ABC

Originally a synthesiser-based group called Vice Versa, Martin Fry interviewed Mark White (guitar) and Stephen Singleton (Saxophone) for his Sheffield-based fanzine ('Modern Drugs') and ended up landing the job of lead singer. With Fry at the helm they changed their name to ABC and recruited Mark Lickley (Bass) and David Palmer (Drums) in an effort to widen their output.

Producer Trevor Horn worked closely with the band on their debut album, "The Lexicon of Love" which was widely celebrated by the British music press as 'perfect pop'. A series of carefully staged sleeve photos and videos cultivated the accompanying 'perfect' image icon for lead singer Fry as the crooning matinee idol in a bright gold lame suit. With both the high production of image and sound - Fry's vocals have great bite and depth, particularly on this track - ABC could not fail to make an immediate impact.

After a Top 20 debut single Tears Are Not Enough" at the end of 1981, they stormed the charts with Poison Arrow climbing to number 6. This was followed by "The Look Of Love" and "All Of My Heart" - both Top 10 hits in 1982. Although the band went on to have a series of successes in America the group never again sustained quite the same popularity in the UK. ABC continued to record through to 1992 and reformed in 1997 performing live and releasing their eighth original album, Skyscraping".


Recommended listening: Lexicon of Love, The Beauty Stab