ABC are an English pop band formed in Sheffield in 1980. Their classic line-up consisted of lead vocalist Martin Fry, guitarist and keyboardist Mark White, saxophonist Stephen Singleton, and drummer David Palmer. ABC has its roots in Vice Versa, a Sheffield band formed in 1977 by synthesizer players SIngleton and White. 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 first single, “Tears Are Not Enough”, made the UK top 20 in 1981. In 1982, the band released their debut studio album The Lexicon of Love, which reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Produced by Trevor Horn, it often featured in UK critics’ lists of favourite albums. The band had three top 10 hits during 1982: the singles “Poison Arrow”, “The Look of Love”, and “All of My Heart”. Their second album, Beauty Stab, was released in November 1983, produced by Gary Langan who was the engineer on The Lexicon of Love. It performed poorly in comparison to its predecessor, peaking at No. 12. The first single from the album, “That Was Then But This Is Now”, briefly appeared in the UK top 20, followed by a top 40 showing for “SOS”.
The third 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.
After a hiatus, during which Fry was being treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, he and White reconvened ABC as a duo, releasing the album Alphabet City in 1987. The album returned them to the UK Top 10 for the first time in five years, peaking at No. 7. It featured “When Smokey Sings”, a tribute to Smokey Robinson, which narrowly missed the UK Top 10. The song did give the group their biggest hit in the US, where it peaked at number 5 in September. The album also spawned “The NIght You Murdered Love” (UK No. 31) and “King Without a Crown” (UK No. 44) as singles.
In 1989, the duo issued Up, their fifth and final Polygram studio album. This time experimenting with house music, ABC scored a minor UK hit with the single “One Better World”. A second single, “The Real Thing”, and the album itself were less successful. After a six-year hiatus, Fry, now the sole member of ABC, resurrected the band’s name in 1997 for the album Skyscraping, an homage to several of his musical heroes. In 1999, ABC released their first live album, The Lexicon of Live. The album covered most of their major hits. Although Fry was the only member left, he had a backing band and adorned the album cover in his famed gold lamé suit. Look of Love – The Very Best of ABC was released in 2001. Although essentially a reissue of the 1990 greatest hits compilation Absolutely, the album featured two new songs by Fry, “Peace and Tranquility” and “Blame”. A companion DVD, along with a bonus disc of remixes, was also released.
