekend!
i’m pretty sure I have two physical copies of that one. But I know I definitely have two copies of how to be a zillionaire. maybe it’s time to create a new physical media format! I think it’s been too long!
Haha, they certainly keep trying to create new formats, Steve. Blu-ray Audio is a good example. I think we’re gradually evolving towards truly immersive audio. I’m still waiting for the day I can hear The Lexicon of Love in a genuine immersive music format, rather than an Atmos mix, which was originally designed as a cinema format.
Even with the Blu-ray version, I heard details I’d never noticed before. Trevor Horn was a genius at fitting so much into a mix without ever making it feel cluttered or overloaded.
Thanks for reading and reacting, Steve. Have a great weekend!
I’ll definitely be returning to ABC further down the line. The How to Be a… Zillionaire! period is very much on my list, so we’ll be meeting David again for sure. Haircut 100 and Nick Heyward are also waiting in the wings. 😁
I’m not going anywhere anytime soon! 😂
Thanks for reading and reacting, Steve. Have fun this weekend!
That was the very first thing that caught my eye when I started diving into my magical new Canadian chart book 😁. I absolutely love that song, all twelve glorious minutes of it. It barely registered in Europe, yet it managed to reach No. 1 in Canada. If anyone ever needed proof of the exceptional taste of our Maple Leaf friends, there it is.🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
This was fantastic, Pe! I wasn't familiar at all with this -- I may have heard it before, but never intentionally, so I was glad to sit down and listen. Knowing what I know about you and your taste in music (and the overlap with mine), I can totally see why this has all the ingredients to be a record you would buy five times! I loooove love love that sophisticated sound yet so rooted in R&B. That's a soft spot we both share.
I also loved finding out more about the band -- sounds like they were a handful 😂 but I love their attitude. They were, quite clearly, trailblazers.
Look forward to Side B!
Indeed, it’s something we definitely share. Researching these weekly episodes has made me realise it even more, because I now see connections that completely escaped me at the time. In this case, when I discovered they had consciously modelled themselves on Chic, I immediately thought, “Well, that explains why I love this record so much!” 😁
Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing, Andy. Have a great weekend!
Loved this!!! There’s several albums I have bought in all three formats (vinyl, cassette, and CD - haven’t bought any Blu-ray music)
Huge fan of ABC and I do have my copy of The Lexicon of Love still! One of my favorites!
The reason I bought the Blu-ray is because it includes both a 5.1 and a Dolby Atmos mix. It’s really something for the super geeks among us and not a format that’s ever likely to go mainstream. But it did bring me closer to the original mix.
The richness of the sonic palette Trevor Horn created here is simply immense. The wonderful thing is that, despite all the layers and details, it never sounds crowded, unlike some other productions from that period. But I’m convinced that if we ever get a version in true immersive audio, like Auro-3D, this record will become even more special.
Anyway, I had a feeling this one would be right up your street, Kristin. I already knew our tastes align when it comes to this genre 😁 Thanks for reading and reacting. Wishing you a great rest of the week!
Hi Pé, I’ve read both the A-side and the B-side about ABC! Once again, great and entertaining! I may not have 5 copies of Lexicon of Love (only one), but I do have the discussed 12" of Look of Love (parts 1-4 and dub) and Poison Arrow (Jazz mix).
I thought I knew a lot about ABC, but you still manage to surprise me with delightful facts. I’m thinking of the link with Chic, but also the term New Pop. I hadn't heard this one before, but it explains a lot. And now it’s clear why I like The Human League and Frankie Goes to Hollywood so much, besides ABC.
And a question for you, Pé: would you classify Wang Chung as New Pop as well?
And as a big admirer of Trevor Horn, I also looked up the introduction to Poison Arrow in ToTPs. And on a side note, I love watching "the Story Of Top Of The Pop" (especially years 1981-1985) on You Tube. Brings you back in time and great to see the performances of all these great upcoming bands!
Regarding your question about which album I have multiple copies of, my answer isn't so much an album as well a song: West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys. Over the years, I have collected all the official 12" and album versions.
Keep up the good work, Pé! This coming year, too, I’ll be drinking fewer cups of coffee so I can stay glued to your pen for more episodes!
Thanks for the great comments, Paul. I’m glad I could add a little to your knowledge of ABC. It’s funny because I made exactly the same observation while digging deeper into the whole New Pop movement. It suddenly explained why I love so many of those artists and why they all feel connected in my mind.
The same goes for the Chic connection with ABC. The moment I discovered that influence, it all clicked into place. I was on board from the very beginning, to the extent that I’ve bought their debut album five times. 😁 It probably says a lot about my nerdiness, but also about how deeply I love that record, just as I did, and still do, with Chic, especially those first three albums.
As for your question, yes, Wang Chung can certainly be considered part of New Pop. But while they tick many of the boxes, they really broke through at a point when the New Pop concept itself was already beginning to fade. So I’d probably see them as artists influenced by the movement rather than being at its very core.
The early eighties were, in many ways, the golden age of Top of the Pops. I can’t remember exactly when we got the BBC on cable in Antwerp, but once we did, I watched it whenever I could. TOTP was a fixed moment in the week. 😁
Thanks for reading, Paul. It’s always a pleasure to read your comments. Have a great week!
Love this record and really enjoyed learning about how they hooked up and worked with Trevor Horn. As usual, great article, Pe.
Thanks so much Ellen! Have a great Sunday!
I only knew Look of Love and Poison Arrow, both of which I enjoyed back in the day. I’m giving the album a listen now and enjoying it so far!
Thanks Mark. Have a great Sunday
I'd be interested to hear about ABC from the point of view of someone working for their record company Phonogram in the early 80s. I've often wondered if the "sophisti pop" vibe of the project was an attempt to appeal to the over 25s, who had been largely neglected by the industry since punk.
Have you heard Chromium Star To Star, the "sci fi disco" project from 1979 that involved Horn, Ann Dudley and Geoff Downes? Definitely on the cheesy side, but worth a listen if you enjoy the likes of Buggles, Sylvia Love or the Shooting Star album by Dollar.
I had exactly the same question when I was researching this, Paul. Especially since they used an orchestra on four tracks, the recording budget was probably well above what would have been considered standard for this kind of act. That suggests to me that Mercury/PolyGram had a very clear idea of the band’s potential and expected something bigger than the usual return. So you may well be right.
A second indication is the sheer self-confidence they displayed. 😁 I was genuinely surprised by how quickly they secured a contract with Mercury. I suppose they might have used the same tactics they later employed with Trevor Horn. 😁
Sadly, you can’t find much about what PolyGram itself thought of the project. The only thing that seems clear is that they weren’t particularly pleased with Beauty Stab, and even less so with album number three. But I’ll come back to that in a future post.
And no, I hadn’t heard of Chromium, Paul. You absolutely made my day with that tip. 😁 I live for these kinds of obscure deep cuts. Trevor Horn didn’t mention it at all in his autobiography. I understand it wasn’t a success, but considering this is how he got to know Ann Dudley, you would think it deserved at least a passing mention.
Anyway, both the album and the twelve-inch are now on my Discogs wantlist. I’m quite sure you’ll hear it turn up in one of my upcoming space-disco-themed mixes. 😁
Thanks for reading and reacting, Paul. Have a great weekend!
I never bought any of their albums, but I knew "Poison Arrow" and "Look of Love" from all the airplay they got on MTV. Even though my friends and I were into heavier rock at the time, ABC was one of the more pop-oriented bands on MTV that crossed over to us and that we enjoyed. That was a big benefit of the MTV-driven monoculture in the States during the 80s.
Yeah, MTV played a major role in their success in the US. A classic case of being in the right place at the right time 😁. While writing this week’s episode, I found myself wondering how I first discovered them, and I honestly can’t remember exactly. We had a wonderfully eclectic weekend radio show on the French-speaking public broadcaster here in Belgium. It was very much like US college radio. They played all the new British releases and introduced listeners to bands long before they became mainstream. The programme was hugely popular and played a major part in the breakthrough of many of those UK acts over here. Chances are that’s where I first heard them.
Anyway, do give their second album, Beauty Stab, a spin, Matt. It’s a completely different beast. Much more guitar-driven, but packed with great songs. Thanks for reading and reacting. Have a great weekend!
I'll be keeping an eye for both their first two records!
i’m pretty sure I have two physical copies of that one. But I know I definitely have two copies of how to be a zillionaire. maybe it’s time to create a new physical media format! I think it’s been too long!
Haha, they certainly keep trying to create new formats, Steve. Blu-ray Audio is a good example. I think we’re gradually evolving towards truly immersive audio. I’m still waiting for the day I can hear The Lexicon of Love in a genuine immersive music format, rather than an Atmos mix, which was originally designed as a cinema format.
Even with the Blu-ray version, I heard details I’d never noticed before. Trevor Horn was a genius at fitting so much into a mix without ever making it feel cluttered or overloaded.
Thanks for reading and reacting, Steve. Have a great weekend!
Haircut 100 Love Plus One; Calling Captain America... those days are over, but the songs still live on.
I'd like to give a shout out to downtown superstar NYr David Yarritu a short-term member of ABC!
Happy Friday! Playing Noches Latinas tonight Frist Friday in a Brazilian Drum Band on Repique!
Baila Greensboro Festival all weekend too. Big June of live entertaining: Jazz Big Band June 14th!
Bye Bye Bridie June 25-28th. Rehearsed ALL THREE last night. Q: Can music change the world?
A: I don't think so, but it can make it a better place. Practice makes perfection is the BBB motto!
I’ll definitely be returning to ABC further down the line. The How to Be a… Zillionaire! period is very much on my list, so we’ll be meeting David again for sure. Haircut 100 and Nick Heyward are also waiting in the wings. 😁
I’m not going anywhere anytime soon! 😂
Thanks for reading and reacting, Steve. Have fun this weekend!
If you are going to own an album five times, why not this? Also, Canada made a #1 hit of The Friends of Mr. Cairo, so...
That was the very first thing that caught my eye when I started diving into my magical new Canadian chart book 😁. I absolutely love that song, all twelve glorious minutes of it. It barely registered in Europe, yet it managed to reach No. 1 in Canada. If anyone ever needed proof of the exceptional taste of our Maple Leaf friends, there it is.🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
We also made Da Da Da a huge hit. So we like our novelties...
That one was a big hit here as well. I must have the 12-inch tucked away somewhere in the collection.